USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-AFA-NOFO0001451_MOD 1.pdf

Regional Conservation Partnership Program Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) Notice of Funding Opportunity

Fiscal Year 2026 Natural Resources Conservation Service Notice of Funding Opportunity No. USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-AFA-26-NOFO0001451

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-AFA-26-NOFO0001451: Regional Conservation Partnership Program – AFA

Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY AND PROGRAM PRIORITIES

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Legislative Authority

2. Delivering Assistance Through Alternative Funding Arrangements

3. Vision and Goals of the Program

B. FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND FUND POOL SELECTION

1. Critical Conservation Area Funding Pool

2. State and Multi-State Funding Pool

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Lead Partner Eligibility

2. Producer and Landowner Eligibility

3. Eligible Activities for Financial Assistance

4. Land Eligibility

D. RCPP PROJECT FUNDING

1. Financial Assistance

2. Technical Assistance

3. Partner Contributions

E. RCPP PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Format and Instructions

2. Proposal Content

3. Submission Information

4. Withdrawal of Proposals

F. PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS

1. Technical Review Criteria

2. Proposal Evaluation Process

3. Agency Priority Topics for FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunities

4. Notifications

G. PROJECT INFORMATION AND ADMINISTRATION

1. RCPP Programmatic Partnership Agreements

2. Adjusted Gross Income Waivers

3. Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination

4. Reporting and Reimbursement Requirements

H. AGENCY CONTACTS

APPENDIX A – RCPP AGREEMENTS, CONTRACTS, AND ACTIVITIES

A. RCPP Funding Overview B. Agreements and Third-Party Contracts C. Land Management Activities D. Land Rental Activities E. Entity- Held Conservation Easements……………………………………………………………………...32 F. Public Works and Watersheds

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY AND PROGRAM

PRIORITIES

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)

Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-AFA-26-NOFO0001451

Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 24, 2026.

Note: The RCPP AFA and Classic FY 2026 notices of funding opportunity (NOFO) will run concurrently. For information on Classic proposals please see USDA-NRCS-NHQ- RCPP-Classic-26-NOFO0001450.

The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services.

Partners use this notice to propose projects that improve natural resources in one or more states or focus on priority concerns in NRCS-designated Critical Conservation Areas (CCAs).

NRCS works with these partners to plan and carry out projects on farms, ranches and private forest land. Through the program, NRCS can provide funding to support both partners and producers. Proposals are selected through a competitive process based on their impact, the partner’s contributions, and how well the partnership is managed.

Up to $310 million is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2026 Classic announcement using the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding Working Families Tax Cut Act, Public Law 119-21. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Up to $30 million of the total available funding is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2026 Classic announcement.

RCPP AFAs are intended to reimburse projects led by partners that clearly demonstrate their https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/critical-conservation-areas https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text capacity, resources, and ability to provide technical and financial assistance to benefit conservation implementation. The expectation is that AFA Partners will be ready to implement the project quickly.

The 2018 Farm Bill provides the following examples of project types that might be implemented through RCPP AFA:

• projects that use innovative approaches to leverage the Federal investment in conservation.

• projects that deploy a pay-for-performance conservation approach.

Note: Pay for performance is a partner negotiated method used to pay for quantifiable benefits of implemented conservation activities in lieu of reimbursement for practice installation and management activities at NRCS payment rates.

• projects that seek large-scale infrastructure investments that generate conservation benefits for agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forest owners.

NRCS can make up to 15 AFA awards through this funding opportunity through Farm Bill funding.

Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential.

Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below.

For More Information: Applicants must contact the appropriate state conservationists and state RCPP Coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservationist questionnaire to guide the conversations in alignment with program requirements and state level agency needs.

Proposals submitted without the benefit of the lead partner meeting with the state conservationist to discuss how their project can meet agency needs and program requirements through a completed questionnaire risk receiving reduced ranking scores. Without having this meeting potential partners will not be able to answer one or more of the questions within program rules and NRCS needs.

A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcement’s posting) is on the How to Apply to RCPP web page.

Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox (rcpp@usda.gov) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program.

https://nrcs.my.salesforce-sites.com/ https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply mailto:rcpp@usda.gov https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program

Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply.

