Dustin Vande Hoef
Communications Director
515/281-3375 or 515/326-1616 (cell)
or Dustin.VandeHoef@IowaAgriculture.gov
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. A total of $1.2 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 to 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 $200,000 in funding over four years.
There are several new guidelines that are part of this Request for Applications (RFA). The funds for this program come from Capital Revenue Bonds, which have several additional restrictions on how the funds can be used. These additional restrictions prevent funding for indirect costs, information and education activities, and salary and benefits for general administration and project management. Potential applicants should review the RFA in full at www.iowaagriculture.gov/IWIRB.asp to make sure their proposal qualifies.
All applications are due on Friday, Oct. 1, 2010 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 to be made in November.
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.
