Regional Partnership Project to Support Nutrient Management Needs on Maryland and Virginia Dairies  

ANNAPOLIS, MD – A regional partnership project between Maryland, Virginia, and Sustainable Chesapeake has been awarded a grant of $4,575,000 from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

The RCPP grant will provide $3.5 million in funding for dairies in Maryland to implement best management practices to address nutrient management needs over the next five years—the Maryland Department of Agriculture will provide $3.5 million in matching funds. Dairy farmers in Virginia will receive support to accelerate their nutrient management planning process.

“This project provides important assistance to help farmers address some of the biggest natural resource challenges in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Creating a clean and healthy Bay continues to be a top priority of our administration.”

“RCPP brings together regional partners with similar issues to address in making water quality improvements,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder. “We are pleased that our partnership with Virginia and the nonprofit Sustainable Chesapeake will bring additional NRCS resources to our dairies so they can continue to operate profitably and meet Chesapeake Bay goals,”

Sustainable Chesapeake is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization the seeks and develops projects that reduce pollution and result in tangible benefits for the people responsible for implementing them.  Their efforts build teams and develop projects that demonstrate how restoring the Chesapeake Bay can also achieve multiple farm, business, and community goals.

Authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP is USDA’s new, innovative program that promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners.

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