2026 RCPP NOFO Applicant Resources

This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)

RCPP NOFO Applicant Webinar – June 30, 2026 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/d8329fd1-0409-4b9c-9f37- 9e184fc7f84e@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697

RCPP NOFO Applicant Easement Webinar – July 9, 2026 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Eastern

Standard Time https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/24547ad1-f99e-4161-a3ee- 0bad228230c9@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697

Information on all webinars will be posted to the How to Apply to RCPP page.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/d8329fd1-0409-4b9c-9f37-9e184fc7f84e@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/d8329fd1-0409-4b9c-9f37-9e184fc7f84e@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/24547ad1-f99e-4161-a3ee-0bad228230c9@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/24547ad1-f99e-4161-a3ee-0bad228230c9@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Legislative Authority

The RCPP is authorized by Subtitle I of Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended (16 USC 3871 et seq.).

The Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the authority to administer RCPP to the Chief of the NRCS. NRCS is an agency of USDA. NRCS has promulgated regulations for RCPP implementation at 7 CFR Part 1464. All actions funded under this notice are subject to RCPP statutes and regulations.

Unmanned aircraft systems is an unallowable expense.

2. Delivering Assistance Through Alternative Funding Arrangements

NRCS delivers conservation solutions so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world. NRCS provides leadership and funding to ensure that all programs and services are made accessible to all customers, including reaching out to Native American tribal governments and organizations.

RCPP projects include both Financial Assistance (FA) and Technical Assistance (TA). FA funds are used to pay for the implementation of conservation assistance to producers, landowners, and communities. For proposals that require NRCS involvement in the delivery of FA or TA, please see whether RCPP Classic would be a better fit for your proposed RCPP project.

NRCS provides funding to partners to support conservation activities with eligible producers and landowners on (or benefiting) eligible land. RCPP AFA funding reimburses the lead partner for costs incurred to manage the project, complete conservation contracts benefiting eligible producers and the associated technical assistance provided.

Through this announcement, NRCS gives substantial preference to lead partners that can provide producers with the TA necessary to implement conservation activities that are part of an RCPP AFA project. NRCS will provide non-delegable TA for each project to fulfill compliance requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act

TYPICAL RCPP PROJECT

FA

75%

TA

25% https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:16%20section:3871%20edition:prelim) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/part-1464

(NEPA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and will confirm as specified in the Programmatic Partnership Agreement (PPA) that participating producers that receiving RCPP funding comply with the Farm Bill payment eligibility requirements (Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitations and conservation compliance requirements for highly erodible lands and wetlands conservation (HEL/WC).

RCPP lead partners are highly encouraged to work closely with the appropriate NRCS state offices and state conservationists to:

a. Determine if a proposed project aligns with RCPP’s goals and policies,

b. Identify then negotiate partner TA needs based on partnership capabilities, and

c. Develop and submit a project proposal using the guidance in this notice.

For proposals that are dependent on NRCS delivery of FA, please see USDA-NRCS- NHQ-RCPP-Classic-26-NOFO0001450 and consider whether a Classic project would be a better model for your proposed RCPP project.

3. Program Vision and Goals

The RCPP follows a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. The following are the three key principles of RCPP.

a. Impact. RCPP proposals must include effective and compelling solutions that address one or more natural resource concerns to help solve natural resource challenges. Assessing economic and other non-environmental impacts is optional and should only be included if they can be measured and modeled. Partners are responsible for evaluating a project’s impact and results.

b. Partner Contributions. Partners are responsible for identifying any combination of cash and in-kind contributions to leverage NRCS’s RCPP investments to support or benefit project area producer contracts. Partner contributions are evaluated based on their share of project costs and the expertise to achieve project goals.

c. Partnerships and Management. Partners must have the experience and ability necessary to manage the partnership and project, reach out to producers, and assess environmental impacts.

Successful RCPP applicants will (1) bring an array of financial and technical capabilities to projects; (2) quantify the conservation impacts of their prior work and collaborations with agricultural producers and landowners; and (3) propose sustainable and measurable approaches to achieving compelling conservation outcomes.

B. FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND FUND POOL SELECTION

NRCS will award up to $310 million through the FY 2026 AFA and Classic funding opportunity announcements. The maximum RCPP funding available for a single project selected under this announcement is $10 million, including both FA and TA.

