16 U.S.C. § 3871b — Regional conservation partnerships

for a period not to exceed 5 years; or

for a period that is longer than 5 years, if the longer period is necessary to meet the objectives of the program^*, as determined by the Secretary.

define the scope of a project, including—

conduct outreach and education to producers for potential participation in the project;

at the request of a producer, act on behalf of a producer participating in the project in applying for assistance under section 3871c of this title;

leverage financial or technical assistance provided by the Secretary with additional contributions to help achieve the project objectives;

conduct an assessment of—

at the conclusion of the project, report to the Secretary on its results and funds leveraged.

An eligible partner shall provide a significant portion of the overall costs of the scope of the project that is the subject of the agreement entered into under subsection (a), as determined by the Secretary.

A contribution of an eligible partner under this paragraph may be in the form of—

Any amounts expended during the period beginning on the date on which the Secretary announces the approval of an application under subsection (e) and ending on the day before the effective date of the partnership agreement by an eligible partner for staff salaries or development of the partnership agreement may be considered to be a part of the contribution of the eligible partner under this paragraph.

entering into program contracts with producers;

providing financial assistance to producers; and

in the case of a partnership agreement that is funded through an alternative funding arrangement or grant agreement under section 3871c(d) of this title, providing the payments to the eligible partner for carrying out eligible activities;

a semiannual report describing the status of each pending and obligated contract under the project of the eligible partner; and

an annual report describing how the Secretary used amounts reserved by the Secretary for that year for technical assistance under section 3871d(f) 1 of this title; and

the scope of the project, as described in subsection (c)(1)(A);

the plan for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on progress made toward achieving the project’s objectives;

the program resources requested for the project and estimated funding needed from the Secretary;

each eligible partner collaborating to achieve project objectives, including their roles, responsibilities, capabilities, and contribution; and

any other elements the Secretary considers necessary to adequately evaluate and competitively select applications for funding under the program.

assist producers in meeting or avoiding the need for a natural resource regulatory requirement;

have a high percentage of producers in the area to be covered by the agreement;

significantly leverage non-Federal financial and technical resources and coordinate with other local, State, or national efforts;

build new partnerships with local, State, and private entities to include a diversity of stakeholders in the project;

deliver a high percentage of applied conservation—

implement the project consistent with existing watershed, habitat, or other area restoration plans;

provide innovation in conservation methods and delivery, including outcome-based performance measures and methods; or

meet other factors that are important for achieving the purposes of the program, as determined by the Secretary.

to continue to implement the project under a renewal of the partnership agreement; or

to expand the scope of the project under a renewal of the partnership agreement, as long as the expansion is within the objectives and purposes of the original partnership agreement.