Conservation Innovations Summer 2020 Newsletter

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service | Conservation Innovations
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USDA Conservation Innovations from the NRCS

Announcements

RCPP Announcement - 4

2020 CIG and RCPP AFA Award Selections Coming Soon

The 2020 Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) Classic and On-Farm Trials (OFT) award recipients will be announced soon. Once the award selections are publicized, a list of all the new awardees and short description of each project will be posted to the CIG website. Stay tuned to learn about the innovative projects that will be kicking off this year!

In addition, the 2020 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) awardees will be announced on September 17. AFA funding supports conservation infrastructure and pay-for-performance approaches and are entirely partner-led.

Apply for FY 20/21 RCPP Classic Proposals Through November 4, 2020

Two years of funding have been combined into the RCPP funding opportunity that is currently open through November 4, 2020. NRCS will award up to $360 million dollars to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability.

RCPP brings an expanded approach to investing in natural resource conservation that empowers local communities to work with multiple partners and agricultural producers to design solutions that work best for them.

For more information and to submit a proposal visit the RCPP How to Apply page.


Success Spotlight

Sun Hemp Stands Out: CIG Compares Cover Crops in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

In 2017, NRCS awarded a CIG to the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) to test different cover crops to determine the best species for farmers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Sun Hemp, a robust plant from India that grows to 9-feet tall, is standing out as a front runner.

Learn more about the NCAT project findings and how sun hemp can help overcome the challenges to using cover crops in the far south of the United States.

Creating Conservation Easements in the Sierra Valley through RCPP

Just north of Lake Tahoe lies a 120,000-acre valley where the Sierra Nevada, Cascades and Great Basin converge--forming an exceptionally unique and ecologically rich area called Sierra Valley.  The Feather River Land Trust, the Northern Sierra Partnership and The Nature Conservancy are combining their resources with federal funds and local contributions to protect both biological diversity and agricultural productivity through conservation easements with local ranchers.  Read the article.

Sierra Valley Wetlands FRLT

Conservation Innovation in the News

Check out the latest updates from our partners and the media on how RCPP and CIG projects are advancing innovative conservation approaches and technologies.

 


Visit CIG online

Email the CIG program: nrcscig@usda.gov

Visit RCPP online

Email the RCPP program: rcpp@usda.gov

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The Projects Branch administers partner-focused programs including Conservation Innovation Grants, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, and the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program. Our goal is to work collaboratively with partners to develop and implement innovative solutions to the nation’s most challenging resource concerns.