The USDA will invest more than $325 million in 42 projects under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program; 75% of the funds will go directly to producers or to the implementation of conservation practices.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced an investment of more than $325 million in 42 projects to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners improve their operations and conserve natural resources across the country through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The announcement was made on October 26, 2026, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"The Trump USDA is committed to ensuring our farmers have the tools they need to grow our food, and today's announcement secures a longer, more prosperous future for our American farmland," Rollins said. "The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) combines private investment with federal funds to achieve better results. We recently took steps to improve RCPP to cut red tape and increase flexibility to better empower local partners in conserving natural resources, while helping American farmers thrive."
In Iowa, Rollins met with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to announce a project in western and central Iowa that integrates cover crops, forages and biomass plantings, irrigation systems and other practices to support producers and the health of working lands. This partnership project will result in more than 300,000 acres of cover crops planted and a reduction of approximately 3.3 million pounds of nitrogen, 336,000 pounds of phosphorus and 1 million tons of soil loss, while strengthening grazing systems and producer profitability.
"Iowa's popular Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program demonstrates that we can improve water quality, rebuild America's cattle herd and make the most of every acre of our valuable farmland," said Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. "The Iowa Working Lands program began as a pilot project in Taylor County in 2016 and has since become a highly successful conservation program in Iowa, while creating a model for other states. This RCPP gives us the flexibility to support infrastructure improvements and expand the program to serve cattle producers in more Iowa counties."
In southwest Georgia, the Longleaf Landscape project, led by Tall Timbers Research, Inc., will protect at least 6,000 acres of rural forestland in production through voluntary conservation easements in 16 counties. The initiative will restore fire-dependent longleaf pine forests, improve habitat for at-risk wildlife and safeguard water quality, with more than $10 million in matching contributions.
For its part, the Texas Coastal Prairie Working Lands Partnership, led by the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, will permanently conserve the remaining coastal tallgrass prairie on the Texas Gulf Coast through voluntary, producer-focused agricultural conservation easements to keep working lands in the hands of those who work them.
In Washington, the Nooksack Watershed Restoration Phase 2 project, led by the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Indian Tribe, will revitalize critical salmon habitat in the Nooksack River watershed. The initiative will restore the river's natural processes by installing engineered logjams, enhancing floodplain and wetland habitat, and planting riparian trees on 256 acres, with the goal of improving water quality, increasing habitat productivity and providing thermal refuges for endangered salmon species.
"At NRCS, we are committed to putting America's farmers, ranchers and private landowners first, investing in practical, producer-driven conservation solutions that strengthen agricultural operations and protect our natural resources," said Colton L. Buckley, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "Through RCPP, we are harnessing the power of public-private partnerships to deliver meaningful results for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. These investments will help producers address local resource challenges, improve the resilience of their operations and keep working lands productive for future generations."
Of this year's $325 million in RCPP funding, 75% will go directly to American farmers or be used to cover the cost of implementing conservation practices. Over the past year, NRCS has improved the program by streamlining partnership agreement processes and increasing flexibilities. In addition, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act provides for the largest long-term investment in decades in NRCS conservation programs, including support for RCPP through fiscal year 2031.
