SALINA, KANSAS, September 27, 2024 ‒ David Doctorian, State Conservationist for Kansas, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), announced that additional financial assistance is available for conservation projects within the Milford Lake Watershed. These funds are available through the Regional Conservationist Partnership Program (RCPP). The project is funded through the USDA Partnership program, which is locally led by the Kansas Water Office, in coordination with a diverse partnership team of State Agencies, public water suppliers, agricultural organizations, university researchers, non-profit conservation organizations, as well as Conservation Districts in Jewell, Mitchell, Republic, Cloud, Washington, Clay, Riley, Dickinson, and Geary counties. RCPP provides funding to landowners and operators of property located in this watershed to address water quality and quantity issues to help battle the harmful algal blooms taking place in the lake.
“NRCS devoted over $2 million to apply conservation practices on agricultural lands in the Milford Lake watershed to help reduce nutrients entering the lake and therefore reducing algal blooms,” Doctorian said. This RCPP project can assist operators in proper nutrient management, no-till and cover crops to reduce agricultural runoff, along with many other practices on crop and grassland to improve the quality of surface water in this specific watershed.
The final date to apply for fiscal year 2025 funding is Friday, November 1, 2024. Applications received prior to the deadline will be planned, assessed, ranked, and submitted for funding, and will be preapproved based on fund availability in ranking order. Applications received after the deadline will be batched and considered in the next funding period.
To apply, visit your local USDA Service Center.
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.