Deadline: 01-Jul-2024
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.
The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production in the United States and its territories. 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.
NRCS will prioritize projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture conservation activities which are targeted to assist agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forestland owners in directly improving soil carbon, reducing nitrogen losses, or reducing, capturing, avoiding, or sequestering carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions, associated with agricultural production. Example project types could include:
- Integrating a conservation strategy to reduce tile-drainage nitrate-nitrogen losses from cropping systems and evaluating the agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits compared to traditional management practices. Remote sensing, in-season, site-specific precision nitrogen management technology will be utilized to optimize crop nitrogen management.
- ver crops will be used to take up residual nitrogen in the soil after harvest.
- A systems approach to input use efficiency crop management will be demonstrated from on-farm row crop production areas. Smart Nitrogen (N) management practices demonstrated include fertigation, use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers, tools for prediction of in-season N rate, as well as variable rate N, water and seed. Demonstrations of irrigation scheduling tools and best herbicide management will be included. Social and economic studies of barriers to adoption of the practices demonstrated will be included.
- Apply compost and incorporate the results into a decision support tool and create best management practice guides. Assess environmental, economic, and social benefits to compost application across a variety of soil types, compost types/rates, and production systems. Measure the agronomic, social, and environmental impacts of compost on soil carbon, water holding capacity, and overall soil health.
Goals and Objectives
- The goals and objectives of this program are:
- Use climate-smart management and sound science to enhance the health and productivity of agricultural lands.
- Lead efforts to adapt to the consequences of climate change in agriculture and forestry.
- Restore, protect, and conserve watersheds to ensure clean, abundant, and continuous provision of water resources.
- Increase carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and economic opportunities (and develop low-carbon energy solutions).
- Protect agricultural health by minimizing major diseases, pests, and wildlife conflicts.
- Foster agricultural innovation.
Priorities
- Water Quality
- Water quality activities shall focus on projects that focus on innovative tools, technologies, and approaches that address the core conservation practices in any watershed in South Carolina. The proposal should focus on assessing optional use of enhanced fertilizer products compared to traditional fertilizer products, consider precision application of pesticides. Projects may include a demonstration component consisting of a management system that is information and technology based, site specific and uses one or more of the following sources of data: soils, crops, nutrients, pests, moisture, or yield, for optimum profitability, sustainability, and protection of the environment. Demonstrations can focus on variable rate application of (nutrients, pesticides and irrigation water). Proposals may include demonstrations of innovative approaches to high residue crop rotations, cover crops, reduced-till and no-till, nutrient management, pesticide management and conservation buffers, and include adaptive tillage, nutrient, cover crop management trials to transfer information to neighboring and or regional farmers for adoption.
- Soil Health
- Proposals shall focus on projects that demonstrate innovative tools, technologies, and approaches to improve soil health on cropland and pastureland in any watershed in South Carolina. Each proposal shall include the use of In-Field Soil Health Assessment Guides ensure that the tool is relevant to South Carolina, to determine which indicators are most likely to provide useful resource concern assessment information for the climate, soils, and cropping system in SC. Projects should assess how soil changes with specific management changes and monitor changes in soil health by implementing a sustainable set of practices. Proposals shall include the management of soils to include an objective of developing a sustainable soil system capable of growing a crop without the addition of soil amendments by selecting plants, selecting and balancing inherent soil characteristics and the proper selection of Dynamic Soil Properties to Access Soil function.
- Air Quality
- Proposals shall focus on projects that demonstrate innovative tools, technologies, and approaches to improve air quality on one or more of the following land uses: 1) Cropland—row crops, 2) Cropland—vegetables, and 3) Livestock Operations. Develop model plans that can be used to demonstrate the adoption of mitigation alternatives throughout the state of South Carolina. Model plans shall address particulate matter emissions of 10 to 2.5 microns, ammonia, nitrite oxide, volatile organic compounds, smoke, chemical drift, nitrification, engine combustion, pesticide and fertilizer application methods. The primary objective of this priority is to protect soil resources essential for South Carolina agricultural production, optimizes management of crop nutrients and greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils and byproducts, and enhances production management in the face of global climate change.
- Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
- Proposals should demonstrate, apply, and evaluate innovative tools, technologies, and approaches that deliver on climate outcomes and decarbonization goals for the purpose of Greenhouse Gas emission reductions, carbon sequestration, and promotion of green energy. The proposal shall include processes such as assessment methods, monitoring, data collection and tools to quantify and verify decarbonization. The project design shall include benchmark conditions to evaluate climate benefits as a result of planned and implemented mitigation activities. Proposals are applicable statewide for this priority.
Funding Information
- Estimated Funding NRCS South Carolina expects to award approximately $500,000 through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.
- Start Dates and Performance Periods Projects may be between one and three years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of September 30, 2024.
- Number of Awards The agency expects to make 4 -10 awards.
Innovative Conservation Projects or Activities
- CIG funds the development and field testing, on-farm research and demonstration, evaluation, or implementation of:
- Innovative approaches to incentivizing conservation adoption, including market-based and conservation finance approaches; and
- Innovative 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.
- Technologies and approaches that are eligible for funding in a project’s geographic area using an EQIP contract for an established conservation practice standard are ineligible for CIG funding, except where the use of those technologies and approaches demonstrates clear innovation.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants and applications must meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline to be considered for award. Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing program statute. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program (2 CFR 200.206(d)).
- All U.S. non-Foreign, non-Federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply for projects carried out in South Carolina. US Federal agencies are not eligible to apply to this opportunity or impart their work to non-federal portion of the budget.
- Individuals that are business owner/operators cannot apply as individuals.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
