Palouse Conservation District RCPP applications now open

PULLMAN — The Palouse Conservation District and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service are accepting applications for the Palouse River Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding covering land in the Palouse River Watershed (WRIA 34), including land in Whitman, Spokane, Adams, and Lincoln Counties until Nov. 3, 2023.

The partnership program provides technical assistance and funding for land management activities and is led by the Palouse Conservation District.

Funding for practices including improving Soil Health, Water Quality, and Habitat is available. Some standard practices include no-till, reduced till, cover crop, nutrient management, field border, filter strip, riparian forest buffer, conservation cover, and conservation crop rotation.

Categories for primary resource concerns are wind and water erosion, concentrated erosion, soil quality limitations, terrestrial and aquatic habitats, field sediment, and nutrient and pathogen loss.

The RCPP is a voluntary program to provide financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to plan and implement conservation practices improving soil, water, plant, animal, air, and related natural resources on agricultural ground.

Interested, eligible producers and entities are encouraged to apply for financial assistance now. Applicants must have farm records established and eligibility paperwork completed with the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) before submitting or applying for participation in NRCS programs.

RCPP funding is limited so applications will be subject to a ranking system.