Sand County Foundation Inc

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,462,410 TO THE SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS WITH IMPROVING THE WATER QUALITY OF THE GULF OF AMERICA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT CAN IMPROVE RESILIENCE AND WATER QUALITY WITHIN THE LOWER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN. ANNUAL SOIL HEALTH SAMPLES AND REAL-TIME SOIL MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR DATA WILL BE COLLECTED ACROSS NEBRASKA AND KANSAS.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE RECRUITING DEMONSTRATION FARMS OR RANCHES THAT INTEGRATE MULTIPLE SOIL HEALTH PRINCIPLES. THESE INCLUDE MINIMIZING SOIL DISTURBANCE, INTEGRATING LIVESTOCK, AND MAXIMIZING SOIL COVER, PLANT DIVERSITY, AND PRESENCE OF LIVING PLANTS/ROOTS. AN ADJACENT FARM OR RANCH WILL BE INVITED TO JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION 'PAIR' (15-PAIRS). EACH SELECTED PAIR OF FARMERS OR RANCHERS WILL INCLUDE ONE IMPLEMENTING SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND ONE CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT. IN YEAR ONE, DETAILED FARM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION INCLUDING CROP ROTATION, TILLAGE, COVER CROP USE, NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, AND OPERATION DATES WILL BE COLLECTED FROM EACH COOPERATING FARMER TO DOCUMENT THE PREVIOUS (THREE YEARS) AND CURRENT OPERATIONS. WATER QUALITY DATA WILL BE COLLECTED (CROPX SENSORS) TO IDENTIFY TRENDS AND INFER WHICH NUTRIENTS (NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, POTASSIUM) MAY LEACH INTO THE SOIL. A NUTRIENT TRACKING TOOL WILL BE USED TO ANALYZE EACH FARM'S BASELINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND TO ESTIMATE THE CONSERVATION BENEFITS RELATED TO ANY REDUCTIONS IN NUTRIENT AND SEDIMENT LOADS.SUBRECIPIENT:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH SUBAWARDS INCLUDE SOIL SAMPLING, CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF DATA COLLECTED, AND CONDUCTING ALL PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION AND EXPANDED SOIL HEALTH LABORATORY WORK TO ASSURE CONSISTENCY AND COMPARABILITY IN MEASUREMENTS. OTHER SUBAWARD ACTIVITIES INCLUDE OUTREACH AND ASSISTING WITH FARMER RECRUITMENT AND FIELD DAY EVENTS.OUTCOMES:ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE AN INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT CAN INFLUENCE WATER INFILTRATION, WATER HOLDING CAPACITY, LEACHING POTENTIAL, AGGREGATE STABILITY, AND OTHER DYNAMIC SOIL PROPERTIES CRITICAL TO FARM RESILIENCY. SUCH AN AWARENESS BY FARMERS AND RANCHERS WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED CONSERVATION PRACTICES THAT WILL ENHANCE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT AND WATER QUALITY. ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS UTILIZING CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON THEIR LAND AND A REDUCTION IN NUTRIENT AND SEDIMENT LOADS ENTERING LOCAL WATER BODIES. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES ARE THE FARMERS AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE LOWER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN AND ALL COMMUNITIES ALONG THE GULF OF AMERICA COAST.

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,039,869 TO THE SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO REDUCE NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION AND ENHANCE WATER QUALITY USING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND MONITORING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WATERSHED.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE DEMONSTRATIONS ON FARMS AND ACROSS A TWO-STATE REGION, MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA, FOCUSED ON INFILTRATION, WATER HOLDING CAPACITY, LEACHING POTENTIAL, AGGREGATE STABILITY, AND OTHER DYNAMIC SOIL PROPERTIES, CRITICAL TO CLIMATE RESILIENCY AND NUTRIENT TRANSPORT. FARMERS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH REAL TIME MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON HOW THEIR FIELDS ARE FUNCTIONING WITHIN A SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO BETTER INFORM IN SEASON MANAGEMENT. FARMER COOPERATORS WILL SHARE THEIR CONSERVATION EXPERIENCES. SUBRECIPIENT:SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES WILL BE FUNDED TO IMPLEMENT 18 FIELD DAYS FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. OUTCOMES:ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE 1 VIRTUAL FIELD DAY, 18 IN PERSON FIELD DAYS, 2 MAGAZINE ARTICLES, AND OUTREACH TO OVER 500 FARMERS, INCLUDING 24 HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FARM COOPERATORS. FARMER CONSERVATION PRACTICES WILL BE IMPROVED AND SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT LOADS TO LOCAL WATER BODIES WILL BE REDUCED. FARMERS AND RESIDENTS, IN THE LOWER-MISSISSIPPI RIVER (STATE OF MISSISSIPPI) AND MOBILE RIVER BASINS (STATE OF ALABAMA), WILL BENEFIT FROM REDUCED NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION AND IMPROVED WATER QUALITY.

THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $997,383 TO THE SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION, WISCONSIN, TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS WITH IMPROVING WATER QUALITY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH FARMING PRACTICES THAT REDUCE SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT RUNOFF. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRACTICES LIKE AS REDUCED-TILL, COVER-CROPS, ROTATIONAL GRAZING, EXTENDED CROP-ROTATIONS, AND PERENNIAL VEGETATION, THERE WILL BE REDUCED SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT RUNOFF, IMPROVED INFILTRATION, AND A MORE RESILIENT AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM TO DELIVER A CLEANER, SAFER, AND HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT.

CONSERVATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

CONSERVATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

DESCRIPTION:THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INNOVATION CENTER (EPIC) WILL ESTABLISH A NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER (EFC). THE CENTRAL GOAL IS TO PROVIDE DIRECT WATER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA) TO ENSURE UNDERSERVED AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES (DACS) - PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE NOT ACCESSED FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BEFORE AND ARE NOT CURRENTLY RECEIVING A SIMILAR KIND OF TA - ACCESS BIL FUNDS. DIRECT WATER TA SHOULD PUT COMMUNITIES ON THE PATH TO APPLY FOR, ACCESS, AND USE BIL FUNDS TO INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.ACTIVITIES:1. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA): PROVIDE DIRECT WATER TA TO 45 TA RECIPIENTS (E.G. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UTILITIES, AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS) FOR PLANNING, PRE-DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, AND APPLICATIONS FOR STATE REVOLVING FUNDS (SRFS) TO FINANCE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE WITH BIL FUNDING OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THEN MORE COMMUNITIES IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS (NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT WILL BE ASSESSED AFTER COMPLETION OF INITIAL 45 OVER TWO YEARS). EPIC WILL COORDINATE WITH THE EPA AND OTHER EFCS TO PROVIDE TA, WITH A FOCUS ON ASSISTANCE TO MEDIUM-SIZED MUNICIPALITIES (POPULATIONS FROM 10,000 TO 100,000). EPIC AIMS TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE TA RECIPIENTS ADVANCE LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT (LSLR). 2. LSLR SUPPORT TO REGIONAL EFCS: PROVIDE SUPPORT TO REGIONAL EFCS TO EMPLOY BEST PRACTICES AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO HELP TA RECIPIENTS ACCELERATE LSLR. 3. SPECIAL PROJECTS -PUNCHLIST EXPLAINING STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS TO APPLYING FOR SRF FUNDS IN EACH STATE. -COMMISSIONED SRF ANALYSIS: AT THE REQUEST OF THE EPA, CONDUCT SRF ANALYSIS. -TA TRAINING RESOURCE LIBRARY: COORDINATE WITH EPA TO COMPILE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF TRAINING TOOLS, RESOURCES, AND GUIDES TO ADD TO EPA'S TA CLEARINGHOUSE. SUBRECIPIENT:EFC FUNDS WILL SUPPORT, IN PART, SUBGRANT RECIPIENTS FOR TA, INCLUDING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ($20,000/PLACE); TECHNICAL EXPERTS FOR GAP ANALYSES, TA WORKPLANS, AND AD HOC ADVISORY WORK ($10,000/PLACE); AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS FOR TA WORKPLAN IMPLEMENTATION ($40,000/PLACE). BECAUSE THE ACTUAL AMOUNTS NEEDED FOR INDIVIDUAL TA PROJECTS ARE HIGHER THAN THE REQUESTED FEDERAL FUNDS, EPIC WILL USE VOLUNTARY COST-SHARE AS NEEDED TO COVER THOSE COSTS.OUTCOMES:1.1 COMMUNITY IDENTIFICATION AND COORDINATION (BENEFICIARY: EPA/EPIC) #9679; LIST OF POTENTIAL TA RECIPIENTS IN UNDERSERVED AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES BASED ON COMPILED DATA #9679; FIRST COHORT OF POTENTIAL TA RECIPIENTS IDENTIFIED BY APRIL '23 #9679; SUBSEQUENT COHORTS IDENTIFIED ANNUALLY BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED IN YEARS 1 AND 2 #9679; CO-DEVELOPED OUTREACH PLAN TO FACILITATE INTRODUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL TA RECIPIENTS #9679; LIST OF FIRST COHORT OF POTENTIAL TA RECIPIENTS TO REACH OUT TO BY MAY '23 #9679; LIST OF SUBSEQUENT COHORTS DEVELOPED ANNUALLY BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED IN YEARS 1 AND 2 1.2 INITIAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT (BENEFICIARY: TA COMMUNITIES) #9679; OUTREACH TO THE FIRST COHORT OF 90 POTENTIAL TA RECIPIENTS. AIM FOR HALF OF THEM TO BE LIKELY TO PURSUE LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT (LSLR) PROJECTS #9679; OUTREACH TO FIRST COHORT COMPLETED JUNE-SEPTEMBER '23 #9679; OUTREACH TO SUBSEQUENT COHORTS WILL BE BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED IN YEARS 1 AND 2 #9679; QUARTERLY REPORTING EXPECTED TO BEGIN Q3 #9679; YEARS 1 AND 2: 45 LETTERS OF INTENT (23 ON LSLR) OR OTHER COMMITMENTS INDICATING TA RECIPIENT WILL ENGAGE WITH EPIC TO RECEIVE DIRECT TA #9679; YEARS 3-5: NUMBER OF LOIS WILL DEPEND ON ADAPTATIONS TO THE PROCESS RESULTING FROM LESSONS LEARNED IN YEARS 1 AND 2 1.3 TA: ASSESSMENT, PRE-DEVELOPMENT, AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT (BENEFICIARY: TA COMMUNITIES) #9679; YEARS 1 AND 2: 20-25 CBOS RECEIVE FUNDS FOR ENGAGEMENT #9679; YEARS 1 AND 2: 45 GAP ANALYSES IN YEARS 1 AND 2 #9679; YEARS 1 AND 2: 45 TA WORKPLANS #9679; YEARS 3-5: NUMBER OF TA WORKPLANS WILL DEPEND ON A

