FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

State Association to Coordinate the Efforts of Two Major Collaborative Conservation Programs Through 2015

After a competitive process, the AZNRCD is the recipient of a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cooperative Agreement to administer the Healthy Landscapes Partnership (HLP) in Arizona.  According to BLM officials the AZNRCD was successful in securing this agreement due to their presence statewide and close relationship with the state’s conservation districts.  It is the goal of the AZNRCD to ensure a successful program and on the ground results by involving the conservation districts and other partners in the local application of the funds. 

Arizona’s Conservation Districts have over 70 years of experience in working with local landowners to address natural resource conservation issues on working lands, small acreages, and in communities.  Conservation Districts also set priorities for program funding because of their knowledge of the resources.  This will be important in deciding where the funding for the HLP is applied and what it is used for. 

The HLP is a long-term, collaborative interdisciplinary effort to restore and sustain natural aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, while supporting managed land development and working land productivity. HLP objectives are to decrease and or eliminate invasive plant species, limit shrub encroachment within native grasslands, decrease habitat fragmentation, manage altered fire regimes and fuel loads, and improve water quality and quantity. By working this program through the State Association and the Conservation Districts it will be easier to apply conservation at a landscape level scale on a voluntary basis for willing participants. 

HLP funds will be administered by way of two different avenues.  A portion of each year’s funding will automatically be assigned to augment conservation planning and projects within the Borderlands Coordinated Conservation Partnership Initiative on working ranchlands. The remaining funding will move around the state and be applied in priority areas determined by the HLP Committee chaired by the BLM.  In 2010 that area is the Upper San Pedro Watershed.

The AZNRCD has also entered into a collaborative assistance agreement with the New Mexico Assoc. of Conservation Districts (NMACD), and the Black Range Resource Conservation and Development Office to administer the Arizona/New Mexico Borderlands Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI).  This is a voluntary conservation initiative that assists eligible ranchers to install and maintain conservation activities to address priority natural resource concerns. Specifically to address:  reducing the density and expansion of undesirable invasive shrubs, maintain or improve vegetative species composition, maintain or improve the economic feasibility of ranching operations, improve wildlife habitat, decrease runoff and erosion, and control the spread of noxious and invasive weeds.  CCPI’s funding comes through EQIP, which is the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, through the NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service). NRCS is the lead federal agency for private land conservation, providing voluntary conservation planning, and technical/financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to address natural resource concerns.
This CCPI is based on a five-year agreement, during which time the AZNRCD will work with the Whitewater Draw, Gila Valley, and Willcox-San Simon NRCD’s and other partners to address natural resource conservation concerns.  Funds will be distributed to those who qualify.

It cannot be overstated that participation in the HLP or the CCPI is voluntary.  It is the goal of all partners involved to provide an avenue for landowners whether referring to federal, state, or privately held property to have access to this collaborative conservation effort.

Stefanie Smallhouse, the Executive Director for AZNRCD has said “It is exciting to bring these two programs together under one umbrella to accomplish a wide swath of resource conservation on working lands in Arizona.” 

For more information about the two programs contact:

Deborrah Smith
Programs Director, AZNRCD
(830)-719-5372

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS TO ASSIST WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY CONVERSION PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ARIZONA’S RANCHERS AND FARMERS

Phoenix, AZ – April 22,2010- Arizona’s Natural Resource Conservation Districts (NRCD) have been assisting landowners since 1942 by providing education and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers while facilitating their participation in conservation programs. NRCD’s are excited to announce the availability of a new program of which districts will be helping to administer on the local level.

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and State Energy Program Grant administered by the AZ Dept. of Commerce a proposed $1.5 million will fund this program over the next two years. In the second funding cycle (2010/2011) up to $540,000 will be available to Arizona’s farmers and ranchers for conversion of fossil fueled agricultural production systems to renewable energy power. It is the intent of the Arizona Dept. of Commerce to offer the Conversion to Renewable Energy Incentive Program (CREIP) to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels for agricultural production in rural Arizona while creating jobs and economic stimulus in rural communities. Conversion of existing systems from gas, oil, diesel, and in some cases electric to the utilization of the abundant renewable energy available in the state will provide benefit in terms of energy savings, cost savings, better air quality and the creation of jobs and businesses related to the renewable energy and agricultural service industries. Commerce will solicit applications from agricultural producers for the following systems: livestock waters, irrigation, and production buildings. This grant is offered as a cost share program reimbursable at 75% of project costs. Maximum reimbursement limits apply.

