RCPP FY2026 Proposal Guide for Partners.pdf

VERSION 5.0

ISSUED 09/16/2025

Natural Resource Conservation Service

RCPP Partner

Proposal Guide

For RCPP Classic and

Alternative Funding

Arrangements Requests

NOTE: Partners should use this guide alongside the latest RCPP funding announcement, which includes critical information about the program.

Version History Version Date Changes

1.0 9/4/2019

2.0 9/25/2019 Updated most fields and replaced mockups with RCPP portal screenshots

2.1 10/24/2019 Updated narrative questions and added note to demarcate which narrative questions apply to renewal submissions.

2.2 11/21/19 Added note and step 21 to section 4.2.5.

2.3 5/21/20 Updated narrative questions section to distinguish between RCPP Classic & Renewals

3.0 12/20/21 Merged RCPP Classic and AFA Guides. Appendix A has been updated. Appendix B has been entirely rewritten. Appendix C has been updated to include all proposal type narrative questions.

3.1 1/11/22 Added new narrative questions

3.2 5/25/2023 Incorporated portal enhancements and updated table in Appendix A RCPP Easements

4.0 3/25/2024 Login.gov has replaced eAuth, updated TA guidance, updated narrative questions

5.0 9/16/2025 Updated narrative questions, Renewals not offered this year

Table of Contents

1. Overview of RCPP

1.1. RCPP Vision and Goals

2. RCPP Portal Roles and Workflow

2.1. RCPP Portal Roles for Partners

2.2. RCPP Proposal Workflow for Partners

3. Accessing the RCPP Portal

3.1. Establish Access

3.1.1. Overview: Establishing Access to RCPP Partner Portal

3.1.2. Requesting a User Account within the RCPP Portal

3.2. Home Screen

3.3. Creating a Proposal

3.3.1. Starting a New Proposal

3.3.2. Basic Project Information

3.3.3. Project Details

3.3.4. Executive Summary

3.3.5. Partners & Contributions

3.3.6. RCPP Funding Request

3.3.7. Upload Map

3.3.8. Proposal Narrative Questions

3.4. Checking for Errors

3.5. View/Editing a Proposal

3.6. Submitting a Proposal

3.7. Un-Submitting a Proposal

3.8. Withdrawing a Proposal

Appendix A – Financial Assistance Activity Types

Land Improvement/Land Management/Restoration Activities

Land Rental Activities

RCPP Conservation Easements U.S.-Held Conservation Easements (RCPP Classic ONLY)

Entity-Held RCPP Conservation Easements Public Works/Watersheds

Appendix B – Technical Assistance

NRCS Technical Assistance

Implementation Technical Assistance

Enhancement Technical Assistance

Appendix C – Proposal Narrative Questions

RCPP Classic Narrative Questions

RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangement Narrative Questions

1. Overview of RCPP This user guide is meant for partners submitting RCPP proposals within the RCPP Portal.

1.1. RCPP Vision and Goals

RCPP has as its critical feature a co-investment approach through which NRCS and partners collaborate to implement natural resource conservation activities. Following are three key principles of

RCPP:

1. Impact—RCPP applications must propose effective and compelling solutions that address one or more natural resource priorities to help solve natural resource challenges. Partners are responsible for evaluating a project’s impact and results.

2. Partner Contributions—Partners are responsible for identifying any combination of cash and in-kind value-added contributions to leverage NRCS’s RCPP investments. Partner contributions are evaluated based on their share of overall project costs and the value of qualified expertise they add to achieving project goals and objectives.

3. Partnerships and Management—Partners must have experience, expertise, and capacity to manage the partnership and project, provide outreach to producers, and quantify the environmental and when possible, economic and social outcomes of an RCPP project. RCPP ranking criteria give priority consideration to applicants that meaningfully engage historically underserved farmers and ranchers.

Successful RCPP applicants bring an array of financial and technical capabilities to projects, demonstrate experience working effectively and collaboratively with agricultural producers, including landowners; and propose, sustainable, and measurable approaches to achieving compelling conservation outcomes.

2. RCPP Portal Roles and Workflow

2.1. RCPP Portal Roles for Partners

The RCPP Portal provides partners with the ability to perform the following functions, for proposals and/or projects for which they are the lead partner:

• Create, submit, and/or withdraw proposals

• View project record and agreements

• Complete annual and final reports within the portal

• Submit payment requests for supplemental agreements

2.2. RCPP Proposal Workflow for Partners

Create login.gov

Obtain RCPP Portal Access

Create RCPP Proposal

Submit RCPP Proposal

NRCS

Reviews

Proposals

NRCS Selects Proposals for

Funding

3. Accessing the RCPP Portal

3.1. Establish Access

Both a Login.gov and a portal account are required to access the portal. Steps involved in establishing access can vary, based on a user’s existing permissions. Please review the following list to determine the appropriate steps for your situation:

• Individuals who already have portal access (for an existing project, or a prior proposal) can skip this step, and move onto Section 3.2 of this guide “Home Screen.”

