Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) this week launched “a new era in American conservation efforts with an historic focus on public-private partnership.”

Vilsack and Stabenow announced the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Tuesday during a visit to the Saginaw Bay watershed of the Great Lakes agricultural region. “This is an entirely new approach to conservation,” said Vilsack. “We’re giving private companies, local communities, and other non-government partners a way to invest in what are essentially clean water start-up operations. By establishing new public-private partnerships, we can have an impact that’s well beyond what the Federal government could accomplish on its own.”

“Partnering businesses and non-profits with our farmers and conservation leaders will bring greater focus and additional resources to the Great Lakes region and critical areas across the country,” said Sen. Stabenow.

In addition to the Great Lakes region, the critical conservation areas included in the initiative make up the majority of the nation with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Mississippi River Basin, Longleaf Pine Range, Columbia River Basin, California Bay Delta, Prairie Grasslands, and the Colorado River Basin.

Also participating in the announcement yesterday were Chief Sustainability Officer at The Kellogg Company Diane Holdorf and North American Agriculture Program Director at The Nature Conservancy Sean McMahon.