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The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is implementing the agricultural portion of the inaugural Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program, known as Climate Smart Agriculture Program. The intent of the program is to promote the implementation of no-till and strip-till practices via the Partners for Conservation (PFC) Program and the State of Illinois Priority Climate Action Plan.

ALN 66.046 - Climate Pollution Reduction Grants; Statutory Authority Clean Air Act: Section 137, Public Law 117-169, 42 US Code 7437; Regulatory Authority 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 1500 and 40 CFR 33

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The purpose of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Implementation Grant program is to: 1. The first phase of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provided funding for designing Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) that incorporate a variety of measures (i.e., programs, policies, measures, and projects) that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The purpose of this CPRG Implementation assistance agreement is to implement proposed measures within a specified PCAP identified in the CPRG Implementation Grant General Competition application. All programs, policies, measures, and projects contained in the final, approved CPRG implementation assistance agreement workplan are required deliverables. 2. The recipient and subrecipient agrees to implement GHG reduction programs, policies, projects, and measures (collectively referred to as "GHG reduction measures," or "measures") identified in a PCAP developed under a CPRG planning grant and included in the CPRG implementation grant workplan. The recipient and subrecipient agrees to ensure that each is successfully implemented before the end of the grant project period. The recipient agrees to successful project implementation, which includes the process of putting a decision or plan into effect; executing the program, policies, projects and/or measures, not just planning or designing the programs, policies, projects and/or measures. 3. 12% of Illinois GHG emissions come from agriculture, particularly soil management, and the emission reduction challenges in this sector vastly outstrip available resources. a. Existing demand to deploy low-till (Strip-till) and no-till agriculture and cover crop planting well exceed available public and private funding. b. There is no market or incentive for the capturing of biomethane for low-carbon end-uses. c. Co-pollutants from commercial landscaping and small agricultural equipment create harmful health impacts on low-income workers. 4. Approach and Major Features: In pursuing this measure, Illinois proposes strategies aiming to: Reduce agricultural process and land-use emissions using no-till and low-tilt agriculture, cover crops, and other measures, with the goal of 2% reduction by 2030 and 10% by 2050. 5. Expanding Deployment and Improving Efficiency of low Till (Strip-till) and No-Till, practices to approved applicants. 6. The Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will deliver educational outreach by developing practical job sheets in collaboration with selected applicants.

Yes

IEPA and IDOA have secured $67 million between the State of Illinois and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Contracts with producers will be for three (3) consecutive years on the same fields with the IDOA and local county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, allocating approximately $22.3 million per year for the program. IDOA will select applications on a first come, first served basis, per county, such that the first application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, pending qualification and verification. If there are remaining program funds after the first application per county is verified, the second application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, and so on. Total Application Acreage cannot exceed 3,000 acres per application. However, the IDOA reserves the right to establish and implement a lower acreage cap if needed to accommodate at least one application per county.

Government Organizations;

Sign-up for a three (3) year term on the same fields each year. Cash crops (Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, etc.) are expected to be no-till or strip-till planted in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The 2026 crop year for this program will start immediately after the harvest of the 2025 cash crop. Subrecipient applications will be selected on a first come, first served basis, per county, such that the first application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, pending qualification and verification. If there are remaining program funds after the first application per county is verified, the second application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, and so on.

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Formula Grants

Government Services

2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.

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2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Sign-up for a 3-year term on the same fields each year. Cash crops (Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, etc.) are expected to be no-till or strip-till planted in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The 2026 crop year for this program will start immediately after the harvest of the 2025 cash crop. Subrecipient applications will be selected on a first come, first served basis, per county, such that the first application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, pending qualification and verification. If there are remaining program funds after the first application per county is verified, the second application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, and so on.

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IEPA and IDOA have secured $67 million between the State of Illinois and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Contracts with producers will be for three (3) consecutive years on the same fields with the IDOA and local county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, allocating approximately $22.3 million per year for the program. IDOA will select applications on a first come, first served basis, per county, such that the first application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, pending qualification and verification. If there are remaining program funds after the first application per county is verified, the second application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, and so on. Total Application Acreage cannot exceed 3,000 acres per application. However, the IDOA reserves the right to establish and implement a lower acreage cap if needed to accommodate at least one application per county.

Determined at as part of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Determined at as part of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

No formal appeal procedure.

Awards are for three (3) fiscal years.

Not Applicable.

Acres signed up through this program cannot be currently enrolled in other state or federal cost-share funding or incentives for implementing no-till or strip-till. This program is designed to incentivize acres in no-till or strip-till practices. However, this program would allow acres in addition to cost-shared acres.

Quarterly and final reports are required for all projects. Annual reports also are required if a project spans more than one year. Grantees who do not submit the reports, or who submit incomplete reports, may have funds withheld or be required to return previously distributed funds. Grantees must maintain adequate books, records and supporting documents to verify the expenditure of all grant funds for a minimum of three years after the submission of their final report.

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than$750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503 For each year that a State receives a grant under this section, the State shall conduct an audit of the expenditures of grant funds by the State in accordance with 2 CFR200, Subpart F- Audit Requirements. The EPA will conduct random reviews of recipients to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse. As part of this process, the EPA, or its authorized representatives may request documentation from current recipients to verify statements made on the application and reporting documents. Recipients may be selected for advanced monitoring, including a potential site visit to confirm project details. The EPA, or its authorized representatives, may also conduct site visits to confirm documentation is on hand and that the project is completed as agreed upon, as well as confirm applicable infrastructure adheres to Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements. Recipients are expected to comply with site visit requests and recordkeeping requirements and must supply the EPA with any requested documents for three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report, or risk cancellation of an active grant application or other enforcement action.

Recipients must retain financial and other records relating to grant for a period of three years after the final Financial Report is received by the Department or until final resolution of any audit findings or litigation claims relating to this program. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.334, the recipient must retain all Federal award records, including but not limited to, financial records, supporting documents, and statistical records for at least three years from the date of submission of the final financial report. The records must be retained until all litigation, claims, or audit findings have been resolved and final action has been taken if any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the three-year period. Examples of the required records include: (1) time and attendance records and supporting documentation; and (2) documentation of compliance with statutes and regulations that apply to the project. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.337, the EPA, the Inspector General, the Comptroller General, and the pass-through entity, or any of their authorized representatives, have the right of access to any documents, papers or records of the recipient which are pertinent to the grant award. The rights of access are not limited to the required retention period, but last as long as the records are retained. If the demonstration projects or activities, device and/or the device components are to be sold, the recipient must comply with the program income requirements (see the Program Income section below).

826-40646-1900-0000

Obligations will be based on state fiscal year. At this time there are no estimates.

The payment rate for each of the 3 years of the program is $35 per acre, on the same fields each year. Total Application Acreage cannot exceed 3,000 acres per application. However, the IDOA reserves the right to establish and implement a lower acreage cap if needed to accommodate at least one application per county.

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ALN 66.046 - Climate Pollution Reduction Grants; Statutory Authority Clean Air Act: Sec. 137; Regulatory Authority 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 1500 and 40 CFR 33

IDOA Bureau Land and Water Resources AGR.CPRG@Illinois.gov

U.S. EPA, Region 5, Mail Code MCG10J77 West Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604-3507

https://agr.illinois.gov/resources/landwater.html

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For example, if a farmer has 160 acres enrolled in a federal program for no-till or strip-till and decides to implement 320 acres of no-till or strip-till, the additional 320 acres will be eligible for the CPRG / Partners for Conservation Program if applied for and accepted.

None

FY 2027 : $22,624,358