Conservation Innovation Grants Awarded

USDA AWARDS $318,720 IN CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS TO PACIFIC ISLANDS PROJECTS

Honolulu, HI, September 30, 2009-The Natural Resources Conservation Service announces the award of $318,720 in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to five projects designed to develop and refine cutting-edge technologies and approaches that can help producers maintain viable agricultural operations. This is almost $30,000 more than last year.

"There are some truly exceptional ideas in the community that can help protect the Pacific Islands and our unique agricultural and forest areas," said Lawrence Yamamoto, Director of the Pacific Islands Area for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. "This program provides an opportunity to study and showcase some of these ideas," he continued.

CIG funds pilot projects and conservation field trials that can last from one to three years. Grants for approved projects cannot exceed 50 percent of the total project cost and the federal contribution for a single project cannot exceed $75,000.

As part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service administers CIG, which provides competitive grants to state and local governments, tribes, non-governmental organizations and individuals to promote the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applicants from Hawaii, Guam, and the Common Wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands requested CIG grants totaling about $1,341,802. Projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers.

This fiscal year's selected projects will address multiple resource concerns including water quality, pest management, wildlife habitat, and energy conservation. These projects include: “Planting Tree Islands on Private Ranchland”; “Sustainable, Self-Sufficient Electricity Generation for Small Farms”; “Wireless Remote Trapping for the Effective Control of Feral Ungulates”; “Integrated Control Tactics for the New Guinea Sugarcane Weevil”; and “Invasive Weed Mgt Strategies Using Ballistic Technology.”

The information gathered from these projects is intended to lead to new technologies and practices that producers and farmers can adapt to their operation that will help sustain or improve agriculture while conserving our natural resources. To learn more about CIG projects in the Pacific Islands Area please visit: http://www.pia.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/index.html. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

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