How RCPP Works
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program funds conservation work by partnering NRCS with non-federal entities — conservation districts, watershed organizations, commodity groups, universities, and land trusts — that share a conservation objective in a defined geographic area. NRCS accepts proposals from these partners through a competitive national application process. If a partnership proposal is funded, NRCS allocates conservation program dollars (EQIP, ACEP, CSP) specifically to the partnership's target area for the project duration.
For a landowner, RCPP means that if an active partnership covers your county, you may have access to: dedicated EQIP or ACEP funding with shorter wait times, enhanced cost-share rates for specific practices the partnership targets, technical assistance from both NRCS and the partner organization, and practices or project types that wouldn't normally be funded in your area through standard EQIP.
If no active RCPP agreement covers your county, you simply apply for standard EQIP, ACEP, or CSP. RCPP does not create new practices or new programs — it redirects and sometimes enhances existing program dollars to a specific geography for a specific conservation outcome.
Ask your county NRCS office directly. Tell them your county and the type of work you want to do (pond construction, wetland restoration, streambank protection, etc.) and ask if any active RCPP agreements cover that work in your area. NRCS staff track active RCPP projects and can point you to the relevant partnership if one exists. The NRCS website also lists active RCPP projects by state at nrcs.usda.gov.
What RCPP Can Fund in Southern Illinois
Past and current RCPP agreements in Illinois have targeted the Cache River watershed wetland restoration, Mississippi River basin water quality, prairie pothole restoration in northern Illinois, and soil health across major commodity crop watersheds. Southern Illinois RCPP activity has historically concentrated in the Cache River and Big Muddy River systems where wetland restoration and water quality are priority resource concerns.
When a Cache River corridor RCPP is active, landowners in Union, Johnson, Massac, and Pulaski counties with eligible land may find that wetland restoration and buffer practices receive dedicated funding, shorter enrollment wait times, and potentially higher cost-share than standard EQIP provides. The partner organization — often the Cache River Wetlands Partnership or a local conservation district — may also provide technical assistance that supplements what your NRCS office can offer directly.
Outside active RCPP areas, the standard EQIP, ACEP, and CRP programs are your primary tools. RCPP is a bonus layer when it applies to your area, not a substitute for the core programs.
RCPP vs. Standard EQIP
The conservation practices funded under RCPP are the same EQIP practices you would access in a standard EQIP contract. The difference is priority and potentially cost-share rate. RCPP agreements can allow NRCS to offer higher cost-share percentages than standard EQIP for specific practices within the partnership area. They can also reserve dedicated funding that is only accessible through the partnership, meaning less competition for those dollars than in the standard EQIP sign-up.
The application process under RCPP still runs through your local NRCS office. The partnership may have a separate point of contact who coordinates with NRCS, but you sign a standard EQIP or ACEP contract with NRCS regardless of whether the funding flows through an RCPP agreement.
RCPP is worth asking about but not worth spending a lot of time researching on your own. Call your county NRCS office, ask if RCPP covers your area and your project type, and follow their guidance. If it does, they will enroll you through the appropriate partnership channel. If it does not, they will enroll you in standard EQIP or ACEP. The earthwork is the same either way.