USDA announces $15 Million for Conservation Innovation grants

Press release

BOZEMAN — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last weeek a $15 million investment to help support the adoption of innovative conservation approaches on agricultural lands.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting proposals through June 29 for national Conservation Innovation Grants. CIG projects inspire creative problem-solving solutions that boost production on farms, ranches and private forests and improve natural resources.

This year’s priorities are water reuse, water quality, air quality, energy and wildlife habitat.

“Through Conservation Innovation Grants, we’re able to co-invest with partners on the next generation of agricultural conservation solutions,” said Tom Watson, state conservationist in Montana. “Conservation Innovation Grants have helped spur new tools and technologies to conserve natural resources, build resilience in producers’ operations and improve their bottom lines. This year will be the first time we are offering water reuse as a priority, and we’re excited to see how these projects play a role in USDA’s broader strategy for water reuse on agricultural land.”

CIG is a competitive grants program that supports development, testing and research of conservation technologies, practices, systems and approaches on private lands. Grantees must match the CIG investment at least one to one.

All U.S.-based non-federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply. Complete funding announcement information can be accessed through the Conservation Innovation Grants webpage at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/cig .

The National CIG program supports early pilot projects or demonstrations of promising conservation approaches and is distinct from the $25 million announced on March 12 for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials. On-Farm Trials is a separate CIG component created by the 2018 Farm Bill. It includes a Soil Health Demonstration Trial.

NRCS’ CIG program is identified in the federal government’s National Water Reuse Action Plan as an opportunity to support development of innovative projects that focus on water reuse on private lands. Read this April 28 post on the USDA Blog for how USDA is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Interior, Department of Energy and others to promote water reuse across sectors.

CIG applications must be submitted through Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326614 by 9:59 p.m. Mountain Time June 29. A webinar for potential applicants is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT on May 13, 2020. Information on how to participate in the webinar is posted on the CIG website at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/cig .

CIG also contributes to the Agriculture Innovation Agenda: a USDA initiative to align resources, programs and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. Specifically, USDA is working to stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050.

For more information on CIG, people can visit http://nrcs.usda.gov or contact their local NRCS field office.