NRCS CO State Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) FY13

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Overview: The purpose of this CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agriculture production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches into NRCS policy, technical manuals, guides, and references or to the private sector. CIG does not fund research projects. Projects intended to test hypotheses do not qualify. CIG is used to apply or demonstrate previously proven technology. It is a vehicle to stimulate development and adoption of conservation approaches or technologies that have been studied sufficiently. CIG funds projects targeting innovative, on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations. In fiscal year 2013, Colorado CIG is offering under the air quality, water quality, and soil health funding categories. These technologies and approaches are on Colorado’s forefront to meet ongoing State level requirements. NRCS will accept pre-proposals for single or multi-year projects, not to exceed 3 years, submitted to NRCS from eligible entities including federally recognized Indian Tribes, State and local units of government, and non-governmental organizations and individuals. Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete applications will be eliminated from completion, and notification of elimination will be mailed to the applicant. Complete applications received by applicable deadlines will be evaluated by a technical peer review panel based on the criteria for application evaluation identification in the application instructions in section V.B. applications, along with their associated technical peer review, will be forwarded to the Grants Review Board. The Grants Review Board will make recommendations for project approval to the NRCS Colorado State Conservationist who will make the final selections. For FY 2013, NRCS will consider proposals that demonstrate the use of innovative technologies and/or approaches to address at least one bulleted topic listed below:• Water Quality – Demonstrate treatment effectiveness and efficiency of removing or reducing selenium and other contaminants in runoff or drainage water using innovative practices.• Air Quality – Demonstrate and quantify the optimal combinations of nutrient source, application rate, placement, and application timing to help reduce nutrient deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park area.• Air Quality - Identify barriers to the adoption and implementation of core nutrient reduction practices (avoiding, controlling, and trapping), including nutrient management, and demonstrate solutions and approaches to the barriers. Demonstrate methods to increase adoption of nutrient reduction practices with traditionally low or non-participating producers in high risk areas.• Soil Health - Development of optimal species mixes, seeding rates and seeding methods to enhance cover crop establishment/survival and increase soil organic matter.• Soil Health - Demonstrate and quantify the impacts of cover crop presence, species mix, and management (e.g. termination growth stage, tillage practice) on soil water content and subsequent crop yield across a range of climates and cropping systems.This announcement is for pre-proposals. From this pool of applicants, full proposals will be requested from those that best suit the goals and emphasis areas identified above. Successful awards for funding will be those that best meet the needs under the program guidelines for the emphasis areas for the Colorado NRCS emphasis areas with the available funding.

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