Indiana Partners for Conservation

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) invites potential conservation partners in Indiana to submit project applications for dollars through NRCS’ newest funding opportunity – Indiana Partners for Conservation. Indiana NRCS will award up to a total of $1 million to locally driven partnerships that address natural resource issues, encourage collaboration and develop state-and-community-level conservation leadership.

The purpose of the Indiana Partners for Conservation funding is to leverage NRCS and partner resources, assist with NRCS workload and focus on the following priority activities:

• Advance the goals of the Indiana Ag Nutrient Alliance and the Indiana State Nutrient Reduction Strategy (see https://inagnutrients.org/).

• Promote soil health to producers, landowners and/or private agronomic advisors.

• Conduct conservation planning, field practice certifications and/or follow up with producers on establishment of conservation practices.

• Provide soil scientist support and technical assistance including on-site soils investigations and staff training with an emphasis on the southwest area of the state.

• Assist with technical assistance, Farm Bill program promotion, innovative conservation approaches, evaluating conservation outcomes, demonstration farms and/or activities listed above in the Indiana portion of the Western Lake Erie Basin.

Eligible Applicants:

• State governments

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

• Private institutions of higher education

• City or township governments

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• County governments

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

Partners may request between $30,000 and $500,000 in funding and are expected to offer value-added contributions to amplify the impact of NRCS funding by providing a 50% or greater match to the NRCS investment. Projects can be between two and five years in duration and organizations may use this opportunity to request funding for existing Indiana partnership agreements. 

Apply for the program at grants.gov with opportunity number: USDA-NRCS-IN-IPC-21-NOFO0001037

• Archived grants.gov listing for 2021 program. Includes supporting documents.