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NRCS Seeking Funding Proposals for $20 Million in USDA Conservation Innovation GrantsMaryland Media Liaison: ANNAPOLIS, MD, January 10, 2008---Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Maryland State Conservationist Jon Hall announced the request for proposals for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for fiscal year 2008. The CIG program is designed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. “CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate transfer and adoption of promising technologies and conservation approaches to address some of the Nation's most pressing natural resource concerns,” said Hall. “I encourage applicants– eligible government or non-government organizations or individuals – to develop a CIG proposal that incorporates the natural resources concerns or technology components.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s NRCS administers the CIG Program. For fiscal year 2008, up to $20 million is available for the National CIG competition. Funds for single- or multi-year projects, not to exceed three years, will be awarded through a nationwide competitive grants process. Applications must be received in the NRCS National Headquarters by 5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), on Wednesday, February 20, 2008. Over the past three years, Maryland applicants were awarded funding for 16 CIG projects valued at more than $7.6 million. Last year, NRCS awarded almost $2.5 million through five CIG proposals to Maryland’s applicants, which amounted to more than 10 percent of the 2007 funding awarded in the national CIG competition. Examples of a few Maryland projects, funded in fiscal year 2007 are summarized below. University of Maryland (Maryland and Delaware) $999,683.00 Maryland Department of Agriculture (Maryland) $250,000.00 Maryland Department of Agriculture (Maryland) $604,794.00z There are three CIG categories available in FY 2008:
NRCS has identified potential resource concerns that can be addressed by CIGs. They include both the Natural Resources Concerns Component and the Technology Component. In the Natural Resources Concerns Component, these areas include: the transport of nutrient; pesticide, sediment or pathogens to surface or groundwater; enhancement of soil quality and productivity; agricultural emission of particulates, odors, and gases; management of invasive species on grazing and forest land; and development of technology tools that measure the environmental services to document credits for trading. In the Technology Component, the areas include: improved on-farm energy efficiency and management of drainage water and irrigation water. Funding for the CIG Program is made available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). 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. The CIG Program 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 $1 million. 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. Application InformationAll applications submitted to NRCS National Headquarters must include a cover letter showing that their application was also sent to the Maryland State Conservationist for review. To obtain a Letter of Review, applicants should also submit their application, to include the project description and budget information, to the Maryland State Conservationist, postmarked or electronically dated by February 15, 2008. The State Conservationist will review the application for potential duplication of efforts, consistency with overall EQIP objectives, and expected benefits of project implementation. In turn, the State Conservationist will submit his Letter of Review to NRCS National Headquarters by March 7, 2008. Applications must be received in the NRCS National Headquarters by 5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), on Wednesday, February 20, 2008. Applications should be sent to: Links... |
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