Conservation Improves Profits: Obtaining Grants

Power Point Presentation

• Sustainable farming and ranching operations depend on conservation of resources.
• Public grant programs are one way to help meet objectives.
• Water quality, Soil Quality, and Wildlife habitat are major public policy concerns addressed by Grant and Maintenance programs.
  1. Grant programs to implement BMPs provide the majority of funding.
     1. Formal grant application
     2. Annual cycle
     3. 1-2 year project period
     4. Up to 50% funding match
     5. No long-term maintenance of practices
     6. address a wide range of issues
     7. Examples will be discussed
  2. Performance programs to maintain BMPs provide less funding, but are growing.
     1. Year round enrollment
     2. 10-15 year contracts
     3. Maintenance performance qualifies payments
     4. Address specific issues
     5.  Examples: Grasslands Reserve Program, Conservation Security Program, and Buffer Strip Initiative Program
• Motivation to participate:
  1. Pro-active approach
  2. Failure to follow agency recommendations could result in litigation
  3. Property and/or water rights could be at risk
  4. Public funding can be the most cost effective business plan
  5. Conservation improvements can increase land values
  6. Favorable tax treatment for capital projects
  7. Contractual annual payments
• Best Management Practices to improve water quality and habitat that also increase ranching economics are:
  1. Riparian fencing
  2. Cross fencing
  3. Off-channel water wells with drinkers
  4. Brush control and over-seeding
  5. Irrigation system improvements
  6. Vegetative plantings
  7. Invasive species/noxious weed control
• Funding is available from:
  1. Privately funded charitable organizations that generally require non-profit status, e.g. 501c3
  2. Publicly funded programs through state and Federal agencies.
• State agency program examples:
  1. Game & Fish Department
  2. Department of Water Resources -AZ Water Protection Fund
  3. State Land Department (SIP)
  4. Tribal programs
• Federal agency program examples:
  1. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
     1. Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
     2. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
     3. Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
     4. Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
     5. Conservation Security Program (CSP)
  2. EPA-Department of Environmental Quality -Water Quality Improvement Grant Program
  3. US Fish & Wildlife Service
     1. Partners in Fish & Wildlife (PFW)
     2. Private Stewardship Grant Program (PSP)
     3. Section 6 funding for Conservation Easements.
     4. Safe Harbor Agreement.
  4. Western Region Sustained Ag and Research Educational grant program (SARE).
  5. Tribal programs
• Common features of grant programs are:
  1. Administration
  2. Deadline
  3. Application
  4. Ranking
  5. Contract
  6. Implementation
  7. Reimbursement
  8. Reporting
  9. Monitoring
  10. Outreach
• Actions required by grant participants
  1. Planning (grant programs are competitive)
     1. NRCS conservation plan
     2. Review TMDL and/or species recovery plans
     3. Obtain grant guidelines
     4. Attend agency grant information workshop
  2. Application
     1. Local NRCS office
     2. Agency offering grant program
     3. Deadline
  3. Implement tasks
  4. Request reimbursement
  5. Reporting - quarterly, annually, final
  6. Maintenance
• For further information about specific grant programs, contact the agency and/or look on the internet. See Other Websites on ECBarRanch.com website, including Environmental Defense website for a library of incentive programs, safe harbor agreements, and other information.