Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS CA 12 0006
Apply for USDA NRCS CA 12 0006
- The California State Office in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Farm Bill Assistance Kern County, CA" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912 Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 4, 2012 and posted on Jun 4, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 29, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $50,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments County governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Individuals City or township governments State governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California offered this cooperative agreement opportunity to boost on-the-ground delivery of Farm Bill conservation programs in Kern County by adding partner capacity for technical assistance, outreach, and contract support. The basic idea is that NRCS already runs voluntary conservation programs that help private landowners and agricultural producers protect and improve natural resources, and this agreement would fund a local partner to work side by side with the Kern County NRCS office to increase participation, speed up implementation of conservation practices, and help keep contracts moving from application to installation to verification and payment. The work is tied to common NRCS Farm Bill programs such as EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program), WHIP (Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program), AWEP (Agricultural Water Enhancement Program), and CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program), all of which focus on improving soil health, reducing erosion, conserving and improving water quality and supply, enhancing wildlife habitat, and reducing impacts from floods and other natural disasters.
The selected applicant would function as an extension of the local NRCS delivery team, with responsibilities that combine producer-facing outreach and hands-on field support with administrative coordination. A major piece of the work is facilitating producer participation: answering questions about USDA conservation programs, providing program information, helping with outreach to landowners and land managers, assisting with application processing for incoming contracts, and supporting technical planning tasks connected to Farm Bill contracts. Another core duty is performing field checks tied to conservation practice implementation and payment, which means meeting with participants and verifying that installed practices comply with NRCS standards and specifications in the Field Office Technical Guide. This can include physical measurements for structural practices and visual assessments for vegetative practices. The partner would also help producers with conservation management practices already under contract, conduct spot checks on CSP enhancement activities, and participate in outreach, networking, and interagency coordination intended to support fair and effective delivery of USDA conservation programs across local communities.
NRCS is not simply providing funds and stepping back; the announcement makes it clear NRCS would be substantially involved throughout implementation. NRCS would provide oversight, coordinate activities through an agency representative involved in planning and management, and supply necessary tools such as agency software, forms, and relevant program resource information. Reporting is a defined requirement: the partner would submit quarterly progress reports covering all tasks and a year-end report summarizing accomplishments. All technical assistance, practice application support, and verification work must meet USDA NRCS requirements and specifications, reflecting the agency emphasis on consistent technical quality and compliance with established conservation practice standards.
Funding for the current fiscal year was capped at 50,000 (with an award ceiling of 50,000 and an award floor of 25,000), with NRCS expecting to make one award. The agreement structure included a one-year base period with three possible one-year option periods, and the performance window described in the announcement ran roughly from July 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013. The opportunity was posted June 4, 2012 and closed June 29, 2012, later archived July 29, 2012. It was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement in the natural resources category, associated with CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program), and it did not require cost sharing or matching.
Eligible applicants were broad and included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, small businesses, federally recognized tribal governments, special district governments, county governments, city or township governments, state governments, 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than universities), and individuals. Proposals were evaluated using criteria listed in descending order of importance, starting with organizational capabilities (resources, relevant experience, and staff ability to perform professionally and represent NRCS positively), followed by knowledge of Kern County conservation issues and NRCS practice standards, the ability to work effectively with NRCS and local producers, and familiarity with local and state ordinances and regulations affecting conservation practice implementation in Kern County. NRCS noted it could hold discussions with applicants about experience and work plans and would negotiate costs and final terms with the selected applicant. The contact listed for access issues was Kimberly Pedersen, Grants Management Specialist, at 530-792-5678.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this USDA NRCS cooperative agreement meant to accomplish?
This cooperative agreement is intended to increase on-the-ground delivery of USDA NRCS Farm Bill conservation programs in Kern County, California. The award would fund a local partner to add capacity for technical assistance, outreach, and contract support so more producers can participate and conservation practices can move faster from application to installation, verification, and payment.
2. Where would the work take place?
The work is focused on Kern County, California, in close coordination with the Kern County NRCS office.
