Reps. Ron Kind and Tim Walz Applaud USDA Decision to Classify the Mississippi River as a Critical Conservation Area

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Tim Walz (D-MN) celebrated the recent news that the entire Mississippi River has been designated a Critical Conservation Area under the farm bill’s new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Reps. Kind and Walz sent a letter last month to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting the designation.

“Designating the Mississippi Basin as part of the RCPP is great news for both the economy and the ecology of the region,” said Representative Kind. “This will bolster our farm economy and give conservation groups the tools they need to continue preserving and protecting this indispensible natural resource.”

“The Mississippi River is the lifeline for our farming communities and the foundation for a healthy and robust regional ecosystem,” Representative Walz said. “This designation will benefit farmer and sportsman alike as we work together to protect and enhance the Mississippi River Basin.” 

Groups eligible for RCPP funding include private companies, local and tribal governments, universities, non-profit organizations and others partnering with agricultural and conservation organizations. This new designation would build on previous Congressionally-authorized USDA conservation programs to make voluntary assistance available to farmers and would not provide the basis for new environmental studies or regulations.

USDA’s $1.2 billion in funding over the course of the five-year program can leverage an additional $1.2 billion from partners, totaling $2.4 billion for conservation. In the first year alone, $400 million in USDA funding is available.   

The RCPP will also help create jobs in Mississippi River basin communities. Conservation efforts require investments in new infrastructure, which puts engineers, contractors and scientists on the job. A National Fish and Wildlife Foundation study found that conservation activities supported more than 660,000 jobs in the U.S. last year.

A copy of the letter sent by Reps. Kind and Walz can be read here.