WYOMING — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks applicants for its Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI), which expands access to technical assistance for livestock producers, and promotes the use of conservation practices on grazing lands.
The agency is investing up to $22 million in partnership funding.
“The additional funding provides a more strategic and comprehensive approach to support grazing systems, reach new and underserved producers and address climate change,” the USDA wrote on its website.
Projects must address one or more of the following priorities:
- Local natural resource concerns
- Climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices and principles
- Encourage existing and new partnerships through emphasizing equity in advancing the resource needs of underserved communities
- Identify and implement strategies to quantify, monitor, report on and verify conservation benefits associated with grazing management systems
- Utilize Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge, where applicable
According to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), partnerships will be used to increase technical assistance for farmers and ranchers, and assist underserved producers to increase their participation in new and existing grazing coalitions. GLCI aims to expand and establish new peer-to-peer networks for grazers and direct financial support for mentors working with new, beginning or transitioning grazers.
This past year, the Initiative has been enhanced to “expand the footprint of well-managed grazing systems across the country,” USDA said in the announcement.
In 2023, the USDA awarded $12 million in cooperative agreements for 49 projects that identified barriers to accessing grazing assistance. These projects will include outreach and support for reaching underserved producers.
Eligibility is limited to single individuals or the following entity types based in any of the 50 States.
- Nonprofit organizations having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) (other than institutions of higher education)
- Farmer or rancher organizations
- State and local conservation governmental agencies
- Agricultural Extension Services
- Native American Tribal governments and organizations
- Land grant universities
For more information and to apply, visit the funding opportunity on grants.gov. Applications are being accepted now through May 26.
