EPA Grant Opportunities

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EPA announced the availability of the FY 2019/FY2020 Request for Applications for the Clean Water Act Section 123 Columbia River Basin Restoration Grant Program.  This grant program opens today and closes 12/20/2019. 

EPA will hold two informational webinars.  You may register using the links below. In case you are not able to attend, recordings of the webinars will be made available.

Thursday, November 7, 2019, 10-11am (PST). Register for the Nov. 7 webinar.
Monday, November 25, 2019, 1-2pm (PST). Register for the Nov. 25 webinar.

Here is EPA’s statement about the grant program:

Columbia River Basin Restoration Program 2019/20 Request for Applications

For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency is offering over $900,000 in grants to reduce toxics throughout the Columbia River Basin. (See: EPA’s Columbia River Basin Website).  The Columbia River Basin is one of the world’s great river basins in size, river volume, and environmental and cultural significance. The basin’s aquatic ecosystem is critical to supporting the fish and wildlife and over 8 million residents who depend on its resources for their health and livelihoods.   As many as 16 million Columbia River salmon and steelhead would return annually to spawn in the basin. Columbia River tribes have depended on native fish species, including (but not limited to) salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and lamprey for thousands of years for spiritual, cultural, and nutritional sustenance. Human activities have affected fish spawning and rearing habitat, blocked or impeded fish passage, and contributed toxic contaminants that have impaired water quality and fish health.  While we know toxic contamination is a human health risk and key environmental justice issue for tribal people and other populations who consume large amounts of fish, toxics reduction is not a component of the multi-state, multi-agency effort to restore fish and wildlife throughout the basin.

Columbia River Basin Restoration Act

On December 9, 2016, Congress passed the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act which directs the EPA to establish a Columbia River Basin Restoration Program, including a voluntary, competitive grant program for “environmental protection and restoration programs throughout the Basin.”  To address the need for toxics reduction as a critical component of restoration of the Columbia River Basin EPA is soliciting grant applications from organizations to develop and implement projects to reduce toxics, enhance toxics monitoring, support small-scale cleanups, and increase public education and outreach about toxics that affect the river’s multiple ecosystems.

The Columbia River Basin Restoration Grant Program will assist tribal, state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and others to implement the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan, the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, and conduct activities to support EPA’s four goals for this grant program:

  1. Increased monitoring and access to data from monitoring
  2. Reducing stormwater and agricultural runoff
  3. Promoting citizen engagement or education to promote pollution prevention
  4. Targeted small-scale clean-up actions to reduce toxics enter the river basin.

Applying for a Columbia River Restoration Program Toxics Reduction grant

The agency is issuing two Requests for Application: one for the Lower Columbia River Estuary and one for the Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin.  Eligible entities include state governments, tribal governments, regional water pollution control organizations, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and soil and water conservation districts. The work must be for the purpose of environmental protection and restoration activities within the Columbia River Basin, and may include programs, projects and studies.   

RFAs can be found at: EPA’s Columbia River Basin Website
Lower Columbia River Estuary – EPA-R10-OW-CRBRP-2019-01 
Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin – EPA-R10-OW-CRBRP-2019-02

Dates:
Friday, December 20, 2019 RFA Closes, Applications Due at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
February – September 2020  Anticipated Notification of Selection
April – December 2020  Anticipated Award

Award Amounts per RFA
Minimum Application Amount: $60,000
Maximum Application Amount: $200,000
Total Available Funds: $225,000 and $675,000
Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) no later than Friday, December 20, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) to be considered for funding.

EPA Announces Requests for Applications for the 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program

WASHINGTON — As authorized by the National Environmental Education Act of 1990, EPA is pleased to announce the availability of up to $3 million in funding for locally-focused environmental education projects under the 2020 Environmental Education Grant Program. EPA will award three to four grants in each of the agency’s 10 regions. Groups interested must submit their application by Jan. 6, 2020, to be considered. The Requests for Application (RFA) is posted on: www.grants.gov.

“This funding will support projects aimed at educating and inspiring the next generation of Americans to tackle pressing environmental challenges like marine litter and food waste,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Through EPA’s Environmental Education Grant Program, we are able to bring more environmental education opportunities to local communities across the country.” 

In addition to other environmental topics, the 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program will fund education-based projects pertaining to marine debris mitigation, food waste and loss reduction, and recycling. Funded projects will both increase public awareness on various environmental matters and enhance participants’ abilities to make informed decisions on environmental issues prospectively. 

Additional Background on How to Apply

Determine Eligibility.

  • Applicants must represent one of the following types of organizations to be eligible for an environmental education grant:
    • local education agency
    • state education or environmental agency
    • college or university
    • non-profit organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
    • noncommercial educational broadcasting entity
    • tribal education agency (which includes schools and community colleges controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation and which are recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and which are not administered by the Bureau of Indian Education.)
  • Applicant organizations must be located in the United States or territories and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States; or in the United States and Canada or Mexico; or in the U.S.Territories.

Complete the Application and Budget Forms, according to the directions.

  • Each RFA contains complete instructions for submitting a proposal, including all required information and limitations on format. A summary of the required information is below. Read the RFA thoroughly for application procedures. All applications must be submitted through: www.grants.gov. 
  • Find the forms on the “Application Forms” tab. Materials should be submitted in the following order:
    • Two Federal forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) and Budget (SF 424-A)
    • Work Plan (up to 8 pages):
      1. Project Summary (recommended 1 page)
      2. Detailed Project Description
      3. Project Evaluation Plan
      4. Detailed Budget Showing Match and Subawards (not included in the page limit)
      5. Appendices (not included in the page limit)
        • Timeline
        • Logic Model Showing Outputs and Outcomes
        • Programmatic Capabilities and Past Performance
        • Letters Stating Responsibilities of Partners, if applicable

          Submit the Proposal Materials.