The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering a grant to foster conservation solutions and strategic partnerships across the Pacific Islands Area.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking proposals from parties and potential partners to execute conservation solutions in the Pacific Islands Area (i.e., Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)).

The objective of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is to:

1. Increase conservation delivery capacity of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and emerging partners by increasing the number of partner staff implementing or supporting conservation delivery for:

a. NRCS Service Centers serving American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

b. Any NRCS Service Center areas in the Pacific Islands Area

c. Improving Farm Bill contract completion

d. Improving Farm Bill contracted practice implementation

2. Increase adoption and implementation of soil health plans on cropland by:

a. Organizing interactive feedback, education, and outreach events to engage customer interest in soil health management systems and plans

b. Building local conservation delivery capacity of certified Technical Service Providers (TSPs) to develop soil health management plans, as per Soil Health Management Plan Criteria Practice/Activity Code (116)

3. Evaluate carbon and nitrogen cycles in local cropping systems to assess impacts of established conservation practices on soil organic matter and soil carbon

4. Support innovative projects and programs that amplify outcomes for:

a. Economics of Soil Health

b. Soil Carbon Amendments (as per NRCS Conservation Practice Standard) (Soil Carbon Amendment – Code 808; included under Other Related Documents of the NFO)

c. Watershed Function

5. Accelerate results through strategic partnerships that:

a. Support PIA’s Targeted Conservation Delivery Strategy

b. Support PIA’s Strategic Plan Initiative

A webinar for applicants is scheduled for March 10, 2021, at 2 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the NRCS PIA website (https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/events/pia/newsroom/events/?eventDate=3-2021).