The minimum funding amount for an RCPP project is $250,000.

NRCS intends to allocate total funding equally between the following two funding pools: 1) NRCS-designated CCA funding pool and 2) the state and multistate funding pool. Proposals will need to select one of the funding pools and will only be considered for selection within that funding pool.

1. Critical Conservation Area (CCA) Funding Pool

The Secretary of Agriculture has designated eight Critical Conservation Areas that represent landscapes with identified priority resource concerns. Each CCA proposal must address at least one of the relevant CCA priority resource concerns. AFA proposals must select one or more of the conservation benefits in the following table that align with the CCA priority resource concerns. Proposals within the CCA funding pool that will include entity-held easement and/or rental activities should also include “Long Term Protection of Land” in their proposal in addition to a CCA priority resource concern. Proposals in the CCA funding pool that include “Long Term Protection of Land” as their only conservation benefit may be deemed ineligible. Each subaward, easement, or producer contract within a CCA project must also address one or more of the CCA priority resource concerns.

CCA CCA Priority Resource Concerns CAA Conservation Benefits

Chesapeake Bay

Watershed

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Water Quality Degradation Storage and handling of pollutants Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss Field Pesticide Loss

Colorado River Basin

Excess/insufficient water/drought Source Water Depletion Weather Resilience

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Soil Quality Degradation Concentration of salts or other chemicals

Water Quality Degradation Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss Salt Losses to Water Field Pesticide Loss

Great Lakes Region

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Water Quality Degradation Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/critical-conservation-areas

Storage and handling of pollutants Field Pesticide Loss

Longleaf Pine Range

Degraded Plant Condition Degraded Plant Condition Pest Pressure

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Water Quality Degradation Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss Storage and handling of pollutants Field Pesticide Loss

Mississippi River Basin

Excess/insufficient water/drought Source Water Depletion Weather Resilience

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Water Quality Degradation Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss Storage and handling of pollutants Field Pesticide Loss

Northeast Forests and

Waters

Degraded Plant Condition Degraded Plant Condition Pest Pressure

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Water Quality Degradation Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss Storage and handling of pollutants Field Pesticide Loss

Prairie Grasslands

Degraded Plant Condition Degraded Plant Condition Pest Pressure

Excess/insufficient water/drought Source Water Depletion Weather Resilience

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Western Waters

Excess/insufficient water/drought Source Water Depletion Weather Resilience

Inadequate Habitat for Fish, Wildlife and Invertebrates

Aquatic Habitat Terrestrial Habitat

Water Quality Degradation Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss Storage and handling of pollutants Field Pesticide Loss

The CCA project boundary must fall entirely within the CCA (including counties traversed by a CCA border, which are considered within the CCA boundary). For more information about CCAs, including the maps of CCA boundaries, visit the NRCS CCA web page.

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

2. State and Multi-State Funding Pool

Proposals in the state and multistate category must be carried out either within a single state or in multiple states. For multistate projects, priority consideration will be given to proposals identifying a manageable number of states. For multi-State projects, the lead partner must identify the lead state from where the project will be managed.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Lead Partner Eligibility

Entities that are classified as one of the following organizational types can serve as an eligible RCPP partner:

a. an agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers;

b. a state or unit of local government;

c. an Indian tribe;

d. a farmer cooperative;

e. a water district, irrigation district, acequia, rural water district or association, or other organization with specific water delivery authority to agricultural producers on agricultural land;

f. a municipal water or wastewater treatment entity;

g. an institution of higher education;

h. an organization or entity with an established history of working cooperatively with producers on agricultural land (as determined by NRCS) to address:

• local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, or nonindustrial private forest land management; or

• critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource issues;

i. an entity, such as an Indian tribe, state government, local government, or a non- governmental organization, that has a farmland or grassland protection program that purchases agricultural land easements as defined in 7 CFR Part 1468.3;

j. a conservation district.

