Questions and Answers
March 2006
Conservation Innovation Grants
Q. Who are limited resource producers? A. A limited resource producer/rancher is: (1) A person with direct or indirect gross farm sales of not more than $100,000 in each of the previous two years (to be increased starting in fiscal year 2004 to adjust for inflation using the Prices Paid by Farmer Index as compiled by the National Agriculture Statistics Service; and (2) Has a total household income at or below the National poverty level for a family of four, or less than 50 percent of county median household income in each of the previous two years (to be determined annually using Commerce Department data). A limited resource producer/rancher selfdetermination tool is available on the Web at: http://www.lrftool.sc.egov.usda.gov/. Q. Who are beginning farmers and ranchers? A. The basic criterion for a beginning farmer or rancher is an individual or entity who has operated a farm or a ranch for not more than ten years. Contact your local USDA Service Center for additional information. Q. What will be the size of individual grants? A. For fiscal year 2006, the anticipated range of grants is $75,000 to $500,000, with a maximum of $1 million.
Q. What is Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)? A. Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. CIG is authorized under EQIP. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers CIG. Q. Has a CIG rule been published? A. Yes. The CIG final rule was published on January 11, 2005. The final rule is posted on the CIG webpage at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig. Q. Who is eligible for CIG? A. Non-Federal governmental and nongovernmental organizations, Indian Tribes, and individuals are eligible to receive a grant.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment. An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
Q. How will grant applications be evaluated? A. CIG applications will be scored by peer review panels against the Criteria for Proposal Evaluation identified in the CIG funding announcement. The announcement is available on the NRCS website at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig. Scored applications will be forwarded to a Grant Review Board that will certify the panels’ rankings and ensure that the evaluations are consistent with program objectives. The Grant Review Board will then forward award recommendations to the NRCS Chief, who will make the final award decisions. Q. Are applicants required to provide matching funds? A. Yes. CIG will pay up to 50 percent of the cost of the proposed project. Up to 50 percent of the applicant’s match (i.e., up to 25 percent of the total project cost) may come from in-kind contributions. The applicant’s match must consist of nonFederal funds. Q. What is CIG’s connection to EQIP? A. There are a number of connections between CIG and EQIP, including: • CIG was authorized under EQIP in the 2002 Farm Bill, and funds for CIG come from EQIP funding. • Grant funds that are provided to a producer or entity to carry out structural, vegetative, or management practices count toward each producer’s or entity’s EQIP payment limitation. • CIG projects must involve EQIPeligible producers.
Q. What kind of projects are eligible for CIG? A. Applications must describe projects that incorporate innovative conservation approaches or technologies, or both used in combination. Applicants should consider the following: • CIG is not a research program. It is a vehicle to promote the development and adoption of innovative approaches and technologies. CIG will fund projects targeting on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations. • Proposed projects must conform to the description of innovative conservation projects and activities included in the interim final rule and funding notice. • Proposed innovative approaches or technologies must address a natural resource conservation concern or concerns. The natural resource concerns for CIG will be identified by the NRCS Chief, and may change each year. The CIG natural resource concerns are published in each funding notice. Q. Is CIG a nationwide program? A. Yes. Applications for CIG are accepted from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Q. Who is responsible for the technical assistance on CIG projects? A. The grantee is responsible for providing the technical assistance on CIG projects. Technical oversight for grant projects will be provided by a Federal grant representative, who will be designated by NRCS.
March 2006
CIG Questions and Answers
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Q. Is special consideration provided for limited resource and beginning farmers and ranchers, and Tribes? A. Yes. Two programmatic exceptions exist for limited resource and beginning farmers and ranchers, and Indian Tribes. • Up to 10 percent of the total funds available for CIG may be set aside for applications from either a beginning or limited resource farmer or rancher, or Tribe, or a community-based organization comprised of or representing these entities. • Up to 75 percent of their matching funds may come from in-kind contributions. Q. How do people apply for CIG? A. Application information is available on the NRCS website at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig. Q. How much money is available for CIG? A. The NRCS Chief determines the CIG funding level on an annual basis. For fiscal year 2006, up to $20 million is available for CIG. Q. What is the CIG State component? A. The CIG final rule describes the potential for implementing a State component of CIG. The intent of the State component is to provide flexibility to NRCS State Conservationists to target CIG funds to individual producers and smaller organizations that may possess promising innovations, but may not compete well on the larger scale of the national grants competition. The State component of CIG was piloted in a limited number of States in fiscal year 2005. A number of States will offer CIG competitions in FY 2006. Funding availability and application and submission information for State competitions will be announced through public notices (and on State NRCS websites) separately from the national notice.
CIG Questions and Answers
State Conservationists will determine the funding level for State competitions, with individual grants not to exceed $75,000. For More Information If you need more information about CIG, please contact Gus Jordan, 14th and Independence SW, Room 5239-S, Washington, D.C., 20250, phone: (202) 6902621, fax: (202) 720-4265. E-mails may be sent to: gus.jordan@wdc.usda.gov. Additional information is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig.
Visit USDA on the Web at: http://www.usda.gov/farmbill Note: This is not intended to be a definitive interpretation of farm legislation. Rather, it is preliminary and may change as USDA develops implementing policies and procedures. Please check back for updates.
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March 2006