• Individuals who do not already have portal access will need to follow the steps below to establish a new Login.gov account and/or link an existing Login.gov account with a new RCPP Partner Portal account. (Login.gov has replaced eAuth to verify user identity and control access to most government applications, including the RCPP portal.

3.1.1. Overview: Establishing Access to RCPP Partner Portal

• Step 1: Go to login.gov (Create an account | Login.gov) and create a login.gov account. Please use your personal email when creating a login.gov email. (Help on this step is available via the login.gov help site: Help | Login.gov.)

• Step 2: After creating a login.gov account please verify your identity. Click on this link for help on verifying identity: Verify My Identity

• Step 3: Visit the RCPP public portal website (https://nrcs.my.salesforce-sites.com/) and submit a request access form. (Partner will need to enter same e-mail used for login.gov into access form. Note: new users should use to denote specific reason access being sought (i.e. support new proposal submission or “manage project #1234”). (Details on this step are included in the following section 3.1.2 of this guide: RCPP Partner Portal, Request Access Form).

• Step 4: Wait 3-5 business days for your partner portal account to be created; you will receive an e-mail once access granted. *(Linking new login.gov account to portal account is a multiplatform, multi-step process, necessitating this processing time.)

• Step 5: AFTER partner receives email acknowledging partner portal account has been created:

user can return to portal (https://nrcs.my.site.com/) and click “login.gov” link (in the "middle" Applicants, Partners box). (NOTE: A more exhaustive login.gov identity verification process may occur during the partner's first login. Though this may seem “redundant” given prior establishment of Login.gov account, it is required if user’s existing Login.gov account does not include eAuth Level 2 identity verification).

• Step 6: RCPP Partner has verified their identity and should proceed to Section 3.2 of this guide:

Home Screen.

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3.1.2. Requesting a User Account within the RCPP Portal

1. Go to the RCPP portal login page - Organization”. (https://nrcs.my.salesforce-sites.com/)

2. Click on the “start here” button for new users as shown below.

3. Under the dropdown below “I am a ?...” select “Partner/Applicant/Awardee and select RCPP under which NRCS Program.

4. Enter the full name of the designated user and the partner organization name. Select yes under “Is it for new Application”?

5. Complete the Business Address Information.

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6. Enter the Funding Announcement, Project, or Supplemental Agreement related to the Portal Access request. In the “Do you have an existing Login.gov account?”, user should answer “yes”. If “no”, then refer back to 3.1.1 Step 1 for acquiring a Login.gov account.

Note: Verify the designated user has a Login.gov account under the same personal Login.gov email address entered in the New Access Form in prior step above.

Click the blue “submit” button at the bottom of the page.

If user has an established Login.gov account under same e-mail entered into “business e-mail” field on New Access Form, within 3-5 business days user should receive e-mail acknowledgement of access to RCPP Partner Portal.

Note: While it typically takes no more than five business days for new accounts to be activated, processing times can increase closer to proposal deadlines. Please submit your new account request as early as possible to avoid delays.

Proposal Process for Partners

3.2. Home Screen

After logging in to the RCPP portal, you will see the following home screen. To submit a new proposal, select that 2018 Farm Bill option under the RCPP Proposals tab as shown below.

Once you select the 2018 Farm Bill tab, user can view, create, and submit a Proposal during an announced Funding Opportunity open period.

3.3. Creating a Proposal

3.3.1. Starting a New Proposal

1. Click the button.

Please note: If the Proposal deadline has passed, the New Proposal button will not be available. The status and the Proposal deadline will be displayed on the left side panel.

2. The Basic Project Information screen is displayed. On the left side of the screen is a menu that allows users to navigate between the various sections of an RCPP proposal.

This will also display the status of the proposal as well as the deadline for submitting proposals.

3.3.2. Basic Project Information

3. Fill out the Basic Project Information. All fields with a red asterisk are required.

a. Project Name - Enter a concise title for your proposed RCPP project. Please avoid acronyms that are not widely known.

b. Lead Partner Account – This information is auto-populated by the users account information.

c. Funding Pool - Select either the State/Multi-state or CCA funding pool.

d. Critical Conservation Areas (CCA) – If the funding pool is set to the CCA funding pool, the CCA Applicable List will allow users to select a specific CCA funding pool. More information on CCAs, including boundary maps, is available on the RCPP website.

