1. Program detail

Three Idaho projects have received more than $9.22 million through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program, NRCS coordinates with public and private partners on voluntary projects designed to improve land and watersheds.

Some $1 billion combined went to 81 projects in Fiscal Year 2023.

The Butte Soil and Water Conservation District received nearly $3.66 million to improve the Burnett Irrigation Ditch. The project aims to increase irrigation efficiency, protect water sources and improve aquatic habitat, according to an NRCS news release.

The Butte district was also awarded nearly $2.44 million to improve the Blaine County Canal Co. pipeline. The work includes converting 61,000 feet of open canal into a pipeline. The project is expected to benefit aquatic organisms, maintain the integrity of aquatic habitat and improve water quality.

Newtrient LLC was awarded $3.125 million for a project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms. The work aims to increase the adoption of NRCS conservation practices, focused on manure and feed management, that reduce methane emissions.

“The unprecedented demand for the program shows how much interest there is from producers and partners for voluntary conservation on the ground,” Bruce Sandoval, acting state conservationist in Idaho for NRCS, said in the release. “USDA is making historic investments and streamlining the program to make it work better for producers and partners,” a combination expected to “deliver conservation at a scale never before achieved through RCPP.”