The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (“NFWF”) has announced the availability of more than $8M in funding for aquatic resources restoration projects within the Sacramento District California In-Lieu Fee Program Area (“ILF Program Area”), which spans 37 counties and 65,000 square miles within the State of California. NFWF intends to partner with public, private, and non-profit organizations to help fund and implement on-the-ground wetland and/or waters restoration (re-establishment or rehabilitation), establishment (creation), and/or enhancement projects. (In certain circumstances, preservation projects may be acceptable, but they are generally not preferred.) Projects may be stand-alone proposals or may be an identifiable component of a larger project.

In each case, the restoration, establishment, enhancement, and/or preservation benefits provided by the project must be clearly demonstrated and must meet all applicable requirements set forth in the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources Final Rule (“2008 Rule”). These requirements are set forth in the 2008 Rule at 33 CFR Part 332.8(j) and 33 CFR Part 332.4(c)(2)-(14); and 40 CFR Part 230.98(j) and 40 CFR Part 230.94(c)(2)-(14).

The Request for Proposals has been updated and revised since the November 2016 release. We currently anticipate that proposals will be accepted and funds will be awarded on a semi-annual basis with two application cycles each calendar year. Application deadlines for the first funding cycle of 2017 are as follows:

Pre-Proposal due date: March 17, 2017

Full Proposal due date: April 21, 2017

For additional information on the ILF Program and how to apply for funding, please visit our RFP webpage at: http://www.nfwf.org/ilf/Pages/February2017_RFP.aspx.

For more information or questions about this Request for Proposals, please contact:

Chris Gurney
Wetland Program Director, Impact-Directed Environmental Accounts (IDEA)
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
90 New Montgomery Street, Suite 1010
San Francisco, CA  94105
Direct: (415) 593-7627
Fax: (415) 778-0998
Christopher.Gurney@nfwf.org

Click here for the California Financing Coordinating Committee Funding Fair 2017 Schedule.

CFCC agencies fund the following types of eligible infrastructure Projects:

• Drinking Water
• Wastewater
• Water Conservation
• Water Use Efficiency
• Water Quality
• Energy Efficiency
• Water Supply
• Flood Management

April 5, 2017
California Rural Water Association
1234 North Market Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95834
Workshop will be Webcast.
Access link will be on the CFCC Website at:
http://www.cfcc.ca.gov/funding_fairs.htm

May 2, 2017
8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Agency Presentations:
Shasta Public Libraries
Redding Library, Community Room
1100 Parkview Ave.
Redding, CA 96001

Upcoming grants that might be of interest:

• The Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Phase II Grants (due February 15) provide up to $100,000 to address critical water supply needs, water quality, and ecological resilience. The purpose of this program is to support established watershed groups in implementing on-the-ground watershed management projects.
• The Rose Foundation California Wildlands Grassroots Fund (due February 15) provides funding to grassroots conservation organizations advocating for the permanent protection of intact wildlands to help preserve California’s wilderness and native biological diversity. The Fund’s program includes support for restoration and stewardship.
• Strong Foundation grants (due February 15) support efforts that instill an ecological ethic in individuals and communities, and that encourage grassroots environmental action.
• The California Arts Council Local Impact Grant Program (due February 17) provides project and partnership support for small arts organizations reaching communities that have limited access to the arts, including rural areas.
• The Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Programs (due March 6) provide funding for planning, development, maintenance, and restoration of motorized recreational trails.
• The Farmers Market Promotion Program grants (due March 27) support the development, improvement, and expansion of farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, and agritourism activities.
• The Federal Lands Access Program (due April 7) develops transportation and infrastructure projects (roads, parking, bike trails, etc.) that provide access to federal public lands, particularly those with high recreation use.
• The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation In-Lieu Fee Program helps fund on‑the-ground wetland restoration, establishment, and enhancement projects in priority service areas. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Your SNC Area Representative can help you set up an individual consultation with the SNC Funding Team to get advice about specific funding opportunities or general fund development strategies. To take advantage of this resource, contact your Area Representative.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy Funding Opportunities Newsletter

EPA SOLICITING LETTERS OF INTEREST FOR $1 BILLION IN LOANS AVAILABLE FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THROUGH THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND INNOVATION ACT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $1 billion in credit assistance for water infrastructure projects under the new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. The WIFIA program is a federal credit program administered by EPA for eligible water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

The WIFIA program can fund development and implementation activities for eligible projects:

