Funding through the Nature Smart Climate Readiness Program (NSCRP, or “Nature Smart”) supports two separate types of projects, conserving existing grasslands OR establishing new grasslands. Grasslands directly support nature–based solutions to store and capture carbon, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and contribute to biodiversity.

Conservation grassland projects under the Nature Smart program are anchored on an existing grassland – they represent protection and enhancement of the grassland to maintain and increase carbon storage and sequestration.

Projects to support grassland restoration under the Nature Smart program pertain to the establishment of a new grassland on agricultural land which would be suitable to grasses, but where there are currently no grasses or where grasses or other vegetation are currently harvested or grazed.

A single project cannot include both conservation of existing grassland and restoration of new grasslands – these would be separate projects. Conserved or restored grassland projects cannot be used for agricultural production, harvesting or grazing.