USDA will be investing $330 million in 85 locally driven, public-private partnerships, including the “Surface to Springs” project in Florida. Projects are awarded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The program’s goal is to address climate change, improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a new partnership project in Florida that will help mitigate climate change and protect natural resources while supporting America’s producers.
“The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is public-private partnerships working at their best,” said Juan Hernandez, NRCS State Conservationist in Florida. “These new projects will harness the power of partnerships to help bring about solutions to natural resource concerns across the country while supporting our efforts to combat the climate crisis.”
In North Central Florida, Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) “Surface to Springs” project proposes to permanently protect 9,000 acres on private lands and improve wildlife habitat and water quality and quantity on 2,000 acres. Together with NRCS and 12 partners, ACT plans to implement land management and conservation easement activities to protect and conserve Florida’s freshwater spring ecosystems. Project partners will use innovative, sophisticated targeting and modeling approaches to prioritize lands for project activities and to estimate the conservation and economic outcomes.
Through RCPP, conservation partners work in collaboration with NRCS to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners throughout the nation to implement systems that conserve water and soil resources, improve the health of wildlife habitats and increase climate resilience.
To learn more about RCPP and see the interactive map of awarded projects click here.