ACT awarded $345,000 in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation
July 6th, 2022
Gainesville, Florida – ACT helps farmers and ranchers acquire competitive grants to implement practices that conserve soil, water and wildlife habitat and protect their land with perpetual agricultural easements. A new grant through the National Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) Conservation Partners Program has been awarded to ACT to continue Farm Bill programmatic support to benefit wildlife habitat, soil health, carbon storage and water quality.
Specifically focused on gopher tortoise and bobwhite quail habitat, this project will support ACT staff and organizational capacity to provide outreach and technical assistance to landowners, aiding them in the restoration, management and permanent protection of their lands within an 18 county area of North Central Florida. Through this grant, ACT will increase technical assistance and conveyance of Farm Bill Programs, such as the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to agricultural producers throughout North Central Florida.
The project will apply principles of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Five Year Wildlife Strategy, and be in collaboration with our partners from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service.
The grant was also awarded to twenty three other projects helping agricultural producers implement voluntary conservation practices on farms and ranches across the United States. A total of $6.9 million was awarded through the program, which leveraged $8.1 million in matching contributions — generating a total conservation impact of $15 million.
The grant program was made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), General Mills, and The J.M. Smucker Co., with additional support this year from The Bezos Earth Fund.
Header photo by Lianne D’Arcy. Gopher Tortoise photo by Kim Davidson. Select prints are available at kimdavidsonphotography.com though additional photos are available upon request. All proceeds from the sale of these prints go to further ACT's conservation projects.
