California Ag Network

Tag: agricultural conservation

  • USDA Announces $35 Million to Combat Feral Pigs

    The USDA is making $35 million available for partnerships to counter the threat feral swine pose to American agriculture, landscapes and human and livestock health. This partnership opportunity is part of a broader $105 million investment for the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, where USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are working together to target feral swine.

    “We are collaborating with our partners at USDA and across the country to help combat feral swine and keep our farms, ranches and landscapes safe,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “These invasive species cause more than $3.4 billion in damage each year, including damage to agricultural landscapes. Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, NRCS is able to expand this effort, giving producers and partners more resources to protect working lands and strengthen the long-term resilience of agricultural operations.”

    The Working Families Tax Cuts Act delivers the largest long-term investment in NRCS conservation programs in decades, including support for this program.  It continued the program for another five years with the $105 million total investment split between NRCS and APHIS, including the $35 million made available through this announcement.

    Partners are invited to apply for feral swine eradication and control projects in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

    About the Pilot Program

    Feral swine can have significant negative impacts on plant and wildlife habitats, soils, water quality, as well as other natural resources. Livestock and humans are also susceptible to diseases carried by feral swine.

    Partners selected to participate in the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program will provide landowner assistance for restoration and on-farm trapping efforts and provide related services, like training. Funding for these services will be provided through grant agreements between partners and NRCS.

    All projects will be a collaborative and coordinated effort among the selected partner, NRCS, and APHIS.

    Applications will be accepted until Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. EST. For more information about this funding opportunity and to apply, visit the notice of funding on Grants.gov.

    — Story contributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

  • USDA Invests up to $310 Million in Partnership Projects

    The USDA announced that it is investing up to $310 million to expand producer conservation activities across the nation through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting RCPP project proposals now through Aug. 24 to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners boost their operations and conserve natural resources.

    “This significant investment through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program will further enable us to leverage our partnerships as force multipliers in supporting America’s farmers,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “We’re looking forward to seeing the results on the ground while we also work to keep working lands in working hands.”

    The Working Families Tax Cuts Act is delivering the largest long-term investment in NRCS conservation programs in decades, including support for RCPP. It will deliver $425 million in fiscal year 2026 and an increase to $450 million from fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year 2031.   

    RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.

    In the past year, NRCS has improved RCPP by streamlining partnership agreement processes and increasing flexibilities to ensure the program works more effectively for conservation partners and America’s farmers and ranchers. Now, 75% of the funding goes directly to the American farmer or is used to cover the cost of conservation practice implementation.

    About the Program

    There are two separate funding opportunities:   

    • RCPP Classic: Projects are implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities in collaboration with project partners.   
    • RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA): The lead partner works directly with agricultural producers to support the development of innovative conservation approaches that would not otherwise be available under RCPP Classic.

    NRCS ranks proposals based on how they address the following priorities:

    • Addressing soil health, water quality or wildlife habitat with an aim to improve land health, enhance resource management and promote sustainable agriculture and long-term protection of agricultural, grassland, and forestland viability.
    • Soil health projects using practices that focus on minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing soil cover, increasing natural vitality and maintaining living roots throughout the year.
    • Leveraging precision agriculture technologies to target conservation efforts based on specific field conditions, potentially reducing costs and improving resource efficiency.
    • Focusing on Farmers First projects, especially those that provide technical and financial assistance via contributions for planning and practice designs to support producer contracts.
    • Supporting projects led by Indian tribes.

    More Information

    The $310 million is available for both RCPP Classic and AFA projects, including $30 million set aside for projects with Indian tribes.

    Details about RCPP Classic

    and RCPP AFAs

    are available on Grants.gov.  Project proposals for RCPP are being accepted through Aug. 24 on the RCPP portal

    . For more information about RCPP, visit the RCPP website.

    This investment builds on other recent NRCS investments to engage partners to extend the reach of conservation. In late May, NRCS announced its plans to invest $65 million through Conservation Innovation Grants. 

    For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.