NRCS Offers $450,000 For Conservation Innovation Grants

Contact: Mark Parson (530) 792-5660

DAVIS, Calif., March 9, 2005 --The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making  $450,000 available in California for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).

This is a grant competition for farmers, ranchers, and others who have innovative ideas for addressing some of California’s most pressing natural resource conservation needs.

"These grants offer an opportunity to promote public-private partnerships and support the agency’s agenda to provide innovative technologies and approaches to environmental enhancement and protection on working agriculture lands," said Ed Burton, NRCS Acting State Conservationist for California.

The 2002 Farm Bill established these grants as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and the first national grants were awarded in 2004. This year, California along with 12 other states will offer a statewide grant competition.

Applications should demonstrate the use of innovative technologies or approaches to address at least one of the four natural resource concerns identified by NRCS in California: water quality, air quality, soil erosion and wildlife habitat.

Applications are due by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 to:

USDA-NRCS
Ray Miller/Contract Specialist
430 G Street #4164
Davis, CA 95616

Application and details can be found on the California NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants website at and on the federal eGrants website at www.grants.gov.

The grant program is offered to a diverse set of potential applicants, including state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, and tribes and individuals to help develop, test, implement and transfer innovative environmental solutions. Projects may be from one to three years in length.  Grants will fund projects targeting innovative on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations.

Selected applicants may receive grants up to 50 percent of the total project cost. Applicants must provide non-federal matching funds for at least 50 percent of the project cost, of which up to 50 percent may be from in-kind contributions. An exception allows for beginning and limited resource farmers and ranchers, tribes and community-based organizations representing these groups to obtain up to 75 percent of project matching funds from in-kind contributions. The NRCS contribution may not exceed $75,000 for a single project.

NRCS is also offering a national grant competition to fund larger projects. The final rule was published in the Jan. 11 Federal Register, and applications for the national grants are due by March 28, 2005.  Please refer to the National NRCS website for more information on the national competition at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/.

You can find the CIG final rule and other information on the California NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants website at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/ or for more information call Helen Flach, Assistant State Conservationist at (530) 792-5602.

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