Riparian buffer planting reduces ag-related nutrients to the river.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing up to $10 million in Conservation Innovation Grants for projects that enhance the effectiveness of water quality credit trading.
Proposals for projects are due March 2.
“The goal of the grants is to help recipients develop strong and meaningful markets and demonstrate that they are an effective way to improve water quality,” Jay Mar, Connecticut State Conservationist for the NRCS, said in a news release. The funding is being made available by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He added that agricultural producers are critical to the function of these markets.
Water quality credit trading is a market-based approach to lowering the costs of reducing pollution, and has the potential to engage more farmers and ranchers in water quality improvement efforts through the implementation of new conservation practices on agricultural lands, the NRCS said. Through this approach, a producer who implements conservation practices to reduce water quality pollutants can also benefit by generating water quality market credits that could be sold in an open market – reducing the cost of implementing and maintaining the conservation practices.
To apply electronically, visit this link or contact Nancy Ferlow at (860) 871-4049.