MONTEVIDEO, Va., Aug. 24, 2005—U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Bruce Knight today announced that 54
projects in 40 states and Guam will receive more than $19 million in
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).
“These grants provide opportunities for public-private partnerships that
stimulate innovative technologies and approaches to environmental enhancement
and protection on working agricultural lands,” Knight said at an event with
Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA). “These cooperative conservation projects will
help farmers and ranchers address their current conservation needs.”
Grants will fund the development and adoption of innovative technologies and
approaches through pilot projects and conservation field trials. The total value
of the projects, including the recipients’ match of at least 50 percent, is more
than $44 million.
Selected CIG projects address issues such as agricultural air emissions, water
quality improvement, water conservation, livestock nutrient management and
market-based approaches to conservation. CIG projects provide a testing program
for cutting-edge advances in conservation technologies and approaches.
NRCS administers CIG as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Eligible governmental and nongovernmental organizations and individuals
submitted 150 national project proposals and 26 Chesapeake Bay Watershed
proposals for single or multi-year projects involving producers who are eligible
for EQIP.
Of the total amount of the grants, more than $4.5 million will fund 12 projects
that address natural resource concerns in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The
watershed covers more than 64,000 square miles over parts of Delaware, Maryland,
New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Grant recipients include 16 universities, 13 nongovernmental organizations, four
agribusinesses, six state governments, four resource conservation and
development councils, six conservation districts and two individuals. Selected
proposals receive grants for up to 50 percent of the total project cost and must
provide nonfederal matching funds for at least 50 percent of the project cost.
The federal contribution may not exceed $1 million for a single project.
The CIG grant announcement today compliments USDA’s cooperative conservation
efforts across government with numerous partners. Agriculture Secretary Mike
Johanns and other top USDA officials will participate in the White House
Conference on Cooperative Conservation in St. Louis, Mo., next week to help
launch a new conservation dialogue and philosophy for the 21st century.
Approximately 1,200 leaders from federal, state, local and tribal government,
industry, academia, non-profit environmental organizations and private
landowners are expected to attend.
Additional information on CIG and summaries of the 54 selected projects can be
found at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig.
2005 Recipients for National CIG
State |
Recipient |
CIG Funds
Awarded
($) |
AL. AR, GA,
KY, LA, MS, SC, TN |
Heifer
International |
$250,000 |
AR |
Izon, Inc. |
$790,275 |
AR |
University
of Arkansas, Pine Bluff |
$64,750 |
AR |
University
of Arkansas, Pine Bluff |
$36,850 |
AR, ID,
IL, KS, ND, NY |
Foundation for
Agronomic Research, Inc. |
$481,908 |
AR, SC |
Clemson
University |
$322,672 |
AZ |
Universal
Entech, LLC |
$250,500 |
AZ |
Wilcox-San
Simon Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. |
$75,000 |
AZ, CA, GA |
National
Center for Appropriate Technology |
$294,843 |
CA |
Propane
Education and Research Council |
$40,000 |
CO |
Yuma
Conservation District |
$498,000 |
CO |
Colorado
Dept. of Agriculture |
$135,000 |
FL |
World Wildlife
Fund, Inc. |
$999,923 |
GA |
University
of Georgia |
$94,915 |
GA |
Georgia Soil
and Water Conservation Commission |
$500,000 |
GA |
Golden
Triangle Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. |
$500,000 |
GA |
Flint River
Soil and Water Conservation District |
$252,000 |
Guam |
University
of Guam |
$245,000 |
HI |
University
of Hawaii (Manoa) |
$218,250 |
IA |
Iowa
Soybean Association |
$500,000 |
IA, IL, MN,
MO, ND, NE, SD |
Iowa
Cattleman’s Association |
$1,000,000 |
IA, IN, NE, WA |
Washington
State University |
$424,599 |
IA, MN, OR,
WA, WI |
Food Alliance |
$220,000 |
IA, ND, OR, WI |
Missouri
and Mississippi Divide Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. |
$375,924 |
MA |
Cape Cod
Cranberry Growers’ Association |
$186,861 |
MI |
Conservation
Resource
Alliance |
$500,000 |
MN |
The Minnesota
Project |
$100,000 |
MN |
Heron Lake
Watershed District |
$14,222 |
MO, NE |
Missouri
Dept. of Conservation |
$190,600 |
MS |
Mississippi
Coastal Plains Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. |
$100,000 |
MT |
Drywall
Recycling of Montana, Inc. |
$480,000 |
NM |
World Wildlife
Fund, Inc. |
$25,480 |
NY |
Cornell
University |
$426,186 |
OH |
The Miami
Conservancy District |
$937,806 |
RI |
University
of Rhode Island |
$595,639 |
SD |
Classic Farms,
LLC |
$623,400 |
TX |
Texas
Agriculture Experiment Station |
$376,534 |
VT |
Yandow Farm |
$65,269 |
WA |
Northwest
Natural Resource Group |
$50,000 |
WI |
Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection |
$646,945 |
WY |
University
of Wyoming |
$418,800 |
WY |
Lake DeSmet
Conservation District |
$240,500 |
|
TOTAL |
$14,548,651 |
2005 Recipients for CIG in Chesapeake Bay Watershed
State |
Recipient |
CIG Funds
Awarded
($) |
DE |
University
of Delaware |
247,211 |
DE |
University
of Delaware |
46,333 |
MD |
Maryland
Dept. of Agriculture |
434,500 |
MD/PA |
Penn
State University |
196,172 |
MD,
VA |
University
of Maryland |
788,845 |
MD,
VA, DE |
University
of Maryland |
262,566 |
NY |
Tioga
County
Soil
and Water Conservation District |
999,798 |
PA |
Brian
Brake |
9,265 |
PA |
Mifflin County Conservation District |
215,433 |
PA |
Chesapeake Bay Foundation |
440,616 |
PA |
Chester County Conservation District |
10,700 |
VA |
Virginia
Tech University |
882,910 |
|
TOTAL |
$4,534,349 |
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