2007 Conservation Innovation Grants Awards

Fiscal Year 2007 State Component Awards

Montana NRCS received fifteen (15) eligible proposals requesting more than $877,000 in CIG funds. Requests greatly exceeded the $500,000 that NRCS in Montana had set aside. Montana NRCS chose to increase the level of available funds to fund additional projects in priority order. Therefore, of the fifteen proposals received, nine (9) were selected for funding in the amount of $543,603. Information about the Conservation Innovation Grants awardees for the fiscal year 2007 state component can be found below. The information includes grant recipient, NRCS funding amount, project title, and a project summary and is in no particular order.

Montana State University, College of Agriculture Biobased Institute
$71,673
CAM-A-LINA, a Montana Fuel Additive that increases Fuel Efficiency and reduces Vehicle Emissions
Montana Fuel Technologies (MFT) has developed a fuel additive, CAM-A-LINA, that increases power and fuel efficiency while lowering tailpipe emissions in both gasoline and diesel engines.  CAM-A-LINA has been extensively evaluated by MFT in controlled bench and engine studies.  Numerous consumers in the Bozeman area have tested and continue to utilize this product in their vehicles. Increased demand for the product throughout Montana and Minnesota is the result of consumer satisfaction and subsequent word of mouth.  MFT is working to establish a manufacturing facility in Havre, Montana to produce and bottle the product. Purpose of this project is to validate the performance of the fuel additive in duplicable bench and engine studies at MSU-Northern and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the product in field tests with the GNG Cooperative.  Fleet testing directly with NRCS would be desirable.  The byproduct of camelina oil production is the meal.  The meal can be used to produce composite pellets suitable for residential and industrial heating. The pellets will be evaluated in collaboration with the Fuels for Schools project in Townsend.

Madison Valley Ranchlands Group
$40,320
Using Trained Cattle to eat Noxious Weeds
The purpose of this project is to implement a pilot grazing project in Madison County that demonstrates the training of cattle to selectively graze noxious weeds and then uses the project results to further educate the public on this innovative practice.

Montana State University
$54,000
Improving early weed control performance in eastern Montana
The purpose of this project is to improve invasive weed management and control methods on grazing lands.  We aim to attain this purpose by reducing the likelihood of invasion and improving the detection, reporting, and eradication of new weeds in weed prevention areas with seasonal range riders, or “weed scouts.”  Weed prevention areas (WPAs) are weed-free rangelands prioritized for protection from invasive weed spread.  Preventative efforts to manage invasive weeds are successful and cost effective.  We aim to improve weed management on grazing lands by ultimately setting standards and guidelines that prioritize weed management in weed-free rangelands.

Hysham Irrigation District
$75,000
Hysham Irrigation District Spatial Decision Support System
The Hysham Irrigation District (HID) intends to become the model irrigation district for management, conservation, and development of its resources. However, ultimately the goal of this project is to increase the value of the irrigated lands (production and land value) within the District. The means by which to achieve this goal is the project objective, namely the implementation of technologically advanced systems for monitoring of water use within the district. Project consultants will assist HID in the development and implementation of project-wide “Internet GIS.” This Internet GIS will utilize the meshing of a conventional spatial GIS database with an Internet Map Server and dedicated web-page. The Internet GIS or Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) will allow the District and its water users a near real-time monitoring system for management, conservation, and development of its water resources.

Buffalo Rapids Project Board of Control
$50,641
Assessing Engineered Cementitious Composite as a Canal Lining
The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the applicability of Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) shotcrete to line approximately 2,100 feet of the Shirley division canal and assess it as a canal lining.

Montana Department of Environmental Quality
$71,233
Agricultural practices used in source control of acid mine drainage problems, Central Montana
The purpose and objective of the project is to incorporate collaborative methods to reduce the quantity of contaminated water discharging from the Anaconda Mine workings into Belt Creek.

Earl Fisher Bio-Fuels LLP
$75,000
Encouragement of the production and marketing of oilseeds used in the manufacture of bio-fuels
Develop a stable market for camelina and other oilseeds in north central Montana for the production of bio-fuels.  The creation of a biodiesel production facility along with dissemination of agronomic information will encourage producers to experiment with and potentially adopt changes in their cropping systems from primarily small grains to crops that can be used in bio-fuel production.

The university of Montana Montana Natural Heritage Program
$30,736
GIS-guided cattle supplementation to enhance range wetland condition
To demonstrate the use of geographic information systems for identifying spatial patterns in grazing distribution and determining appropriate location of supplements to draw cattle away from vulnerable wetlands.

Coevolution Institute
$75,000
Assessment of Pollinator Friendly Plantings on MT Rangelands & Farms: Measuring Success of Outreach Programs, Replicating Habitat & Increasing Best Practices
To assess pollinator friendly native plantings on Montana rangelands and farms, to measure the success of educational outreach printed materials, and to increase best management practices in Montana.

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