<div dir="ltr">FYI...<br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Gonzalez Jr., Roberto - OPPE, Calexico, CA</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:roberto.gonzalez@usda.gov">roberto.gonzalez@usda.gov</a>></span><br>Date: Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 11:55 AM<br>Subject: USDA-NRCS Conservation Outreach: Racial Equity and Justice Conservation Cooperative Agreements ($100,000 - $1,000,000)<br>To: Gonzalez Jr., Roberto - OPPE, Calexico, CA <<a href="mailto:roberto.gonzalez@usda.gov">roberto.gonzalez@usda.gov</a>><br></div><br><br>





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<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing up to $50 million in cooperative agreements to
 support historically underserved farmers and ranchers with climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The Racial Justice and Equity Conservation Cooperative Agreements are available to entities for two year projects that expand the delivery of conservation assistance
 to farmers who are beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Projects should remove barriers to access and reach historically underserved groups through a combination of program outreach and technical assistance in managing natural resources
 that address one or more of the following four NRCS priority areas:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Addressing local natural resource issues;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Using climate-smart agriculture practices and principles;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Encouraging existing and new partnerships; and<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Developing state and community-led conservation leadership for historically underserved agricultural producers, including educating and training students for careers in natural resources management.<u></u><u></u></span></li></ol>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The projects should help historically underserved farmers and ranchers in implementing natural resources conservation practices that:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Improve soil health;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Improve water quality;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Provide habitat for local wildlife species of concern;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Improve the environmental and economic performance of working agricultural land;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Build and strengthen local food projects that provide healthy food and economic opportunities; and<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4084932463781125418MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Provide conservation planning that develops solutions to frequent and changing weather patterns.<u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Historically underserved producers include those who are considered beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers
 and ranchers.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<strong><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Who Is Eligible</span></u></strong><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><br>
</span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Entities who provide outreach assistance to historically underserved groups are eligible, including:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Private and Public institutions of higher education;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Nonprofit organizations;<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Native American tribal governments and organizations.<u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
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<u></u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black"><span>o<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">  
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<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Closing Date for Applications:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> Oct 25, 2021<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">There is no specified cost sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity. There is no competitive advantage to applicants who
 voluntarily provide a match.<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The funding floor for this opportunity is $100,000, and the funding ceiling is $1,000,000. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding
 amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling means the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount and not any specific budget period.  Projects may be up
 to one to two years in duration.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">VIEW GRANT OPPORTUNITY:
<a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=335400" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:normal">https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=335400</span></a></span></strong><u></u><u></u></p>
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