Pilot Program Leverages $32M in Private Funds with $32M in Public Funds
Little Rock, AR – March 4, 2025 – Starting today through May 31, 2025, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Restore the Earth Foundation (REF) are accepting applications for two Regional Conservation Partnership Programs (RCPP). Called REForest Arkansas, the program goal is to demonstrate the use of private and public funding to transform 10,000 acres of marginal cropland located in floodplains into thriving permanent conservation easements held and managed by NRCS.
“Seventy-five percent of the nation’s wetlands are situated on private and tribal lands,” said Amanda Mathis, Arkansas State Conservationist. “Wetlands provide many benefits, including critical habitat for a wide array of wildlife species. They also store floodwaters, clean and recharge groundwater, sequester carbon, trap sediment and filter pollutants for clean water.”
Notable Program Differences
REForest Arkansas shares similarities with the Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) program, however there are some notable differences, including:
- All Arkansas counties with marginal cropland in floodplain areas are eligible to apply
- No 2-year ownership requirement
- No adjusted gross income requirement
- Uses the Arkansas Geographic Area Rate Cap (GARC) which establishes easement payments
- Offers a one-time, up-front per-acre carbon payment to landowners
- Focuses on 10% of funding to support historically underserved landowners
- Leverages $32M in private funding with $32M from NRCS RCPP for more permanent conservation easements in Arkansas
- Offers the opportunity for landowners to participate in future ecological markets for water and biodiversity
“Building on our 20-year partnership with NRCS, we are pleased to kick off an innovative pilot program in Arkansas that will demonstrate the benefits of combining private and public funding to support private landowners and to increase the number of acres put into permanent conservation easements,” said Taylor Marshall, executive director for Restore the Earth Foundation. “We want REForest Arkansas to be a model for a new restorative economy, one with long-term benefits to all stakeholders and for the environment, wildlife, biodiversity and responsible resource management.”
For more information about REForest Arkansas visit: https://www.reforestarkansas.com
How to Apply
Interested landowners with marginal cropland in floodplain areas should call your local USDA/NRCS Field Service Center or visit http://www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov.
About USDA NRCS:
The Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat. As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science. For more information: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/arkansas
About Restore the Earth Foundation – Restoration at Scale
Established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, REF has secured and administered private, federal and state funding to reforest over 150,000 acres in the Mississippi River Basin and along the Gulf Coast. Working alongside NRCS, other Federal and State agencies, and private, philanthropic, and community organizations, REF has worked on numerous project sites to carry out its reforestation efforts. Many of these acres were on private lands enabling REF to develop trusted relationships with landowners. REF brings an innovative funding mechanism, where private funding is leveraged with public NRCS funding to amplify the number of conservation easements and restoration of marginal lands, number of acres restored, and the co-benefits generated. For more information: https://www.restoretheearth.org