2018 Technical Assistance Grants
This cooperative agreement began in 2017 and was a success for NACD, NRCS and the productive lands across our country. Over 7,000 conservation plans were created varying from individual operations to developing long range plans for regions and states. The grant-funded staff help obligate contracts that impacted over 1.1 million acres of working lands. The funds were distributed in subawards to nearly 160 different organizations in 48 states and territories.
The staff hired through this agreement are now a trained workforce and many of them are finding permanent employment with NRCS and elsewhere. Through the agreement, the focused additional capacity funded nearly 250 full and part time staff to work 171 FTE. The requirement for match of 25 percent, of which NACD would provide the first 5 percent. Grant recipients would supplied the remaining 20 percent.
This agreement was completed December 31. 2021.
This cooperative agreement included $10 million in funding to support hiring for conservation operations planning assistance (COTA) and to assist with implementing Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts.
With this agreement, NACD and NRCS reinforced and strengthened bonds between districts, state/territory associations and agencies and national agencies. To ensure their work addressed each state/territory’s priorities required the state and territory conservation leadership to work together. That partnership has encouraged them to find other ways they can work together to address conservation issues.
View the map below to learn about the 2018 TA Grantees.