NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants
Deadline: March 2, 2009
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. Please note that this year there is a separate category for Forestry. This is an excellent opportunity to stimulate the development and adoption of forestry-related conservation approaches and technologies.
CIG has two competitions available in fiscal year 2009- 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 announcement.
National Competition
* Natural Resource Concerns category-- up to $5 million available for proposals addressing one or more of the CIG natural resource concerns. This category was also offered in FY 2004, FY 2005, FY 2006, FY 2007 and FY 2008 awards. Within this category there is now a separate Forest Health natural resource concern (last year Forest Health and Grazing Land were combined). This change supports the increased emphasis on forestry in the new Farm Bill.
* Technology category --up to $6 million available for proposals addressing one or more of the CIG technology categories. This category was offered for the first time in FY 2006.
* Grant Leveraging category -- up to $4 million to pilot the leveraging of CIG grants projects that provide further grants that align with the purposes of CIG. This is the first year CIG offers this category.
* 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 category was also offered in FY 2005, FY 2006, FY 2007 and FY 2008.
Related Resources:
NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants RFP
NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants Online Application
