The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced that it will receive a $600,000 conservation innovation grant from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support the delivery of conservation programs in Michigan. The grant proposal, which was jointly submitted by the Institute of Water Research at Michigan State University, will utilize new technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping to increase the efficiency with which federal and state conservation programs are delivered.

"This is an opportunity to make a great partnership even better," said Mitch Irwin, MDA director. The project will be a collaborative effort working with USDA NRCS and Farm Services Agency, MDA, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, MSU Institute of Water Research, and Local Conservation Districts. It will facilitate the development of a system that employs High Impact Targeting (HIT) to the application of conservation tools to high-risk erosion areas for maximum sediment reductions from agricultural lands in the great lakes basin.

"Michigan's conservation districts will be able to utilize this new technology to target their conservation work to areas within critical watersheds to achieve the maximum effect on improving water quality and wildlife habitat," said Gordon Wenk, MDA environmental stewardship division director.

The system is a web-accessible interactive GIS tool, and is a prerequisite for precision conservation. It will be designed for use by field staff or landowners in four Michigan watersheds to target high-risk areas to reduce soil erosion and adverse levels of sediment loadings to receiving waters.

"We are looking forward to using the research and outreach capacity of the Institute [of Water Research] to deliver this new technology to the field where it can be used to effect positive change on Michigan's landscape," said Dr. Jon Bartholic, director of the Institute of Water Research.
KW