Greetings All,
On March 20, 2018 USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced funding of up to $250 million is available for existing easement restoration work on degraded wetlands, floodplains and forestlands. Restoration activities may include: designing restoration plans, installing conservation practices including structural or vegetative, construction management, monitoring and inspection. Agreements with NRCS for restoration work are three years in length.
The first announcement of FY18 NRCS easement funding was in December of 2017 (please refer to my 12/4/2017 Farm Bill Update). At that time, the funding announcement was for enrolling new land as well as restoration activities into the Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). However, this most recent funding announcement has expanded to include other NRCS easement programs, but is targeting restoration work on existing easements. With the sole exception of Federal agencies, NRCS invites eligible applicants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories in the Caribbean and Pacific
to apply.
Applicable NRCS easement programs for this funding opportunity are:
- Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)*: this program was repealed in the 2014 Farm Bill; however, funds have been authorized for the remaining restoration needs
- Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
- Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP)
- Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)
Application process:
- To view this funding opportunity visit https://www.grants.gov/
- Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-US-WRP-ACEP-EWPP-HFRP-18-01
- Applications are submitted through Grants.gov and must be received no later than 5:00 EDT on May 18, 2018
- Proposals that pass initial screening then continue through:
- Technical peer review panels established by the Chief of NRCS
- The technical review panels forward their recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist (if project is multi-State then all State Conservationist in the project area will review panel recommendations)
- The State Conservationist(s) makes the final award selection
- After selection, NRCS will enter into negotiations with selected applicant(s) to discuss terms of the cooperative agreement.
Applicants will be responsible for assisting NRCS and landowners by providing technical assistance necessary to design and implement the applicable easement restoration plans. Please note, relevant easements cannot be identified prior to the selection process due to legally protected Personally Identifiable Information (PII) tied to the easement.
* WRP UPDATE: According to NRCS, WRP restoration funding solely for existing easements on Service lands or in connection with Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program or Coastal Program projects has been drawn down to $25 million from the original $100 million for FY18. The goal by NRCS was to obligate these funds by June 2018. This Service specific funding opportunity was identified in the 11/20/2017 funding announcement by National Wildlife Refuge System Deputy Chief Sanchez.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this recent NRCS easement restoration funding announcement or if you require additional information in regards to last November's WRP easement restoration funding opportunity on Service owned lands. Hope this message finds you well, take care!
--
Best Regards,
Ed
Ed
Christopher, RF
Farm Conservation Programs Biologist
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Wildlife Refuge System
5275
Leesburg Pike
Falls
Church, VA 22041-3803
Office: 703-358-2101
