Groups Partner to Restore Missouri Headwaters

Last week Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) will partner with the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). More than a dozen local and regional organizations will join GVLT in conserving and restoring the Missouri Headwaters and the Lower Gallatin Basin in Gallatin County.

Producers and private landowners in the Valley will work with GVLT and partners to improve water quality, water quantity and soil health. The project is expected to be completed within the next five years and will bring in more than $3.7 million for on-the-ground conservation projects on private land in the Gallatin Valley.

"We are grateful that the NRCS has invested in our local conservation partnerships," said Penelope Pierce, GVLT's Executive Director. “With this new funding, we believe we can make a lasting impact on the landscape of the Gallatin Valley.”

More than 600 pre-proposals were submitted for RCPP in 2014. Of those, more than 200 were invited to submit full proposals. Approximately 100 high-impact projects across all 50 states will receive more than $370 million as part of RCPP.