The lead partner (applicant) for a proposal must meet one of the eligible partner categories. Each project must have a single lead partner, which is the entity that submits an RCPP proposal and negotiates a programmatic partnership agreement (PPA) with NRCS. The lead partner is ultimately responsible for ensuring that project deliverables are completed (including all partner contributions) and reporting on project outcomes.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-1468.3

Lead partners may be awarded RCPP funding to provide TA or, in some specific situations limited by regulation, to receive FA funds from NRCS as determined necessary by NRCS under 7 CFR Part 1464.26(d) to (1) facilitate the conveyance of an easement from a producer to an eligible entity, (2) implement an eligible watershed activity, or (3) where a program contract requires the integration of a supplemental agreement to facilitate implementing an eligible land management or rental activity.

Partners receiving such awards (typically managed as supplemental agreements) assume responsibility for all deliverables under such awards.

If the proposal includes enrollment of entity-held easements and the lead partner is not the eligible entity acquiring and managing the easements, the eligible-entity(ies) that will acquire and hold the entity-held easements must be named in the proposal.

Statutory Fund Use Controls:

(1) NRCS is prohibited by statute from paying any partner administrative expenses.

This prohibition is discussed in greater detail in section D(3)(c) of this notice.

(2) Eligible partners that receive RCPP funding through a PPA or supplemental agreements are not subject to the Highly Erodible Land/Wetland Compliance provisions (HEL/WC) 7 CFR Part 12, Farm Tract Eligibility (FTE) and Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) 7 CFR Part 1400 requirements. Anyone receiving FA as a producer participating in the program must meet 2018 Farm Bill eligibility requirements.

(3) Partners providing RCPP funded assistance must document producers and lands benefited by such awards. NRCS must confirm benefited producer and land eligibility as a condition of partner payment eligibility. Lead RCPP award partners must monitor and report the conservation impacts accrued through program funded technical and financial assistance for CCA and state/multistate projects.

(4) AFA Lead partners are responsible for delivering FA through contracts with, or contracts on behalf of eligible producers. RCPP funds obligated through an AFA award are administered by the lead partner or other partner in accordance with RCPP requirements.

2. Producer and Landowner Eligibility

Agricultural producers or private landowners receiving FA funding as part of an RCPP project must:

a. provide a tax identification number (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders may use another unique identification number for each individual eligible for payment, when applicable);

b. provide the percentage of interest in a payment that is consistent with operation or ownership shares (when applicable);

c. comply with the HEL/WC and Farm and Tract Eligibility requirements of the Food Security Act of 1985 in 7 CFR Part 12;

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-1464.26 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/part-12 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-A/part-1400 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/part-12

d. comply with the AGI provisions or receive a waiver as described in section G

(3) of this notice;

e. meet the payment eligibility requirements included in 7 CFR Part 1400; and

f. complete the eligibility forms necessary to support eligibility through Farm

Service Agency (FSA) Farm Records and the 2018 Farm Bill.

Using information provided by the lead partner and the producer, NRCS and FSA are required to verify that participating producers are eligible to receive (or benefit from) RCPP funding and that they comply with the 2018 Farm Bill’s payment eligibility and conservation compliance provisions. The lead partner providing financial assistance to producers, or performing work on behalf of producers, must provide NRCS and FSA with the documentation required to complete these determinations.

Additionally, NRCS is tasked with collecting sufficient information to verify that RCPP AFA projects and activities are in compliance with NEPA, as well as all applicable Federal, state, and local laws and regulations. While NRCS may establish agreements with partners for the collection of environmental and producer eligibility data, ultimate responsibility for analysis and decision making regarding these matters remains solely with NRCS.

3. Eligible Activities for Financial Assistance

In RCPP, an eligible activity is defined as a practice, activity, land rental agreement, easement, or related conservation measure that is available under the statutory authority for a covered program, as determined by NRCS in 7 CFR Part 1464.

Programs covered by NRCS identify eligible activities that can be implemented in accordance with RCPP program requirements.

The existing covered programs according to statute are:

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE)

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Conservation Stewardship Program (EQIP) (excluding the

Grassland Conservation Initiative) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) Public Law No. 83-566 Watershed Program (Public Law No. 566) (excluding the

Watershed Rehabilitation Program at 16 U.S.C. 1012)

The following table outlines how the four RCPP FA activity types align with covered program authorities.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/part-1464 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1468/subpart-B https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1467?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1470 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1466 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-B/part-1466 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/subchapter-C/part-625 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title16/chapter18&edition=prelim

FA Activity Type Covered Program Authorities

Land Management EQIP, CSP, & ACEP-WRE/HFRP (restoration activity)

