Deadline: 10-Aug-21
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is announcing a Request for Applications (RFA) for applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partners with an application for technical and programmatic support related to the implementation of the agricultural and other nonpoint source components of the Chesapeake Bay watershed jurisdictions’ Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs).
This RFA is seeking cost-effective applications from eligible applicants for supporting state, regional, and local partners, and other non-federal stakeholders to build the institutional and programmatic capacity for accelerated implementation of agricultural conservation and other nonpoint source programs.
This work will improve coordination and provide technical and logistical support to the CBP partnership’s Water Quality Goal Implementation Team (WQGIT), the Agriculture Workgroup, and the Watershed Technical Workgroup.
CBP partners include the seven watershed jurisdictions, federal agencies, and many non-federal organizations; however, work funded under this RFA will support the seven watershed jurisdictions and other non-federal partners. The seven watershed jurisdictions are Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Funding Information
- EPA plans to award one cooperative agreement to carry out all activities under this RFA. The estimated funding for six years is approximately $2,520,000 to $3,000,000 (of which $169,200 is EPA in-kind contribution, with an estimated $420,000 to $500,000 (of which $28,400 is EPA inkind contribution) available for the first year and each additional year.
- Activity 1: Agricultural Programmatic Implementation Support
- Estimated Funding Per Year: $180,000 – $220,000 (of which $9,400 per person is EPA inkind contribution for CBPO space) per year
- Activity 2: Support for Nonpoint Source Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation for the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership
- Estimated Funding Per Year: $120,000 – $140,000 (of which $9,400 is EPA in-kind contribution per person for CBPO space) per year
- Activity 3: Agriculture Workgroup Coordination
- Estimated Funding Per Year: $120,000 – $140,000 (of which $9,400 is EPA in-kind contribution per person for CBPO space) per year
Outcomes
An example outcome under this application could include the following:
- Expanded and accelerated implementation of BMPs for reducing nonpoint sources of nutrients and sediment on the ground due to adaptive changes in local, state, and federal BMP delivery programs.
- Long-term behavior changes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed farming community measured by increased implementation of priority agricultural conservation practices that have maximum nutrient and sediment load reduction efficiencies in designated priority watersheds.
- Increased confidence in, and more complete accounting within, CAST as a tool for both watershed implementation planning and tracking of progress toward BMP and loading goals.
- Improved ability by jurisdictional and other partners to evaluate the relative effectiveness of implemented or planned management practices toward improving stream, river, and tidal water quality conditions.
Activities
- Activity 1: Agricultural Programmatic Implementation Support
- Activity 2: Support for Nonpoint Source Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation for the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership
- Activity 3: Agriculture Workgroup Coordination
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, colleges, universities, and interstate agencies are eligible to submit applications in response to this RFA. For-profit organizations are not eligible to submit applications in response to this RFA.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334299
