Money Available for Creative Conservation Farming in Rhode Island

WARWICK, RI -- 01/29/2008 – The RI Office of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces a request for proposals for 2008 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).  Grants of up to $75,000 are available to fund creative ideas and practices that will conserve soil, water and energy resources or improve air quality, grazing land and forest health in Rhode Island. 

Funding for CIG is made available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).  All proposed CIG projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers (farmers who gross $1,000 or more annually). Technologies and approaches that are commonly used in RI, and which are eligible for funding through EQIP, are not eligible for funding through CIG.  Government or non-government organizations or individuals, including federally-recognized tribes are eligible for funding.

RI FY 2008 CIG Announcement  (76KB)
RI FY 2008 CIG Application checklist  (12KB)
RI FY 2008 CIG Project Summary Sheet Template  (27KB)

Proposals must be received in the NRCS Office in Warwick, RI, by 4 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), on February 29, 2008. 

Applications must be sent or delivered to the following address: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Innovation Grants Program, 60 Quaker Lane, Suite 46, Warwick, RI 02886-0181 or To submit your application electronically, visit www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow the instructions.  The 2008 Conservation Innovation Grant Announcement has been posted to Grants.Gov as funding opportunity USDA-NRCS-RI-08-01.

“The CIG program stimulates the development and adoption of new and innovative approaches and technologies to managing our natural resources more effectively and efficiently,” said Roylene Rides At The Door, NRCS State Conservationist. “It allows applicants to create practical solutions to address conservation and resource management.”

CIG can fund pilot projects and conservation field trials up to three years in length.

Proposals that address the following will be considered:

• Water conservation – implementing new technologies in watersheds with predominant agricultural land uses to maintain, restore or enhance water quality or quantity.
• Soil conservation – implementing new approaches associated with agricultural and forest practices to maintain, restore or enhance soils resources.
• Atmospheric conservation – implementing new technologies to maintain, restore or enhance air quality through agricultural and forest practices.
• Grazing land and forest health – implementing new approaches to maintain, restore, or enhance grazing land and forest health.
• Wildlife Habitat – implementing new technologies and/or approaches for environmentally sound wildlife habitat management while sustaining agricultural productivity.
• Market based approaches – implementing or evaluating systems that are ‘market-based’ and address any of the above resource concerns.
• Improved on-farm energy efficiency – topics include renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, methane recovery, and on-farm energy audits.

Applicants must define the geographic area the project would benefit. These projects may be watershed-based, regional, or statewide in scope. Applications should describe the use of innovative technologies or approaches, or both, to address a natural resource conservation concern or concerns.

CIG requires that the grantee provide at least 50% of the total project cost through non-Federal sources, at least half of which (25% of total project cost) must be a cash match while the remainder can be in-kind.

While NRCS will provide technical oversight for each project receiving an award, the grantee is responsible for providing the technical assistance required to successfully complete the project.

For questions or assistance with the application process, contact Alicia Lehrer at the Southern Rhode Island Conservation District (SRICD) at 401-284-1885.

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