GAINESVILLE, August 22, 2011—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the selected proposals for the 2011 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG); and Florida was well represented.
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing nearly $22.5 million, throughout 40 states, in CIG grants for innovative conservation technologies and approaches that address a broad array of existing and emerging natural resource issues.
The New North Florida Cooperative Association, Inc. will utilize $581,625 in CIG grant funding to develop and demonstrate conservation approaches and technologies that can be easily and inexpensively adopted by limited-resource, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers.
“The 2008 Farm Bill offers incentives for limited resource, socially disadvantaged and beginning agricultural producers; and focuses on equity in accessing USDA programs and services,” said Carlos Suarez, NRCS state conservationist for Florida. “This grant will help NRCS reach out to, and work with, these Florida farmers and ranchers.”
Two other grant recipients named were relevant to Florida; both multi-state proposals. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation received $684,415 for a project to accelerate and sustain Longleaf pine conservation on private lands in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. Another, SureHarvest, will receive $761,820 to develop a stewardship indexing system for specialty crops under their multi-state project.
The NRCS administers CIG as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Grants are awarded to state and local governments, federally recognized Indian tribes, non-governmental organizations and individuals. NRCS uses CIG to invest in innovative, on-the-ground conservation technologies and approaches with the goal of wide-scale adoption to address water quality and quantity, air quality, energy conservation, and environmental markets, among other natural resource issues. Grant winners pay 50 percent of project costs. A summary of all proposals selected for a 2011 Conservation Innovation Grant is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov.