Programs

Conservation Innovation Grants

Updated 07/07/08

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the Nation's most pressing natural resource concerns. CIG will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations. NRCS administers CIG.

Conservation Innovation Grants in 2008

CIG has two competitions available in fiscal year 2008--National and State. The announcement for program funding for the National competition is available below. Each State administering a CIG competition will announce funding availability through separate requests for proposals:

National Competition

Natural Resource Concerns category--Up to $10 million available for proposals addressing one or more of the CIG natural resource concerns. This component was also offered in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Technology category--Up to $5 million available for proposals addressing one or more of the CIG technology categories. This component was offered in 2006.
Chesapeake Bay Watershed category--Up to $5 million available for proposals addressing one or more of the CIG natural resource concerns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This component was also offered in 2005, 2006 and 2007. For FY2008 the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) will be accepting and reviewing applications for this category. For information on submitting an application for this category please visit www.nfwf.org/chesapeake.

2008 National Competition Awards

The list of national competition awards for multiple and single states is online, and is also available as a Microsoft Word document download. A more detailed listing is available as a web page, and as a Microsoft Word download.