USDA Grants Offer Conservation Partnership Help
Funding matches groups with partners that help turn projects from concept to reality. Compiled by staff
Compiled by staff
Published: Dec 20, 2004
Got an idea for a great conservation project in your region and want to team with a few private-sector partners to get the ball rolling? USDA may have just the funds you need to make that a reality.
The ag agency is offering up to $1 million for fiscal year 2005 Conservation Partnership Initiative (CPI) grants for state and local governments, tribes and nongovernmental organizations that work with ag producers.
CPI is a voluntary program that fosters conservation partnerships and funds projects that focus technical and financial resources on conservation priorities in watersheds and airsheds of special significance. In recent years, the term airshed has been used to describe at geographical area that shares the same air mass due to topography, meteorology and climate. The grants also support the President's executive order promoting cooperative conservation.
CPI occurs in two phases. First, applications submit proposals for project planning funds to the appropriate Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state office. Applicants may request between $50,000 and $200,000 in funding through CPI for the project planning phase and must provide a 1-to-1 match using non-NRCS funding. Up to 100% of the match may come from in-kind contributions.
Applications must address at least one of the five CPI priorities for 2005: terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat, invasive species, agricultural air quality, livestock nutrient management and minor/specialty crop pest management. In addition, projects must be consistent with the following four CPI objectives.
The project must encourage:
- Producers to cooperative in project planning and the establishment of project goals, as well as installation and maintenance of conservation practices that affect multiple ag operations.
- Producers to share information and technical and financial resources.
- Cumulative conservation benefits in geographic areas.
- Development and demonstration of innovative conservation methods.
Selected applicants have up to 18 months to develop the partnership, generate producer interest and participation and prepare the final project plan. Following completion and approval of the final project plan, the implementation phase can begin. Applicants are expected to secure project implementation funds from a wide range of potential partners including local, state and Federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations.
NRCS has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) available on the agency's Web site and the Federal eGrants site at Grants.gov. Applicants have 60 days to submit proposals and funds will be awarded through a nationwide competition.
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Tagged: NRCS, usda, Natural Resources Conservation Service, nutrient management
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