Rental CRP

Entity-Held Easement ACEP-ALE/WRE and HFRP (easement acquisition component)

Watershed Project Public Law No. 566 (Public Law No. 566)

In accordance with this list of covered programs, a wide range of conservation activities are eligible for inclusion in RCPP projects. As detailed in appendix A, and except for watershed projects, most RCPP conservation activities are implemented through individual RCPP contracts or agreements with eligible agricultural producers, landowners, or eligible entities. For RCPP AFA, as identified under 7 CFR Part 1464.26(d), NRCS will provide FA funds to an eligible partner to implement eligible activities on behalf of eligible producers and on eligible land.

4. Land Eligibility

RCPP funded assistance must be carried out on agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land or on associated land on which NRCS determines an eligible activity would help achieve conservation benefits. Eligible land must be shown in FSA records as private or tribal land and must be used for agricultural or forestry purposes.

“Associated land” is defined as land that is typically near production or conservation lands on farms or ranches but is not purposefully managed for food, forage, or fiber. Associated land (such as wetlands, riparian areas, grasslands, or floodplains) may comprise the entirety of an enrolled area or may be incidental areas on an enrollment that includes agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land by including areas such as idle center pivot corners, odd areas, ditches and watercourses, riparian areas, field edges, seasonal and permanent wetlands, and other similar areas. In all cases, to be included in an enrolled area, RCPP-funded activities implemented on associated lands must be functionally related to and address resource concerns on agricultural or nonindustrial private forest lands in the project area.

Public land may be eligible as part of an RCPP project if the land is publicly owned agricultural land or associated land and the enrollment of such land is—

(i) Appropriate for the type of eligible activity, and

(ii) The eligible activity to be implemented on the public land is necessary and will https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title16/chapter18&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-1464.26 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-1464.26 contribute meaningfully to achieving conservation benefits consistent with an approved project.

RCPP funding cannot be used to place conservation easements on land already protected because it is owned by a land trust or other entity that is required by statute or organizational intent to protect land from development.

D. RCPP PROJECT FUNDING

The RCPP funding provided by NRCS is divided into two categories: FA and TA. Each RCPP project will receive a funding commitment at the time of proposal selection, as follows:

At least 75 percent FA. These funds are used to reimburse the lead partner for RCPP activities implemented through partner-producer contracts, or partner-contractor agreements benefiting eligible producers.

Up to 25 percent TA. These funds are obligated by NRCS into partner agreements to support implementation of conservation activities (e.g., planning, design, checkout) or provided to the lead partners to support implementation of conservation activities, or for project-wide support activities (e.g., project management, outcome assessment, producer recruitment and engagement).

According to program requirements, all proposal budgets will be capped at 25 percent for TA, and combined RCPP and TA contributions must support all project FA, as determined by NRCS.

1. Financial Assistance

FA is used to implement conservation activities. Proposals and RCPP agreements organize FA deliverables into the four FA activity types discussed in section C (3). A single RCPP project may propose any combination of these FA activity types offered in this NFO.

a. Conservation Practice Standards and Conservation Activities

NRCS conservation practice standards form the environmental and scientific basis for most of the NRCS-funded conservation. Applicants are encouraged to work with the appropriate NRCS state RCPP coordinators to identify and understand the use of existing NRCS conservation practice standards and conservation activities best suited for addressing project resource concerns and generating the conservation benefits associated with an RCPP project.

If existing conservation practices aren’t available or appropriate for a proposed https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/conservation-practice-standards project, RCPP partners can request within the proposal to work with NRCS to create interim practices that align with program rules and policies. These interim practices must follow NRCS procedures and stay within its legal authority. They also need to comply fully with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related laws. If a project includes interim practices, the proposal must account for the extra time and resources required in both the timeline and budget.

b. Environmental Review Requirements

Projects must meet the environmental review requirements demonstrating how they will comply with NEPA and other Federal, state, and local laws and regulations before NRCS can release RCPP funding. NRCS may not approve, or may withdraw, funding for Projects that do not realistically account for the time or expense of addressing these legal requirements, or where the project may result in unacceptably adverse impacts contrary to RCPP purposes.