• Drinking water treatment and distribution projects that are eligible for the Drinking Water SRF
• Drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects
• Enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities
• Brackish or seawater desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling projects
• Acquisition of property if it is integral to the project or will mitigate the environmental impact of a project
• Wastewater conveyance and treatment projects that are eligible for the Clean Water SRF
• A combination of projects secured by a common security pledge or submitted under one application by an SRF program

Eligible borrowers are:

• Local, state, tribal, and federal government entities
• Partnerships and joint ventures
• Corporations and trusts

WIFIA application process is three phases:

• Phase 1: Project Selection: EPA announces the amount of funding it will have available and solicits letters of interest from prospective borrowers. In the letter of interest, prospective borrowers demonstrate their projects eligibility, financial creditworthiness, engineering feasibility, and alignment with EPA’s policy priorities. Based on this information, EPA selects projects which it intends to fund and invites them to continue to the application process.
• Phase 2: Project Approval: Each invitee submits an application for WIFIA credit assistance. Using this information, the WIFIA program conducts a detailed financial and engineering review of the project. Based on that review, the WIFIA program proposes terms and conditions for the project and negotiates them with the prospective borrower until they develop a mutually agreeable term sheet. The Administrator demonstrates project approval by executing the project’s term sheet.
• Phase 3: Negotiation and Closing: Based on the term sheet, the WIFIA program finalizes the terms of credit assistance to a prospective borrower.  At closing, the Administrator and the prospective borrower execute the credit agreement, which is the binding legal document that allows the borrower to receive WIFIA funds.

For more details please visit the EPA/WIFIA website here. or sign up for the WIFIA information sessions.

The CA-NV Section, AWWA is documenting our members’ interest and participation in the WIFIA program by compiling copies of intent letters from the Phase 1 application process. To participate in this documentation, simply email a copy of your intent letter to info@ca-nv-awwa.org. We appreciate your participation with this project.

Funding opportunity for watershed groups

Watershed groups that are grassroots, non-regulatory entities are eligible for the Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Phase II Grants. These grants provide up to $100,000 for 2-year programs ($50,000/year) to address critical water supply needs, water quality, and ecological resilience. The purpose of this program is to support established watershed groups in implementing on-the-ground watershed management projects. Funding will support the following types of primary projects:

• Improving stream channel structure and complexity: activities that improve channel structure and complexity to improve or maintain habitat and restore conditions supporting a healthy river channel, protect and stabilize stream or river banks, decrease sediment, and improve water quality and temperature
• Restoring or enhancing floodplains: activities that reconnect floodplains to the current channel to provide floodplain habitat, reduce flood risk downstream, and improve water quality and temperature
• Restoring or enhancing vegetation: activities that restore vegetation to improve the health of water sources and riparian ecosystems, reduce erosion, reduce flood risk, increase drought resilience, improve water quality and temperature, and restore habitat
• Controlling invasive species: activities to prevent or mitigate the impacts of invasive species likely to negatively impact the river, stream, or riparian ecosystem
• Improving ecological resilience through water conservation activities: activities that conserve water through small-scale water delivery system improvements to improve ecological resilience
• Improving ecological resilience through water management activities: water management activities that benefit aquatic and riparian ecosystems within the watershed
• Addressing water quality through mitigation: activities that prevent or remediate downstream contamination from agriculture, forestry operations, wildfires, and mining

Applicants must provide 50% of the project costs via non-federal cash or in-kind contributions. The deadline for the application is February 15.

In 2009, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation launched its Sierra Nevada Meadow Restoration Program to replenish the health and biodiversity of the mountain meadow regions. The program focuses on creating the momentum to restore and protect thousands of acres of meadows in the Sierra Nevada, focused both on research and implementation projects. Key conservation actions for this program include:

• Quantifying ecosystem service benefits: conducting hydrologic and water quality assessments to predict and measure changes in groundwater levels and downstream flow
• Building organizational capacity: providing capacity-building in watersheds where restoration planning and implementation is limited
• Repairing meadow degradation: supporting restoration projects in meadow systems in which it will be possible to quantify benefits
• Ensuring long-term protection: supporting land protection and deploying best management practices
• Garnering support of ranching community: improving information flow and providing technical assistance
• Monitoring and documenting ecological and biological responses to meadow restoration

For the upcoming round of funding, pre-proposal applications that focus on benefits for, and recovery of, the Southwestern willow flycatcher, Yosemite toad, Lahontan cutthroat trout, and/or Eagle Lake rainbow trout are specifically encouraged. In addition, pre-proposal applicants with projects for restoration of priority meadows that have the potential to amplify benefits associated with restoration of fire-scarred areas on California’s national forests are encouraged to contact the program lead.

