USDA Awards Ducks Unlimited and Partners $95M for Agricultural Conservation Efforts

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced major investments in delivering voluntary and incentive-based conservation practices, including an estimated $95 million for projects involving Ducks Unlimited (DU), which will be used to impact nearly 55,000 acres of agricultural working lands, improving wildlife habitat, and water quality.

At the top of the conservation project list is a nearly $13 million grant to protect California's Central Valley rice lands for migratory waterfowl.  The project aims to secure long-term protection of a minimum of 4,000 acres of winter-flooded rice lands in the Sacramento Valley. 

This project is part of the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership (RSP), which has a mission to conserve working ricelands, water, and wildlife.  The partnership promotes innovative practices to improve conservation, production, and sustainability measures.

The grants are awarded under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which incentivizes a voluntary, partnership-driven approach to conservation on working agricultural lands.

"The agricultural impact of these projects is significant, but they also make a lasting contribution to the long-term sustainability of our land," said Dr. Karen Waldrop, DU chief conservation officer. "It’s more than just habitat – each project will offer tremendous value to the environment by sequestering carbon, increasing biodiversity, improving water and soil quality, and so much more.  This funding will help DU and our partners deliver a larger conservation impact across the country."

The funding is part of a $1.5 billion investment by USDA in voluntary conservation practices on agricultural landscapes, which support habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, offer additional revenue streams for farmers and ranchers, and provide a host of ecosystem services.