Please note all proposed counties for the project must at least partially fall within the boundaries of the CCA.

e. Lead State – Select the lead state where the largest portion of the work will be performed. If a CCA funding pool is selected this dropdown will only include states within that CCA.

f. Partner States – Select all states where work will be performed. If a CCA funding pool is selected this dropdown will only include states within that CCA.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/critical-conservation-areas https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/critical-conservation-areas https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/critical-conservation-areas https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/critical-conservation-areas

g. SAM Registration – Users should click the checkbox to confirm that have a SAM.gov registration. If this box is not checked users will still be able to submit the proposal, but you will receive an error message reminding users that a SAM.gov registration is a requirement to receive RCPP funding.

h. DUNS/UEI – Enter your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Do not enter your entity’s DUNS number as this system has been retired. See the yellow help box below for help finding your organization’s number or registering for one.

i. Address – Enter the address for the lead partner.

j. Organizational Authority – This is the person authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the lead partner.

k. Point of Contact Information – This is individual that will serve as the primary point of contact for agreement negotiation and project management.

Finding or registering a SAM number – https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with -sam.htm l https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

4. Click to save the information for this section. If there are no errors a gray check mark will appear to the right of the label on the left menu.

5. Click on the Project Details to move to the next section.

3.3.3. Project Details

6. Fill out the Project Details Section.

a. Is this a 5 Year Project? – By default, this is set to Yes, which locks the First Fiscal Year and Final Fiscal Year at 2026 and 2031. Note: Project term and/or availability of longer producer/supplemental agreement in RCPP Classic, can be limited by the need to optimize project outcomes. Generally, 1) shorter projects are discouraged as it is difficult or impossible to demonstrate project outcomes in less than 5 years, and 2) longer projects require unique, situational justification.

b. Explain why the length of your project is not 5 years. This field is only visible if the use selects No for the prompt Is this a 5-year project? –If a longer (or shorter) project term is being proposed, enter a justification for why a project length other than five years is needed to achieve the goals and objectives of the proposed project.

c. First Fiscal Year – This is automatically set at 2025. This can be updated during agreement negotiation since projects are due to start in 2026.

d. Final Fiscal Year – Enter the proposed end date, if the project is not five years. Most projects are expected to end no more than five years after the start date.

e. Primary Conservation Benefit (Classic) or Resource Concern (AFA) – Select the primary conservation benefit or resource concern among the dropdown options. This should be the resource concern that will receive the largest portion of proposed financial assistance, technical assistance, and contributions. For CCA projects, partners must select one of the priority resource concerns listed for the relevant CCA in the RCPP funding announcement.

f. Additional Conservation Benefit (Classic) or Resource Concerns (AFA) – Please select all other resource concerns your project will address through financial assistance, technical assistance, and/or contributions.

7. Click to save the information for this section. If there are no errors a gray check mark will appear to the right of the label on the left menu.

8. Click on the Executive Summary tab to move to the next section.

3.3.4. Executive Summary

9. Fill out the Executive Summary section.

a. Description of Goals and Objectives – A brief summary of the project including project goals and objectives.

b. Description of Expected Environmental, Economic, and Social Outcomes – All RCPP projects must have and report on at least one environmental outcome. Partners may also choose to develop and report on economic and social outcomes (which if included in the proposal as selected, must be carried forward into the project). Assessing economic and social impacts is optional and should only be included if they can be measured and modeled. Partners are highly encouraged to review the RCPP outcomes guidance document posted to the RCPP website for more information.

In this box, partners should briefly describe the anticipated outcomes of their project and the proposed method for measuring outcomes. After a RCPP project is selected for funding, NRCS will work with partners to ensure that proposed project outcomes are meaningful and that methods for measuring and reporting on outcomes are feasible.

Proposal outcomes should describe the environmental, economic, and/or social changes expected because of the project.

10. Click to save the information for this section. If there are no errors a gray check mark will appear to the right of the on the left menu.

11. Click on the Partners & Contributions tab to move to the next section.

3.3.5. Partners & Contributions

12. Fill out the Project Partner Form – Lead (project) partner (applicant) must enter information for each contributing partner expected to lead delivery of specific contributions. Only partners expected to lead delivery of specific eligible contributions (and informing lead partner reporting of contribution delivery and costs) should be listed;

other supporting partners, including partners whose engagement in a project would effectively be limited to that of a paid contractor (via Supplemental Agreement or another mechanism), should be described in proposal narratives, but should not be included in partner list.

