Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS SD 11 01
Apply for USDA NRCS SD 11 01
- The South Dakota State Office in the agriculture environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "South Dakota Conservation Innovation Grants FY11" 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 Jan 7, 2011 and posted on Jan 10, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 11, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $225,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Individuals County governments Small businesses State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Others Applicants, or community based organizations comprised of or representing applicants, who meet the USDA definitions for Beginning Farmer/Rancher or Limited Resource Farmer/Rancher.
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Opportunity Summary:
South Dakota Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) FY11 is a competitive grant opportunity run by USDA NRCS through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), authorized under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The basic aim is to speed up real-world adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies that can work alongside agricultural production while improving environmental outcomes. A key point in this notice is that CIG is not a research program in the traditional sense: it is not meant for hypothesis-building or early-stage experimentation. Instead, projects need to apply technologies or approaches that are already proven or have been studied enough to show a strong likelihood of success, then demonstrate, refine, and validate them in the field so they can be transferred into NRCS tools (policy, technical manuals, standards, guides) or widely adopted in the private sector.
Funding is offered as grants with a required cost-share/match. The estimated total funding available is about $225,000, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 up to $75,000. Projects may be single-year or multi-year, but cannot exceed three years. The program is open to a broad set of applicants located in South Dakota, including individuals, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations), small businesses, institutions of higher education (public or private), city/township/county/state governments, and federally recognized tribal governments. The notice also highlights eligibility for “other” applicants such as community-based organizations representing or comprised of producers who meet USDA definitions for Beginning Farmers/Ranchers or Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers.
The selection process uses a two-phase application structure. Applicants first submit a pre-proposal tied to one of the state’s priority topic areas. NRCS staff screen these pre-proposals for completeness and compliance and evaluate them based on the topic identified by the applicant; incomplete submissions are removed from consideration. Only applicants who are selected in this first phase are invited to submit a full proposal. Full proposals then go through technical peer review using published evaluation criteria, after which recommendations move to the South Dakota Grants Review Board. Final decisions are made by the South Dakota NRCS State Conservationist.
For FY 2011, South Dakota NRCS strongly encourages projects that directly affect Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, Limited Resource Farmers or Ranchers, Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers, and Indian tribes, as well as eligible entities that serve these groups. The state also signals an intent to fund at least one high-quality proposal that is submitted by, or directly benefits, Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, making that audience a notable priority consideration.
Pre-proposals must address at least one of three state component categories. The first category is Nutrient Management and Drainage Water Management, focused on water quality impacts from nitrogen and phosphorus across areas of South Dakota that contribute to the Missouri River Basin. Priority project concepts include watershed-scale demonstrations of drainage water management to reduce nitrate loads (including cost-per-pound reduction estimates) and assess phosphorus effects; evaluating bioreactors of different sizes/types to support future conservation practice standards for nitrogen removal from tile drainage; comparing the treatment effectiveness and cost efficiency of innovative edge-of-field or drainage-related practices such as bioreactors, constructed wetlands, drainage water management, and saturated buffers using tree/shrub riparian systems; improving producer acceptance and adoption of drainage water management by documenting producer benefits and integrating it with other conservation practices; developing simple, affordable field-scale monitoring approaches that producers can realistically use to track nitrate concentrations and flow rates; and demonstrating vegetative options such as reconnecting subsurface drainage through herbaceous and riparian buffers to improve denitrification in shallow groundwater.
The second category targets Pest Management Control in Organic Production Systems for Improved Soil Quality, tied to concerns about pesticide impacts to surface and groundwater and soil condition problems like organic matter depletion and compaction. Projects in this area are expected to develop and demonstrate practical integrated pest management strategies suited to organic production, drawing on mechanical, cultural, and biological controls that also support erosion control and nutrient management throughout crop rotations. Specific priorities include identifying crop sequences that suppress weeds, insects, or diseases; establishing effective rates, timing, and application methods for organically approved pest-control amendments; refining harvest timing and techniques to reduce pest damage; designing and validating beneficial insect habitat approaches (including how much habitat is needed, species selection to attract beneficial insects, and management across the season); showing how cover crops can deliver multiple benefits in organic systems, including pest suppression for subsequent crops; demonstrating organic specialty crop conservation systems that use seasonal high tunnels and integrate rotation, cover crops, reduced tillage, nutrient and pest management, and irrigation; and demonstrating alternatives to plastic mulches or fabric through organic mulches, cover crops, and conservation tillage. This category also supports development of new, practical informational documents to help incorporate beneficial insect and pollinator habitat into farm landscapes as part of biological pest management within organic systems.
