FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Anita Brown
(530) 792-5644
Alan Forkey (530) 792-5653
California NRCS State Conservationist Announces Availability of Funds
through the Conservation Innovation Grant Program
DAVIS, CA, March 9, 2006 – State Conservationist Lincoln E. Burton today
announced the availability of $375,000 in funds to be competitively awarded
through the Conservation Innovative Grant (CIG) program in California.
“This program provides an excellent opportunity to promote conservation
technologies and to stimulate innovative approaches to environmental
enhancement and protection on working lands,” states Burton. “Through this
program, farmers, ranchers and other land manager will benefit by learning
about new technologies or innovative methods to enhance natural resources
and comply with environmental regulations.”
The 2002 Farm Bill established these grants as part of the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), administered by the Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS). The final rule for CIG was published in the
Federal Register on January 11, 2005. The grant program was established to
engage other sectors of the agricultural community such as state and local
agencies, community organizations, business and others to help develop,
test implement and transfer innovative environmental solutions. The CIG
program provides and opportunity for public-private partnerships to
accelerate technology transfer and implementation of new and promising
technologies and other natural resource conservation related methods.
Conservation Innovation Grant proposals will be accepted from eligible
governmental or nongovernmental organizations and individuals for
innovative single or multi-year projects involving producers who qualify
for the EQIP program. The grant will fund projects targeting statewide
priorities, innovative on-the-ground conservation, pilot projects and field
demonstrations. Project proposals must address technological areas such as
market-based pollution credit trading, agricultural conservation systems,
energy related projects, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat or other
technology listed in the announcement. CIG grants cannot fund research
projects and are awarded through a statewide competition.
Selected applicants may receive grants up to 50 percent of the total
project cost with the applicant providing nonfederal matching funds for the
remaining 50 percent of the project cost. An exception is allowed for
qualified beginning and limited resource farmers and ranchers, tribes and
other community based organizations which represent these groups, in order
to obtain a higher percentage of project matching funds or in-kind
contributions. Each statewide awarded CIG grant may not exceed $75,000 for
a single project.
Additional information regarding the CIG program and the 2006 year program
announcement is available at:
<http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/>http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/
or from Alan Forkey, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, NRCS,
Davis, California; <mailto:alan.forkey@ca.usda.gov>alan.forkey@ca.usda.gov
or (530) 792-5653.
-NRCS-
Janet C. "Jenny" Broome, Ph.D.
University of California
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP)
Currently Visiting Scholar at the Scottish Agricultural College in Edinburgh
Note New Mailing Address as of August 26, 2005:
Jenny Broome
Flat 12, The Park
89 Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8BA
United Kingdom
Email: Jcbroome@ucdavis.edu
Home Phone: 44 0131 5587376
Work cell Phone: 44 07910 289038
Permanent Address:
University of California
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP)
One Shields Avenue
DANR Building - Hopkins Road
Davis, CA 95616
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu
jcbroome@ucdavis.edu
530-754-8547 phone
530-754-8550 FAX
Specialty Areas include: Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS),
Ecologically Based Pest Management (plant pathology),
and alternatives to methyl bromide.
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