NRCS Oregon Awards Two Conservation Innovation Grants to Develop New Technologies for Agriculture

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon announces two Conservation Innovation Grant recipients selected to advance the development of innovative systems, tools, and technologies for production and conservation on agricultural lands.

Funding is provided through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, which awards grants to organizations, universities, and others that are developing innovations to support farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.

This year’s two awardees include RUTE Foundation Systems, Inc. and Western Landowners Alliance. Learn more about the innovative projects below:

Techno-Economic and Agriculture Advantages of High-Clearance Solar, RUTE Foundation Systems, Inc.
CIG Investment: $100,000
This project will address the massive need for solar land by investigating the suitability of cattle land to provide it. RUTE Foundations and its developer partner BVSP will construct an array and Oregon State University will perform ground-based research on the soil carbon, forage production and nutritive quality in traditional open rangelands and under solar panels. This solar structure is unique in its height which will allow cattle to freely graze underneath. The aim of this research is to quantify the effect of agrivoltaics system on soil and plants. There are 650 million acres of rangeland that, if shown to have a benefit from partial shade, could dramatically impact and enhance the attractiveness of solar plants in rural, cattle-rich geographies.

Oregon landowner led strategies for non-lethal predator management Phase 2, Western Landowners Alliance
CIG Investment: $100,000
This project will accelerate innovation and adoption of producer-implemented non-lethal predator management alternatives by evaluating innovative, complementary technologies with nonlethal predator risk management practices across Baker, Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa counties. The project will facilitate peer-to-peer stakeholder knowledge exchange and partner coordination to accelerate innovation and adoption of nonlethal predator management techniques and develop guidelines for successful local delivery of conflict reduction programs. The aim of the project is to synthesize project results to support NRCS program delivery of nonlethal predator management through conservation planning for the benefit of wildlife and livestock production. Through local NRCS working groups, project partners will be able to inform conservation delivery of non-lethal practices on working landscapes to enhance agricultural productivity while providing habitat for large carnivores.

Oregon’s previous CIG project investments include the development of carbon sequestration tools, the use of unmanned aerial systems to inventory conservation practices, the development of best management practices for nurseries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing pollinator habitat on solar power plant sites.