The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently announced the availability of $65 million through two funding opportunities to further natural resource conservation on private lands.
Through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, NRCS is being directed to prioritize 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, the funding priorities are:
- Irrigation water management technologies
- Nutrient management
- Feeding management and enteric methane reduction
- Grazing lands
- Soil health demonstration trials
For CIG Classic, the 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 will be accepted through October 30, 2023.