BACKGROUND: In 2022, the City of Decatur was awarded a $9.8 million-dollar United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant focused on improving water quality in key areas across the Lake Decatur Watershed. The 5-year program provides substantial cost share funding and flexibility to landowners and growers for certain conservation practices such as cover crops, nutrient management and reduced till. The six partner contracts discussed here illustrated the degree of original capacity-building the city must undertake to accomplish its watershed and sedimentation reduction goals. This is why we received the USDA grant.
To kick off the program, the first sign up period for farmers was from January 1, 2024 through March 29, 2024. Within that period, the program took applications that covered approximately 39,000 acres within the Lake Decatur Watershed concentrated in the section from Lake Decatur to Monticello, IL. We are currently working with the USDA to rank the applications for funding for the first year of the program. The City has multiple partners to assist with the various services provided by the grant. The agreements presented here represent the partnerships necessary to help the RCPP succeed. The cost of each agreement will be paid by the City initially and then reimbursed by the RCPP grant. These agreements will extend over the life of the grant, which will be around 5-years. The scope of work for each agreement is briefly described below.
American Farmland Trust (AFT)
This contract is not to exceed $80,000 over the next 5 years and will be used for providing support to the farmer-to-farmer board, established by the City, which meets monthly. AFT will assist with RCPP financial contribution tracking and assist with farmer outreach during the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) application process which helps match farmers to funding.
EcoMetrics LLC
This contract is not to exceed $35,000 over the next 5 years and will be crucial in providing data related to the conservation application results and the preparation of a final report which will be needed to satisfy USDA outcome reporting requirements under the RCPP. EcoMetrics will quantify the indirect and non-tangible economic and social benefits of watershed investments and the RCPP. It can be used by the City to better understand and quantify the local and regional value generated from investments in the watershed program and grants received beyond just direct expenditures and reductions in sediment and nutrients entering the reservoir. For example, the value to the local economy and City from improved water quality and additional lake recreational usage or the expansion of local business investment in products and services necessary to support the RCPP.
Ecosystem Services Exchange
This contract is not to exceed $469,792.52 over the next 5 years and will be for designing conservation drainage practices required by the grant. The designs will meet USDA and NRCS standards. Examples of these drainage practices include drainage water management structures, saturated buffers around farm fields, and denitrifying bioreactors near drainage areas. These practices help decrease both sediment and nitrates from flowing into Lake Decatur.
FarmRaise
This contract is not to exceed $83,200 over the next 5 years and will produce a digital, online module for use by prospective farmer applicants and RCPP program administrators to expedite the completion of USDA eligibility and program application paperwork. The module will be made freely available to all prospective growers and the administrators that are working with them.
ManPlan INC.
This contract is not to exceed $120,000 over the next 5 years to allow this technical service provider to work with farmers in nutrient management to support the RCPP. As a partner with the RCPP grant, these services are discounted at 20% for nutrient management plans, soil health management plans, soil health testing, and soil testing for nutrient management. These practices will reduce the amount of nutrients being used on farm fields that eventually reach lake Decatur.
Pinion LLC
This contract is not to exceed $900,000 over the next 5 years to work with farmers on developing nutrient management and soil conservation plans. They will also provide support to the local USDA NRCS office on conservation planning, job sheets, practice checkoff, coordination with RCPP partners and work with the City’s farmer advisory board to provide technical assistance.
LEGAL REVIEW: The agreements were approved by the Legal Department.