NRCS Announces Cheatgrass Challenge Project Proposal Application Period

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting project proposals for Cheatgrass Challenge funding in Fiscal Year 2025. The deadline for proposals is March 28. Applications should be submitted to Lacey Clarke, Cheatgrass Challenge coordinator at lacey.clark@usda.gov. If the project area for the proposal will also include private land and the landowner or owners wish to seek NRCS funding, the landowner(s) will need to submit an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)application by April 4 through their local USDA Service Center. 

New for this fiscal year, two sets of virtual office hours will be held with coordinator Lacey Clarke and Cheatgrass Challenge partners to assist with project applications. Interested parties may use this time to call in and ask questions directly related to their project(s). 

For more information about the Cheatgrass Challenge, visit the NRCS Idaho website at www.nrcs.usda.gov/Idaho and click on the Cheatgrass Challenge button under in the State Programs and Initiatives section. You may also speak to your local NRCS staff or contact Lacey Clarke at lacey.clarke@usda.gov.

Important Dates:

Feb. 27 – Virtual office hours project assistance from 11 am to 1 pm (link may be found at www.nrcs.usda.gov/Idaho under the Events section)

March 18 – Virtual office hours project assistance from 11 am to 1 pm (link may be found at www.nrcs.usda.gov/Idaho under the Events section)

March 28 – Project Application deadline

April 4 – EQIP Application deadline for private ground

About the Cheatgrass Challenge

The Cheatgrass Challenge is a proactive strategy developed to halt the transition of sagebrush steppe plant communities to annual grasslands. The strategy was developed collaboratively by federal, state, and local partners in Idaho and focuses on addressing invasive annuals early when the infestations are relatively low, and treatments are cost-effective. The top three priorities are: protect the core, grow the core, and mitigate the impacts. 

More Information

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.  Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today. 

For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov. 

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