NRCS is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.
Donor Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture
State: New Mexico
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $50,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into government technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches or private forest lands.
New Mexico CIG State Priorities for FY 2023
Increased reliance on natural biodiversity to control pests
- Demonstration of no-till or reduced tillage systems for improved weed control. Systems must note how nutrient management goals are met.
- Development and demonstration of intercropping systems including cash crops, insectaries, and cover crops to increase biodiversity and manage pests. When using pesticides, include a pesticide hazard assessment, buffers and mitigation strategy.
- Develop innovative ways to control rodent, slug, vole and other pest problems in longterm no-till, vegetative plantings (windbreaks, hedgerows, herbaceous wind barriers, etc.) and/or cover crop systems.
- Demonstrate grazing management strategies that increase vegetative biodiversity and reduce invasion of woody brush and succulents.
- Develop, demonstrate and promote pest control strategies to control internal parasites andinsect pests in livestock that do not include the use of avermectins or that reduce impacts to dung beetles on grazed lands. Proposals must inform livestock producers of the benefits of dung beetles on range ecosystems.
- Other pest management strategies that rely on natural biodiversity on agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land.
Soil health management systems (SHMS)
Collection of conservation practices that focus on maintaining or enhancing soil health by addressing as many of these soil health principles as possible: minimize disturbance, maximize soil cover, maximize biodiversity and maximize presence of living roots. Proposals must support the adoption of soil health management systems (SHMS) on an agricultural land type (rangeland, forest, cropland, pasture, and/or associated agricultural land) in the following areas:
- Provide an economic/financial case study on successful soil health management systems across varied production systems (cropland, rangeland, pasture, etc.) that include quantifying on-site net profit and offsite impacts (e.g., soil erosion, nutrient losses, water and air quality).
- Develop, demonstrate and promote cost effective strategies for feasible transition from degraded soils in varied production systems to a SHMS.
- Develop, demonstrate and promote transitions to more diverse cropping rotations or the integration of livestock into existing cropping systems.
- Demonstrate the formation and support of innovative soil health social networks that promote producer opportunities to try new approaches and technologies before deciding on large purchases in support of long-term adoption of SHMS.
- Development and demonstration of innovative approaches to transition from irrigated to non-irrigated systems by building soil health and that include consideration of soil solidity, nutrient management, and weed control measures needed.
- Quantify the impacts of cover crop presence, species mix, and management (e.g., termination growth stage, tillage practice, grazing) on soil water content and subsequent crop yield across a range of climates and cropping systems, especially in water limited regions.
- Quantify the potential increases in water availability projecting widespread adoption of soil health promoting practices such as cover crops and no-tillage over large areas or watersheds (e.g., river basin, aquifer, etc.).
- Development and demonstration of innovative approaches to purify and decontaminate water for use in agricultural systems.
- Develop, demonstrate and promote strategies to increase infiltration of runoff to increase groundwater recharge.
- Demonstrate technologies that provide water for wildlife while minimizing the use of surface or groundwater.
Fish and wildlife habitat
- Develop, demonstrate and promote new tools and technology that estimate actual forage utilization or grazing intensity and that inform livestock producers of the impacts of grazing use on habitat for wildlife. The new tools and technology should be developed for use by livestock producers and support flexible grazing management.
- Development of new, and use of existing, decision tools that facilitate management and application of fire on rangeland, pastureland and grazed forestland. All projects, including field demonstrations and on-farm conservation research must incorporate specific goals and outcomes to improve habitat for wildlife.
- Demonstrate the potential improvements in habitat for wildlife projecting widespread adoption of practices that reduce road erosion, reduce sedimentation in streams, restore wetlands, improve stream habitat, and/or increase riparian habitat over large areas or watersheds (e.g., river basin, aquifer, etc.).
- Demonstrate and promote strategies using conservation practices that increase food and cover for wildlife by increasing edge effect with brush and forest, by increasing connectivity of cover, improve stream habitat, and that provide a mosaic of vegetation that increases nesting and fawning success of focus wildlife species.
- Demonstrate and promote strategies to increase wildlife habitat along ditches, edges of fields and non-cropped areas associated with irrigated fields. Proposals should describe the use of adapted irrigation system design, temporary or portable irrigation systems and irrigation water management strategies needed for establishment and maintenance of habitat plantings.
- Provide non-lethal alternatives to predator management and/or that decrease mortality of livestock with shelter or management.
Proposed projects must be performed in New Mexico.
Funding Information
- Estimated Funding Amount: $50,000
- Maximum Funding Amount: $50,000
- Minimum Funding Amount: $5,000
Project Period
Projects may be between 1 and 3 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of September 30, 2023.
Innovative Conservation Projects or Activities
CIG funds the development and field testing, on-farm research and demonstration, evaluation, implementation of:
- Approaches to incentivizing conservation adoption, including market-based and conservation finance approaches; and
- Conservation technologies, practices, and systems.
Projects or activities under CIG must comply with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws and regulations throughout the duration of the project; and
- Use a technology or approach that was studied sufficiently to indicate a high probability forsuccess;
- Demonstrate, evaluate, and verify the effectiveness, utility, affordability, and usability of natural resource conservation technologies and approaches in the field;
- Adapt and transfer conservation technologies, management, practices, systems, approaches, and incentive systems to improve performance and encourage adoption;
- Introduce proven conservation technologies and approaches to a geographic area or agricultural sector where that technology or approach is not currently in use.
Technologies and approaches that are eligible for funding in a project’s geographic area using an EQIP contract for an established conservation practice standard are ineligible for CIG funding, except where the use of those technologies and approaches demonstrates clear innovation.
Eligibility Criteria
All U.S. domestic, non-Federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply for projects carried out in New Mexico. U.S. Federal agencies are not eligible to apply to this opportunity or impart their work to non-federal portion of the budget.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
