Grants

CIG is a voluntary program to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches to agricultural producers, into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and innovative ways to transfer conservation methods from one geographic area or ag sector to another. In 2020, Pennsylvania NRCS is prioritizing proposals that improve the “technical toolbox” to address the following on-farm resource concerns: non-industrial private forestland, urban farming, and soil health.

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners through partnership agreements, program contracts, or conservation easement agreements.
Project applications are now being accepted for locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality (including drinking water sources), combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat, and protect agricultural viability.

GARP funding is available to companies or project aggregators who are able to develop a stormwater management plan on properties that total at least 10 acres in project size located in Philadelphia’s combined sewer service area only. The aggregator will be the direct recipient of funds but must provide agreements or contracts with all participating property owners as part of the grant application. All property owners must execute an Operations and Maintenance Agreement with PWD, and the project aggregator must execute an Economic Opportunity Plan as part of the subgrant agreement. Competitive applications will reduce costs to PWD as much as possible. Once the project is constructed, participating property owners (or customers) will be eligible for credits against their stormwater charges.
 

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), administered jointly with the PA Department of Environmental Protection, provides a resource for financing various public drinking water systems (including systems owned by for-profit entities and not-for-profit entities) for expenditures for projects which will facilitate compliance with national and state drinking water regulations or otherwise advance the health-protection objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving funds are funded by federal capitalization grants and State matching funds.