Could the Mississippi River be designated a Critical Conservation Area? That is the question facing many organizations and government entities in the run-up to Secretary Vilsack's announcement of Critical Conservation Areas (CCA) for the nation. CCAs are made possible under Sec. 1271, Subtitle E of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. RCPP is a new partnership program that combines the authorities of four former programs--Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program, the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative and the Great Lakes Basin Program--and delivers assistance through covered programs, including Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), as well as Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations in Critical Conservation Areas. If Secretary Vilsack were to designate the entire Mississippi River Valley a CCA, it would complement USDA work already on the ground. In 2010, the USDA created the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Waters Initiative (MRBI) as a response to agriculture production increasing nutrients and sediments in the River. The goal of MRBI is to improve water quality, restore wetlands, and enhance wildlife habitat, while sustaining agricultural profitability in the Mississippi River Basin.

For more information contact Colin Wellenkamp, Director, Mississippi River & Towns Initiative of the Northeast-Midwest Institute.