ACT Announces Sign Ups for Land Management Financial Assistance on Private Lands through Regional Conservation Partnership Program
October 2, 2023
Telford Spring on the Suwannee River, Surface to Springs Program Area. Photo by Alison Blakeslee.
Gainesville, Florida – Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) has partnered with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to deliver federal funds for conservation and management of private lands in North Florida. Landowners can now sign up for technical and financial assistance for land management benefitting wildlife habitat, timber stand improvement, and watershed protection. Eligible lands include non-industrial forests, grazing lands, and some crop lands.
As part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), ACT and NRCS are focused on two specific geographic areas known as the Forest to Gulf and Surface to Springs project areas. These project areas include portions of Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hernando, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee, Sumter and Union counties. RCPP land management contracts are administered by USDA-NRCS and are similar to other USDA-NRCS cost-share programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). To be eligible, landowners must register with the Farm Service Agency.
The RCPP projects focus on conservation of forest and grassland habitat for wildlife and imperiled species habitat and groundwater protection. Priority land management practices include, but are not limited to, prescribed burning, tree planting, brush management, well decommissioning, prescribed grazing, irrigation water management, nutrient management, cover crops and pasture/hay planting.
ACT is a regional nonprofit land trust that works with landowners to help them achieve their conservation goals. The RCPP land management programs are one part of ACT’s strategy to protect and improve North Florida conservation lands. ACT can help landowners with applications to the program.
Interested landowners in the Forest to Gulf and Surface to Springs areas can contact ACT at 352- 373-1078 or by email at forest2gulfrcpp@alachuaconservationtrust.org or surface2springsrcpp@alachuaconservationtrust.org. ACT staff is available to assist landowners with understanding USDA procedures, submitting applications and planning prior to contracting.
The RCPP land management programs applications are open now through Friday, November 17, 2023.
Click on the info sheet to enlarge.
Click on the info sheet to enlarge.
