Deadline for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) set

SPOKANE, Wash. (March 19, 2008) – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is looking for innovative approaches and investments in natural resource conservation. So today it announced the availability of its Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for 2008.
 

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the NRCS may pay the cost of competitive grants up to $150,000 during fiscal year 2008 for the state of Washington. Grants to eligible entities and individuals may not exceed a maximum of $50,000 each.

“These state-specific funds are in addition to up to $20 million dollars of funding that may be available for application from the national CIG grants program,” NRCS Assistant State Conservationist Dave Brown, said.

Last year, four Washington groups landed nearly $700,000 through the CIG program, including $100,000 in state-specific funding. Again this year, Washington-specific funds will be awarded through a statewide competitive grants process.

“We’re requesting applications from eligible government or non-government organizations or individuals for competitive consideration of grant awards for single or multi-year projects,” Brown said. “Applications must be received in the NRCS Washington State Office by 4 P.M., Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on May 1, 2008 to be eligible for consideration,” he said.  The application announcement is available at www.grants.gov, the official posting site for all US Government grant opportunities, by searching under the Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-WA-08.

For further information, potential applicants should contact Dave Brown, CIG program manager, at (509)323-2971 or visit the Washington NRCS web site at http://www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/. For information about the national CIG grants program, applicants are urged to visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/.