2006 Conservation Innovation Grants announced

AMHERST, Mass. (January 6, 2006) -- The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the release of up to $20 million dollars for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). This nationwide competition promotes the development and adoption of innovative conservation technologies and approaches. Proposals are due March 20, 2006.

CIG is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production.

Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds are used to award competitive grants to non-federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, tribes, or individuals. CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the nation's most pressing natural resource concerns.

CIG will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

Massachusetts groups and individuals may submit proposals that address one of the following national CIG competition components:

• Natural Resource Concerns component--Up to $10 million available for proposals addressing one or more of the CIG natural resource concerns.
• Technology component--Up to $5 million available for proposals addressing one or more of the CIG technology or approach categories.  This component is new in 2006.

2006 Grant Application Materials

These documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Fiscal Year 2006 Announcement of Program Funding (137 KB)
Fiscal Year 2006 Application Package Check List  (22 KB)
SF 424A Supplemental Instructions (17 KB)
Example of a completed SF 424a (126 KB)
All OMB standard forms (SF) necessary for CIG submission are available on the following OMB website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html

More information on CIG is available on the national NRCS website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/.

For questions about CIG in Massachusetts, contact Rick DeVergilio, State Resource Conservationist, 413-253-4379, rick.devergilio@ma.usda.gov.

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