USDA Commits $325 Million to 42 Conservation Projects Across U.S. Farmland

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will put more than $325 million into 42 projects that pair federal money with private investment to support farming operations and natural resource conservation. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the funding on Oct. 26 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The money flows through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which USDA runs with outside partners to address resource problems on agricultural land. Rollins said the program combines federal funds with private dollars, adding that recent changes reduced paperwork and gave local partners more flexibility.

A project in western and central Iowa, developed with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, will add cover crops, forage and biomass plantings, and watering systems. USDA said the work will plant more than 300,000 acres of cover crops, cut roughly 3.3 million pounds of nitrogen and 336,000 pounds of phosphorus, and prevent 1 million tons of soil loss.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the state's Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program began as a pilot in Taylor County in 2016. He said the new RCPP money will fund infrastructure work and widen the program to livestock producers in additional Iowa counties.

Other funded projects include a Southwest Georgia effort led by Tall Timbers Research, Inc. to protect at least 6,000 acres of rural forest land through voluntary conservation easements in 16 counties, backed by more than $10 million in matching contributions. The Texas Coastal Prairie Working Lands Partnership, led by the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, will use producer-driven easements to conserve coastal tallgrass prairie along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Nooksack Watershed Restoration Phase 2 project, led by the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Indian Tribe, will install engineered logjams, enhance floodplain and wetland habitat, and plant riparian trees across 256 acres in Washington's Nooksack River watershed. The work is aimed at improving water quality and providing thermal refuge for endangered salmon.

NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley said the agency focuses on producer-driven conservation that supports agricultural operations and natural resources. He said the partnerships let the agency respond to local resource problems.

USDA said 75 percent of this year's $325 million goes directly to farmers or pays for conservation practice work. Proposals were scored on soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, precision agriculture use, producer contract support, and tribal leadership; $30 million was set aside for projects led by Indian Tribes.

The Working Families Tax Cuts Act funds NRCS conservation programs, including RCPP, through fiscal year 2031. NRCS has operated for more than 90 years, providing technical advice and financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.