Deadline: 25-Jan-21
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing the potential availability of funding for agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources, addressing local natural resource issues, encouraging collaboration, and developing state-and-community-level conservation leadership.
Collaborative projects that provide on-the-ground support for Indiana NRCS Field Offices are highly encouraged. Reaching underserved and minority landowners and farmers are also highly encouraged. Research proposals will not be accepted, nor considered.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,000,000;
- Award Ceiling: $ 5, 00,000;
- Award Floor: $ 30000;
- Projects may be between two and five years in duration.
Priorities
NRCS and partner resources, assist with NRCS workload, and focus on the following priority activities:
- Advance the goals of the Indiana Ag Nutrient Alliance and the Indiana State Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
- Promote Soil Health to producers, landowners and/or private agronomic advisors.
- Conduct conservation planning, on-site (field) practice certifications and/or follow up with producers on the establishment of conservation practices. All proposals that include conservation planning assistance must specifically include:
- What steps of the 9-step NRCS conservation planning process are included in the project proposal;
- Who will have responsibility for completing each step and a description of the training and certifications of the staff performing the conservation planning work; and
- The detail in the project methodology how each step will be executed.
- Provide soil scientist support and technical assistance including onsite soils investigations and staff training. Specific need in FY21 is for the Southwest Area Regional Soil Scientist duties.
- Assist with technical assistance, Farm Bill program promotion, innovative conservation approaches, evaluating conservation outcomes, demonstration farms and/or activities a. through e. listed above in the Indiana portion of the Western Lake Erie Basin (funded with Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Conservation Technical Assistance funds up to $100,000).
Eligible Applicants
- City or township governments;
- County governments;
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education);
- Private institutions of higher education;
- Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education;
- State governments;
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=329877