The Natural Resources Conservation Service is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.
Donor Name: Natural Resources Conservation Service
States: Georgia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/22/2023
Size of the Grant: $75,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into government technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches or private forest lands.
Innovative Conservation Projects or Activities
CIG funds the development and field testing, on-farm research and demonstration, evaluation, or implementation of:
- Approaches to incentivizing conservation adoption, including market-based and conservation finance approaches; and
- Conservation technologies, practices, and systems. Projects or activities under CIG must comply with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws and regulations throughout the duration of the project; and
- Use a technology or approach that was studied sufficiently to indicate a high probability for success;
- Demonstrate, evaluate, and verify the effectiveness, utility, affordability, and usability of natural resource conservation technologies and approaches in the field;
- Adapt and transfer conservation technologies, management, practices, systems, approaches, and incentive systems to improve performance and encourage adoption;
- Introduce proven conservation technologies and approaches to a geographic area or agricultural sector where that technology or approach is not currently in use.
CIG Priorities for 2023
- Soil Health: NRCS is advertising funding opportunities for Soil Health Management Systems (SHMS), are a collection of NRCS conservation practices that focus on maintaining or enhancing soil health. This is achieved by addressing all four soil health planning principles such as minimizing disturbance, maximizing soil cover, maximizing biodiversity and maximizing the presence of living roots. A SHMS is a specific cropping system and contains practices that treat the entire field. When applied as a system, SHMS achieves the greatest soil health benefit by producing collaborating effects throughout the system. Information obtained through soil health assessments can be used to develop a SHMS to target specific identified constraints.
- Pollinator Habitat Enhancement: Provide demonstration sites and training for the establishment of native grasses and pollinators in the different ecoregions of Georgia. Emphasis on evaluating success of different planting dates and techniques for dormant season planting and spring planting, temperature requirements, and stratification requirements.
- Wildlife Habitat Enhancement: Provide training, demonstration sites, and technical assistance to restore, enhance, and create habitat for at-risk/declining wildlife species and associated habitats, with emphasis on Northern Bobwhite Quail, Gopher Tortoise, and early successional habitats on working lands. This will be achieved by providing guidance/training to incorporate innovative ways to use conservation practices for wildlife habitat. This technical assistance would be a 2-3year project.
- Proposed projects must be performed in Georgia.
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $75,000
- Award Floor: $25,000
- Projects may be between 1 and 3 years in duration.
Eligibility Criteria
All U.S. domestic, non-Federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply for projects carried out in Georgia. US Federal agencies are not eligible to apply to this opportunity or impart their work to non-federal portion of the budget.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
