From: Laura Crowell [mailto:Laura.Crowell@ia.usda.gov]
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2017 3:15 PM
To: Brown,Karen P
Subject: USDA Seeks Applications for $10 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2017 3:15 PM
To: Brown,Karen P
Subject: USDA Seeks Applications for $10 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants
USDA Seeks Applications for $10 Million in
Conservation Innovation Grants
Funding is available in three focus areas,
including grazing lands, organic systems and soil health
Contact: Laura Crowell, 515-323-2207
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 18, 2017 – USDA is offering grants for innovative ideas for conservation
strategies and technologies. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) plans to invest $10 million in the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
program, funding innovative conservation projects in three focus areas: grazing
lands, organic systems and soil health. Grant proposals are due Feb. 26, 2018."Conservation Innovation Grants play a critical role in developing and implementing new methods to help our customers conserve natural resources, strengthen their local communities, and improve their bottom lines," said Rob Johansson, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. "Today's announcement supports our efforts to help producers build economically-strong and resilient farms and ranches by providing producers tools to utilize across their working farmlands.”
The NRCS uses CIG to work with partners to accelerate transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches that address some of the nation’s most pressing natural resource concerns. This year, NRCS is focusing funding in these areas:
- Grazing Lands: Helping
livestock producers make grazing management decisions, encouraging
prescribed burning as a grazing management practice, and improving access
to conservation planning tools used for developing grazing management
plans.
- Organic Agriculture Systems: Helping organic producers develop innovative cropping
and tillage systems, edge-of-field monitoring, crop rotations and intercropping
systems.
- Soil Health: Supporting
both cropping and grazing systems, in a variety of climatic zones, that
incorporate soil health management systems for addressing specific
resource concerns like nutrients and availability. Evaluating multiple soil
health assessment methods to assist in the development of new soil health
indicators and thresholds.
Potential applicants should review the announcement of program funding available at www.grants.gov, which includes application materials and submission procedures. All U.S.-based entities and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of Federal agencies. Up to 20 percent of CIG funds will be set aside for proposals from historically underserved producers, veteran farmers or ranchers or groups serving these customers.
NRCS is hosting a webinar for potential CIG applicants on Jan. 11, 2018 at 4 pm Eastern. Information on how to join the webinar can be found here.
CIG is authorized and funded under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Projects can last up to three years. The maximum award amount for any project this year is $2 million.
Funding Conservation Innovation for More Than a Decade Since 2004, NRCS has invested nearly $286.7 million in more than 700 projects focused on providing farmers and ranchers new techniques, data and decision-making tools for improving natural resources conservation on their land. Projects included:
- The
National Association of Conservation Districts evaluated year-by-year
changes in corn and soybean farmer income during a multi-state, three-year
study, that determined soil health practices such as cover crops and
no-till can result in an economic return of over $100 per acre.
- The
National Center for Appropriate Technology worked with leading sustainable
and organic agriculture organizations, NRCS staff, consultants and
hundreds of farmers to better integrate organic systems into NRCS programs
and procedures and improve NRCS programs accessibility. As a result, NRCS
changed 15 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) conservation
enhancements, added one new CSP conservation enhancement, and published an
organic guidebook for NRCS field staff.
- The
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) project will work with historically
underserved populations in the Great Lakes Region to develop apprentice
relationships that will foster skills in innovative managed grazing. The
DGA is a two-year accredited National Apprenticeship that provides
employment, mentorship, comprehensive training, and peer-to-peer
discussions to help dairy grazers advance their careers.
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Images for your use | CIG Proposals for
Grazing, Organics, Soil Health
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, 14th & Independence Av SW, Washington, DC 20250-0001 United Stat