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Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 60 / Monday, March 29, 2004 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Natural Resources Conservation
Service
Conservation Innovation Grants
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation,
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.
SUMMARY: Section 1240H of the Food
Security Act of 1985, as added by
section 2301 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L.
107–171) established Conservation
Innovation Grants (CIG) as part of the
Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP) (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8).
Through CIG, the Secretary of
Agriculture may pay the cost of
competitive grants to carry out projects
that stimulate innovative approaches to
leveraging Federal investment in
environmental enhancement and
protection in conjunction with
agricultural production. The Secretary
of Agriculture delegated the authority
for the administration of EQIP and CIG
to the Chief of the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), who is a
vice president of the Commodity Credit
Corporation (CCC). EQIP is
administered by NRCS under the
authorities of the CCC.
This notice announces the availability
of up to $15 million of CCC funds for
Conservation Innovation Grants in
Fiscal Year 2004. The funds will be
awarded through a nationwide
competitive grants process.
Applications are requested from eligible
government or non-government
organizations or individuals for
competitive consideration of grant
awards for single or multi-year projects.
This notice sets forth the applicant and
project eligibility requirements,
application procedures, and grant award
criteria for proposed projects.
DATES: Applications must be received in
the NRCS National Office by May 28,
2004.
ADDRESSES: Written applications should
be sent to Sheila Leonard, Grants and
Agreements Specialist, Natural
Resources Conservation Service, 14th
and Independence Ave., SW., Room
5226–S, Washi