Summary The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing the potential availability of grants and agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources, addressing local natural resource issues, encouraging collaboration

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and developing state- and community-level conservation leadership for historically underserved agricultural producers.

Proposals will be accepted for projects in any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

A total of up to $35 million is available for FY 2020 for projects as identified in Section A(2) of the Full Announcement in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.

Proposals must address outreach work in multiple states.

Applicants with a current grant or agreement with NRCS that ends later than 06/30/2020 are not eligible to submit a proposal for the same purpose or community(s).

Entities with grants or agreements that end prior to that date must have documented excellent progress on current deliverables, and show how additional funds will leverage, continue, and/or further expand that work if applying for the same purpose or community(s).

Applicants must be a Native American tribal government (Federally recognized or non-Federally recognized), nonprofit having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education), private institution of higher education, public and State-controlled institutions of higher education, or an individual Any applicants requesting consideration as either a Historically Underserved (limited resource, beginning, or veteran farmer or rancher) individual, legal entity, or joint operation according to the definition in The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 must state as such in their proposal.

Please see Section of the Full Announcement in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity for more information.

Applicants who self-certifying as Historically Underserved may be requested to provide records to verify their claim.

For more information visit:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/people/outreach/slbfr/?cid=nrcsdev11_001040 Key Dates Proposals must be received via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on February 07, 202 0. Proposals in the possession of NRCS will be scored as they are received and, if eligible, added to a ranking list of projects for funding consideration.

Funding recommendations will be made by the NRCS Director of Outreach and Partnership to the NRCS Deputy Management & Strategy who will make final selections.

Projects Purpose The purpose of Conservation Outreach Grants or Agreements is to leverage NRCS and partner resources to assist historically underserved farmers and ranchers and assist farmers and ranchers to improve, restore or maintain natural resources that:
Improve soil health.

Improve water quality.

Provide habitat for local wildlife species of concern.

Improve the environmental and economic performance of working agricultural lands.

Assist communities and groups to build and strengthen local food projects that provide healthy food and economic opportunities.

Emphasis will be placed on projects that:
Build technical capacity to implement Farm Bill Conservation Programs.

Build technical capacity of NRCS and partner field conservation employees.

Build the capacity of local partners to develop and implement effective projects.

Leverage non-Federal and non-government resources to achieve positive natural resources conservation outcomes.

Project Eligibility Category I- Outreach to assist Historically Underserved Groups.

Eligible projects will increase the delivery of conservation assistance to historically underserved farmers and ranchers through a combination of program outreach and technical assistance in managing natural resources.

Outreach projects should focus on assisting historically underserved farmers and ranchers with all aspects of participating in NRCS programs including understanding the program application process.

Outreach proposals must address work in multiple states and must also identify specific counties in each state where work will be performed.

Proposals must include a letter of support from each NRCS State Conservationist where work is proposed.

Failure to obtain a letter of support may result in elimination of your proposal from competition.

Category II -Collaboration on Strategic Natural Resource Issues.

Eligible projects will protect and preserve the environment to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations through the responsible management of natural resources, development of effective partnerships and promotion of environmental stewardship.

Projects may include providing technical assistance to farmers and ranchers, transfer of technology, developing natural resource tools and information to address resource concerns in soil, water, air and plants, and animals.

Projects that propose providing technical assistance to farmers and ranchers must address work in multiple states and must also identify specific counties in each state where work will be performed.

Proposals must include a letter of support from each NRCS State Conservationist where work is proposed.

Failure to obtain a letter of support may result in elimination of your proposal from competition.

Each applicant must identify which category they wish to compete in for funding.