Accelerate conservation adoption in the Western Lake Erie Basin | USDA NRCS IN WLEB 18 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS IN WLEB 18 01

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant opportunity titled "Accelerate conservation adoption in the Western Lake Erie Basin" is a discretionary funding program offered through a cooperative agreement. Its central goal is to build partnerships that help speed up the adoption of on-the-ground conservation practices in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB), with a clear environmental outcome in mind: reducing nutrient runoff from agricultural lands and improving overall water quality in the basin. The opportunity is aimed at organizations that can work directly with agricultural producers or strengthen the systems that support conservation delivery, helping ensure that conservation practices are planned correctly, installed properly, and maintained over time.

Projects funded under this announcement are expected to align with NRCS conservation objectives and focus areas tied to the Western Lake Erie Basin. While the announcement does not list every practice or priority in the excerpt provided, the framing makes the intent straightforward: applicants should propose practical, adoption-oriented work that results in measurable improvements in nutrient management and runoff reduction, particularly in agricultural landscapes that influence Lake Erie water quality. The emphasis is on accelerating implementation, meaning proposals should demonstrate how they will increase the pace and scale of conservation adoption rather than simply studying the problem.

A key feature of this funding is its focus on technical assistance rather than research. NRCS defines technical assistance broadly as the expertise, training, tools, and support that producers need to successfully implement, operate, and maintain conservation systems on land used for agriculture, forestry, or related purposes. This includes direct technical services to farmers and ranchers, such as conservation planning, technical consultation, and support with the design and implementation of specific conservation practices. It also includes technical infrastructure work that strengthens conservation delivery capacity, such as developing or applying technical standards, conducting resource inventories, providing training, improving data and technology systems, monitoring implementation, and conducting effects analyses. In other words, the grant is meant to help people do conservation work and support the delivery pipeline, not to fund stand-alone scientific research.

Eligibility is broad and includes government entities (state, county, city or township, and special districts), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. A geographic constraint applies: applications must come from eligible entities based in Indiana or with substantial operations in Indiana, reflecting the state-specific focus for this particular competition even though the basin spans a wider region.

The program allows flexibility in project duration. NRCS will accept applications for either single-year projects or multi-year proposals, with a maximum project period of up to three years. Funding details in the source indicate an award ceiling of $100,000, with one award expected. The original posting was created May 8, 2018, with an original closing date of June 15, 2018. The funding falls under CFDA number 10.902, and the opportunity category is listed as Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources, consistent with its conservation and water quality objectives.

Overall, the opportunity is designed for applicants that can credibly help agricultural producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin implement conservation solutions quickly and effectively, either through hands-on field support or by strengthening the technical systems behind conservation delivery. The clearest boundary is that proposals should focus on implementation support and adoption acceleration, not research activities.

• The Department of Agriculture, Kentucky State Office in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Accelerate conservation adoption in the Western Lake Erie Basin" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 08, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 15, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for USDA NRCS IN WLEB 18 01

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