• Lake Decatur Watershed - RCPP Program Application

    Thank you for your interest in the Lake Decatur Watershed - Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). If you are a farm operator or landowner, you can submit your application for financial assistance below.

  • The City of Decatur received $9.8 million from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve water quality in key areas across the Lake Decatur watershed.

    This 5-year program provides substantial cost-share and flexibility to landowners and growers for certain practices aimed at reducing sediment and nutrient losses to the lake. 

    Four primary incentives are being offered:

    • Cover crops: up to $103.80 per acre
    • No-till / strip-till: $22.74 per acre
    • Tile drainage management: 100% cost-share
    • Generous short-term rental payments for harvestable grasses

    Read more about the program here.

    To apply, please submit your information below. This digital tool which is powered by FarmRaise will generate your application paperwork for you, along with instructions about how to finalize your application. A copy of your application will also be sent to the program administrators, who will follow up with you to complete your application.

    Who is FarmRaise?

    FarmRaise is an independent organization that delivers software to help farmers master their farm finances and access farm funding. The Lake Decatur RCPP is working with FarmRaise, among other partners, to make the resources of our program more accessible to prospective participants. If you want to learn more about FarmRaise's offerings beyond this digital tool, please go to their website: https://www.farmraise.com/. You can get a one-month free trial of their premium software by using the code DECATUR at checkout.

  • Is the land you're applying with within the watershed?

  • Before you begin, let's make sure you're located in the watershed. 

    Please access the map on this website. If you navigate to the "Overview" section, you can reference the map of the watershed. Please certify that the land you wish to enroll falls within the watershed boundaries. 

  • Unfortunately, all enrolled land must fall within the watershed boundaries. Please do not proceed with the application at this time. 

    You may want to pursue some other financial incentive programs given your interest in funding for conservation practices. Our partners at FarmRaise offer resources to help you learn about other funding programs for soil health and conservation practices. Check out their resources at https://www.farmraise.com/, and you can even get a one-month free trial of FarmRaise Premium by using the code DECATUR at checkout. 

  • Please note: You are not eligible for RCPP cost-share if you are enrolled in another USDA program for the same practice on the same field. You are eligible if you are in another USDA program for a different practice on the same field. Please proceed accordingly.

    • Field and Practice Selection 

    • In order to process your application, we request that you download this excel form, fill it out with the accurate information for your farm, and then upload it below. 

      This form allows us to better understand which fields you wish to enroll in the program, as well as which practices you'd like to apply on each field. 

      To complete the excel template, please note the following:

      • You will need your FSA Farm Maps in order to fill out the template. 
      • You will need to be familiar with how to locate your FSA Farm Number, Tract Number and Field Number on your FSA Farm Maps. If you are not familiar with this, please see the video tutorial below for guidance. 
      • You must upload the completed excel document below in order to submit your application.
      • If you are having trouble filling this out and uploading it, please contact JGunter@decaturil.gov or use the chat box in the bottom right of the screen to get technical support from FarmRaise. 
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    • Basic Contact Information 
    • Lake Decatur RCPP Program Application Questions 
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    • You're not eligible YET - FarmRaise can help you set these up, though!

      We're sorry - you have to be registered with your local USDA office and have a valid Farm Number in order to qualify for the Lake Decatur Watershed RCPP.

      We have great news though: setting up your FSA records and getting a Farm Number is easy to do! 

      Here's how:

      • Read: “What is a Farm Number and why is it important?”
      • Our partners at FarmRaise have agreed to give you a free month of FarmRaise Premium, which is more than enough time to fill out and complete your FSA Records paperwork with their help. Simply follow this link to set up your FarmRaise account. Select a Premium membership upon checkout and use the code "DECATUR" to get one month free from the monthly Premium plan. 
      • Alternatively, you can get in touch with your local USDA office and do the paperwork with them by hand. 

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    • Historically Underserved Status

      Do any of the applicants who will participate in this contract meet the requirements for one of the following historically underserved categories? If so, please list their name and historically underserved statuses in the chart below. 

      Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher – The term “Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher” means a participant:

      • With direct or indirect gross farm sales not more than the current indexed value in each of the previous two years, and
      • Who has a total household income at or below the national poverty level for a family of four, or less than 50 percent of county median household income in each of the previous two years.
      • A legal entity or joint operation can be a Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher only if all individual members independently qualify. A Self-Determination Tool is available to the public and may be completed on-line or printed and completed hardcopy at: https://lrftool.sc.egov.usda.gov/

      Beginning Farmer or Rancher – The term “Beginning Farmer or Rancher” means a participant who:

      • Has not operated a farm or ranch, or who has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 consecutive years. Thisrequirement applies to all members of a legal entity, and
      • Who will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm or ranch.
      • In the case of a contract with an individual, individually or with the immediate family, material and substantial participation requires that the individual provide substantial day-to-day labor and management of the farm or ranch, consistent with the practices in the county or State where the farm is located.
      • In the case of a contract made with a legal entity, all members must materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm or ranch. Material and substantial participation requires that the members provide some amount of the management, or labor and management necessary for day-today activities, such that if the members did not provide these inputs, operation of the farm or ranch would be seriously impaired.

      Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher – The term “Socially Disadvantaged” means an individual or entity who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group. For an entity, at least 50 percent ownership in the farm business must be held by socially disadvantaged individuals. A socially disadvantaged group is a group whose members have been subject to racial orethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. These groups consist of the following:

      • American Indians or Alaskan Natives
      • Asians
      • Blacks or African Americans
      • Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders
      • Hispanics.
      • Note: Gender alone is not a covered group for the purposes of NRCS conservation programs. The term entities reflect a broad interpretation to include partnerships, couples, legal entities, etc.

      Veteran Farmer or Rancher – The term "Veteran Farmer or Rancher" means a producer who served in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, including the reserve component thereof; was released from service under conditions other than dishonorable; and:

      • has not operated a farm or ranch, or has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 years; or
      • who first obtained status as a veteran during the most recent 10-year period.
      • A legal entity or joint operation can be a Veteran Farmer or Rancher only if all individual members independently qualify.
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    • Conservation Program Application Continuation Page

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    • Permission to Access Your USDA Records 

    • To reduce the paperwork and administrative burden on you, the applicant, we are requesting your authorization for the Lake Decatur Watershed RCPP project team members to be able to access your farm records that are on file with the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

      This section of the online application walks you through our data access requests and allows you to give authorization to our team to access your records, if you are comfortable doing so. We will only access records in order to more efficiently process your application and enable easier grant reporting for you if you are selected as an awardee.

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  • Conservation Practice and Production History Questionnaire

    The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requests additional information about your farming practices and conservation history. Please complete the below to the best of your ability.

  • First, please list the crops typically included in your rotation and their respective row spacings / planting method, 5-year average yields, yield goals and tillage management practices. 

    • Crop 1 
    • Crop 2 
    • Crop 3 
    • Crop 4 
    • Crop 5 
    • Crop 6 
    • Nutrients and manure management 
    • Pest Management 
    • Soil Condition 
    • Pasture, Wildlife and Energy 

  • Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form

  • To sign up for Direct Deposit, please complete the following details.

    • Signature and Certification 

    • Program Application - Certification

    • The applicant agrees not to start any financially assisted conservation practice or activity or engage the reimbursable services of a certified technical service provider before an obligating document is executed by NRCS. The applicant understands that if they start a conservation practice or activity prior to NRCS executing an obligation the applicant will be ineligible to receive payment for the conservation practice or activity. The applicant may request a waiver to begin a conservation practice or activity early by submitting their written request to the applicable NRCS State Conservationist. Applicants must provide NRCS with written authorization from the landowner to install structural or vegetative practices on leased land included in this application.

      The applicant acknowledges that they have or will file all other required eligibility information including highly erodible land conservation/wetland conservation certifications, adjusted gross income certifications, and member information for entities and joint operations with the FSA, as applicable, prior to NRCS approving an agreement based on this application.

    • Note: If this application is selected for funding, it is the responsibility of the participants under a program contract or agreement to provide accurate information to support all items addressed in this application at the request of NRCS. False certifications are subject to criminal and civil fraud statutes. Each participant listed for share of the payment must provide an SF-1199A, Direct Deposit Form to proceed with contract execution. All participants that certify land control or certify eligibility as Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher, Beginning Farmer or Rancher, or Veteran Farmer or Rancher, will provide all records necessary to justify their claim as requested by a NRCS representative.

    • Program Application - Submit and Next Steps

    • When you submit this form, you are NOT done with your application. You will still need to physically sign your paperwork packet.

      After you hit "submit" below, two options are available to finalize your paperwork and physical signature. Please select one that best fits your needs. Regardless of which option you select, you will receive a copy of your pre-filled paperwork for your records.

      Option A - You submit and then wait for the program administrators to reach out to schedule a brief meeting to collect your signature in person and discuss next steps.

      • Upon submitting, we will send the program administrators a copy of your pre-filled paperwork, and they will print the application packet and meet with you to talk about next steps and collect your physical signature.
      • If you have questions in the  mean time, you can reach the program administrators using the contact information below. This will also be emailed to you.
      • Jeff Boeckler, Northwater Consulting, Ph: 217-725-3181, email: jeff@northwaterco.com
      • Jennifer Gunter, City of Decatur, Ph: 217-450-2136, email: jgunter@decaturil.gov 

      Option B - You sign at home and email it to the program administrators: After you submit, you will personally print, sign and scan your signed paperwork packet and email it to the program administrators to finalize your application. 

      Please be aware that - regardless of which option you choose - by pressing "submit" you will save your responses and receive a copy of your pre-filled paperwork.

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