Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program

 

To support strategically protecting healthy watersheds across the country. The focus of the grant program is to protect freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems and their watersheds. Additional background information on the Healthy Watersheds Program and priorities can be found at the following website: https://www.epa.gov/hwp. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2024: No additional awards are anticipated in FY 2024.

Active 66.441 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 EPA funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects. Examples of subaward projects include: projects that help the states/tribes identify healthy watersheds through assessments; projects to develop and support healthy watersheds conservation plans; projects on public outreach and education on the importance of healthy watersheds; local conservation demonstration (new or experimental) projects related to healthy watershed protection; and training projects related to healthy watersheds protection. EPA continued to funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects. Examples of subaward projects include: projects that help the states/tribes identify healthy watersheds through assessments; projects to develop and support healthy watersheds conservation plans; projects on public outreach and education on the importance of healthy watersheds; local conservation demonstration (new or experimental) projects related to healthy watershed protection; and training projects related to healthy watersheds protection.
Fiscal Year 2017 The Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program’s second-year of awards expands the pace of proactive watershed protection in the U.S. through conservation and improved stewardship of hundreds of thousands of acres of lands that provide drinking water, flood risk reduction, and an array of economic and environmental benefits. The sixteen awards total $2.75 million and will benefit organizations and partnerships in 18 states.
Fiscal Year 2018 The Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program’s third-year of awards expands the pace of proactive watershed protection in the U.S. through conservation and improved stewardship of thousands of acres of lands that provide drinking water, flood risk reduction, and an array of economic and environmental benefits. The 22 awards total $4.168 million and will benefit organizations and partnerships in 20 states.
Fiscal Year 2019 The Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program’s fourth year of subawards expanded the pace of proactive watershed protection in the U.S. through conservation and improved stewardship of thousands of acres of lands that provide drinking water, flood risk reduction, and an array of economic and environmental benefits. The 31 subawards totaled $5.668 million and benefited organizations and partnerships in 20 states.
Fiscal Year 2020 EPA funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects. The Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program subaward grants have been awarded. There is no additional funding available in 2021.
Fiscal Year 2022 EPA funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects. The Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program subaward grants were awarded. There was no additional funding available in 2022.
Fiscal Year 2023 There was no additional funding available in 2023. You can view summaries of projects funded in previous years at https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants-hwcg. Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3) (33 US Code 1254 et seq.)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 102(2)(I) Universities, colleges and institutions of higher education and hospitals are not eligible under this announcement. Non-profit, non-governmental organizations, interstate agencies, and intertribal consortia are eligible to compete in this program. The term "interstate agency" is defined in CWA Section 502 as "an agency of two or more States established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more States, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator." Intertribal consortia must meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, states, local governments, U.S. territories and interstate agencies. Non-profit applicants may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the definition of a non-profit organization. Interstate organizations may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority, which establishes their status. Intertribal consortia may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that are subject to review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372-and-section-204. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that are not subject to State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c). EPA awards grants and cooperative agreements based on the competitive applications submitted in response to EPA solicitations, considering relevance and likelihood of the success of the projects. The standard application forms, as furnished by the Federal agency and required by 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable, must be used for this program. Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the competitive announcement. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the competitive announcement. From 120 to 180 days. Grants are usually awarded within 4 months of receipt of completed application. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Not applicable. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing description will be described in the competitive announcement. The Healthy Watershed Consortium Grant Program funds one cooperative agreement to an organization to manage the Healthy Watershed Consortium Grant subaward process that will award subgrants to support the strategic protection of freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems and their watersheds across the country. These funds are used for healthy watershed capacity development and for local demonstration and/or training projects. Projects funded under the subgrant process must be limited to activities that conduct or promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Specific uses and restrictions on funds will be described in detail in the competitive announcements. Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs in approved scopes of work plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Funding awarded for research does not include research within the purview of EPA's Office of Research and Development. Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant funds cannot be used for the purchase of land or conservation easements. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). Performance Reports: Reporting requirements shall be determined at the time of grant award. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports as required by 2 CFR 200.334. If questions, such as those raised because of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. 40%. The applicant must provide a minimum of 40 percent of the total cost of the workplan. To determine if the minimum match is met, EPA will use the following formula: 1) Divide the total federal funds requested by the maximum federal share allowed. 2) Subtract the federal funds requested from the amount derived in step 1. 3) The amount derived from step 2 is the nonfederal match. For example: 1) If the federal funds requested = $100,000 and the recipient cost-share/match is 40 percent, the federal share = 60% or 0.60. $100,000 divided by 0.60 = $166,667 (total project cost); 2) $166,667 - $100,000 = $66,667; 3) The non-federal match = $66,667. Award recipients can meet the match requirements with in-kind or monetary contributions from entities other than themselves. However, other federal money cannot be used as the match for this grant program unless authorized by the statute governing the award of the other federal funds. Matching funds are considered grant funds. They must be used for the reasonable and necessary expenses of carrying out the assistance agreement workplan. Any restrictions on the use of grant funds (i.e., prohibition of land acquisition with grant funds) also apply to the matching funds.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The terms of the grant shall be determined at time of grant award The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award. None/Not specified. Steve Epting, Biologist
Environmental Protection Agency, Nonpoint Source Management Branch, Office of Oceans, Wetlands, and Watersheds
Washington, DC 20460 USA
epting.steve@epa.gov
Phone: 202-566-1074 https://www.epa.gov/hwp 68-0108-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 23$0.00; FY 24 est $0.00; FY 25 FY 22$0.00; FY 21$0.00; FY 20$0.00; FY 19$183,000.00; FY 18$655,000.00; FY 17$1,017,000.00; FY 16$1,270,000.00; - To be determined, contingent on EPA awarding a new cooperative agreement under this assistance listing. 2 CFR Part 1500 (EPA Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); 40 CFR Part 33 (Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in United States Environmental Protection Agency Programs); 40 CFR Part 35.610 (Water Development Grant Program), as applicable. Fiscal Year 2016 EPA funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects in FY 15. In FY 16 EPA will continue to support the organization to fund subaward projects such as: projects that help the states/tribes identify healthy watersheds through assessments; projects to develop and support healthy watersheds conservation plans; projects on public outreach and education on the importance of healthy watersheds; local conservation demonstration (new or experimental) projects related to healthy watershed protection; and training projects related to healthy watersheds protection EPA funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects in FY 15. In FY 16 EPA continued to support the organization to fund subaward projects such as: projects that help the states/tribes identify healthy watersheds through assessments; projects to develop and support healthy watersheds conservation plans; projects on public outreach and education on the importance of healthy watersheds; local conservation demonstration (new or experimental) projects related to healthy watershed protection; and training projects related to healthy watersheds protection.
Fiscal Year 2018 EPA funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects in FY 15. In FY 18 EPA will continue to support the organization to fund subaward projects such as: projects that help the states/tribes identify healthy watersheds through assessments; projects to develop and support healthy watersheds conservation plans; projects on public outreach and education on the importance of healthy watersheds; local conservation demonstration (new or experimental) projects related to healthy watershed protection; and training projects related to healthy watersheds protection.
Fiscal Year 2022 EPA funded a cooperative agreement to an organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees for projects to support strategic protection of freshwater ecosystems through capacity development and local demonstration and training projects in FY 15. In FY 22 EPA continued to support the organization to fund subaward projects such as: projects that help the states/tribes identify healthy watersheds through assessments; projects to develop and support healthy watersheds conservation plans; projects on public outreach and education on the importance of healthy watersheds; local conservation demonstration (new or experimental) projects related to healthy watershed protection; and training projects related to healthy watersheds protection.
Fiscal Year 2023 No new projects were funded in FY23. You can view summaries of projects funded in previous years at https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants-hwcg
Fiscal Year 2024 No new projects are anticipated to be funded in FY24.