13. Click the icon to edit the lead partner entry to select a Partner/Entity Type. All other fields are auto populated by the users account information.

14. Click to add a new partner or contributing entry. The Project Partner Form will appear.

15. Fill out the Project Partner Form.

a. Partner Name – Enter the partner, entity, or Federal agency’s full name.

b. Partner/Entity Type – Select from the dropdown options of partner and entity types.

c. Partner Contact Name, Email, and Telephone – Enter the name, email, and telephone number of an individual that can be contacted for questions related to the partner organization, third-party entity, or Federal agency.

16. Click the Save button. The Partner/Entity will not be available in the dropdown menu for the Partner Contributions Table.

17. Repeat step 13 for all contributing partners, entities, and Federal Agencies.

18. For each included partner(those expected to “lead” delivery of specific contributions), including the lead partner, click to upload a contribution letter. Letter should describe expected contributions in sufficient detail to inform NRCS consideration of contribution eligibility/impact on project and/or targeted conservation benefits, as well as how partner(s) will document delivered contributions and costs of delivered contribution. For proposed contributions to ultimately be included in a project, costs must be reported as actual costs to partner, and identify any administrative component of actual costs; thus, partner contribution letter should identify method each partner will use to meet these requirements.

19. Click for each partner and type of contribution.

20. Fill out Project Partner Contribution Form.

Note: You only need to create a single line per partner per activity type. You do not need to break out contributions by the year.

a. Partner/Entity Name – Select the partner, entity, or Federal Agency from the drop down.

This drop down is populated by partners that have been added on the previous screen.

b. Fiscal Year - Select the Fiscal Year for when this contribution will be completed, if a contribution will be delivered over several years select the final of this deliverable.

c. In-Kind vs Cash – Select whether the contribution is In-Kind or Cash. If lumping contributions containing both cash & in-kind, select in-kind valuation methods (each of which must be tracked via a defensible method), select in-kind.

i. Cash, i.e., a cash contribution, can come from the partner’s own funds (general revenue), cash donations from non-federal third parties (i.e. partner organizations), or from grants.

ii. In-Kind contribution is any non-cash contribution of value provided by the partner or by third parties (or a blend of lumped cash and non-cash contributions). In-kind contributions are typically reported based on the calculated cost to the partner of providing personnel, goods, and services, including direct and indirect costs.

d. Contribution Category – Select from the dropdown list of contribution categories.

These categories mirror the types of financial assistance (see Appendix A) include just a single category for all technical assistance contributions.

e. Proposed Typical Action – Provide a description of the activities covered in this contribution.

f. Amount – Enter the value of the contribution in whole dollars.

Note: Contributions delivered after the date the Secretary announces approval of a proposal can be reported (though delivered prior to PPA execution) included in a project to the extent they are consistent with final negotiated project deliverables (i.e. NRCS will have input into reporting methods and tasks to ensure contributions are defensible and related to actual conservation benefits or project development and management).

21. Click to save the contribution and return to the Partner & Contributions section.

22. Once all contributing partners and deliverables have been added and all contributions lists, click to save the information for this section. If there are no errors a gray check mark will appear to the right of the section tab on the left menu.

23. Click on the Funding Request tab to move to the next section.

3.3.6. RCPP Funding Request

RCPP funding is divided into five FA activity types and three TA activity types. The portal will automatically add NRCS TA to the proposal budget to ensure a 75/25 split between FA and TA activity types. Any partner TA added will reduce the amount of NRCS TA included. As noted in NFO, NRCS use RCPP TA funding is the only funding available to support NRCS engagement in a project, and must be sufficient to fully support NRCS roles, however, the portal does not enforce this requirement. Applicants should coordinate NRCS TA budget in proposal with lead state coordinator. Final TA budgets, and NRCS

vs. Partner TA, will be established during proposal negotiation. Proposals must adhere to the 75/25 split, but a different allocation of FA and TA funds may be considered during agreement negotiation if the proposal is selected for funding. TA in excess of 25% maximum is rarely approved and require case specific justification e.g. additional TA-E needed to support delivery of contribution FA for which no alternative TA available.

FA activity types are covered in Appendix A of this guide. Proposed activity specific FA activity budgets (like balance of NRCS and partner TA) may require adjustment during PPA negotiation; such adjustments are allowable so long as they do not materially change proposal as selected as determined by NRCS.

Other Considerations:

• Before starting your funding request table, partner should meet with lead state RCPP State

Coordinator to discuss the anticipated NRCS and partner roles in providing implementation TA in the project. This discussion should help inform the proposal, as it will help identify the minimum NRCS use TA needed to support NRCS led TA activities.

