Title
Resolution to Submit Renewal Proposal and Application to the USDA FY 2020 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), in Partnership with Washtenaw County, Legacy Land Conservancy, and Others, to Secure up to $1,000,000.00 in Additional Federal Grant Funding for Conservation Easements
Memorandum
City Council Resolution R-18-200 approved a memorandum of understanding with USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and local partners and accepted a grant of up to $1,040,000.00 under a Regional Conservation Partnership Program for the acquisition of conservation easements.
This resolution authorizes the City to approve the submission of a renewal proposal and application for the USDA FY 2020 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), in partnership with Washtenaw County, Legacy Land Conservancy, and others, to secure up to $1,000,000.00 in additional federal grant funding for the purchase of USDA Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) conservation easements in Washtenaw County. The additional grant funding would provide further leverage to Greenbelt Program funds to support the purchase of conservation easements. Individual projects will still seek City Council approval on a project-by-project basis.
If the City's renewal proposal (due September 15, 2019) is selected by NRCS on November 15, 2019 for a provisional renewal, the City will be invited to submit a full renewal application by December 31, 2019. If the full renewal is funded, an RCPP renewal agreement would be executed by March 31, 2020, which would add these funds to and extend the original RCPP until 2025.
In addition to the City's existing RCPP grant (up to $1,040,000.00), if the City's application is successful, the City would become eligible to receive up to an additional $1,000,000.00 in federal matching funds over the program period (up to $2,040,000.00 total). USDA would match City funds spent toward purchase of eligible agr...
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