Mississippi USDA Offers Conservation Assistance to Landowners to Protect Wetlands with RCPP Easement Project

USDA Offers Conservation Assistance to Landowners to Protect Wetlands with RCPP Easement Project

JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 29, 2025 - Private landowners, tribes, land trusts, and other groups who wish to restore and protect critical wetlands through the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) have until Oct. 31, 2025, to apply for funding consideration during the fiscal year 2026 enrollment period for the KKAC Organization- AR-MS Conservation & Social Consortium Easement Project.

The project is similar to opportunities with the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - Wetland Reserve Easement (ACEP-WRE), which provides assistance to landowners and eligible entities helping conserve, restore, and protect wetlands. NRCS accepts applications year-round, but applications are ranked and funded by enrollment period.

RCPP in The Farm Bill

First authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill and reauthorized in 2018, RCPP takes a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation.

"RCPP is a unique program that leverages non-federal investments brought by conservation partners to accelerate conservation in selected project areas," said Mississippi NRCS State Conservationist Kurt Readus. "This approach helps us maximize use of our collective resources to address locally identified concerns."

Wetland conservation easements funded through this RCPP project will be permanent. Eligible lands include:

• Farmed or converted wetlands that can successfully be restored;
• Croplands or grasslands subject to flooding and
• Riparian areas that link protected wetland areas.

Mississippi Projects:

Project ID# 2341 - KKAC Organization- AR-MS Conservation & Social Consortium Easement Project

The KKAC Organization has aggressively worked with a plethora of groups and partners for over five years. Through this project, they seek to increase the number of farmers and ranchers successfully adopting wildlife conservation practices and provide a broader awareness and management of waterfowl wildlife recreational opportunities to populations in the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta, thus increasing the economic benefits to the broader community.

The map highlights the focus areas for this project in green.

Land Management Activities

Private landowners in Mississippi with property in the counties highlighted on the map can apply for financial assistance through land management contracts that involve the following conservation practices: prescribed burning, firebreaks, fuel breaks, tree/shrub establishment, tree/shrub site preparation, forest stand improvement, restoration of rare or declining natural communities, brush management, herbaceous weed control, critical area planting, riparian forest buffers, streambank, and shoreline protection, upland wildlife habitat management, wildlife habitat planting, conservation cover, woody residue treatment, fencing (for purposes specific to water quality improvement), and filter strips (native species only).

For More Information

The NRCS provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment. More information on NRCS conservation programs can be found at https://www.farmers.gov or https://www.ms.nrcs.usda.gov under the Programs tab.

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don't have an account, sign up today.

For 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.