The Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program (also referred to as the Roadside Pollinator Program) is an annual competitive grant program that awards grants to eligible entities to … Read more
Iowa has lost more than 99% of the native prairie that once covered much of the state and roughly 95% of its wetlands. This project aims to connect existing wildlife habitat areas to create corridors for pollinators and other wildlife.
Project Location:
Iowa
Contact:
Ryan Smith, Executive Director, Iowa Wildlife Federation (ryan@iawildlife.org)
Funding Programs:
USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program
Project Description
The project expects to restore 1,500 acres of prairie and 100 acres of wetlands from land that is now cropland. USDA will make $3.7 million available for the project — $2.8 million for financial incentives to farmers and farmland owners and $0.9 million for technical assistance to help farmers develop conservation plans and apply for assistance from the program. Iowa Wildlife Federation is providing in-kind match for the project, Farmland National Company is helping identify potential participants, and Iowa State University is providing expertise for the project.
Interview
What advice would you have for someone else applying to this?
Start early. Bringing partners together, fleshing out the project, crafting the budget and working through the application process all take time, and the request for proposals tends to come with a relatively short deadline. The program takes applications on an annual basis so organizations and agencies can assemble the partnership, develop the concept, and obtain commitments for support well before the request for proposals goes public. Contact the USDA’s designated Regional Conservation Partnership Program manager in your USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state office early in the process, as they can provide valuable insight.
What challenges did you come across and how did you navigate them?
This is a federal program so the process can move slowly – adjust your expectations accordingly. The project by the end of the process may not be quite what you thought it was going to be because of the federal requirements and NRCS priorities, so remain flexible. Be prepared to learn NRCS’ language and way of doing things, or bring in someone who has worked with the agency.
What were the areas of support that helped you in the process (contractor, grant admin, project ID/planning, education, project design)?
Hiring a professional grant writer with experience in these kinds of projects was extremely helpful in writing the grant. The NRCS state office staff were very helpful in providing support as we moved through the process.
Did/do you have a budget and/or plans for monitoring and measuring project success?
Yes, RCPP projects require that success metrics be identified such as number of producers contacted, number receiving technical assistance, and number enrolled in USDA conservation programs as a result of the project. USDA requires that environmental outcomes be identified in the application, monitored and reported to USDA annually. Reports to USDA on both success metrics and environmental outcomes are required on an annual basis.