Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) New Jersey State Program released the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Funding Opportunity. Municipalities are eligible recipients under this funding opportunity.
The availability of CIG funding is designed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. A total of up to $275,000 is available for the New Jersey (State) CIG competition in FY 2022. There are three main priorities for NJ NRCS this year - Urban Agriculture, Climate Smart Agriculture, and Forestry/Wildlife.
Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award is $275,000. The deadline to apply is May 23, 2022.
A webinar for CIG applicants is scheduled for March 31, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the NJ CIG website.
Previous recipients have included universities, conservation districts, farms, and soil districts for a wide range of projects including urban farming, habitat restoration, crop experimentation, and expanding pollinator species habitat.
Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.