On April 7, 2023, USDA announced the award of $12 million through 49 cooperative agreements for projects selected under the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI). The initiative expands access to conservation technical assistance for livestock producers and encourages grazing conservation practices. GCLI supports climate-smart agricultural initiatives including brush management, pasture and hay planting, fencing, and prescribed grazing. Many of these programs are funded by section 21001 of the IRA.
Partners for the GCLI projects were selected based on expertise in working with livestock producers, capacity to advance climate-smart agriculture, and support for underserved producers. The projects will focus on: addressing natural resource issues, using climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices, encouraging new partnerships through emphasizing equity in advancing the needs of underserved communities, and implementing strategies to quantify, monitor, report on, and verify conservation benefits from grazing management systems.