USDA Provides more than $19 Million to Fund Conservation Technologies and Approaches

National and Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation Innovation Grants Awarded

Mary Cressel (202) 690-0547

MONTEVIDEO, Va., Aug. 24, 2005—U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Bruce Knight today announced that 54 projects in 40 states and Guam will receive more than $19 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).

“These grants provide opportunities for public-private partnerships that stimulate innovative technologies and approaches to environmental enhancement and protection on working agricultural lands,” Knight said at an event with Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA). “These cooperative conservation projects will help farmers and ranchers address their current conservation needs.”

Grants will fund the development and adoption of innovative technologies and approaches through pilot projects and conservation field trials. The total value of the projects, including the recipients’ match of at least 50 percent, is more than $44 million.

Selected CIG projects address issues such as agricultural air emissions, water quality improvement, water conservation, livestock nutrient management and market-based approaches to conservation. CIG projects provide a testing program for cutting-edge advances in conservation technologies and approaches.

NRCS administers CIG as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Eligible governmental and nongovernmental organizations and individuals submitted 150 national project proposals and 26 Chesapeake Bay Watershed proposals for single or multi-year projects involving producers who are eligible for EQIP.

Of the total amount of the grants, more than $4.5 million will fund 12 projects that address natural resource concerns in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The watershed covers more than 64,000 square miles over parts of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Grant recipients include 16 universities, 13 nongovernmental organizations, four agribusinesses, six state governments, four resource conservation and development councils, six conservation districts and two individuals. Selected proposals receive grants for up to 50 percent of the total project cost and must provide nonfederal matching funds for at least 50 percent of the project cost. The federal contribution may not exceed $1 million for a single project.

The CIG grant announcement today compliments USDA’s cooperative conservation efforts across government with numerous partners. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and other top USDA officials will participate in the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation in St. Louis, Mo., next week to help launch a new conservation dialogue and philosophy for the 21st century. Approximately 1,200 leaders from federal, state, local and tribal government, industry, academia, non-profit environmental organizations and private landowners are expected to attend.

Additional information on CIG and summaries of the 54 selected projects can be found at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig.

2005 Recipients for National CIG

State	Recipient	CIG Funds Awarded ($)
AL. AR, GA, KY, LA, MS, SC, TN	Heifer International	$250,000
AR	Izon, Inc.	$790,275
AR	University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff	$64,750
AR	University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff	$36,850
AR, ID, IL, KS, ND, NY	Foundation for Agronomic Research, Inc.	$481,908
AR, SC	Clemson University	$322,672
AZ	Universal Entech, LLC	$250,500
AZ	Wilcox-San Simon Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.	$75,000
AZ, CA, GA	National Center for Appropriate Technology	$294,843
CA	Propane Education and Research Council	$40,000
CO	Yuma Conservation District	$498,000
CO	Colorado Dept. of Agriculture	$135,000
FL	World Wildlife Fund, Inc.	$999,923
GA	University of Georgia	$94,915
GA	Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission	$500,000
GA	Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.	$500,000
GA	Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District	$252,000
Guam	University of Guam	$245,000
HI	University of Hawaii (Manoa)	$218,250
IA	Iowa Soybean Association	$500,000
IA, IL, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD	Iowa Cattleman’s Association	$1,000,000
IA, IN, NE, WA	Washington State University	$424,599
IA, MN, OR, WA, WI	Food Alliance	$220,000
IA, ND, OR, WI	Missouri and Mississippi Divide Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.	$375,924
MA	Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association	$186,861
MI	Conservation Resource Alliance	$500,000
MN	The Minnesota Project	$100,000
MN	Heron Lake Watershed District	$14,222
MO, NE	Missouri Dept. of Conservation	$190,600
MS	Mississippi Coastal Plains Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.	$100,000
MT	Drywall Recycling of Montana, Inc.	$480,000
NM	World Wildlife Fund, Inc.	$25,480
NY	Cornell University	$426,186
OH	The Miami Conservancy District	$937,806
RI	University of Rhode Island	$595,639
SD	Classic Farms, LLC	$623,400
TX	Texas Agriculture Experiment Station	$376,534
VT	Yandow Farm	$65,269
WA	Northwest Natural Resource Group	$50,000
WI	Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection	$646,945
WY	University of Wyoming	$418,800
WY	Lake DeSmet Conservation District	$240,500
	TOTAL	$14,548,651

2005 Recipients for CIG in Chesapeake Bay Watershed

State	Recipient	CIG Funds Awarded ($)
DE	University of Delaware	247,211
DE	University of Delaware	46,333
MD	Maryland Dept. of Agriculture	434,500
MD/PA	Penn State University	196,172
MD, VA	University of Maryland	788,845
MD, VA, DE	University of Maryland	262,566
NY	Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District	999,798
PA	Brian Brake	9,265
PA	Mifflin County Conservation District	215,433
PA	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	440,616
PA	Chester County Conservation District	10,700
VA	Virginia Tech University	882,910
	TOTAL	$4,534,349

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