Deadline: 27-May-22
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is soliciting applications for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Maine State Program 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.
Priorities
- Forestry (Conservation practice adoption and benefits): NRCS promotes forest conservation in a number of ways, but primarily through forest management plans and practices for productivity and wildlife. Monitoring, evaluation, and analysis is often difficult to establish even after significant investment in practices.
- Aquatic Organism Conservation: NRCS works with diverse groups to remove barriers to fish and other aquatic organisms and supports efforts to improve the health of stream ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them. Maine NRCS seeks innovative approaches to plan and assess stream barriers, assess and improve in-stream habitat, and protect species of concern from injury or mortality.
- Soil Health: Inform, improve, or increase adoption of NRCS conservation practices that focus on maintaining or enhancing soil health by addressing all four soil health planning principles: minimize disturbance, maximize soil cover, maximize biodiversity and maximize presence of living roots.
- Pollinator Conservation: NRCS seeks to conserve pollinators primarily by assisting landowners with increasing floral resources, and by removing or mitigating threats to pollinators – especially in wild blueberry production. NRCS has many suitable conservation practices for those objectives, but innovative solutions to establish and enhance floral resources, protect pollinators, and assess outcomes are areas that need attention.
- Irrigation and Natural Soil Moisture Management: NRCS seeks to promote practices that mitigate drought, reduce runoff, and conserve moisture during the growing season as they relate to resource concerns and risk management, and invites proposals that support this.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $250,000
- Award Ceiling: $75,000
- Award Floor: $25,000
- Projects may be between 1 and 3 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of January 1, 2023.
Eligibility Criteria
All U.S.-based non-Federal entities (NFE) and individuals, with the exception of Federal agencies, are eligible to apply for projects carried out in Maine. The following entity types are eligible:
- Individuals
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- State governments
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Small businesses
- County governments
- Independent school districts
- Special district governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than Small businesses
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=338592
