A long-anticipated farm bill conference agreement (H.R. 2642) reached by House and Senate negotiators last week includes an AMWA-supported Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) that will help water and wastewater utilities partner with local farmers on projects to benefit regional water quality and quantity.
The House and Senate had voted earlier to consolidate a number of existing conservation activities into the new streamlined RCPP program. One of the consolidated programs, the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, currently offers USDA grant assistance to local farmers who partner with nearby communities on cooperative projects to protect or improve water quality and quantity. The new RCPP continues these objectives (along with habitat conservation, air quality improvement, irrigation system improvement and others) and will receive $100 million per year in funding.
The new RCPP also includes several improvements sought by AMWA and other water sector stakeholders, such as specifically allowing funding for “nutrient management and sediment reduction” projects. This is important because nutrient runoff from farms represents one of the most significant threats to nearby water quality.
The House of Representatives approved H.R. 2642 last Wednesday, and the Senate is expected to follow suit as soon as this week. In advance of the House vote, AMWA signed a letter to lawmakers expressing support for the compromise legislation and the RCPP provisions.