Press Release
Active RCPP Projects in Rhode Island
NRCS announced that the RI Statewide Natural Systems Demonstration RCPP Project accepted applications for fiscal year 2026 funding through February 27, 2026. This demonstration project has two focus areas:
- Northern Rhode Island (Providence County) – Funding will be used to implement a suite of natural systems-based approaches including green infrastructure improvements, riparian buffers, and stream corridor restoration to protect water quality in the Scituate Reservoir Watershed.
- Southern Rhode Island (Kent and Washington counties) – Funding be used to implement a suite of natural system-based approaches including green infrastructure to protect water quality in Winnapaug Pond Watershed, Westerly (a coastal saltwater pond).
All interested parties should please submit applications before the February 27, 2026, ranking cutoff.
NRCS announced that the RI Forest Health Works RCPP Project accepted applications for funding for fiscal year 2026 through December 19, 2025. This year project partners will be funding:
- U.S.-Held Easements to help private and tribal landowners to protect forestlands by placing conservation easements. For help applying, contact Samantha Thibault, Conservation Planner, at Samantha.Thibault@usda.gov.
- Entity-Held Easements to provide funding to partner organizations who are seeking to protect forestlands by placing conservation easements on private and tribal lands. For help applying, eligible entities should contact Joanne Riccitelli, Land Protection Specialist, at joanne.riccitelli@gmail.com.
All interested parties should please submit applications before the December 19, 2025, ranking cutoff.
Active RCPP Projects in Rhode Island
RI Forest Health Works RCPP
RI Forest Health Works RCPP
Project partners will use $3.9M in 2021 RCPP funding to permanently protect over 1,300 acres of critical, privately owned forest lands to combat fragmentation and improve wildlife habitat. Targeting tools will prioritize critical lands and conservation easements will be coupled with forest management plans and funding for forest restoration and enhancement activities.
RI Statewide Natural Systems Demonstration RCPP
RI Statewide Natural Systems Demonstration RCPP
The RI State Conservation Committee (RISCC) and partners are developing and implementing a suite of innovative natural systems-based conservation practices in three separate landscapes that represent coastal, inland and agricultural focused watersheds.
RCPP Project Ranking Criteria & Questions
The following document is state-specific ranking criteria for fiscal year 2026.
RCPP applications received by NRCS are prioritized based on specific ranking questions. The FY 2026 ranking questions for RCPP in Rhode Island will be published on this site at the earliest date possible.
Ready to get started?
Contact your local service center to start your application.
How to Get Assistance
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
- To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
- To meet other eligibility certifications.
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
- An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
- A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
- A farm number.
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.
