The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture, is seeking applications for the California Conservation Cooperative Agreements.
Donor Name: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/29/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The purpose of these conservation agreements is to address the following objectives in all areas of California, as applicable.
Consideration will be given to collaborative efforts that address needs within geographical watersheds, ground water basins, air basins or other conservation-focused boundaries.
California NRCS seeks to leverage the ability to directly serve farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards with natural resource concerns. California engages with a full spectrum of producers and partners to address agricultural resource concerns including Tribes, Historically Underserved, Urban, and other community conservation efforts. They are continuously working to expand the conservation footprint in all communities in California and will prioritize new partnership opportunities.
For Fiscal year 2024, California is prioritizing the following partnership opportunities:
- Deliver conservation education and support program implementation for support of Tribal food systems
- Increase NRCS capacity to provide technical and/or financial assistance to historically underserved producers in any USDA-NRCS program
- Increase capacity of NRCS to provide engineering assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forestry operators at the field level
- Increase capacity for producers to adopt higher levels of conservation required for the Conservation Stewardship Program
- Provide or facilitate outreach that directly yields new customers who have not previously received or participated in USDA-NRCS programs
- Increase capacity of NRCS to deliver technical and financial assistance in high workload offices
- Increasing capacity of NRCS to implement Farm Bill programs at the community level across multiple counties
- Conduct landscape level planning to enhance rapid delivery of NRCS conservation programs and provide documentation that supports outcomes of conservation measures.
The goals and objectives of this program are:
- Use climate-smart management and sound science to enhance the health and productivity of agricultural lands.
- Lead efforts to adapt to the consequences of climate change in agriculture and forestry.
- Restore, protect, and conserve watersheds to ensure clean, abundant, and continuous provision of water resources.
- Increase carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and economic opportunities (and develop low-carbon energy solutions).
- Protect agricultural health by minimizing major diseases, pests, and wildlife conflicts.
- Build resilient food systems, infrastructure, and supply chain.
- Increase food security through assistance and access to nutritious and affordable food
- Increase capacity, sustainability, and economic vitality in rural and tribal communities.
- Promote environmental justice by maximizing sustainable and green economic development in rural and tribal communities.
- Foster a culture of civil rights, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, transparency, and accountability.
- Establish a customer-centric, inclusive, high-performing workforce that is representative of America and the communities they serve.
Funding Information
- The Federal funding agency expects to award approximately $1,000,000.00 through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.
- The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $25,000.00, and the estimated funding ceiling is $75,000.00.
- Projects may be between 1 and 3 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of 09/01/2024.
Eligibility Criteria
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- County governments
- State governments
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Private institutions of higher education
- Independent school districts
- City or township governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