• TA cannot exceed 25% of the total project request.

• Some FA activity types have limited TA-I that can be delegated to a partner, see Appendix B for these limitations.

24. The RCPP Funding Request screen is displayed. At the top of the page is a summary of the requested funds as well as the maximum amount for each type of funds. If any category is out of alignment (i.e. requested more than 25% in TA). The section will not be marked complete until all rules have been followed.

Below the summary chart is the RCPP Financial Assistance Funding Request. At the top is a summary of the total FA request by activity type.

25. Click to open the Financial Assistance Funding Request Form.

Note: For RCPP Classic projects, keep it simple. You do not need more than one row per FA activity type. If your project requires a specific schedule, include a separate row per year. If your project timeline can be accelerated based on producer demand, include a single row for each FA activity type and use the final year in the fiscal year field. For RCPP AFA projects:

fund year is expected year of implementation, not merely “obligation”; all RCPP funds in AFA projects MUST BE EARNED during the term of the project schedule accordingly.

26. Fill out all fields in the Financial Assistance Request Form.

a. Activity Type – Select between (1) Land Improvement, (2) Rentals, (3) Easements, U.S.Held, (4) Easements, Entity-Held, and (5) Public Works/Watersheds. For a definition of these activity types please see Appendix A.

b. Fiscal Year - Enter the year you expect to complete obligations (classic) or implementation (AFA) for that specific FA activity type. You do not need separate rows per year unless your project requires a specific schedule to be successful.

Suggestion: The final year of a project should focus on outcomes assessment and implementation, so typically proposals which document understanding of Classic/AFA specific timing consideration will be recognized in the project evaluation.

c. State –

i. For RCPP Classic - Select the state from the dropdown where the work will be contracted. A separate line is needed for each state for each fiscal year for each FA activity type.

ii. For AFAs –Select state of NRCS state office which will manage FA awards e.g.

multiple states indicated only if multiple supplemental agreements to be used to deliver AFA FA. If a multi-state project will include a pre-determined mix of FA in different states, “Description” field should be used to describe balance.

d. Deliverable Type – This column will be auto-populated based on the activity type entered in the first column.

e. Description – This field is optional but partners are encouraged, where applicable, to illustrate the relationship between requested financial assistance and partner contributions that compliment and amplify the impact of the financial assistance.

27. Click to save the financial assistance funding request.

28. Repeat 25-26 as necessary for each financial assistance need.

29. Once all financial assistance funding requests have been entered, scroll down to the

RCPP Technical Assistance Funding Request table. The top section is a summary of technical assistance requests by category.

30. Click to open the Technical Assistance Funding Request Form.

31. Fill out all fields in the Technical Assistance Request Form.

a. Activity Type – Select between Enhancement TA and Partner Implementation TA. For a definition of these assistance types please see Appendix B.

b. State – Select the state from the dropdown where the work will be contracted (see FA description above for additional discussion). A separate line is needed for each NRCS state (office) where contracts for a specific technical assistance type will be managed.

c. Amount – Enter the total funding request for this activity type,

d. Deliverable Type – This column will be auto-populated based on the contract type entered in the first column.

e. Description (formerly Relationship to project objectives and contributions) – Briefly describe specific eligible activities for which funding is being sought (e.g. TA-E for outcomes assessment, TA-I by partner to provide conservation plans to – Briefly describe what type of practices or activities are expected in this deliverable.

32. Click to save the technical assistance funding request.

33. Repeat 30-32 as necessary for all other technical assistance funding requests.

34. Are you requesting an FA/TA variance? Select yes if you want NRCS funding to be allocated in a different manner than the proposal. For example, this might be more, more than 75% FA, or more than 25% TA. Note: selection of proposal that includes a variance request does not ensure variance will be approved for project; rather it merely advises NRCS that partner may seek a variance during project negotiations if proposal is selected.

35. Justification for FA/TA variance – Provide basis for FA/TA variance e.g. proposed FA activity, Entity Held Easements, does not indicate need for maximum allowable RCPP project TA; final FA/TA split to be discussed during project negotiations if selected.

36. Enter a description for how your organization has the capability and capacity to perform technical assistance deliverables included in the RCPP funding request table.

37. Click to upload supporting documents for the RCPP funding request, including any documents necessary to demonstrate the capability and capacity of individuals assigned to tasks within the RCPP funding request.

38. Click to save the information for this section. If there are no errors a gray check mark will appear to the right of the section tab on the left menu.

