Grant Opportunity! Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grants: 2018 Request for Proposals

The Healthy Watersheds Consortium (HWC), a partnership between the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, has called for 2018 Request for Proposals. The goal of the HWC Grant Program is to “accelerate strategic protection of healthy, freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds”, with primary focus on prevention of land deterioration in the watershed by:
  • Developing funding mechanisms, plans, or other strategies to implement large-scale watershed protection, source water protection, green infrastructure, or related landscape conservation objectives;
  • Building the sustainable organizational infrastructure, social support, and long-term funding commitments necessary to implement large-scale protection of healthy watersheds; and
  • Supporting innovative or catalytic projects that may accelerate funding for or implementation of watershed protection efforts, or broadly advance this field of practice.
Applications are due February 1, 2018 at 8 p.m. Eastern and up to $3 million is available.
Additionally, two webinars have been scheduled to help those interested to get more information about the HWC Grant Program. 
  • On September 26, 2017, 2-3 p.m. Eastern — Peaks to People Water Fund: Lessons learned in the proof of concept phase and demonstration of the Watershed Investment Tool. Learn about work to accelerate forest restoration in Colorado to reduce the threat of severe wildfire in watersheds. The Peaks to People Water Fund received a Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program award in 2016.
  • On October 19, 2017, 2-3 p.m. Eastern – An informational webinar that will provide an overview of priorities for the 2018 program and a forum to answer questions about the program and the application and selection process.
For more information on the Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program, resources that will help develop your proposal, and to register for the webinars, visit :http://www.usendowment.org/healthywatersheds.html

Ecology News: Ecology has filed the following: Preproposal Statement of Inquiry (CR-101) for Chapter 173-321 WAC, Public Participation Grants

Ecology has filed the following rulemaking Preproposal Statement of Inquiry (CR-101) was filed with the Office of the Code Reviser:

Chapter 173-321 WAC,  Public Participation  Grants
For more information:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/rules/wac173321/1613ov.html

EPA Grant Opportunities!!

Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities
Local Foods, Local Places 2016-2017 Application, EPA
Applications due by November 6, 2016.
Local Foods, Local Places helps communities create more livable neighborhoods by promoting local foods. The program is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority.
The Local Foods, Local Places program will provide selected communities planning assistance that centers around a two-day community workshop. At the workshop, a team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that promotes local food and neighborhood revitalization. Eligible applicants include local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit institutions and organizations proposing to work in a neighborhood, town, or city of any size anywhere in the United States. We expect that many of the communities we select will be economically challenged and in the early phases of their efforts to promote local foods and community revitalization.
 
Healthy Places for Healthy People, EPA
Applications due by November 6, 2016.
Healthy Places for Healthy People helps communities create walkable, healthy, economically vibrant places by engaging with their health care facility partners such as community health centers (including Federally Qualified Health Centers), nonprofit hospitals, and other health care facilities. The pilot phase of this program is sponsored by EPA and the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Healthy Places for Healthy People will provide selected communities with expert planning assistance that centers around a two-day community workshop. A team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that will focus on health as an economic driver and catalyst for downtown and neighborhood revitalization. Eligible applicants include local government representatives, health care facilities, local health departments, neighborhood associations, main street districts, nonprofit organizations, tribes and others proposing to work in a neighborhood, town, or city located anywhere in the United States. Applications that include representatives from both the community (local government or non-governmental organization) and a health care facility will receive special consideration.
 
Cool & Connected Fall 2016 Application, EPA
Applications due by November 6, 2016.
Communities interested in using broadband service to revitalize main streets and promote economic development are encouraged to apply for Cool & Connected, a planning program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities. Through Cool & Connected, a team of experts will help community members develop strategies and an action plan for using broadband service to promote smart, sustainable community development. Eligibility:
·        Any community representative is welcome to submit an application to participate in Cool & Connected.
·        Special consideration will be given to small towns and rural communities that face economic challenges.
·        Special consideration will be given to communities in places where USDA has provided loans or grants in support of broadband services.
·        Your community should have existing or anticipated broadband service that can be leveraged for community development.
 
Preservation Technology and Training Grants, National Park Service
Applications due November 3, 2016.
Funding Opportunity Number: P16AS00579
2017 Preservation Technology and Training Grants are intended to create better tools, better materials, and better approaches to conserving buildings, landscapes, sites, and collections. The competitive grants program will provide funding to federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations. Grants will support the following activities:
·        Innovative research that develops new technologies or adapts existing technologies to preserve cultural resources (typically $25,000 to $40,000)
·        Specialized workshops or symposia that identify and address national preservation needs (typically $15,000 to $25,000)
·        How-to videos, mobile applications, podcasts, best practices publications, or webinars that disseminate practical preservation methods or provide better tools for preservation practice (typically $5,000 to $15,000)
The maximum grant award is $40,000. The actual grant award amount is dependent on the scope of the proposed activity.
 
Environmental Education Grants, Captain Planet Foundation
Funding range: $500 to $2,500
Applications due by January 31, 2017
The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to give the next generation of environmental stewards an active understanding and love for the natural world in which they live. The Captain Planet Foundation primarily makes grants to U.S.-based schools and organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $3 million. Grants are made for activities that conform to the mission of the Captain Planet Foundation and MUST have all four of the following to be considered for funding:
·        Be project-based;
·        Projects must be performed by youth;
·        Projects must have real environmental outcomes;
·        Be based in the United States.
Grants from the Captain Planet Foundation are intended to:
·        Provide hands-on environmental stewardship opportunities for youth;
·        Serve as a catalyst to getting environment-based education in schools;
·        Inspire youth and communities to participate in community service through environmental stewardship activities.
Also of interest, EPA Long-Term Stormwater Planning Effort
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a new voluntary stormwater planning initiative to help communities plan long-term strategies for managing stormwater pollution. EPA has released a step-by-step guide to help communities develop long-term stormwater plans, a web-based toolkit for the planning process, and technical assistance for five communities to develop plans as national models. This effort promotes the use of flexible solutions that spur economic growth, stimulate infrastructure investments, and help compliance with environmental requirements.
 
 
 For more information contact:
Rachel Herbert
EPA/Office of Water/Stormwater Team
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, MC 4203M
Washington, DC 20460
herbert.rachel@epa.gov
202.564.2649

Ecology Funding Opportunity: Watershed Planning Implementation and Flow Achievement Grants

Water Resources Program Funding Opportunity: Applications accepted from October 17th, 2016 – December 15th, 2016.

Funding under this program requires flow achievement, through:

  • Increased flows below the project site.
  • Improving instream and riparian zone conditions, such as enhancing fish passage or habitat.
  • Reorganizing or concentrating existing points of diversion.
  • Establishing water banks, water exchanges or pursing trust water opportunities.
  • Improving public water supply or irrigation district infrastructure that leads to water savings.
  • Purchasing and installing meters, stream gages or groundwater monitoring equipments when water savings and or efficiencies can be expected short or long term.

For more information go to http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/funding/fo-wspisfag.html 

or Contact:
Rose Bennett
Email: rose.bennett@ecy.wa.gov
Phone: (360) 407-6027