RALEIGH – The North Carolina Division of Water Resources announced Friday the opportunity for state and local governments, councils of government, interstate and intrastate agencies, nonprofit organizations and institutions, including academic institutions, to fund watershed restoration plans that are aimed to restore waterways impaired by nonpoint source pollution.
The state is expecting $1.2 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for competitive funding of projects under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act during the 2019 grant cycle.
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The state agency is accepting electronically until midnight May 3 the proposals for grant funds, which may be used to conduct watershed restoration projects such as stormwater and agricultural best management practices and restoration of impaired streams.
The grant projects must be used to help restore waterways currently impaired by nonpoint source pollution, or pollution that results from multiple sources, in areas with approved watershed restoration plans.
The grant application and submittal guidelines are available online. Applicants who submit a draft application by March 15 can obtain a preliminary review and feedback from division staff. Grant fund recipients will be announced July 1.
“When evaluating proposals to receive 319 grant funds, both the EPA and Division of Water Resources place a strong emphasis on projects that will achieve measurable results,” according to the release. “Therefore, projects should be sited as close as possible to the impaired waterway to best target identified sources of nonpoint source pollution. In addition, proposals involving on-the-ground implementation must provide documentation assuring sustainable operation and maintenance measures for at least five years.”
Contact 319 Grant Administrator Rishi Bastakoti at rishi.bastakoti@ncdenr.gov for additional information.
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