The final day to apply for consideration this FY is December 16, 2022.
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS), Huron, South Dakota (SD), November 15, 2022 – Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) Project Rangeland Restoration Initiative will soon be underway in Clark, SD, serving the community and improving land quality. This 5-year project is 1 of 12 selected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and federally-funded through the NRCS conservation programs in the 2018 Farm Bill. The purpose of this project is to improve the overall health of native rangelands in Clark County and will be implemented by the USDA-NRCS, Ducks Unlimited, the SD Soil Health Coalition, the SD Grassland Coalition, and SD State University Extension in collaboration with farmers, ranchers, and landowners.
Farmers, ranchers, and landowners with native range to improve or cropland to seed to grass within the following townships are eligible to apply for financial assistance: Collins, Lake, Merton, Rosedale, Hague, Richland, Darlington, Fordham, Lincoln, Logan, Garfield, Raymond, Ash, Woodland, Thorp, Maydell, Blaine, Cottonwood, Spring Valley, and Warren. The final day to apply for consideration this FY is December 16, 2022.
The NRCS conservation specialists and partners are coordinating these projects throughout the state. Through collectively focusing expertise and resources on the highest priority resource concerns in the highest priority areas, CIS projects can yield the most impressive returns. Collaborative funding and support from other agencies and groups create a coordinated community effort and focus on mutual issues of concern. Project sponsors identified decreased plant community health, soil degradation, erosion and livestock limitations as resource concerns and developed this CIS project to address the situation. In total, NRCS and Extension staff estimate that less than 20 percent of Clark County’s original rangelands remain today. This pilot project aims to restore rangeland and wetland areas of greatest biodiversity and carbon storage potential through proper decision-making tools and implementation of conservation practices.
To apply to be a part of this project, connect with your local NRCS Service Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center or contact Ryan Branigan, NRCS District Conservationist in Clark, SD, at ryan.branigan@usda.gov. For more information on the CIS in SD, or if you have ideas for a project, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/south-dakota/south-dakota-conservation, or contact Jeff Vander Wilt, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, at jeffrey.vanderwilt@usd.gov or (605) 352-1226.