WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced today that the International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals, also known as "The Wilds," will receive a $403,982 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 2010 Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program.

"These funds will promote the development of clean, home-grown energy in the region and the use of carbon sequestration," Brown said. "This project will go a long way toward developing sustainable energy systems that promote agriculture, protect our natural resources, and create jobs in Ohio."

The grant will fund the reclamation of mine lands for clean energy production, including the use of switch grass and other forms of biomass. It will also provide a demonstration of how these forms of biomass can be used for carbon sequestration in an integrated agriculture-energy plan.

Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. In Aug. 2009, he hosted a Summit on Clean Energy and Agriculture at Owens Community College. Along with the Ohio Corn Growers Association and the American Farmland Trust, Brown convened the summit to explore how investments in clean energy can benefit Ohio's agriculture industry.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers CIG as part of the Agency's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).  Grants are awarded to state and local governments, federally-recognized Indian tribes, non-governmental organizations and individuals. Conservation Innovation Grants were reauthorized and expanded with the help of Senator Brown during the 2008 Farm Bill.

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