Caribbean CIG Awardees

2022 Caribbean Area CIG Awardees

In July 2022, Caribbean Area NRCS awarded $174,949 in FY 2022 State Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 2 projects in Puerto Rico to develop and demonstrate cutting‐edge conservation in the Caribbean Area. The grants are funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The 2022 Caribbean Area CIG awardees are:

• Dr. Jesyka Meléndez for the project, "Restoring Impacted Soils via Regenerative Agriculture in Rural Puerto Rico: A Market-Scale Demonstration Farm" ($99,949).

• Félix Rivera Montalvo for the project, "Ecosystem Services Validation of a Multispecies Canopy Coffee Agroforestry System" ($75,000).

2020 CIG On-Farm Trials awardees in Puerto Rico:

• $1,983,479 to the University of Hawaii for Soil Health Demonstration Trials in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and American Samoa. The University of Hawaii will establish a network of on-farm Soil Health Management Systems demonstrations that are individually tailored, regionally adapted, and managed by farmers, in collaboration with participating farms in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and three Hawaiian islands.  The project emphasizes engagement with historically underserved Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic farmers and restorative efforts on degraded or abandoned agricultural lands in rural communities.

• $995,991 to Ridge to Reefs, Inc. for Management Technologies and Strategies in Puerto Rico. This project brings together a coalition of organizations representing academia, public, private, and non-governmental sectors in Puerto Rico to help farmers implement improved Regenerative Production Systems consisting of a suite of Enhanced Management Practices. Both small- to medium- scale farms will implement practices focused on their specific resource concerns and production goals.

2019 Caribbean Area CIG Awardees

In September 2019, Caribbean Area NRCS awarded $238,515 in FY 2019 State Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 2 projects in Puerto Rico to develop and demonstrate cutting‐edge conservation in the Caribbean Area. The 2019 Caribbean Area CIG awardees were:

• Joaquin Chong for the project, "Validate the use of walk-behind tractor technology at varied terrain slopes, to validate the use of a rotary plow to establish an underground waterline to provide crop irrigation" ($43,980.00).

• Diego Piñeiro for the project, "To validate, demonstrate and educate underserved, limited resources land users in easy to establish and environmentally friendly techniques for soil erosion control and bioengineering practices in steeplands" ($50,000.00).

2018 Caribbean Area CIG Awardees

In July 2018, Caribbean Area NRCS awarded $238,515 in FY 2018 State Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 4 projects in Puerto Rico to develop and demonstrate cutting‐edge conservation in the Caribbean Area. The 2018 Caribbean Area CIG awardees were:

• UPR Agricultural Experiment Station: awarded $74,992 for their project, "Soil Conservation Practices on Steep Lands to Minimize Runoff and Improve Soil Health"

• Puerto Rico Agricultural Extension Service: awarded $13,530 for their project, "Crotalaria juncea L. for conserved forages: Improving resilience of farmers to withstand natural disasters"

• Bananera Fabre, Inc: awarded $75,000 for their project, "Economic viability of cover crops in commercial farming for soil and water conservation, Sabana Grande, PR"

• Protectores de Cuencas: awarded $74,993 for their project, "Control of invasive grass species and forest fire prevention in the Guánica Dry Forest, Puerto Rico"

2017 Caribbean Area CIG Awardees

In December 2017, Caribbean Area NRCS awarded $225,000 in FY 2017 State Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 4 projects in Puerto Rico to develop and demonstrate cutting‐edge conservation in the Caribbean Area. The 2017 Caribbean Area CIG awardees were:

• Alejandro Mieses Castellano: awarded $50,470 for his project, “Comprehensive Environmental Simulation Software of Long-term Natural Phenomena for Community Education Purposes.”

• UPR Mayagüez: awarded $47,359 for their project, “To Validate and Demonstrate Local Vegetation Mannings-N Values for Retardance Index in the Caribbean Area to cover Waterways and Open Channels and reduce risk of Erosion.”

• UPR Agricultural Experiment Station: awarded $74,811 for their project, “Farm Management of Agricultural manures and organic residues through compost or fermentation.”

  • Composting Hurricane Debris - June 13, 2018

• UPR Agricultural Experiment Station: awarded $45,963 for their project, “Use of Cover Crops to improve tropical Soil health and quality in Puerto Rico.”

2015 Caribbean Area CIG Awards

In September 2015, Caribbean Area NRCS awarded $207,519 in FY 2015 State Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 4 projects in Puerto Rico to develop and demonstrate cutting‐edge conservation in the Caribbean Area. The 2015 Caribbean Area CIG awardees were:

• Agro Tropical, Inc. - Awarded $75,000 for Development of an Innovative Soil Health Management System for commercial‐scale plantain production systems in Puerto Rico.

• UPR Estación Experimental Agrícola - Awarded $20,839 to Demonstrate, quantify and validate the effectiveness of compost as a soil amendment to manage nutrients and pests in important vegetable production systems in Puerto Rico.

• Para La Naturaleza (PR Conservation Trust) - Awarded $75,000 for Tree Sourcebook: Best Practices Supporting Conservation Efforts in Puerto Rico.

• Milagros Hernandez - Awarded $37,130 to Demonstrate and validate aquaponics as a sustainable alternative agricultural system.

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