39. Click on the Upload Map tab to move to the next section.

3.3.7. Upload Map

40. Upload a map by clicking or dragging a jpeg, png, or tiff file on the box shown below.

41. Once a file has been uploaded a checkmark will be visible on the left menu next to the section header.

44. Click on the Narratives tab to move to the next section.

3.3.8. Proposal Narrative Questions

45. The Proposal Narrative Questions screen is displayed. Answer all questions within this section through the input box at the bottom of the page.

Note: For the list of narrative questions, see Appendix C. The narrative questions will be different depending on whether the proposal is for an RCPP Classic project or an Alternative Funding Arrangement.

46. Click to save the information for this section. If there are no errors a gray check

42. Click the icon to delete the file.

43. Click to save the information for this section. If there are no errors a gray check

Things to consider :

• The map should clearly show the boundary of the project area so that reviewers can easily identify what land may enrolled in this project.

• Maps for proposals within a Critical Conservation Area can only include a single CCA, and cannot include any county that is not at least partially within the CCA area.

3.4. Checking for Errors

If all sections of the proposal have been completed, you will see checkmarks in every tab at the left side of the screen. In the screenshot below two sections are incomplete and will result in an error message.

To see what errors need to be fixed, click at the top right of the screen. A popup will give you detailed instructions to correct the proposal. If all errors are resolved the submit button will no longer be gray.

3.5. View/Editing a Proposal

47. Click the RCPP Proposals tab. A list of the Partner’s proposals will be displayed and include the Fiscal Year, Project Number (link to the proposal), Project Name, and Status.

48. Find the proposal in the Full Proposal in Progress status.

49. Click the project number to access the proposal. The proposal opens in the same screen.

50. Use the left side panel to navigate the various proposal sections to view and/or edit.

Please note: Proposals can only be edited while in the status “Full Proposal in Progress” and before the proposal submission deadline. If you want to edit your proposal after submission, please see instructions below for “un-submitting” your proposal.

3.6. Submitting a Proposal

51. Click the RCPP Proposals tab. A list of the Partner’s proposals will be displayed and include the Fiscal Year, Project Number (link to the proposal), Project Name, and Status.

52. Find the proposal in the Full Proposal in Progress status.

53. Click the project number to access the proposal. The proposal opens in the same screen.

54. Click the Submit button to submit the proposal for review.

Please note: Upon submission, (1) the Status of the Proposal changes to Full Proposal Submitted, (2) the user receives an email confirmation for their submission, and (3) the pre-proposal is locked for editing.

The Submit button is only available if before the Proposal deadline, all Proposal sections are complete, and the Status is Full Proposal in Progress.

Upon approval or denial of the Proposal by the RCPP Team, the Partner will receive an email notification.

3.7. Un-Submitting a Proposal

55. Click the RCPP Proposals tab and select 2018 Farm Bill. A list of the Partner’s proposals will be displayed and include the Fiscal Year, Project Number (link to the proposal), Project Name, and Status.

56. Find the proposal in the Proposal Submitted status.

57. Click the project number to access the proposal. The proposal opens in the same screen.

58. Click the button Un-Submit to un-submit the Proposal.

59. A message is displayed: Do you really want to un-submit this Proposal? Click the Yes button to continue.

Please note: Upon clicking the Un-Submit button, (1) the Status of the Proposal changes back to Full Proposal in Progress, (2) the user receives an email confirmation that their proposal was un-submitted, and (3) the pre-proposal is unlocked for editing.

The Un-Submit button is only available if before the Proposal deadline and the status is Proposal Submitted. User can make appropriate changes and re-submit before the Proposal deadline.

3.8. Withdrawing a Proposal

60. Click the RCPP Proposals tab and select 2018 Farm Bill. A list of the Partner’s proposals will be displayed and include the Fiscal Year, Project Number (link to the proposal), Project Name, and Status.

64. Find the proposal in the Proposal Submitted status, click on the project number to access and the proposal entry. The proposal opens in the same screen.

65. At the top of the screen click to completely remove the proposal from consideration.

66. The message below will be displayed prompting users to confirm that they want to withdraw the proposal and understand this action is permanent. Click yes to confirm the proposal withdrawal. If this is done in error, please contact your RCPP State Coordinator or submit a ticket to the help desk to get this corrected.

Please note: Upon clicking the Withdraw button, (1) the Status of the Proposal changes to Withdrawn, (2) the user receives an email confirmation that their proposal was withdrawn, and (3) the Proposal is locked for editing.

Proposals can be withdrawn at any time. If the Status was Proposal in Review, an email notification is also sent to the RCPP Team.

