RCPP Improvement Act will Catalyze Agricultural Conservation at Scale

Statement by Callie Eideberg, Senior Policy Manager, Ecosystems – Sustainable Agriculture at Environmental Defense Fund

Today U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Improvement Act, which outlines important steps to expand and strengthen this critical conservation program in the next Farm Bill. By addressing needed improvements to RCPP, the 2018 Farm Bill can ensure the program’s public-private partnerships deliver greater conservation outcomes.

“Federal programs alone can only reach so many producers. To catalyze conservation at scale, we need a fresh approach to federal conservation policy that brings new partners to the table, provides flexibility to producers and applies new financing mechanisms.

“RCPP encourages innovative solutions to sticky conservation problems. The bill released today improves the program to maximize its impact.

“It targets funding to projects and regions where it will have the greatest impact, makes the program easier to use and lets partners test new ways to achieve conservation goals. With a focus on accelerating innovation and measuring outcomes, the bipartisan bill will put on-farm conservation on the fast track.”

– Callie Eideberg, EDF Senior Policy Manager, Ecosystems – Sustainable Agriculture

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