CDFA seeks public comment water and soils programs

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Food and Agriculture is now accepting public comments on draft requests for grant applications for the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program and Healthy Soils Program, utilizing $30 million authorized by the Budget Act of 2018, and funded through the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018 (SB5).

SWEEP provides farmers and ranchers with grants to implement irrigation systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Projects funded through SWEEP commonly include elements such as soil, plant or weather sensors, micro-irrigation systems, pump retrofits or replacements, renewable energy, and variable frequency drives, among others.

The draft RGA for the SWEEP program is posted at https://www.cdfa. ca.gov/oefi/sweep.

The Healthy Soils Program offers grants to farmers who take action to capture greenhouse gas emissions — such as carbon dioxide — in the soil to help combat climate change. The Healthy Soils Program will be implemented under two separate sections: an Incentives Program and Demonstration Projects. The Incentives Program will award grants to provide financial assistance to farmers and ranchers for implementation of agricultural management practices that sequester soil carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Demonstration Projects will award projects that monitor and demonstrate to farmers and ranchers in California, specific management practices in agriculture that sequester carbon, improve soil health and reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases.

The RGAs for both the HSP Incentives Program and Demonstration Projects can be found on the CDFA Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) webpages: https://www.cdfa. ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/ IncentivesProgram.html and https://www.cdfa. ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/ DemonstrationProjects. html .

CDFA will hold three listening sessions at the end of August to provide information on how to comment on the draft RGAs and answer questions related to the programs. Listening sessions are scheduled for:

Northern California — Aug. 30, 9 a.m. to noon Butte County Farm Bureau

2580 Feather River Blvd.

Oroville, CA 95965

Southern California — Aug. 31, 9 a.m. to noon

Imperial County Farm Bureau

1000 Broadway El Centro, CA 92243

Central California — Sept. 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Fresno County Farm Bureau

1274 W. Hedges Ave. Fresno, CA 93728

Webinar participation will also be available Sept. 4 for those unable to travel to any of the listening sessions in person. To register for the Sept. 4 webinar, visit https://attendee. gotowebinar.com/register/519454765226725891

Comments regarding the draft RGAs can be submitted to cdfa.oefi@ cdfa.ca.gov no later than 5 p.m. on Sept. 12.