The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced recently the selection of 88 locally-led conservation projects across the United States through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, comprised of 9 counties in southwest Georgia, was selected to lead a project focused on strengthening climate resiliency for farmers and landowners in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest $3 million into financial and technical assistance for the project.
“Assisting producers and landowners in the implementation of best management practices in these watersheds is critical to the long-term health and resiliency of our shared natural resources.”
The project objective is to harness the innovation of RCPP to strategically implement conservation practices across state lines that will strengthen climate adaptation capacity across a diverse landscape. The multi-state project brings together over 30 partners from all three states, with a specific focus on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River and Ochlockonee River Basins. Leveraging significant resources from partners, the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District’s RCPP will utilize NRCS programs to target conservation concerns by region and maximize impact, sustaining valuable natural resources for future generations. The project will also emphasize urban agriculture conservation in the metropolitan areas of the region.
“Assisting producers and landowners in the implementation of best management practices in these watersheds is critical to the long-term health and resiliency of our shared natural resources,” states District Chairman Marty McLendon. “We look forward to working with NRCS and our project partners to implement a strategic project with enduring and impactful outcomes.”
The project will build upon and expand ongoing efforts from two other RCPP projects led by the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District. The District was awarded approximately $5 million in 2015 for two projects, currently in the process of implementation.
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