Palouse Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
In 2014 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded the Palouse River Watershed (WRIA 34) Implementation Partnership $5.5 million to improve water quality, soil health, and habitat in the Palouse River Watershed. The award from NRCS comes as part of the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill. We hope to increase voluntary incentive based funding contributed towards conservation for the next five years.
Am I eligible for funding?
If you are a landowner or producer within the WRIA 34 Palouse River Watershed interested in creating or updating your conservation plan, you may be eligible! Eligible areas exist in parts of Whitman, Adams, Lincoln, and Spokane County in Washington, and parts of Latah County in Idaho.
How do I learn more or sign up?
- Please contacts your local Conservation District, NRCS office, or Partner
A riparian buffer and filter strip installed by RCPP
What RCPP Funding has accomplished
500 acres of conservation easements
540 acres of Palouse Prairie restored
103,500 tons of soil saved on farm fields
330 acres of riparian buffers (that's 75 miles!)
51,000 acres of conservation tillage
110,000 trees planted
"I signed up for the reduced minimum tillage program to basically try to establish into a more no-till program for future years to maintain soil and organic matter. Working with the partners was easy... I'm hoping to see benefits like higher organic matter, which then may allow water to absorb into the ground and not run off, and build up that long-term organic matter to hopefully see increased yields."
- Ryan Kile, Whitman County farmer, on his experience working with Conservation Districts
as part of the RCPP Program
Thank you, to our RCPP Partners
