NRCS South Dakota News Release

NEWS

For Immediate Release

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, Huron, SD, August 22, 2011 – With today’s announcement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack of the awards for the 2011 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Dakota also announced their state-level CIG awards.

The state-level program targeted the establishment of wetland mitigation banks; effective pest management in organic production systems; and innovative water and nutrient management treatment for surface and sub-surface drainage systems including bioreactors. $225,000 had been set aside for this state-level program, with a maximum grant award of $75,000 per project. The CIG pre-proposals were evaluated by a technical team and successful applicants were asked to submit a full project proposal.

“This grant competition is an excellent opportunity to help farmers and ranchers improve environmental health through innovative approaches, and at the same time get some financial assistance in applying those methods,” said Kim Brannen, Assistant State Conservationist for Operations.

The awarded projects are:

1)  South Dakota State University, SD Water Resources Institute, Dept of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at SDSU; ’Demonstration of Nitrate Removal Effectiveness of Bioreactors for Drainage Water Management’; award is $75,000 NRCS funds. The overall objective of this project is demonstrating and evaluating denitrification drainage bioreactors placed on the edge of fields to reduce nitrate loads from subsurface drainage systems to receiving waters in eastern South Dakota.

2)  South Dakota State University, Plant Science Department; ‘Evaluation of Winter Wheat Varieties for Competitiveness with Weeds’; award is for $74,598. The overall objective of this project is to identify varieties of winter wheat with superior ability to compete with weeds under organic management, and evaluate the effect of interseeding red clover on wheat yields.

The CIG is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governments or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals.

-more-

-2-

The CIG projects facilitate NRCS’ work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the Nation's most pressing natural resource concerns. CIG projects will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations.

For more information about NRCS conservation programs online, visit: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov or visit the nearest USDA Service Center in your area. For information about South Dakota CIG projects, contact Kim Brannen at (605) 352-1243, or

#