1. Regional Conservation Partnership Program Partnership Information Sherre Copeland, Partnership Liaison

2. RCPP Overview Program Purposes and Priorities Eligible Applicants Sources of Funding 2014/2015 Status and 2016 Funding Availability Priority Resource Concerns How Funding Can Be Used – Programs Partner Contributions and Requests Project Proposals and Evaluations Important Dates and Information

3. Program Purposes and Priorities Authorized in the Farm Bill, delegated to NRCS Enhance regional cooperation and coordination Increase or accelerate conservation on regional or watershed scales Derive project ideas and innovation from local partners Effectively implement and maintain conservation Leverage federal funding with partner contributions Monitor outcomes and report on the benefits

4. Eligible Partners – Agricultural or silvicultural producer associations – Farmer cooperatives or other groups of producers – State or local governments – American Indian tribes – Municipal water treatment entities – Water and irrigation districts – Conservation-driven nongovernmental organizations – Institutions of higher education

5. Sources of Funding Direct Funding: $100 million per year in RCPP -HFRP -PL-566 Set Aside from Financial Assistance Authorizations: 7% of Core Programs – ACEP (easements) – CSP (enhancements) – EQIP (practices)

6. 2014-15 Applications and Agreements Funding Pool Eligible pre- proposals submitted Invited for full proposal % of overall funding State31493 (~30%)25% *Critical Conservation Area 20284 (~42%)35% National6052 (~87%)40% Total576229 (~40%)100% *Columbia River Basin had 21 pre-proposals, of which 11 were invited for full proposal.

7. 2014-15 Status in WA Approximately $23 million Pre-proposals submitted Invited for full proposal Funded State 142 (~14%) 1 Critical Conservation Area 63 (50%) 2 *National 44 (100%) 2 Total 24 (4% of total) 9 (~38%) 5 *OR NRCS is the lead state on an RCPP agreement that will include landowners in WA

9. 2016 Estimated Funding Availability By Funding Pool $225 million nationwide - $10 million per project

10. Priority Natural Resource Concerns

11. Critical Conservation Areas 8 designations by the Secretary of Ag Partnership agreements in CCAs will be eligible for 35% of the total funding Each area has an overall goal and priority resource concerns pervasive throughout the designated area In addition to the core programs, CCAs can also use the PL 566 (Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act), but not the dam rehab section

12. Columbia River Basin CCA Overall Goal: Promote water quality and management of water quantity to benefit recovery of salmon populations. Resource Concern Priorities: – Insufficient Water: Inefficient use of irrigation water – Water Quality Degradation: Excessive sediment in surface waters; excess nutrients and pesticides in surface and ground waters – Inadequate Habitat for Fish and Wildlife: Habitat degradation

14. State Category 25% of overall funding Should be located entirely within the state Should address one or more national priorities or a state-identified priority – Air Quality – Degraded Plant Condition – Inadequate Habitat for Fish and Wildlife – Soil Degradation – Water Quality Degradation

15. How Funding Can Be Used Not a grant program – It is based on contribution agreements and landowner contracts/agreements Uses both Technical and Financial Assistance – TA and FA ratios will be negotiated Maximum award amount for a project agreement is $10 million (total project cost can be double or more) Maximum project duration 5 years

16. How Funding Can Be Used Financial Assistance is delivered through traditional NRCS programs to ag, forestry, and ranching landowners and operators for: -Easements -Enhancements -Conservation practices

17. How Funding Can Be Used – Technical Assistance is directly related to implementing the financial assistance in the various programs – TA can be used to support: NRCS personnel in accepted project areas A partner in accepted project areas Combination of partners and NRCS personnel in project areas

18. How Funding Can Be Used – TA can be used for (examples) Conservation planning Conservation practice survey and design Conservation practice implementation and follow up – Services that partners can contribute or request NRCS TA to perform (examples) NEPA/SEPA, cultural resources Assisting landowners with eligibility, application Engineering, practice design – TA cannot be used for indirect or overhead costs of the partner entities, outreach

19. Partner Contributions Partners can contribute both financial and technical assistance Partners can contribute both in-kind (services) and cash

20. Partner Requests Partners can request both financial and technical assistance Partners must define deliverables associated with the requests Partners must provide a specific budget by program, by year, broken out by FA and TA

21. Project Proposal and Agreements Pre-proposals – Reviewed for Eligibility – Technical and Leadership Review – Invitations for Full Proposal Full Proposals – Technical and Leadership Review – Recommendations to the Chief – Announcement of Funding Negotiation and Agreement Development

23. Pre-proposal Process Coordinate with State Conservationist (Jeff and Sherre) Submit application to national headquarters by July 8 – Copy to STC Submit – Data (General project information) – Financials (TA and FA, scalable, and timelines) – Maps – Narratives

24. Not Needed Yet If invited for Full Proposal: – Commitment letters from contributing partners – STC letters – DUNS and SAMS numbers – 424 Series Forms

25. Key Dates June 4 - 2:00-3:30 (Eastern) RCPP webinar July 8 – Pre-proposals due to headquarters – Email – Grants.gov – Mail September 4 – Invitations for Full Proposals November 10 – Full proposals due January 2016 – Announcement of funded proposals

26. Sources of Information APF is your friend 2016 Availability of Program Funding: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/m ain/national/programs/farmbill/rcpp/ http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/m ain/national/programs/farmbill/rcpp/ FAQs Sherre.Copeland@wa.usda.gov Jeff.Harlow@wa.usda.gov