DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today encouraged eligible groups to apply for grants to support projects that will improve water quality or help prevent flooding in the state. The more than $5 million in grant funds are available to local watershed improvement committees, soil and water conservation districts, public water supply utilities, county conservation boards, cities and counties.
“These funds are available to support projects that address specific problems that impact the water quality or that can reduce flooding in our state,” Northey said. “Protecting and improving water quality is central to the work of the Department, and these funds support projects that are able make documented improvements in our state’s water quality as well as address potential flooding.”
Projects eligible for funding include, but are not limited to, those addressing agricultural runoff and drainage, flood prevention, stream bank erosion, municipal discharge, storm water runoff, unsewered communities, industrial discharge and livestock runoff.
Each project can request up to $500,000 in funding over five years.
All applications are due on Friday, August 14, 2009 and will be reviewed by the Watershed Improvement Review Board. The Board is comprised of representatives from agriculture, drinking water and wastewater utilities, environmental organizations, agribusiness, the conservation community along with two state senators and two state representatives.
A funding announcement is expected be made in mid October.
There are several new guidelines that are a part of this Request for Applications (RFA). Projects can now be funded over five years instead of just three. Counties are now eligible applicants and flood prevention has been added as a purpose of the program.
Application materials can be downloaded from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship website at www.iowaagriculture.gov/IWIRB.asp. To receive more information or ask questions, contact Jerry Neppel at 515-281-3599.
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