The third category is Wetland Mitigation Banking Specifications, narrowly focused on establishing a wetland mitigation bank under the Wetland Conservation provisions of the 1985 Food Security Act (as amended), and only when wetland conversion is solely for agricultural commodity production. The notice explicitly excludes mitigation tied to non-agricultural uses (such as future development) and excludes mitigation required under the Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting process (Army Corps of Engineers). Proposed banks must demonstrate a workable, market-based approach for trading wetland credits to compensate for lost wetland functions, acres, and values for agriculture-use impacts only, and they must be designed to be user-friendly and straightforward to implement. Additional requirements include incorporating individual sites for both pothole and floodplain depression impacts using specified Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classifications (depressional upland basins for potholes and riverine depressional for floodplain depressions), having multiple individual sites separated by at least 200 feet, issuing credits only for like wetland types (in-kind) while including all basins proposed for impact, giving priority to restoration of wetlands and functions (including restoration of prior converted wetlands), and establishing at least a 50-foot minimum permanent native vegetative buffer around every basin.
Administrative details from the opportunity listing include: Funding Opportunity Number USDA NRCS SD 11 01; CFDA 10.912 (EQIP); grant instrument; discretionary funding; posted January 10, 2011; closing date February 11, 2011; and an archive date of March 13, 2011. Overall, the opportunity is built around field-scale demonstrations and implementation that can be replicated and mainstreamed, with South Dakota’s FY11 priorities concentrating on nutrient reduction in drainage and runoff affecting the Missouri River Basin, practical organic pest management systems that also protect soil and water, and a tightly constrained wetland mitigation banking model limited to USDA wetland compliance needs for agricultural commodity production.
South Dakota Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) FY11 - FAQs
What is the South Dakota Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) FY11 opportunity?
South Dakota CIG FY11 is a competitive grant opportunity run by USDA NRCS through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), authorized under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. It supports projects that accelerate adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies that can work alongside agricultural production while improving environmental outcomes.
What is the main purpose of this grant program?
The program is intended to speed up real-world adoption of innovative conservation approaches by demonstrating, refining, and validating them in field settings so they can be transferred into NRCS tools (such as policy, technical manuals, standards, and guides) or widely adopted in the private sector.
Is CIG considered a traditional research grant?
No. The notice emphasizes that CIG is not a research program in the traditional sense. Projects should not focus on hypothesis-building or early-stage experimentation. Instead, they should apply technologies or approaches that are already proven or sufficiently studied to show a strong likelihood of success, and then demonstrate and validate them under real-world conditions.
What kind of projects are a good fit for this opportunity?
Projects that implement and demonstrate conservation technologies or approaches that are likely to succeed, can be replicated, and can be mainstreamed into NRCS tools or adopted broadly in the private sector. The opportunity is built around field-scale demonstrations and implementation rather than early-stage concept testing.
How much funding is available under this opportunity?
The estimated total funding available is about $225,000.
What is the award size range?
Individual awards range from $1,000 up to $75,000.
Is a cost-share or match required?
Yes. Funding is offered as grants with a required cost-share/match.
How long can a project last?
Projects may be single-year or multi-year, but the project period cannot exceed three years.
Who is eligible to apply?
The program is open to applicants located in South Dakota, including individuals, nonprofits (501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations), small businesses, institutions of higher education (public or private), city/township/county/state governments, and federally recognized tribal governments.
Are community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The notice highlights eligibility for other applicants such as community-based organizations representing or comprised of producers who meet USDA definitions for Beginning Farmers/Ranchers or Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers.
Does the program prioritize any particular audiences in FY 2011?
Yes. South Dakota NRCS strongly encourages projects that directly affect Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, Limited Resource Farmers or Ranchers, Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers, and Indian tribes, as well as eligible entities that serve these groups.
Is there a specific priority related to Beginning Farmers or Ranchers?
Yes. The state signals an intent to fund at least one high-quality proposal that is submitted by, or directly benefits, Beginning Farmers or Ranchers.
What is the application process structure?
The selection process uses a two-phase application structure: (1) a pre-proposal phase and (2) a full proposal phase for applicants invited after pre-proposal selection.
What happens during the pre-proposal phase?
Applicants submit a pre-proposal tied to one of the state priority topic areas. NRCS staff screen pre-proposals for completeness and compliance and evaluate them based on the topic identified by the applicant. Incomplete submissions are removed from consideration.
Do all applicants submit a full proposal?
No. Only applicants selected in the first phase (pre-proposals) are invited to submit a full proposal.
How are full proposals evaluated?
Full proposals go through technical peer review using published evaluation criteria. After that, recommendations move to the South Dakota Grants Review Board.
Who makes the final funding decisions?
Final decisions are made by the South Dakota NRCS State Conservationist.
What topic areas must a pre-proposal address?
Pre-proposals must address at least one of three state component categories: (1) Nutrient Management and Drainage Water Management, (2) Pest Management Control in Organic Production Systems for Improved Soil Quality, or (3) Wetland Mitigation Banking Specifications.