NRCS policy requires site-specific environmental evaluations during the planning phase of individual awards (e.g., producer contracts or supplemental agreements) to ensure compliance with NEPA, and other Federal, state, and local laws and regulations and NRCS policy.

When innovative measures will supplement the NRCS conservation planning processes or conservation practice standards, a partner-provided environmental assessment may be required for NRCS review. This applies to all public works and watershed activities.

Project proposals should describe any NEPA, or other compliance needs and should reflect this information in the project timeline and budget. Expenses for these analyses must be itemized in project costs as either a partner TA contribution or (to the extent approved during PPA negotiations) as a potentially reimbursable, TA implementation item (see TA description in section D (2)). NRCS is responsible for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. NRCS cannot delegate these responsibilities to partners. Partners may arrange and pay for any cultural resource or species occupancy surveys that are necessary for NRCS to assess project impacts. These surveys and any related consultations would be subject to NRCS approval and review processes.

NRCS, along with the lead partner or their designee, may decide that it’s necessary to review any site-specific environmental evaluations (EEs) done during conservation planning or included in a project-level NEPA analysis. This applies to partner activities that are only happening because of RCPP funding (called connected actions). The partner is responsible for the cost and delays from these reviews, unless a different agreement is made during the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) negotiations.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-VIII/part-800 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-VIII/part-800 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-IV/subchapter-A/part-402

2. Technical Assistance

TA is used to implement FA activities and RCPP project management. TA to support FA may include all the traditional NRCS TA tasks. TA to support project management may include project management, producer recruitment and engagement, and outcomes assessment. TA amounts included in the proposal and agreement are considered estimates. There are many non-reimbursable technical activities that are more suitable for contributions such as providing training. The lead partner is responsible for ensuring that sufficient TA is available (for both NRCS funded TA and partner contributions to TA) to ensure delivery of all FA activities within a project.

NRCS is responsible for ensuring that RCPP conservation activities are implemented according to all Federal and agency statutes, regulations, and policies. Some of NRCS’s responsibilities are non-delegable, meaning that they must be performed by NRCS. For these non-delegable responsibilities, NRCS uses TA funds to manage the conservation planning, practice design, installation, and verification, as well as other needs associated with supporting the implementation of RCPP conservation activities.

Whether performed by NRCS, its partners, or a third party, TA activities must follow all applicable Federal requirements, including NRCS planning procedures, conservation practice standards, and job approval authority. Partner TA activities must be performed at State Conservationist approved rates comparable to what NRCS typically pays for similar work. The rates must reflect actual costs to the partner to (1) minimize potential for improper payments associated with the use of RCPP funds for partner administrative expenses, and (2) prevent “wind falls” or “rent seeking” associated with incentive payments (which are not authorized in

RCPP).

NRCS will work with lead partners to refine proposal budgets. This could include rebalancing the proposed TA budget to reflect NRCS and partner capacities, control proposed costs to the program, and reflect other necessary changes. At the time of project selection, NRCS will make publicly available the amount of TA funds that it will provide to the project.

The following are eligible TA activities:

Supporting producer contracts for land management, rental contracts, and public works projects Project management Producer recruitment and engagement Outcomes assessment

TA Activity Type

Eligible Activities https://directives.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files2/1723465278/Entire%20part%20in%20one%20document.pdf https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/conservation-practice-standards https://directives.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files2/1719257232/Part%20417%20%E2%80%93%20Ecological%20Sciences%20Job%20Approval%20Authority.pdf

TA-E

(Enhancement)

• Other RCPP project-related producer recruitment and engagement, including inventories, analyses, and tools needed to inform participation.

• Project-related communications and coordination activities.

• Development and calculation of quantifiable project outcomes.

• Development of innovative conservation approaches such as pay-for-performance.

• Project management and partnership development to accomplish project goals.

TA-I

(Implementation)

• Pre-application activities related to RCPP producer contracts, watershed activities.

This can include completion of inventories or data collection to support environmental evaluations and other NEPA-related activities.

• Conservation planning to producers or landowners directly related to installation or management of eligible conservation activities.

• Practice design related to land management, rental, or watershed activities.

• Assistance with practice installation and verification.

