The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) manages the Conservation Partners Program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and General Mills. The program awards competitive grants that accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture principles and conservation practices on private working lands in priority geographic areas. Grant recipients provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to help them develop management plans, design and implement best practices, participate in Farm Bill programs, and share their experiences and lessons learned. This work enhances wildlife habitat, soil health, water conservation and quality, and carbon storage while providing important social and economic benefits to agricultural producers. Approximately $6.7 million in grant funding is available under this funding opportunity.
The Conservation Partners Program will fund projects that provide agricultural producers with technical assistance to adopt regenerative agriculture systems and conservation practices on their working lands. Grant recipients will hire or otherwise support field conservation professionals who will help producers develop and implement economically sound approaches that achieve positive environmental outcomes.
Competitive projects will increase participation in Farm Bill programs as one way to advance regenerative agriculture principles. Some of these principles include: 1) minimizing chronic disturbances to the soil and biological community; 2) maximizing diversity of plants and animals; 3) keeping the soil covered; 4) keeping a living root in the ground at all times; and 5) efficiently managing water resources. Grant recipients will apply these principles to support producers in developing and advancing holistic approaches that simultaneously improve performance of agricultural operations and ecosystem functions.
The Conservation Partners Program is a nationwide program with specific geographic priority areas where funding will be directed.
Competitive proposals will be focused in one of the eight geographic areas listed below:
The remaining Priority Areas will be funded through separate RFPs, listed and linked below:
Eligible applicants include: non-profit 501(c) organizations, farmer and commodity-led organizations, educational institutions, tribal governments, and state or local units of governments (e.g. state agricultural and/or conservation agencies, counties, townships, cities, conservation districts, utility districts, drainage districts, etc.).
In 2016, the Conservation Partners Program will award approximately $2.7 million in NRCS funds, leveraged by up to an additional $4 million in NFWF funding to eight priority geographic areas listed below. Typical grant awards will range from $50,000 to $200,000.
