USDA Accepting Proposals for Conservation Collaboration Grants

DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest $35 million in grants to enhance our outreach to the nation's farmers and ranchers for the delivery and adoption of conservation measures. Proposals are due February 7, 2020, for projects that target agricultural producers in multiple states, including Tribal, socially disadvantaged, limited-resource or beginning farmers and ranchers as well as veteran farmers or ranchers.

As home to arguably the most diverse base of farmers in the Nation, California NRCS is keenly focused on outreach to underserved farmers. "We encourage partners to consider using these grants to help us all build better bridges to underserved farmers," says Carlos Suarez, California state conservationist. "We need all realms of our diverse agricultural community working together to realize a shared vision of conservation across the landscape," says Suarez.

NRCS will rank proposals with an emphasis placed on projects that leverage private resources and that better enable the staff of NRCS and conservation partners to deliver conservation assistance.

Eligible applicants include tribal governments, universities, nonprofit organizations and individuals.

NRCS is accepting proposals in two different categories:

• Outreach to Assist Historically Underserved Groups – Increase the delivery of conservation assistance to historically underserved farmers and ranchers through a combination of program outreach and technical assistance in managing natural resources. Historically underserved producers include Tribal, socially disadvantaged, limited-resource or beginning farmers and ranchers and those who are veteran farmers or ranchers. These projects can receive $250,000 to $1 million.
• Collaboration on Strategic Natural Resource Issues – Projects that provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers for the transfer of technology and development of natural resource tools. These projects can receive $500,000 to $2 million.

NRCS is establishing a competitive process for determining how most national level outreach and mutual partnership agreements will be awarded. The process for applying to state-level agreements remains unchanged. Through these funding opportunities, NRCS wants to ensure that interested entities, which may have not worked with NRCS in the past, have an opportunity to enter into an agreement in support the agency's outreach efforts.

To learn more about requirements or how to submit a proposal, visit the announcement of program funding on grants.gov. 

SOURCE USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service