Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 – Iowa
USDA-NRCS-IA-CIG-18-01
Grants.gov  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=302400
USDA url https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ia/programs/financial/cig/

Conservation Innovation Grants  Priorities for 2018:

Habitat - Projects must address one or more of the following issues:
- Demonstrate the environmental benefits (water quality/wildlife) of managed grazing practices.
- Demonstrate practices that benefit Monarch butterflies, pollinators and other wildlife.
- Evaluate the potential use of carbon credits in grasslands and grazing systems.
- Evaluate and quantify the economic and environmental benefits of converting marginal row crop areas to perennial grazing systems.
- Evaluate the potential benefits of agro-forestry/forest management to woodland health.
- Evaluate practices that reduce gully erosion within forest lands.
- Demonstrate practices that benefit pollinators within forest lands.

Water Quality and Quantity  
- Evaluate and quantify the economic benefits of practices that improve water quality.
- Demonstrate practices that improve water quality, including practices that reduce bacteria levels and that improve the biological health of waters.
- Demonstrate creative ways to increase farmer’s implementation of Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy practices.
- Demonstrate potential for a nutrient credit trading system.
- Demonstrate and evaluate economics, soil and water quality benefits of a three-year or longer extended crop rotation

Soil Health - Soil Health Management Systems  
- Evaluate and quantify the economic and water quality benefits of practices that improve soil health.
- Validate techniques that evaluate soil health metrics and practices.
- Demonstrate the economics of cover crops.
- Evaluate cover crop species performance in monocultures and mixes.
- Evaluate and quantify the economic and environmental benefits of integrating managed grazing into cover crops.
- Evaluate and demonstrate the best management practices for managing different types of cover crops.