CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR CALIFORNIA LIVESTOCK METHANE MEASUREMENT, MITIGATION, AND THRIVING ENVIRONMENTS RESEARCH PROGRAM

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SACRAMENTO, October 28, 2022 - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now seeking comments on its draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new program, the California Livestock Methane Measurement, Mitigation and Thriving Environments Research Program (CLIM3ATE-RP). The two-week public comment period will begin on October 31, 2022, and comments will be accepted until November 14, 2022, at 5 p.m. PT.

This program will award competitive grant(s) to California-based eligible entities for research projects that address key barriers to achieving goals aligned with California's efforts to successfully implement climate-smart agriculture with a direct focus on methane reduction from dairy and livestock operations. An appropriation of $10 million to CDFA from the Budget Act of 2021 ($5 Million, SB 170, Chapter 240) and Budget Act of 2022 ($5 Million, SB 154, Chapter 43)  will be directed toward the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of various livestock methane reduction strategies on a per metric ton basis, including comparison of projects funded under the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) as well as alternative methane reduction strategies such as dietary modifications, and research on manure-based product development.

Eligible entities can submit proposals for up to $2,500,000; $1,250,000; or $650,000 in CLIM3ATE-RP grants depending on research area outlined in the RFP.

The following entities are eligible for this program: tribal governments, resource conservation districts (RCDs), non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, and California public higher learning institutions.

The draft RFP, including detailed information on the application processes and requirements will be available online at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/research/.

Comments must be submitted via email by 5 p.m. PT on Nov. 14, 2022.

CDFA will consider all comments received before releasing a final RFP for this program.

Please submit written comments via email to: CDFA.OEFI_CLIM3ATE_TECH@CDFA.CA.GOV

Include “CLIM3ATE-RP Comments” in the subject line of the email. Please specify which funding track each comment is regarding in the body of the email if applicable.

Two informational webinars are tentatively planned for Nov. 3 and Nov. 7. Those webinars can be found on the program website at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/research/. Registration for these webinars is required.

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