Appendix A – Financial Assistance Activity Types

Associated Covered Program Authorities

Land improvement / management/ restoration

EQIP, CSP, ACEP-Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) (restoration), HFRP (restoration), Public Law 83-566

Land rental CRP

Easement (U.S.-held)

ACEP-WRE, HFRP (easement), Public Law 83-566 (floodplain easement); expanded to include land uses other than those traditionally eligible under the covered programs (e.g. grasslands, agricultural lands, and riparian areas)

Easement (entity-held)

ACEP-ALE (currently); expanded to include easements on land uses other than those traditionally eligible under the covered programs (e.g., wetlands, floodplains, forest lands)

Public works/watersheds Public Law 83-566

Land Improvement/Land Management/Restoration Activities Land improvement/land management/restoration contracts will be offered based on an EQIP/CSP-like contracting model between NRCS and an eligible producer, including private landowners, committed to addressing RCPP project resource concerns on eligible lands. The conservation activities included under this category also include restoration and land management practices authorized under ACEP- WRE, HFRP, and Public Law 83-566 (land treatment).

Funds awarded for these purposes will utilize proven aspects of NRCS planning, implementation, and contracting methodology, and are expected to be based principally on NRCS conservation practice standards, existing CSP enhancements, stewardship activities, and existing payment schedules.

Application, ranking, and contracting will emulate similar aspects of EQIP and CSP program implementation. Producer and land eligibility restrictions tied to specific EQIP and CSP regulatory requirements, such as CSP “whole operation” requirements or EQIP irrigation history requirements do not apply to RCPP land management contracts.

Processes will be provided for consideration of adjustments to payment percentages, payment scenarios and/or the development and use of interim practice standards, subject to NRCS consideration and approval in accordance with Agency policy. Additional flexibilities that may be afforded to RCPP partners include project/partner-driven ranking pools, the potential for blending of previously distinct program activities in a single contract, and the potential for leveraging partner contributions for greater conservation benefits.

Land Rental Activities Land rental activities will be offered based on a combination of the EQIP and CRP contracting model between NRCS and an eligible producer committed to addressing RCPP project resource concerns on eligible lands. Application, ranking, and contracting will emulate applicable aspects of NRCS ranking processes.

However, unlike the traditional CRP program, RCPP land rental authority is not generally expected to be used for landscape-scale soil erosion protection. Rather, NRCS will consider funding rental components of RCPP applications in which the lead partner is proposing that RCPP land rental activities focus on short-term, targeted rental needs in the context of a larger RCPP project. Examples include paying 1–3 years of foregone income to incentivize adoption of an innovative cropping system or to transition to an organic production system.

These awards will incorporate proven aspects of NRCS planning, implementation, and contracting methodology, and are expected to be based principally on an estimate of foregone income. Processes will be provided for consideration of partner-driven development of payment levels and payment standards. Anticipated flexibility and benefits of these awards, relative to existing covered program awards, will be in the possibility of project/partner driven ranking pools, potential for partner innovation in proposed conservation purposes warranting short-term rental payments, and in the potential for leveraging partner contributions for greater conservation benefits.

RCPP Conservation Easements RCPP easements will retain some elements of ACEP and HFRP easements while differing in substantial ways. Both U.S.-held and entity-held easements are offered. Below is a table summarizing RCPP easements, with explanatory narratives below the table.

U.S.-Held Easements (Classic Only)

Entity-Held Easements

Easement Holder

Acquired and held by the United States through USDA

NRCS.

Acquired and held by an eligible entity that meets the requirements of 7 CFR Part 1468.3.

Easement Deed Requirements

Must use one of three RCPP warranty easement deeds provided by NRCS and tailored to identify project-specific conservation values and easement-specific conservation activities:

1. RCPP Warranty Easement Deed for Protection of

Classic Only:

The RCPP minimum deed terms provided by NRCS must be attached to or incorporated into the eligible entity’s own conservation easement deed terms.

NRCS minimum deed terms available:

RCPP minimum deed terms for protection of conservation values (Highly Restrictive);

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1468/subpart-A/section-1468.3 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1468/subpart-A/section-1468.3 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1468/subpart-A/section-1468.3

Conservation Values (Highly Restrictive);

2. RCPP Warranty Easement Deed for Protection of Conservation Values (Moderately Restrictive); or

3. RCPP Warranty Easement Deed for Working Lands (Minimally Restrictive).

Alternatively, a partner may request that NRCS use a preapproved, standard RCPP warranty easement deed that is prepopulated with conservation values and conservation activity terms based on habitat or land use:

selecting either wetlands, floodplains, grasslands, forestlands, or agricultural land easement deed. Such deeds will not be tailored to include project-specific or parcel-specific provisions.