Pre-proposals are due October 13. Application information can be found here.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES NEWSLETTER

October-November 2016

Have you missed the Urban Streams Restoration Program? This Department of Water Resources grant provides funding to reduce flooding and erosion, restore or protect the natural ecological values of streams, and promote community involvement and stewardship. The last round of funding was in 2014 and some of us have been waiting for another round of funding to be released. It looks like that will not happen until 2018, but the good news is that starting in 2017 program staff will make themselves available to provide technical assistance to help communities plan their projects and prepare for successful grant applications. Keep an eye on the Urban Streams Restoration Program web site for upcoming information about this assistance program.

Upcoming grants that might be of interest:

• State Water Resources Control Board Nonpoint Source Program and Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund grants (pre-proposals due October 10) are two programs that are implemented together. The Nonpoint Source Program grants must address water quality issues according to preferences listed in the guidelines. Timber Fund grants must implement forest management measures which can demonstrate water quality improvements such as erosion control, road management, riparian restoration, and post-fire rehabilitation.
• The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation (due November 10) provides modest funding to support museums; cultural and performing arts programs; schools; educational and skills training programs; programs for youth; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and their programs.
• The ‘Developing the Next Generation of Conservationists’ Grant Program (due November 17) provides support for innovative job opportunities that expose young people, particularly urban and underserved youth, to the natural world and career opportunities in conservation.
• Joint Fire Science Program Funding Opportunities (due November 17) include funding for research on wildfire management, landscape fuel treatments, post-fire recovery, and other fire science areas.
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Environmental Solutions for Communities Grants (due December 10) fund highly-visible projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment.

And keep your eye out for these soon-to-be-released opportunities:

• The Federal Lands Access Program funds improvements to roads and other transportation facilities (bridges, trails, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, etc.) that provide access to federal lands with high recreation use or economic benefits. Eligible activities include work on parking areas and trailheads, provisions for pedestrians and bicycles, mitigation measures to reduce wildlife mortality while maintaining habitat connectivity, roadside rest areas, etc. A new ‘call for projects’ is scheduled for January 2017.
• As part of the Cooperative Watershed Management Program, the Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Program will provide grant funding for on‑the‑ground watershed management projects. These will be follow-ups to the previous grants that helped establish or develop watershed groups. Draft evaluation criteria for this round of funding should be released soon.

New Capacity Building and Community Development Grant Research Memo

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Funding Team makes it easy for you to find grant opportunities. We research and compile funding sources for various types of projects. You can find these memos on the Funding Opportunities Web Page. Each memo is updated at least once per year. The latest research memo focuses on funding for Capacity Building and Community Development. Recently updated research memos include Riparian, Wetland, and Aquatic Habitat Restoration, and Habitat Preservation funding.

Congratulations to the Sierra Streams Institute on their award of almost $100,000 from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program for further development of the Bear River Watershed Group.

Your SNC Area Representative can help you set up an individual consultation with the SNC Funding Team to get advice about specific funding opportunities or general fund development strategies. To take advantage of this resource, contact your Area Representative.

Grant Writing Workshops are available to help build the capacity of organizations that serve the Sierra Nevada Region. If you are interested in organizing or attending a workshop, contact your Area Representative.

Background and Purpose

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is pleased to announce, in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR), a competitive grant application process for the 2016 State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Round II. The 2016 SWEEP funding arises from the Budget Act of 2015, SB 101, (Chapter 321, Statues of 2015), which authorizes CDFA to “support greenhouse gas emission reductions through water and energy efficiency grants promoting water and energy savings.” SWEEP is funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund referred to as the “California Climate Investment” program. The program’s objective is to provide financial incentives for California agricultural operations to invest in water irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and save water.

Funding and Duration

The 2016 SWEEP Round II will disperse up to $18 million to California agricultural operations investing in irrigation systems that reduce GHG emissions and save water. The maximum grant award is $200,000 with a recommended 50 percent match of the total project cost. The maximum grant duration is 12 months and grant funds cannot be expended before December 1, 2016 or after November 30, 2017. Therefore, project installation must be completed no later than November 30, 2017. CDFA reserves the right to offer an award different than the amount requested.

The deadline to submit an application is August 5, 2016 at 5:00 P.M. Late applications cannot be accepted. See website for more information and application forms.