“Conservation Innovation Grants invest in innovative, on-the-ground conservation technologies and approaches, with the eventual goal of wide-scale NRCS adoption to address water quality and quantity, air quality, energy conservation, and environmental markets, among other natural resource issues,” Justin Meissner, Arkansas NRCS Acting State Conservationist said.  “We are excited to announce the approval of four Conservation Innovation Grants.”

The Entities receiving the state-level grants are:

• University of Arkansas.:

Fish and Fields: A Novel Climate Smart Practice for Reducing Methane Emissions from Rice Production

• Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas:

Assessment of Biochar in Mitigating Nutrient Runoff and Promoting Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration in Southeast Arkansas

• Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas:

Investigating the Utility and Availability of Compost as a Soil Carbon and Nutrient Amendment for Specialty Crop Production in Arkansas 

NRCS administers CIGs as part of the agency's Environmental Quality Incentives Program.  Grants are awarded to state and local governments, federally-recognized Indian tribes, non-governmental organizations and individuals.

Grant awardees must provide non-federal matching funds for at least 50 percent of the project cost.  Of the non-federal matching funds, a minimum of 25 percent must be from cash contributions, the remaining 25 percent may come from in-kind contributions.

For more on this grant program, visit USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grants webpage at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/cig/

or contact your local NRCS office. To locate a local field office, visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ar/contact/local/.