The Office of Outreach and Partnerships Division (OPD) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides leadership and funding to ensure that all programs and services are made accessible to all NRCS customers, fairly and equitably, with emphasis on reaching the underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers and landowners. In this RFA, NRCS requests applications for four OPD priority areas through the Racial Equity and Justice Conservation Cooperative Agreements. The goal of this outreach is for NRCS in collaboration with partners to expand the delivery of conservation assistance to historically underserved farmers and ranchers, including socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning, tribal and veteran. Proposals should support activities that introduce the concepts of climate-smart agriculture and to assist producers with planning and implementation of conservation practices and principles.
In accordance with 2 CFR §415.1(d), this is a non-competitive RFA restricted to eligible entities listed in section C.1. NRCS has determined that noncompetitive awards under this RFA are in the best interest of the Government and necessary to the accomplishment of the goals of the program to provide outreach and technical assistance to historically underserved communities.
The purpose of Conservation Outreach: Racial Equity and Justice Conservation Cooperative Agreements is to enhance NRCS and partner resources to assist historically underserved farmers and ranchers in implementing natural resources conservation practices that:
o Improve soil health;
o Improve water quality and quantity;
o Provide habitat for local wildlife species of concern;
o Improve the environmental and economic performance of working agricultural land;
o Build and strengthen local food projects that provide for sustainable healthy food production and economic opportunities; and
o Provide conservation planning that develops solutions to frequent and changing weather patterns.
An applicant may not submit more than one application. If more than one application is submitted, only the last application submitted will be considered.
Deadlines:
- Duke Internal: Interested applicants from within Duke should contact dukeiln@duke.edu as early as possible.
- Sponsor Deadline: Oct. 25, 2021