Working Lands, Water and Wildlife Partnership Project available in Illinois

Illinois state conservationist Ivan Dozier announced the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding for the Working Lands, Water and Wildlife Partnership Project throughout the state.

Illinois NRCS has partnered with the Conservation Fund to help farmers address resource concerns of inadequate habitat for wildlife, water quality, and long-term protection of farmland.

Landowners can apply for assistance through RCPP to implement practices such as silvopasture establishment, tree/shrub establishment, and cover crops.

Landowners can also receive a rental payment to help offset lost income while transitioning to organic farming or installing tree and berry crops.

Funding is also available for landowners interested in protecting and preserving their farmland through an entity-held easement that will keep the land in agriculture.

According to state conservationist Ivan Dozier, the focus of the Working Lands, Water and Wildlife Partnership project is to improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and preserve farmland in the following 26 counties: Boone, Cass, Champaign, DeKalb, Ford, Iroquois, Jackson, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, LaSalle, Lee, Madison, Mason, McHenry, McLean, Ogle, Perry, Peoria, Piatt, Tazewell, Vermilion, Will, Winnebago, and Woodford.

Financial assistance from NRCS will be available to farmers in portions of Illinois with land in the above-mentioned counties.

While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested farmers should submit a signed application (NRCS-CPA-1200 form) to the local NRCS field office or through the website using their account.

Submit by the cutoff date of March 4, 2022, to ensure applications are considered for 2022 funding.