Assistance with the organization and function of the East Creek and McKenzie Brook Watersheds (VT) | USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 01

This funding opportunity, titled "Assistance with the organization and function of the East Creek and McKenzie Brook Watersheds (VT)," is a discretionary USDA program run through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Vermont. It was offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the awardee would be expected to work closely with NRCS rather than simply receiving funds to operate independently. The focus is on two Vermont watershed planning groups, the East Creek Watershed Planning Group and the McKenzie Brook Watershed Planning Group, and the central purpose is to strengthen how these groups are organized and how they function so they can more effectively drive on-the-ground conservation progress.

The practical goal behind the grant is to increase the implementation of conservation practices on farms within the two watersheds. In other words, the project is designed to help NRCS and the watershed groups identify, develop, and carry out multiple strategies that result in more farmers adopting conservation measures. This typically includes coordinated planning, outreach, project development, and the kind of local organizing work that helps translate conservation goals into real farm-level actions. A key deliverable mentioned in the opportunity is support for developing and implementing a Watershed Action Plan, which generally serves as a roadmap for priorities, approaches, timelines, partners, and specific projects that will be pursued within a watershed.

The applicant organization is expected to provide overall administration for staffing that will deliver these services. That administrative role is explicitly described as handling hiring, supervision, and payroll for the staff working on the effort. The grant anticipates that the staff hired to carry out the work would normally be located in the applicant's office, implying that the awardee is expected to act as a host organization and day-to-day managerial home base for the project team supporting the watershed planning groups.

Eligibility is fairly broad and includes state, county, and municipal governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and nonprofit organizations with IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The opportunity falls within the agriculture, environment, and natural resources funding activity areas and is associated with CFDA numbers 10.902 and 10.912, which are USDA assistance program identifiers tied to conservation technical assistance and related conservation initiatives.

From a funding and competition standpoint, the opportunity listed an award ceiling of $87,500 and anticipated making one award. The notice was created on June 23, 2017, and had an original closing date of July 24, 2017. The issuing agency is the U.S. Department of Agriculture, specifically USDA-NRCS, and the funding opportunity number is "USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 01." Overall, this grant is best understood as targeted capacity-building support intended to keep two local watershed planning groups organized, staffed, and operational so they can partner effectively with NRCS and accelerate adoption of farm conservation practices guided by a structured watershed action planning process.

• The Department of Agriculture, USDA-NRCS-NHQ in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assistance with the organization and function of the East Creek and McKenzie Brook Watersheds (VT)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902, 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 23, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $87,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 01

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