Alabama NRCS Technical Services and Projects for Fiscal Year 2020 | USDA NRCS AL MULTI 20 NOFO0001021

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS AL MULTI 20 NOFO0001021

The Alabama NRCS Technical Services and Projects for Fiscal Year 2020 opportunity is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cooperative agreement funding notice meant to support conservation work carried out specifically in Alabama. It is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number USDA NRCS AL MULTI 20 NOFO0001021) that funds partner-driven projects that strengthen NRCS delivery capacity and expand conservation outcomes tied to Farm Bill programs, natural resource protection, and community outreach.

The program is organized around four main conservation objectives. First, NRCS is seeking projects that provide conservation planning technical assistance from qualified biologists to help build statewide technical capacity for implementing Farm Bill conservation programs. This includes hands-on support to private landowners and NRCS staff, with a strong emphasis on habitat improvement for the Gopher Tortoise, other threatened and endangered species associated with the longleaf pine ecosystem, and northern bobwhite quail. The intent is not just general wildlife guidance, but targeted technical expertise that can translate into practical, on-the-ground conservation planning and implementation using NRCS planning platforms and tools such as Conservation Desktop and CART, along with any other relevant technology used by NRCS.

Second, the opportunity supports cultural resources technical investigations to ensure NRCS-assisted projects comply with historic preservation requirements. This objective covers reconnaissance surveys, phased field investigations, and evaluation of cultural resources using National Register of Historic Places eligibility criteria (36 CFR Part 63). Deliverables are expected to include management summaries, formal reports, or letter reports documenting findings for review and acceptance by Alabama NRCS archaeologists and cultural resources staff (including Cultural Resources Specialists and the Cultural Resources Coordinator). In practice, this funding area is meant to help NRCS identify and properly manage archaeological and historic properties that could be affected by conservation practice implementation.

Third, NRCS is inviting proposals that provide technical assistance for watershed assessments at the 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) scale. The target watersheds must meet at least one qualifying condition: they contain a stream or water body with documented water quality impairment, are upstream of an impaired reach, or fall within a source water protection area. The watershed must also have agricultural impacts that can realistically be addressed using NRCS conservation practices, meaning the assessment should lead toward actionable conservation strategies rather than purely academic analysis. Applicants are directed to follow the specific Statement of Work for Watershed Assessments and Source Water Assessment posted with the announcement on Grants.gov.

Fourth, the notice places a major focus on outreach designed to increase participation in NRCS programs and services among underserved audiences in Alabama, including socially disadvantaged producers, limited resource farmers, women, veterans, and beginning farmers and ranchers. The announcement lists examples of acceptable outreach approaches, such as organizing conferences and joint USDA outreach meetings, supporting events like a Women in Agriculture conference, coordinating farmer cooperative workshops, and running multi-county conservation events, regional summits, demonstration tours, and rural farmers markets promoted through local media. It also includes community-based efforts like establishing and maintaining community gardens and distributing produce to targeted groups (veterans, women, seniors, and youth), engaging youth and stakeholders in building amenities like walking trails and wetland parks, and developing urban gardens and walking trails that connect conservation, public health, and veteran rehabilitation goals.

Projects under this funding opportunity can last from one to five years, with applicants asked to plan around an anticipated start date of September 15, 2020. The announcement explicitly allows both new projects and continuations of existing work: renewal applications (to continue an existing agreement that already aligns with the notice) and supplementation applications (to add components to an existing agreement so it meets the notice objectives) are eligible and will compete alongside new proposals.

From an administrative standpoint, the awarding agency is USDA NRCS, and the assistance listing is CFDA 10.902. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. NRCS anticipated making about 15 awards, with an award ceiling listed at $1,550,000. Applications were due July 6, 2020, by 11:59 pm Eastern Time, and submission was permitted either through Grants.gov or by email to the listed NRCS contacts (with instructions to copy a second NRCS email address).

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alabama NRCS Technical Services and Projects for Fiscal Year 2020" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 05, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 2020 Applications must be received by 1159 pm Eastern Time. Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov or via e-mail to steve.musser@usda.gov with a copy to stacey.riggins@usda.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,550,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

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