3. Which conservation programs are connected to this opportunity?
The work is tied to common NRCS Farm Bill conservation programs, including:
- EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program)
- WHIP (Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program)
- AWEP (Agricultural Water Enhancement Program)
- CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program)
These programs commonly support goals such as soil health improvements, erosion reduction, water quality and water supply protection, wildlife habitat enhancement, and reduced impacts from floods and other natural disasters.
4. What type of funding instrument is this (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
This opportunity was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement. The announcement also states that NRCS would be substantially involved throughout implementation, which is a defining feature of cooperative agreements.
5. How involved would NRCS be after making an award?
NRCS would remain substantially involved. The announcement describes NRCS providing oversight, coordinating activities through an agency representative involved in planning and management, and supplying needed tools such as agency software, forms, and relevant program resource information.
6. What would the selected partner do day to day?
The selected applicant would function as an extension of the local NRCS delivery team. Responsibilities described in the announcement include producer-facing outreach and support, technical planning and contract support, and administrative coordination to help keep contracts moving from application through installation, verification, and payment.
7. What outreach and participation support activities are included?
The announcement describes activities such as:
- Answering questions about USDA conservation programs
- Providing program information to producers and land managers
- Supporting outreach to landowners and land managers to increase participation
- Participating in outreach, networking, and interagency coordination to support fair and effective delivery across local communities
8. What contract and application support work is expected?
The partner would assist with application processing for incoming contracts and support technical planning tasks connected to Farm Bill contracts, with the goal of helping contracts progress efficiently through required steps.
9. What field work and verification responsibilities are included?
A major duty described is performing field checks tied to conservation practice implementation and payment. This includes meeting with participants and verifying that installed practices comply with NRCS standards and specifications in the Field Office Technical Guide. The announcement notes this may involve physical measurements for structural practices and visual assessments for vegetative practices.
10. Does the work include support for practices already under contract?
Yes. The announcement states the partner would help producers with conservation management practices already under contract.
11. Are CSP enhancements specifically mentioned?
Yes. The partner would conduct spot checks on CSP enhancement activities.
12. What technical standards must be followed for planning and verification?
All technical assistance, practice application support, and verification work must meet USDA NRCS requirements and specifications, including compliance with NRCS standards and specifications in the Field Office Technical Guide.
13. What reporting is required under this cooperative agreement?
Reporting is a defined requirement. The partner would submit:
- Quarterly progress reports covering all tasks
- A year-end report summarizing accomplishments
14. What is the funding amount for this opportunity?
For the fiscal year described, funding was capped at $50,000. The award ceiling was $50,000 and the award floor was $25,000.
15. How many awards did NRCS expect to make?
NRCS expected to make one award.
16. Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states that cost sharing or matching was not required.
17. What is the project period and structure?
The agreement structure included a one-year base period with three possible one-year option periods. The performance window described ran roughly from July 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013.
18. When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on June 4, 2012 and closed on June 29, 2012. It was later archived on July 29, 2012.
19. What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program).
20. What category was this opportunity listed under?
The announcement identified the opportunity in the natural resources category.
21. Who was eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant types listed in the announcement include:
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Small businesses
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- Special district governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- State governments
- 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than universities)
- Individuals
22. How were proposals evaluated?
Proposals were evaluated using criteria listed in descending order of importance. The announcement identifies the following factors:
- Organizational capabilities (resources, relevant experience, and staff ability to perform professionally and represent NRCS positively)
- Knowledge of Kern County conservation issues and NRCS practice standards
- Ability to work effectively with NRCS and local producers
- Familiarity with local and state ordinances and regulations affecting conservation practice implementation in Kern County
23. Could NRCS talk with applicants or negotiate after applications were submitted?
Yes. NRCS noted it could hold discussions with applicants about experience and work plans, and it would negotiate costs and final terms with the selected applicant.
24. What kinds of tools or resources would NRCS provide to support the partner?
The announcement states NRCS would supply necessary tools such as agency software, forms, and relevant program resource information, in addition to oversight and coordination through an agency representative.
25. Who is the contact person for access issues related to this opportunity?
The contact listed for access issues was Kimberly Pedersen, Grants Management Specialist, at 530-792-5678.
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