• FA contract support services (e.g., securing and managing contracts for third-party services like engineering studies, surveys, and watershed projects

a. Administrative/Indirect Costs

The RCPP statute prohibits NRCS from reimbursing partners for administrative costs, which include expenses for rent and utilities, durable equipment and software acquisitions, space used by staff, copiers, phones, information technology support, and similar costs or expenses that are not directly related to implementing the project. It is incumbent upon RCPP partners to provide sufficient evidence for NRCS to consider regarding any reimbursement costs directly related to the RCPP project.

b. Equipment

Equipment is defined as tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost that equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the recipient or subrecipient for financial statement purposes, or $10,000. Proposed use of program funds to purchase equipment must be clearly linked to eligible activities needed to accomplish project goals.

Equipment purchased with RCPP funds may only be used for eligible project purposes. RCPP project agreements also limit use of such equipment and stipulate terms of equipment disposition upon project expiration.

3. Partner Contributions

a. Expectations and Eligibility

Statute requires partner contributions to constitute a significant part of the scope for each project. Partner contributions may consist of any combination of cash and in-kind support. Contribution is not match, but some FA activity types do have specific minimum match requirements (see appendix A).

NRCS strongly recommends that partners propose contributions that support or benefit producer contracts that enhance the overall impact and efficacy of an RCPP project. NRCS may select projects for funding at the full requested or a reduced amount. In such cases, a proportional reduction in the partner’s contribution may be considered during project agreement negotiations.

To count as partner contributions, partner expenditures must be expended during the life of the RCPP project, occur within the project’s geographic boundary, support the project’s conservation benefits, and be supported by valuation methodologies included in the partner contribution letters.

Funding from Federal agencies other than USDA may be counted as partner contributions, provided that such funding meets the criteria.

Partners are responsible for ensuring that the funding received from other Federal agencies is used towards an RCPP project, as it may affect the determinations of non-Federal match for those agencies’ purposes.

Expenditures for project development activities (such as producer recruitment and engagement by RCPP project partners between the time of project selection and agreement execution) may be counted as partner contributions if the proposal budget identifies the expenditures and NRCS approves them when the project is selected.

The following are some potentially eligible partner contributions:

• FA provided to producers or landowners to address one or more project conservation benefits, including a Critical Conservation Areas priority resource concern

• TA to producers or landowners for planning that is directly related to implementing or managing eligible conservation activities

• Time spent by partner staff to develop and enter into FA contracts or agreements to implement RCPP-eligible activities using non-NRCS funds

• Partner staff time or actual costs incurred that benefit the overall project such as:

Producer recruitment and engagement, project-related communications and coordination among partners, and developing and calculating quantifiable project outcomes

• Inventories and data to support environmental evaluations of applications for producer contracts

• Providing information or tools needed by NRCS to support agency producer eligibility determinations, evaluation, and ranking

• TA to support delivery of eligible FA or resource assessment services (e.g., securing and managing contracts for third-party services like engineering studies, surveys, and appraisals to satisfy NRCS requirements for watershed projects

• Due diligence activities for entity-held easements

• Administrative costs (see section c for limits on when and how much of a partner’s administrative costs are counted as contribution)

If a proposal is selected, NRCS will review the valuation methods during PPA negotiations or later amendments. All contributions must reflect the actual costs incurred during the project. If NRCS finds that the proposed contributions, valuation methods, or amounts don’t meet the agreed requirements, the lead partner must provide acceptable replacements and update the contribution letters as needed. If suitable replacements aren’t provided, NRCS may reduce the award, require changes to the PPA with 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 added oversight or terminate the agreement.

b. Contributions, Match, and Producer Cost-Share

Cost-Share is defined as the difference between the amount paid to a producer or landowner and the actual cost to install a practice or implement a conservation activity. Cost-share that is “donated” by a producer or landowner for land management activities cannot be counted as partner contribution. A landowner donation of the non-federal match for an entity-held easement is an eligible contribution.

Certain RCPP activities such as public works activities and entity held easements have specific minimum match requirements (as detailed in appendix A). Match provided by a partner towards an RCPP funded activity is also a potentially eligible contribution.

c. Administrative (Indirect) Costs as Contribution

Although RCPP funding can never be used to support partner administrative (indirect cost) expenses, partners providing TA as a contribution may also count some of their associated indirect costs as partner contribution, with the following limitations:

Organizations that have an active Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) with the Federal Government must use the rate identified in the NICRA to determine the indirect costs to be included in a negotiated PPA as contributions. Current NICRAs must be uploaded as part of the RCPP project proposal in the RCPP portal where applicable.

