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Conservation Innovation Grants

Conservation Innovation Grants (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.

Seven Ohio Conservation Innovation Grants Awarded in 2006

NEWS RELEASE - USDA Awards Nearly $20 Million In Conservation Innovation Grants - June 19, 2006

Project Applicant:  Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (National Award)
Proposal Title:  Drainage Water Management for Midwestern Row Crop Agriculture Description:  Five state (MN, OH, IL, IA, IN) project designed to use artificial subsurface drainage systems to promote and characterize, on a large scale, innovative practices of drainage water management in the Midwest.

Applicant:  Agflex Inc. (National Award)
Proposal Title:  Improving Conservation and Ag Economics with WQ Credit Trading and the BMP Challenge
Project Description:  13 state (MN, OH, IA, IL, IN, DE, MD, MI, NE, NC, PA, VA, & WI) project structured to use their model to create broad awareness, training curriculum, support tools, and teach in-state personnel to support CD, crop advisory professionals, and others who work with farmers to meet conservation goals using new, innovative strategies.

Applicant:  Chicago Climate Exchange (National Award)
Proposal Title:  Carbon Credit Generation Program
Project Description:  14 state (NY, OH, IA, IL, IN, KS, MO, MI, NE, ND, NY, PA, VT, & WI) project to implement and intensify an innovative system for securing, verifying, and capitalizing on sequestered carbon by agricultural producers.

Applicant:  Purdue University (National Award)
Proposal Title:  Multi-criteria optimization of watershed management practices for sediment, nutrient, & pesticide control.
Project Description:  Search for a spatially optimal management plan utilizing an optimization-based planning tool to control sediment, nutrient and pesticide runoff in three watersheds.

Applicant:  The Ohio State University Research Foundation (State Award)
Proposal Title:  Grazing Management Education
Project Description:  Increase participant's knowledge of forages and adoption of grazing management in order to increase profits, improve environmental quality, and quality of life for farm families.

Applicant:  Maumee Valley RC&D (State Award)
Proposal Title:  Drainage Water Management
Project Description:  Provide evaluation assistance to the Drainage Management Coalition to assess the multiple benefits of drainage water management. 

Applicant:  Helena Agronomic Center (State Award)
Proposal Title:  Spatial Nitrogen Management
Project Description:  Explore spatial technologies to apply variable rate nitrogen in corn. 

Program Options

Grant components:

  • Natural Resource Concerns - Up to $10 million available
  • Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Up to $5 million available
  • Technology Component - Up to $5 million available
Ohio CIG: Proposals due April 14, 2006

Natural Resource Concern Component - Up to a maximum of $75,000 and a minimum of $25,000

Applications must demonstrate the use of innovative technologies or approaches, or both, to address a natural resource concern or concerns.  The five natural resource concerns for possible funding through CIG for fiscal year 2006 include:

  • Water Resources
  • Soil Resources
  • Atmospheric Resources
  • Grazing Land
  • Forest Health

Technology Component - Up to a maximum of $75,000 and a minimum of $25,000

Applications must address one or more of the following specific technology categories identified by NRCS:

  • Improved on-farm energy efficiency
  • Market-based approaches
  • Development and adoption of on-farm energy audits
  • Application of improved forage production
  • Drainage water management

Eligibility

Who is Eligible?

Projects must involve landowners who meet the EQIP eligibility criteria and address one or more of the national or state project components.

  • Universities
  • Federally recognized Indian Tribes
  • State of Local Units of Government
  • Non-governmental Organizations
  • Private Businesses
  • Individuals

Funding

  • Both National and State programs fund up to 50 percent of the project cost, not to exceed $1 million.
  • Fifty percent of the funding must be provided as matching funds.
  • Twenty-five percent of the matching funds may be derived from in-kind contributions.
  • Project funds will be obligated upon approval.  Projects may be completed in one to three years.

Application Forms and Material

  • The application deadline for the National sign-up is March 20, 2006.
  • The application deadline for the State sign-up is April 14, 2006.

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat.

State Application Materials

    Adobe Acrobat documentCIG 2006 Ohio Application Information

National Application Materials

    Adobe Acrobat documentSF 424 Application
    Adobe Acrobat documentSF 424A Budget Information
    Adobe Acrobat documentGuide for Applicants
    Adobe Acrobat documentSupplemental 424A Instructions
    Adobe Acrobat documentSF 424B Assurances Non-Construction Programs
    Adobe Acrobat documentExample of Completed SF 424 (sample)

What is the CIG Process?

National
  1. CIG funding availability is announced through an announcement for program funding.
  2. Applications are submitted to the State NRCS Office.
  3. State Office forwards to Washington D.C. with review letter from State Conservationist.
  4. Review panels are convened to score and rank proposals against evaluation criteria in the announcement.
  5. A grant review board certifies the rankings and ensures consistency with program objectives.
  6. NRCS Chief makes final award decisions.
State
  1. A letter of acknowledgement of application receipt will be sent within 10 days via surface or email after due date.
  2. Applications will be reviewed for completeness, incomplete applications may not be considered.
  3. A panel of NRCS staff will review the applications.
  4. A subcommittee of the State Technical Committee will evaluate and score proposals.
  5. Ranked proposals will be presented to the State Technical Committee comment.
  6. State Conservationist will make selections.
  7. Notification for applicants selected and not selected will be sent via surface mail.

Project Examples

National CIG Website with State and Multi-State Projects - FY 2005

Contact Person:

Clarence Bunch, Resource Conservationist
Phone: (937) 836-5428 ext. 110
Email: clarence.bunch@oh.usda.gov