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Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)

  

Colorado is participating in the 2007 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Component. CIG is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the Nation's most pressing natural resource concerns. CIG will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations. NRCS administers CIG. Additional information concerning this program is available on the NRCS National Website. To obtain the 2008 Colorado NRCS state CIG request for proposals go to www.grants.gov, click on "Find Grant Opportunities", and do a "Basic Search" on Funding Opportunity Number a USDA-NRCS-CO-08-01.  Complete application packages must be received by March 31, 2008.

Colorado Awards 10 Conservation Innovation Grants in 2007

News Release - Colorado NRCS Approves Approximately $618,000 in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) - July 13, 2007

Applicant: Bent Conservation District
Proposal Title: Generating Farmstead Power
Project Description: This project will demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing wind energy on average size farms. This project will select 5-6 farmsteads (Demo sites) to install wind turbines. Demonstration sites will be monitored and the reduction of fossil fuel energy use will be tracked.

Applicant: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Proposal Title: Integration of Tamarisk Biological Control into a Riparian Restoration Program
Project Description: This demonstration project will integrate biological control of tamarisk into a riparian restoration program. This will be on land prepared using two different mechanical techniques of tamarisk removal and a burned area. Monitoring of these sites to check biological effectiveness on resprouting plants, and if biological control will weaken the tamarisk plant before a burn.

Applicant: International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology-ICAST
Proposal Title: Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Solutions for Rural Electric Providers in Colorado
Project Description: Plans will be developed for two rural electric companies to implement various demand side management (DSM), energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) technologies. The project will demonstrate, through a pilot project the water and energy savings possible with modern irrigation technology.

Applicant: Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
Proposal Title: Monitoring Deep Percolation beneath Irrigated Fields in Northern Colorado
Project Description: Project will establish two monitoring sites to monitor deep percolation of irrigation water and estimate its recharge return flow to the aquifers. One will be on flood irrigated lands and the other on a sprinkler. Measurements will assess irrigation efficiency and calculate irrigation efficiency.

Applicant: University of Denver
Proposal Title: Optimizing the Effluent from the Vertical Tube Reactor for Agricultural Applications
Project Description: This project will be demonstrating the Vertical Tube Reactor (VTR) on a swine operation to evaluate the environmental effect of the direct field application of reacted effluent to agricultural lands. This proven process for municipal and industrial operations will be evaluated for its potential widespread use in livestock operations.

Applicant: Ecosystems Management Research Institute
Proposal Title: A Measurement System for Off-site Mitigation that uses NRCS Ecological Sites to Enhance Ecosystem Health and Wildlife Habitat
Project Description: Project proposes to develop a measurement system that can be used by energy developers, agency managers and agricultural producers to determine equitable units for off-site mitigation of energy impacts. They will use NRCS ecological sites to develop descriptions of plant community composition and processes for historical states to develop an index to measure changes. They will use maps to show off-site areas that have potential enhancement benefits.

Applicant: Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust
Proposal Title: Collaborative Conservation of the Private Land Sagebrush Range in Colorado’s Western Slopes
Project Description: This project will establish public/private partnerships to increase awareness of cooperative conservation programs that benefit private landowners and to collaborate in the immediate permanent protection of several sagebrush range private ranch properties through the use of conservation easements. Project will show the value of conservation easements and treatable conservation credits through numerous workshops.

Applicant: East Central Colorado Resource Conservation and Development Council
Proposal Title: Tri-County Bio-Fuels
Project Description: This project will highlight the benefits of growing oilseed crops for commercial production of bio-based fuel using canola and camelina. Additionally the project will demonstrate the use of agronomic practices to reduce on farm fuel use. Best management practices will be developed looking at soils correlation, residue amounts and rotational options.

Applicant: Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company
Proposal Title: Solar Powered Irrigation Water Management
Project Description: The objective of this project is to improve water and energy conservation. It will convert 5.8 miles of lateral ditches to pipeline and control and monitor flows through the new pipeline exclusively with solar-powered equipment. All gates and turn outs will be fully automated using the radio telemetry, which will be solar powered.

Applicant: Greeley Irrigation Company
Proposal Title: Installation and Demonstration of a SCADA System and Actuated Gates as Operational Improvements for Managing Surface Water Deliveries to Irrigators
Project Description: This project will be installing a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. This will include activated gates to more accurately monitor diversions and some deliveries, make remotely implemented changes in diverted flows, and to more rapidly react to storm flows on the river to help regulate flow into canals.

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Adobe Acrobat Document 2007 Request for Proposals

Grant Application Materials

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Adobe Acrobat Document Standard Form 424 Application for Federal Assistance

Adobe Acrobat Document Standard Form 424-A Budget Information

Adobe Acrobat Document Standard Form 424-B Certifications

Adobe Acrobat Document Colorado Application Package Checklist

Adobe Acrobat Document Direct Deposit Sign-up Form (SF 1199A)

Adobe Acrobat Document Sample Form 424

All OMB Standard Forms (SF) necessary for CIG submission are available on the following OMB website:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html
 

Rules, Notices, and Additional Information

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Adobe Acrobat Document Final Rule

Adobe Acrobat Document CIG Fact Sheet

Adobe Acrobat Document CIG Key Points

Adobe Acrobat Document CIG Questions and Answers

Adobe Acrobat Document CIG Press Release
 

Colorado CIG Contact


Tim Carney
Assistant State Conservationist (Programs)
655 Parfet Street, Room E200C
Lakewood, CO 80215-5517
Phone: 720.544.2805
tim.carney@co.usda.gov
 


 

Last Modified: 02/06/2008