What is the focus of the Nutrient Management and Drainage Water Management category?
This category focuses on water quality impacts from nitrogen and phosphorus across areas of South Dakota that contribute to the Missouri River Basin. It emphasizes drainage water management and edge-of-field or drainage-related practices intended to reduce nutrient loading.
What are example priority concepts under Nutrient Management and Drainage Water Management?
Examples include watershed-scale demonstrations of drainage water management to reduce nitrate loads (including cost-per-pound reduction estimates) and assess phosphorus effects; evaluating bioreactors of different sizes/types to support future conservation practice standards for nitrogen removal from tile drainage; comparing effectiveness and cost efficiency of practices such as bioreactors, constructed wetlands, drainage water management, and saturated buffers using tree/shrub riparian systems; documenting producer benefits and integrating drainage water management with other conservation practices to improve adoption; developing simple, affordable field-scale monitoring approaches for producers to track nitrate concentrations and flow rates; and demonstrating vegetative options such as reconnecting subsurface drainage through herbaceous and riparian buffers to improve denitrification in shallow groundwater.
What is the focus of the organic pest management category?
The Pest Management Control in Organic Production Systems for Improved Soil Quality category addresses concerns about pesticide impacts to surface and groundwater and soil condition issues such as organic matter depletion and compaction. Projects are expected to develop and demonstrate practical integrated pest management strategies for organic production using mechanical, cultural, and biological controls that also support erosion control and nutrient management through crop rotations.
What are example priority concepts under organic pest management?
Examples include identifying crop sequences that suppress weeds, insects, or diseases; establishing effective rates, timing, and application methods for organically approved pest-control amendments; refining harvest timing and techniques to reduce pest damage; designing and validating beneficial insect habitat approaches (including habitat amount, species selection, and seasonal management); demonstrating how cover crops can provide multiple benefits in organic systems including pest suppression for subsequent crops; demonstrating organic specialty crop conservation systems using seasonal high tunnels with integrated rotation, cover crops, reduced tillage, nutrient and pest management, and irrigation; and demonstrating alternatives to plastic mulches or fabric using organic mulches, cover crops, and conservation tillage.
Does the organic pest management category include outreach or documentation deliverables?
Yes. This category also supports development of new, practical informational documents to help incorporate beneficial insect and pollinator habitat into farm landscapes as part of biological pest management within organic systems.
What is the focus of the Wetland Mitigation Banking Specifications category?
This category is narrowly focused on establishing a wetland mitigation bank under the Wetland Conservation provisions of the 1985 Food Security Act (as amended), only when wetland conversion is solely for agricultural commodity production.
What wetland mitigation situations are explicitly excluded?
The notice explicitly excludes mitigation tied to non-agricultural uses (such as future development) and excludes mitigation required under the Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting process (Army Corps of Engineers).
What approach must the wetland mitigation bank demonstrate?
Proposed banks must demonstrate a workable, market-based approach for trading wetland credits to compensate for lost wetland functions, acres, and values for agriculture-use impacts only, and the system must be user-friendly and straightforward to implement.
What site configuration requirements are mentioned for the wetland mitigation bank?
Additional requirements include incorporating individual sites for both pothole and floodplain depression impacts using specified Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classifications (depressional upland basins for potholes and riverine depressional for floodplain depressions), and having multiple individual sites separated by at least 200 feet.
Are credits required to be in-kind for wetland mitigation?
Yes. Credits are to be issued only for like wetland types (in-kind) while including all basins proposed for impact.
What types of wetland work receive priority in the mitigation banking category?
The notice gives priority to restoration of wetlands and functions, including restoration of prior converted wetlands.
Is there a buffer requirement for mitigation bank sites?
Yes. The notice requires at least a 50-foot minimum permanent native vegetative buffer around every basin.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA NRCS SD 11 01.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 10.912 (EQIP).
What type of funding instrument is used?
The instrument is a grant, and the funding is discretionary.
When was this opportunity posted, and what are the key dates?
It was posted January 10, 2011. The closing date is February 11, 2011, and the archive date is March 13, 2011.
Do projects need to connect to specific geographic or watershed concerns?
For the Nutrient Management and Drainage Water Management category, the notice specifically points to water quality impacts from nitrogen and phosphorus across South Dakota areas that contribute to the Missouri River Basin.
What is the overall emphasis of this opportunity across all categories?
The opportunity emphasizes field-scale demonstrations and practical implementation that can be replicated and mainstreamed, with FY11 priorities focused on nutrient reduction in drainage and runoff affecting the Missouri River Basin, practical organic pest management systems that protect soil and water, and a tightly constrained wetland mitigation banking model limited to USDA wetland compliance needs for agricultural commodity production.
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