Farm Bill Conservation Program Could Bring Benefits to Georgia
Wednesday, June 11th, 2014
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is the first plan to link government and private-sector funding for environmental goals. It was instituted by the 2014 farm bill and combats recent budget cuts by providing an avenue for non-federal project support.
Non-federal groups are able to enter partnerships with other backers and pledge money to environmental efforts. This money will then be matched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The step away from federal funding, however, is not the only difference between this program and previous grants.
“Another difference is the ability to target resources in the areas where there is the greatest need and also have projects in those areas linked to outcomes,” said Jeremy Peters, director of federal policy for American Farmland Trust.
