RCPP Signup Works Well

The Arkansas-Louisiana Open Pine RCPP jumped forward as 2021 came to a close. Though this $5.9 million (~$15 million including match) 5-year project will continue through 2026-27, we were notified in November the initial sign-up period could commence “at any time” once certain documents were approved. The drawback: this jump-start would close by mid-February, adding a new challenge for our RCPP team members to plan and then sign up landowners.

Landowner Outreach meeting 2/27 at White Oak State Park and nearby Poison Springs WMA conducted by Ricky Chastain (AGFC) and Bob Scott (QF) provided presentation overview and RCPP packets with information on sign-up process and required documents to enroll in NRCS programs. Though social distancing and COVID issues made meetings a challenge; the outreach effort was very successful with approximately 80 applicants counted to date in both states.

Partners, and especially RCPP Implementation Team members, began to map a delivery strategy during the holiday season to both communicate and coordinate landowner contact efforts in both states. A special website link was created – https://www.lmvjv.org/ar-la-rcpp, and this RCPP access point became a one-stop shop for Implementation Team members of both states. After seven public outreach workshops and numerous one-on-one meetings among RCPP Team Members and landowners between mid-January and February 18, 2022, applications began to arrive at USDA service centers. Areas targeted by the outreach meetings were in Arkansas Counties and Louisiana Parishes where there had not been an established presence from partners regarding “Open Pine” conservation through the ongoing Morehouse Family Forest Initiative.

A true measure of success was achieved during the critical period of Dec 15, 2021 to February 18, 2022. While working through new COVID issues, and with short notice going into the holidays, our Implementation Team worked hard over those 60 days to outreach, convene, and connect – and guess what? They vastly exceeded expectations, with more than 80 applications received by NRCS from private land owners. Stay tuned as this effort ramps up and grows.