NRCS Announces May 8 Deadline for Oregon Conservation Innovation Grant Proposals
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact information:
Todd Peplin, USDA NRCS Farm Bill Specialist: (541) 923-4358 ext 131, Todd.Peplin@or.usda.gov
 

PORTLAND, OR, March 20, 2009 – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the availability of program funding for Oregon Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The CIG program is designed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. The deadline for application materials is May 8, 2009.

"CIG projects help develop and promote strategies and technologies to promote the sustainability of working agricultural lands,” said Oregon State Conservationist Ron Alvarado. “This competitive grant program helps us advance environmental goals that also contribute to and protect local economies.”

Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds are used to award competitive grants to state and local governments or non-governmental organizations, tribes or individuals. For the Oregon CIG, grant requests must be for projects in Oregon with a contribution request of $75,000 or less.

Grant proposals should demonstrate the use of innovative technologies or approaches, or both, to address a natural resource concern or concerns. The proposed project or activity must encompass the development and field testing, evaluation and implementation of:

• Conservation adoption approaches or incentive systems, including market-based systems; or
• Promising conservation technologies, practices, systems, procedures, or approaches.

CIG is not a research program, but rather a tool to stimulate the adoption of conservation strategies or technologies that have been studied sufficiently to indicate a high likelihood of success and are likely candidates for the eventual advancement of new conservation approaches. Because it is not a research program, CIG will fund projects targeting innovative on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations with farmers and ranchers.

Funding for CIG is made available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). All proposed CIG projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers who will be subject to the EQIP eligibility requirements and payment limitation.

Other requirements are identified in the Oregon CIG Announcement of Program Funding, which is available online at: http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/index.html.

Proposals may be given special consideration if the applicant or participants involved are/represent beginning farmers or ranchers or farmers or ranchers who belong to one of the following groups: African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asians or Pacific Islanders.

Proposals must be submitted in grants.gov or received at the NRCS Oregon State Office by 4:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time (PST) on May 8, 2009. Applications should be sent to:

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Conservation Innovation Grants Program, Programs Staff
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 900
Portland Oregon 97232

Oregon CIG grant materials will be available on grants.gov in the near future. To submit your application electronically, visit www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow the instructions.

A separate National CIG program, with a closing date of March 20, 2009, was previously announced. The National CIG competition is applicable to grant proposals requesting more than $75,000 in NRCS funds or that involve multiple states in the scope of the project. More information on the National CIG and the Oregon CIG can be found online at: http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/index.html
 

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