Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) in Vermont

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 (EQIP) funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal entities.

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 the CIG program which requires a 50-50 match between the agency and the applicant.  CIG is offered as both a nationwide and a state program:

• The CIG National Component offers eligible entities the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $1 million. NRCS is making available up to $30 million in this nationwide competition for 2012 through two CIG funding opportunities. The first one focused in the following areas: Nutrient Management, Energy Conservation, Soil Health, Wildlife, and CIG Projects Assessment. The deadline to submit pre-proposal applications was January 31, 2012. The second one focused on: Market Analysis of Supply and Demand for Water Quality Credits, Market Rules, and Infrastructure.  The deadline to submit full proposal applications was March 2, 2012. Both application periods are now closed.
• The CIG State Component offers eligible entities the opportunity to apply for grants up to $75,000. This competition is limited to applications for projects within the state of Vermont.

Vermont applicants can apply to the National program, the State program, or both programs.

2012 Vermont State CIG

Up to $175,000 is available for the 2012 Vermont CIG state competition. Funds will be awarded through a statewide competitive grants process. The Announcement of Program Funding document outlines the entire application process. Proposals are requested from eligible entities for competitive consideration of grant awards for projects between one and three years in duration. The 2012 Vermont State competition was announced March 12, 2012 on Grants.gov. All proposals must be received in the NRCS Vermont state office no later than 4:00 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, April 17, 2011. Complete applications will be evaluated by a technical peer review panel and scored based on the criteria identified in the Announcement of Program Funding. For 2012, the Vermont State CIG has three categories of natural resources concerns and technology needs for possible funding. The categories are: Water Quality, Wildlife and Energy. The program announcement provides details on topics that will be considered for funding.

2009 - 2011 Vermont State CIG Projects

$153,352 in federal funds was made available for four projects under the 2011 Vermont CIG state competition. The Vermont State CIG had six categories of natural resources concerns and technology needs for possible funding and received seven applications. The categories were: Energy, Soil Quality, Priority Landscapes, Nutrient Management, Program Outreach and Conservation Technology Transfer to Targeted Groups, and Sustainable Agriculture. The funded projects are: Digging Deeper: Improving the Implementation of Nutrient Management Practices in Vermont, Fuel from the Field to the Flue: Grass Pellet Heating Equipment Combustion Optimization Project, Innovative Technologies for Energy Conservation in Vermont Greenhouses, and Yestermorrow’s Greenhouse: A Model of Innovation. Project descriptions are available.

$69,812 in federal funds was made available for one project under the 2010 Vermont CIG state competition. The Vermont State CIG had three categories of natural resources concerns and technology needs for possible funding. The categories were: Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture, Energy, and Priority Landscapes. The funded project is: Increasing Livestock Production for Vermont Markets by Improving and Reclaiming Marginal Pasture. A project descriptions are available.

$317,596 in federal funds was made available for seven projects under the 2009 Vermont CIG state competition. The Vermont State CIG had four categories of natural resources concerns and technology needs for possible funding: Atmospheric Resources, Farm and Forest Energy Production, Maintaining Working Landscapes Sustainably, and Soil and Water Resources. Funded projects are: White River Watershed Landscape Auction, Anaerobic Digester Effluent Treatment to Reduce Agricultural Atmospheric Emissions, Pellet Fired Boiler for Multiple Greenhouses, Promoting Zone Tillage among Commercial Vegetable Growers in Vermont, Optimizing the Greenhouse Gas Storage Capacity and Productivity of Degraded Forest Lands, Increasing Carbon Sequestration in Vermont Pastures, and Designing a Sustainable Corn Silage Cropping System for Vermont. Project descriptions are available.

National CIG Awards in Vermont

Fifteen National CIG awards have funded Vermont based projects or multi-state efforts that include Vermont. Here is a list of the projects. See the National CIGwebsite for additional details.

2012 Vermont State CIG Application Package Materials

Vermont CIG state funds are awarded through a statewide competitive grants process. The Announcement of Program Funding document outlines the entire application process. The grant application package materials identify the objectives for CIG projects, the eligibility criteria for projects and associated instructions needed to apply to CIG.

Contact

Bob Kort    
Vermont State CIG Program Manager
Phone: 802-951-6796 x233
Email: bob.kort@vt.usda.gov