The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has made available $65 million through two funding opportunities to further natural resource conservation on private lands. It’s all through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, where NRCS is prioritizing CIG On-Farm Trials projects that use diet and feed management to reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminants, as well as other projects that have climate mitigation benefits.
Two separate CIG funding opportunities are now available on grants.gov: $50 million through CIG On-Farm Trials and $15 million is available through CIG Classic.
For CIG On-Farm Trials, this year’s funding priorities are:
- Irrigation water management technologies
- Nutrient management
- Feeding management and enteric methane reduction
- Grazing lands
- Soil health demonstration trials
For CIG Classic, this year’s funding priorities are:
- Forestry
- Habitat conservation and restoration for wildlife and invertebrates
- Managing agricultural lands to improve local water quality
- Energy conservation
- Economics
- Strengthening conservation through indigenous knowledge
Applications are being accepted through October 30, 2023.