NRCS CIG for Water Quality Credit Trading Market Development

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) into NRCS policy, technical manuals,
guides, and references or to the private sector. CIG does not fund research projects. Projects
intended to test hypotheses do not qualify. CIG is used to apply or demonstrate previously
proven technology. It is a vehicle to stimulate development and adoption of conservation
approaches or technologies that have been studied sufficiently to indicate a high likelihood of success, and to be a candidate for eventual technology transfer or institutionalization. CIG promotes sharing of skills, knowledge, technologies, and facilities among communities, governments, and other institutions to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users. CIG funds projects targeting innovative, on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations.

In FY 2012, CIG is offering a water quality credit trading systems funding category. Water
quality credit trading markets are an emerging means to meet existing or potential Federal and
State level water quality requirements. The overall goal of these grants is to support State
agencies and/or other cooperating entities seeking to design and launch water quality credit
trading markets between point and non-point sources.

NRCS will accept applications for single or multi-year projects, not to exceed 3 years, submitted to NRCS from eligible entities including Federally recognized Indian tribes, State and local units of government, and non-governmental organizations and individuals. Applications are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this
notice. Incomplete applications will be eliminated from competition, and notification of
elimination will be mailed to the applicant. Complete applications received by applicable
deadlines will be evaluated by a technical peer review panel based on the Criteria for Application Evaluation identified in the application instructions in section V.B.

Applications, along with their associated technical peer review, will be forwarded to the Grants Review Board. The Grants Review Board will make recommendations for project approval to
the NRCS Chief who will make the final selections.