East Central Florida Landowners and Producers Encouraged to Apply for 2025 Conservation Financial Assistance
August 28, 2024
Gainesville, Florida – Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) is accepting applications through Friday, November 1, 2024, for land management financial assistance contracts through the Lake to Lagoon project. Up to $200,000 is available through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) for 2025. The project area includes Volusia and portions of East Lake, and South Flagler Counties.
ACT leads the project focused on improving habitat for wildlife, implementing practices to enhance climate resiliency, and protecting water quality. Eligible lands include non-industrial forests, grazing lands, and some crop lands.
Land management practices to address resource concerns include but are not limited to cropland conversion to forest, pasture or hay land, well decommissioning, prescribed grazing, and nutrient management. Forest management practices include but are not limited to prescribed burning, tree planting and brush management.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and ACT partner through RCPP to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns in the Lake to Lagoon, Forest to Gulf and Surface to Springs RCPP Project Areas. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation.
RCPP contracts are administered by USDA-NRCS and are similar to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Landowners must register with the Farm Service Agency. Payment rates are higher than EQIP and adjusted gross income requirements are waived. ACT staff will assist landowners with understanding USDA procedures, taking applications and planning, prior to contracting. ACT is leading two other RCPP projects in several other North Central Florida counties detailed here.
Interested landowners in the Lake to Lagoon RCPP project area can contact ACT at (352) 373-1078 or by email at l2lrcpp@alachuaconservationtrust.org. ACT staff is available to assist landowners with understanding USDA procedures, submitting applications and planning prior to contracting.
THE SIGN UP DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2024
Contact ACT or your local NRCS office for more information and application.
Alachua Conservation Trust
7204 SE County Rd 234
Gainesville, FL 32641
Phone: (352) 373-1078
Email: l2lrcpp@alachuaconservationtrust.org
Map of all three ACT RCPP working areas.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
ABOUT ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST
ACT is an accredited regional non-profit land trust working to protect the natural, historic, scenic and recreational resources in and around North Central Florida. Since 1988, ACT has been instrumental in facilitating the conservation of 60,000 acres of Florida land, including the direct purchase and protection of over 27,000 acres. ACT primarily works in 22 counties, owns and manages over 6,000 acres, and has collaborated with private landowners to protect an additional 6,850 acres through conservation easements.
ABOUT NRCS RCPP
Since inception, RCPP has made 717 awards involving over 4,000 partner organizations.
Inflation Reduction Act Boosts Voluntary Conservation Programs. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA has enrolled more farmers and more acres in voluntary conservation programs than at any point in history, following a backlog that has existed for years. In 2023, USDA enrolled nearly 5,300 additional producers in conservation programs across all 50 states (above what otherwise would have been possible through Farm Bill and appropriations funding), which will provide significant climate mitigation benefits. This includes:
● $100 million through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP);
● $250 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP); and
● $250 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Banner image by Kim Davidson.