RCPP minimum deed terms for conservation use with compatible agricultural uses (Moderately Restrictive); or RCPP minimum deed terms for agricultural use (minimally restrictive.

Note: Two versions of each set of the listed RCPP Minimum deed terms are available, one with and one without the terms related to the U.S. Right of Enforcement, posted on RCPP Easement Resources Library at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements.

An eligible entity may propose using an easement deed template previously approved for use by NRCS for the use by the eligible entity for ACEP-ALE under the 2018 Farm Bill, with appropriate adjustments made for RCPP funding and project purposes. This template may only be used for RCPP entity-held easements with a purpose and conservation values similar to ACEP-ALE easements. Eligible entities must include the request to use such a template as part of its proposal.

AFA Only:

The eligible entity must incorporate the RCPP AFA minimum deed requirements into its own conservation easement.

Entities may submit with their proposal a modified ACEP-ALE template deed or other proposed custom deed terms using the RCPP minimum deed terms as a guide. Approval of these deeds or deed terms will be documented in the PPA and Supplemental Agreement Type IV.

Note: The RCPP AFA Minimum Deed Requirements and NRCS deed terms are posted on RCPP Easement Resources https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements

Library at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements.

Duration Easements are perpetual or maximum duration allowed under state law.

Potential Eligible Land Types

Private agricultural land, nonindustrial private forest land, or associated lands (e.g., riparian areas, floodplains, seasonal or flooded wetlands).

Basis for

RCPP

Compensation Cap

RCPP funds pay landowners up to 100 percent of the easement value as determined by the NRCS valuation methodology.

A partner may pay a landowner additional compensation for an easement conveyance to

NRCS.

The RCPP cost share (federal share) provided to eligible entities for their purchase of an entity-held easement is a percentage of the easement value (based on a before-and-after appraisal or approved alternative valuation method).

Classic EHE:

• Up to 50 percent of the easement value, with a U.S. Right of Enforcement

• Up to 25 percent of the easement value, without a U.S. Right of Enforcement

AFA-EHE Only:

• Up to 50 percent of the easement value with a U.S. Right of Enforcement for ACEP-ALE certified eligible entities acquiring ‘ACEP-ALE like’ easements

• Up to 25 percent of the easement value without U.S. Right of Enforcement

Valuation Methodology*

Easement value is generally determined through an appraisal. Alternative valuation methods may be considered (and may delay PPA negotiation and implementation) if included in the proposal.

Alternative valuation methods may include the use of area wide market analysis (AWMA) or other market area valuations, existing partner appraisal processes, or other industry approved valuation methods. The proposal should include how the alternative method will establish the easement value. Prior to proposal submission, an applicant interested in using an alternate valuation easement method must first consult with the relevant RCPP coordinator and the Easement Programs Division valuation team at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/rcpp-easements

NRCS.NationalAppraisers@usda.gov. The proposal must include how the alternative valuation methodology is appropriate and feasible for the lands and easement types targeted for enrollment.

Acceptance of the alternative valuation method will be documented in the PPA and Supplementation Type IV agreement, when applicable.

Partner Match

Partner match is not required for acquisition of easements held by the U.S. Government.

Partner match is required for entity-held easement acquisition and may consist of any combination of landowner donation toward easement value or partner cash contribution toward payment of easement compensation to the landowner.

Partner Contribution

Contributions are encouraged to further RCPP project objectives consistent with the partner contributing substantially towards the overall costs of a project.

Only partner, in-kind, or cash contribution from sources other than the landowner may count towards the partner contribution for the project.

Landowner cost-share (also known as a donation or charitable contribution) associated with easements held by the U.S.-Held cannot count as partner contribution for the project.

Non-federal match as well as due diligence activities performed or procured by a partner.

RCPP Award Type for Easement Purchase

Producer contract entered into directly with eligible landowners.

Agreement entered into by NRCS with an eligible entity that will hold the easement on eligible land.

Allowed uses of RCPP Financial Assistance

Cost of easement itself, acquisition-related costs (e.g., appraisal, survey, due diligence, title, and closing services), and restoration implementation costs.

Cost of easement itself, cost for NRCS procured technical appraisal review and environmental database records search.

RCPP financial assistance funds awarded for an entity-held easement may not be used for entity procured due diligence or any other purpose.

U.S.-Held Conservation Easements (RCPP Classic ONLY) RCPP conservation easement awards are offered through producer contracts with eligible landowners on eligible lands. US-held easements are perpetual or for the maximum duration allowed under State Law.

Application, ranking, easement acquisition processes, and contracting of RCPP US-held easements emulate applicable aspects of ACEP and HFRP.