<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.5726" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Private Forests News members:<?xml:namespace prefix = o
ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Here is information about the Cooperative Conservation
Partnership offered through the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service,
including funding for non-industrial private forest projects funded by the 2008
Farm Bill.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Kevin Weeks</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Public Information Officer / Private Forests
Division<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Oregon Department of Forestry</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">kweeks@odf.state.or.us<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">(503) 945-7427<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><o:p> </o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Cooperative Conservation Partnership (CCPI) - Request for
Proposals (RFP) Due 4/23/2009 <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">On March 10, 2009 the CCPI program announcement was
published in the Federal Register. The notice is to inform potential partners,
producers and landowners of the availability of CCPI funds and solicit proposals
from potential partners. The purposes of a CCPI partnership agreement are to:
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Address conservation priorities involving agriculture and
nonindustrial private forest land on a local, State, multi-State, or regional
level; <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Encourage producers to cooperate in meeting applicable
Federal, State, and local regulatory requirements related to production;
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Encourage producers to cooperate in the installation and
maintenance of conservation practices that affect multiple agricultural or
nonindustrial private forest land; and <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Promote the development and demonstration of innovative
conservation practices and delivery methods, including those for specialty crop
and organic production and precision agriculture producers.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">CCPI provides targeted assistance to producers for
enhancing conservation outcomes on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest
land. All funding for projects will go directly to eligible producers in the
selected area. Areas of CCPI assistance are selected competitively through
applications of eligible partners. With CCPI, partners request assistance for a
specific project area or resource concern. Potential partners may submit
proposals that request assistance for a specified project area which may be
defined by geo-political boundaries, watershed boundaries, or resource concern.
For the partnership proposals that are selected, NRCS directs conservation
program funding to eligible private landowners, private nonindustrial forest
landowners, farmers, and ranchers who apply. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Eligible partners include state, local, and Tribal
governments, producer associations and cooperatives, institutions of higher
education, and nongovernmental organizations.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Additionally, NRCS requests public comment on how CCPI
can contribute to the Nation’s efforts on energy, climate change, and carbon
sequestration within the framework of the Initiative. Instructions for
submitting comments are outlined within the text of the Federal Register
announcement.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> CCPI Proposal Fact
Sheet:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><A
href="http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ccpi/ccpi_data/2009Oregon_CCPI_Proposal_Criteria.pdf">http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ccpi/ccpi_data/2009Oregon_CCPI_Proposal_Criteria.pdf</A></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>