Assistance with the organization and function of the Hungerford Brook and St Albans Bay Watersheds (VT) | USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 02

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Vermont issued a discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity titled "Assistance with the organization and function of the Hungerford Brook and St Albans Bay Watersheds (VT)" (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 02). The purpose of the award is to strengthen and support two local watershed planning groups, one focused on the Hungerford Brook watershed and the other on the St. Albans Bay watershed, so they can function effectively and work in a coordinated way with NRCS. The overarching goal is practical and implementation-focused: help NRCS and these watershed groups identify, develop, and carry out multiple strategies that lead to more conservation practices being adopted on farms within the watershed areas.

The selected applicant is expected to play an organizing and administrative backbone role for the two watershed planning groups. This includes providing the overall administration needed to staff the effort, such as hiring personnel, supervising their day-to-day work, and managing payroll. Those staff members are intended to provide hands-on support tied to the development and implementation of a Watershed Action Plan, which typically means coordinating planning group activities, helping organize meetings and stakeholder engagement, tracking progress on planned actions, and supporting the steps needed to move from planning into on-the-ground conservation projects on agricultural operations. The opportunity notes that staff hired to deliver these services will generally be based in the applicant's office, signaling that the grantee will be responsible for providing the work setting and management structure rather than NRCS housing the positions.

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which usually indicates an ongoing, collaborative relationship between the federal agency and the recipient during project execution rather than a simple pass-through grant. The opportunity sits within agriculture, environment, and natural resources program areas, and references CFDA numbers 10.902 and 10.912. The anticipated award structure is a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $87,500.

Eligible applicants are broad and include various levels of government (state, county, city or township), special district governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions within that nonprofit category). The opportunity was created on June 23, 2017, with an original application closing date of July 24, 2017, indicating a short application window typical of targeted, place-based conservation support efforts.

In plain terms, NRCS Vermont was looking for one capable local or regional organization to serve as the administrative and staffing hub for two watershed planning groups, with the explicit intention of accelerating real conservation practice adoption on farms by supporting planning, coordination, and implementation through a watershed action planning process.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assistance with the organization and function of the Hungerford Brook and St Albans Bay Watersheds (VT)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902, 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 23, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $87,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 02

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