Project Search
Since its inception in 2004, CIG has funded hundreds of projects, boosting natural resource conservation while helping producers improve the health of their operations for the future. Use this tool to search for CIG projects based on any of the criteria listed below.
CIG projects from 2004-2009 may be missing information in the following categories: Resource Concern (specific), Conservation Practice, Production/Use.
Showing 961 - 970 of 1802 projects
Purdue University
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IN
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2011
The proposed project directly addresses three of the four Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) objectives by reducing nutrient loading and enhancing wildlife and other ecosystem services, while maintaining agricultural productivity in Indiana, one of the 12 states of consideration. The primary program area addressed is Water Management, through demonstration of treatment effectiveness and efficiency of nitrogen contaminants in runoff or drainage water using innovative practices. In addition, by leveraging other on-going efforts, the proposed project will address many other topics within the MRBI initiative, including:
Wildlife Habitat Improvement - Demonstration of new technique for monitoring fish Habitat
Vegetative Practices – Demonstration of the efficacy of reconnecting subsurface drainage to interflow for enhanced denitrification of shallow groundwater; Demonstration of how placement of appropriate perennial vegetation can bolster nutrient management;
Adaptive Management - Developing models to evaluate the effects of MRBI initiated systems of practices at watershed scales.
Program Outreach - Creating a MRBI demonstration and program outreach site.
Wildlife Habitat Improvement - Demonstration of new technique for monitoring fish Habitat
Vegetative Practices – Demonstration of the efficacy of reconnecting subsurface drainage to interflow for enhanced denitrification of shallow groundwater; Demonstration of how placement of appropriate perennial vegetation can bolster nutrient management;
Adaptive Management - Developing models to evaluate the effects of MRBI initiated systems of practices at watershed scales.
Program Outreach - Creating a MRBI demonstration and program outreach site.
Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts
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OK
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2011
This project aims to create Oklahomas first marketable wildlife credit and the framework for application of future wildlife credits to other species and regions of the state. OACD will collaborate with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and NRCS to develop the concept of a wildlife credit as it applies to the Lesser Prairie Chicken (“LEPC”) Habitat within the project area. This will entail creating protocols for defining, quantifying, and qualifying the credit, developing a credit verification system, and measuring the project’s effect on Oklahoma’s LEPC Habitat and population. A successful crediting system will accurately account for the cost to landowners in implementing the required practices and the income sacrificed by forgoing the possibility of wind development. Through this process OACD and its partners will develop a Wildlife Credit Handbook. This tool will ensure that interested parties outside of OACD will also be capable of transferring the work resulting from this CIG to other regions of the state or the nation.
Cornell University
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NY
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2011
This project will work with three commercial vegetable, herb, and ornamental transplant producers to determine if vermicompost-based fertility programs are effective at reducing nutrient runoff and determining factors necessary for success with vermicompost. The operations are diverse in terms of location (MI, NY, PA), crops produced, and environmental conditions. In cooperation with these producers we will determine baseline and final nutrient run-off data (year 1 and year 3), develop and test strategies for vermicompost-based fertility (year 2) and develop nutrient management plans. Outreach efforts will use the results from these diverse operations to aid organic and in-transition containerized plant producers to reduce nutrient loading while optimizing plant performance and yield.
SureHarvest
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CA
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2011
This project aims to expand and complete metrics pilot testing, to develop, refine and manage metric portfolio, and Governance, outreach and tool development. The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC) is a multi-stakeholder initiative to develop a system for measuring sustainable performance throughout the specialty crop supply chain. Renewal funding is requested to continue an unprecedented collaboration amongst the nation’s most influential grower organizations, NGOs and buyers of specialty crop products. The project is making progress toward providing a suite of outcomes-based metrics to enable operators at any point along the supply chain to benchmark, compare, and communicate their own performance in meeting sustainability goals.
GreenTrust Alliance, Inc
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MD
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2011
The proposed project combines an anaerobic digester with a predenitrification (PDNF) cell to reduce VS and N loads, which are subsequently nitrified in an innovative bioretention system. This system is a stacked bioretention system comprised of advanced media that removes P. Through recirculation pumping from a pre-nitrification (PRNF) cell to a post-nitrification (PONF) cell, N and VS loads are reduced to ensure that the system exceeds operational performance of a traditional RW system, without the typical clogging problems, while operating at a fraction of the Energy cost. The advanced media within these cells virtually eliminates P. The resulting N is very low in ammonia, eliminating odors, while providing a source of nitrate-N suitable for fertilizer. This innovative combination of a PRNF and CAD with a modified RW system utilizes the best elements of traditional technologies/methods in a manner that increases performance efficiencies, reduces or eliminates traditional systemic problems, reduces required Energy inputs and adds the benefit of decreased GHG emissions.
Maryland Department of Agriculture
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MD
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2011
The project will provide outreach, education, technical resources and implement restoration of sites for producers and landowners in target watersheds utilizing the most promising drainage technologies for nutrient and sediment reductions. These sites will couple together some of the newer technologies such as water control structures and phosphorous filters, or hydromodification and offline wetlands to maximize nutrient and sediment education effectiveness. We will work with landowners and farmers to adopt a new management options for drainage ditches, such as, increased buffer setbacks and utilization of the “weed wiper” instead of chemical spraying for vegetation management. Implementation of innovative technologies proposed in this project is supported by Maryland’s Watershed Implementation Plan to address the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Improved knowledge of the nutrient transport process and education on newer drainage ditch management practices will assist landowners and producers in meeting Chesapeake Bay Program nutrient goals.
The Blackfoot Challenge, Inc
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MT
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2011
The Blackfoot Irrigation Efficiency Project proposal seeks support to continue the evaluation of sprinkler irrigation systems which identify potential Energy savings and more importantly what actions can be taken to conserve or use Energy more efficiently within a given sprinkler irrigation system. Over the course of the Blackfoot Irrigation Efficiency Project, we expect to complete first time Energy evaluations on 15 sprinkler irrigation systems. Based on evaluations completed to date, each evaluation identifies approximately 10,000 kWh for a total of 150,000 kWh of potential Energy savings. We conservatively estimate that 40% of completed evaluations will lead to the implementation of recommended Energy saving measures resulting in 60,000 kWh of Energy conserved over the course of this project. The total amount of actual Energy conserved will be measured through efficiency evaluations following implementation of recommended Energy saving measures.
Colorado State University
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CO
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2011
The purpose of the project is to further develop the recently completed NRCS tool (available at: naqsat.tamu.edu) that will aide NRCS staff in assisting producers with making decisions on where strategies to mitigate emissions of dust, odor, VOC, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide will have the greatest impact within a livestock operation. Additionally, the tool will be enhanced to identify existing EQIP practice standards that will address the areas of concern identified by the tool.
Sun Farm Oysters, LLC
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RI
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2011
Increasing the number and productivity of aquaculture farms may very well depend upon the adoption of renewable Energy technologies that will provide environmentally safe and reliable electrical power at remote locations. This project will demonstrate the viability of renewable Energy power to provide reliable Energy to critical needs in a marine environment, isolated from conventional supplemental utility Energy. This approach greatly increases the potential for aquaculture to take place in places where upwelling was previously thought impractical or impossible.
Environmental Defense Fund, Inc
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NY
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2011
The goal of the project is to bring an innovative approach to improving water quality by increasing the effectiveness and implementation of drainage water management and vegetative filter practices. Our project will bring to the table critical innovations to improve conservation outcomes through effective selection and placement of these priority practices and stronger, more diverse economic incentives for practice adoption. We will develop a suite of user-friendly analysis and modeling tools that will enable planners to design effective conservation scenarios and allow stakeholders to evaluate and optimize the environmental and economic impacts of alternative scenarios. These tools will allow NRCS and other agencies to map a new course for conservation across the UMRB that maximizes water quality improvements while maintaining or even enhancing agricultural productivity and net farm income to the extent possible.