Entities without a NICRA may use a de minimis rate of up to the current published indirect cost rate as listed in USDA General Terms and Conditions for Mutual Interest Agreements.

Where indirect costs are to be included in partner contributions, they must be identified in the partner contribution letter and may only be reported in proportion to associated TA delivered (through contribution or RCPP funding).

E. RCPP PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Format and Instructions

RCPP proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal by the deadline in this notice. Late proposals will not be accepted unless accompanied by a ServiceNow ticket documenting a legitimate issue with the RCPP portal.

Proposals will not be accepted because of a failure to obtain a Login.gov credential. Partner establishment of an RCPP portal account well in advance of the deadline is advised.

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-mia-general-terms-conditions-2025.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-mia-general-terms-conditions-2025.pdf

Before starting a proposal in the RCPP portal, and at least 4 weeks prior to the proposal deadline, entities interested in applying to RCPP must request a meeting with the appropriate NRCS state conservationist or RCPP coordinator via email. Communication with state conservationists and state RCPP coordinators is critical to help partners:

frame conservation benefits in terms of NRCS resource concerns, understand RCPP eligible activities and determine which activities are best suited to address NRCS resource concerns within the project area, develop their approach for projecting the conservation, establish a mutual understanding of NRCS and partner capacities and rules for the program (note that the RCPP AFA funding model depends on close coordination and collaboration between partners and NRCS to achieve project success), and identify issues in partner proposals that have the potential to complicate project implementation (e.g., the use of interim conservation activity standards, or the inclusion of atypical deed terms in entity-held easement deeds).

The state conservationist, in collaboration with the state RCPP coordinator, will use a questionnaire to document to guide discussions with the lead partner.

Partners considering easements should also review the easement addendum to the questionnaire. A copy of the State Conservationist Questionnaire and easement addendum can be found on the How to Apply to RCPP page. Proposals submitted without the lead partner meeting with the state conservationist to discuss how their project can meet agency needs and program requirements through a completed questionnaire risk receiving low ranking scores.

A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcement’s posting) is on the on the RCPP How to Apply web page.

Note: RCPP proposals will not be returned to the applicant. Proposal details will not be shared publicly, but summary data of successful proposals, such as project title, RCPP funding requested, total contribution proposed, geographic target area, and proposed project activities and benefits will be made publicly available.

2. Proposal Content

RCPP proposals must adhere to the guidance in this section, which is consistent with the proposal entry screens of the RCPP portal. Letters of support from individuals or organizations other than contributing partners will not be considered in the review process.

a. Project Contact Information. Lead partners must list both a primary and an alternate contact to help ensure effective communication with NRCS staff. The primary contact should be the project director (i.e., the individual coordinating project activities) and the alternate contact should be the administrative https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/how-to-apply contact (i.e., the individual managing administrative components of the project such as project payments, etc.).

Lead partners must select the primary (and secondary, if relevant) conservation benefits addressed by the project. For CCA projects, the conservation benefit must align with one or more of the priority resource concerns listed in section B of this notice.

RCPP projects typically last 5 years. Applicants may request a PPA length that is longer or shorter than 5 years and must justify the timeframe.

b. List of Project Partners. In addition to the lead partner (applicant), the proposal must identify all nonlead partners expected to provide partner contributions.

Briefly describe the role of each partner. In addition, in RCPP projects involving entity-held easements, if the lead partner will not hold all easements in the project, the proposal must identify at least one partner with authority to acquire, manage, and steward all easements. Proposals should also include other entities involved in acquisition such as co-holders or third-party right holders.

c. Narrative Questions. In the RCPP portal, applicants must provide answers to questions related to the evaluation criteria found in section F of this notice.

These questions require the applicant to describe partner roles and the compelling conservation need for the project, the goals and objectives, the geographic focus, the estimated number of participating producers (landowners), and the project management capacity of the identified partners, among other items. The RCPP portal restricts answers to a maximum number of characters, including spaces. Longer responses submitted outside of the RCPP portal will not be considered during proposal evaluations.

A copy of the narrative questions can be found in the FY26…