WARWICK,RI --04/17/2007 -- USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
has announced the request for proposals for
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG),
for fiscal year 2007. Up to $176,000 will be awarded to help Rhode Island
farmers and other business owners improve water quality while they conserve
energy.
"The CIG program stimulates the development and adoption of new and innovative
approaches and technologies to managing our natural resources more effectively
and efficiently," said Roylene Rides at the Door, NRCS State Conservationist.
"It allows applicants to create practical solutions to address conservation and
resource management."
NRCS administers CIG. Funds, for single- or multi-year projects not to exceed
three years, will be awarded through a competitive grants process. Applications
will be accepted from all eligible government or non-government organizations or
individuals, including federally-recognized tribes.
There are four natural resource concerns categories in which applications will
be accepted for FY 2007:
1. Water Resources- Items to be considered include feed management to reduce
nutrients, nutrient management, and integrated pest management.
2. Soil Resources- Items to be considered include soil erosion, organic matter
depletion, and soil condition deterioration.
3. Atmospheric Resources- Item to be considered includes objectionable odors.
4. Wildlife Habitat- Item to be considered includes restoration or improvement
of critical habitat for threatened and endangered and/or declining species.
Applicants should explain how large a geographic area the project would benefit.
These projects may be watershed-based, regional, or statewide in scope.
Applications should describe the use of innovative technologies or approaches,
or both, to address a natural resource conservation concern or concerns.
Funding for CIG is made available through the Environmental Quality Incentives
Program. All proposed CIG projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers. CIG
funds that are used to provide direct or indirect payments to individuals or
entities to implement structural, vegetative or management practices are subject
to the $450,000 EQIP payment limitation. CIG is not a research program but
rather a tool to stimulate the adoption of conservation approaches or
technologies that have been studied sufficiently to indicate a high likelihood
of success, and are likely candidates for eventual technology transfer.
CIG will fund projects targeting innovative on-the-ground conservation,
including pilot projects and field demonstrations. Technologies and approaches
that are commonly used in the geographic area covered by the application, and
which are eligible for funding through EQIP, are not eligible for funding
through CIG. Proposed projects must conform to the description of innovative
conservation projects or activities published in the
Announcement of Program Funding.
CIG funds pilot projects and conservation field trials that can last from one to
three years. Grants for approved projects cannot exceed 50 percent of the total
project cost. The federal contribution for a single project cannot exceed
$75,000.
At least 50 percent of the total cost of the project must come from non-Federal
matching funds (cash and in-kind contributions) provided by the grantee. While
NRCS will provide technical oversight for each project receiving an award, the
grantee is responsible for providing the technical assistance required to
successfully complete the project.
Proposals must be received in the NRCS Office in Warwick, RI, by 4 p.m.,
Eastern Time (ET), on May 18, 2007. Applications must be sent or delivered to
the following address: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation
Innovation Grants Program, 60 Quaker Lane, Suite 46, Warwick, RI 02886-0181.
To submit your application electronically, visit
www.grants.gov and follow the
instructions. For more information and to download the application materials,
please visit the Rhode Island NRCS website at
www.ri.nrcs.usda.gov.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is an agency of the United States
Department of Agriculture with the legislated directive to provide one-on-one
technical assistance to landowners to conserve and improve the natural
resources, primarily on private working lands. NRCS works in cooperation with
conservation districts and other federal, state, and local governments as well
as private organizations to accomplish this goal.
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