AMPLIFYING THE REACH AND IMPACT OF THE LAND ETHIC MENTORSHIP FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FARMERS AND RANCHERS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT IS FOR RE-ENERGIZING LOCALLY-LED GRAZING MANAGEMENT NETWORKS THROUGH FARMER ADVISING, PEER LEARNING, AND HABITAT ASSESSMENT.

PERFORMANCE BASED CONSERVATION TO INCENTIVIZE CLIMATE SMART MANAGEMENTIN WISCONSIN

EMPLOY CONSERVATION TECHNICAL STAFF; WISCONSIN LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD VIDEO PRODUCTION

EMPOWERING LANDOWNERS BY ADVANCING A LAND ETHIC

EMPLOY SOIL CONSERVATIONIST STAFF POSITION; WISCONSIN LEOPOLDCONSERVATION AWARD VIDEO PRODUCTION

TO REACH OUT TO STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND COMMUNITIES AND ENCOURAGE GREATER REPRESENTATION AND INCLUSION IN CONSERVATION CAREERS.

TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING LAND STEWARDSHIP ON WORKING LANDS IN MINNESOTA THROUGH THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM.

SPONSORSHIP TO SUPPORT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION'S 2024 NATIONAL PRIVATE LAND CONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM WHICH BRING TOGETHER THE NATION'S LEADING PRIVATE LANDOWNER CONSERVATIONISTS.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT, BETWEEN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS) AND THE SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION, IS TO PILOT THE USE OF INTERMEDIARIES TO EXPAND THE FARMER-TO-FARMER ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE LAND ETHIC MENTORSHIP AND TARGET OUTREACH IN ALABAMA’S WIREGRASS REGION.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION

TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING LAND STEWARDSHIP ON WORKING LANDS IN NEW MEXICOTHROUGH THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM.

WORKING TO PROMOTE CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES IN OKLAHOMA AND INFLUENCE OKLAHOMA LANDOWNERS WITH REPEATABLE EXAMPLES OF HOW TO ACHIEVE CONSERVATION ON WORKING LANDS.

TO SUPPORT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM IN ILLINOIS, A STATEWIDE AWARD PROGRAM RECOGNIZING THE VERY BEST IN CONSERVATION P RACTICES ON PRIVATE WORKING LANDS TO INSPIRE CONSERVATION ADOPTION.

TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON PRIVATE LANDS AND CELEBRATE A LANDOWNER’S CONSERVATION SUCCESS ON AGRICULTURAL LAND TO INSPIRE CONSERVATION ADOPTION AMONG OTHER LANDOWNERS.

PROMOTE CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES AND INFLUENCE LANDOWNERS WITH REPEATABLE EXAMPLES OF HOW TO ACHIEVE CONSERVATION ON WORKING LANDS.

SUPPORT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION'S 2020 NATIONAL PRIVATE LANDONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM WHICH WILL BRING TOGETHER THE NATION'S LEADING PRIVATE LANDOWNER CONSERVATIONISTS

CONSERVATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE - GE

THIS AGREEMENT WILL FACILITATE THE VIDEOGRAPHY (FILMING AND DELIVERING)FOR LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD VIDEOS.

CONSERVATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE - GE