Local Natural Resource Conservation Districts will assist the AZ Dept. of Commerce with outreach, promotion, education, and serving as a local liaison to ensure project completion.

The deadline for application is May 20th , 2010 by 3 P.M.. It is the intent of Commerce to offer this program via the Request for Grant Application process. To obtain a copy of the grant application you can email the Letter of Intent form to procurement@azcommerce.com , fax the form to (602) 771-1202, or send a written request to the Arizona Department of Commerce, 1700 W. Washington B-32, Phoenix AZ 85007, please include the following number (Solicitation Number G013-10) in your request. The grant application can also be picked up at the AZ Dept. of Commerce at the address listed above. The Letter of Intent form can be found at www.azcommerce.com (follow the ARRA link to the State Energy Program link to the CREIP link) or your local NRCD office.

A pre-offer conference will be held May 6th, 2010 at 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ, Basement Conference Rm. B-56 at 10 A.M.. The intent of this meeting is to review the grant application as written and address any needed amendments.

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For questions contact Larry Gavel, AZ Dept. of Commerce @ (602) 771-1110.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS TO ASSIST WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY CONVERSION PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ARIZONA’S RANCHERS AND FARMERS

Phoenix, AZ – October 7, 2009- Arizona’s Natural Resource Conservation Districts (NRCD) have been assisting landowners since 1942 by providing education and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers while facilitating their participation in conservation programs. NRCD’s are excited to announce the availability of a new program of which districts will be helping to administer on the local level.

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and State Energy Program Grant administered by the AZ Dept. of Commerce a proposed $1.5 million will fund this program over the next two years. In the 2010 funding cycle up to $540,000 will be available to Arizona’s farmers and ranchers for conversion of fossil fueled agricultural production systems to renewable energy power. It is the intent of the Arizona Dept. of Commerce to offer the Conversion to Renewable Energy Incentive Program (CREIP) to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels for agricultural production in rural Arizona while creating jobs and economic stimulus in rural communities. Conversion of existing systems from gas, oil, diesel, and in some cases electric to the utilization of the abundant renewable energy available in the state will provide benefit in terms of energy savings, cost savings, better air quality and the creation of jobs and businesses related to the renewable energy and agricultural service industries. Commerce will solicit applications from agricultural producers for the following systems: livestock waters, irrigation, and production buildings. This grant is offered as a cost share program reimbursable at 75% of project costs. Maximum reimbursement limits apply.

Local Natural Resource Conservation Districts will assist the AZ Dept. of Commerce with outreach, promotion, education, and serving as a local liaison to ensure project completion.

The deadline for application is January 8th, 2010. It is the intent of Commerce to offer this program via the Request for Grant Application process. To obtain a copy of the grant application you can email the Letter of Intent form to procurement@azcommerce.com , fax the form to (602) 771-1202, or send a written request to the Arizona Department of Commerce, 1700 W. Washington B-32, Phoenix AZ 85007, please include the following number (Solicitation Number G013-10) in your request. The grant application can also be picked up at the AZ Dept. of Commerce at the address listed above. The Letter of Intent form can be found at www.azcommerce.com (follow the ARRA link to the State Energy Program link to the CREIP link) or your local NRCD office.
A pre-Application meeting will be October 21, 2009 at 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ, 6th Floor Conference Room 6A at 2 PM. Call in number 877-336-1828 Access Code 6925650 is available for those unable to attend in person. The intent of this meeting is to review the grant application as written and address any needed amendments.
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For questions contact Martha Lynch, AZ Dept. of Commerce (602) 771-1110.

Arizona Department of Commerce