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Fish and Wildlife Service: North American Wetlands Conservation Act: Standard Grants Program
This program provides support to public-private partnerships carrying out projects that involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats.
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (Act, or NAWCA) of 1989 provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the benefit of wetlands-associated migratory birds and other wildlife.
There is a Standard and a Small Grants Program. Both are competitive grants programs and require that grant requests be matched by partner contributions at no less than a 1-to-1 ratio. Funds from U.S. Federal sources may contribute towards a project, but are not eligible as match.
The Standard Grants Program supports projects in Canada, the United States, and Mexico that involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats. In Mexico, partners may also conduct projects involving technical training, environmental education and outreach, organizational infrastructure development, and sustainable-use studies.
U.S. Standard Grants Deadline: March 5, and July 31, 2010.
Purpose and Scope
The Standard Grants Program is a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. These projects must involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats.
History
The Standard Grants Program began supporting projects in all three countries in 1990, shortly after the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (Act) of 1989 was passed. Each fiscal year, available funds have been distributed among projects in the three countries according to a pre-determined percentage within the range of percentages allowable under the Act. Currently, 50 percent of total available funds are used to support projects in the United States, 45 percent in Canada, and 5 percent in Mexico.
The Process
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Bird Habitat Conservation http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/index.shtm (Division) is responsible for facilitating and administering the Act’s Standard Grants Program. The process for receiving and preliminarily reviewing project proposals is handled slightly differently for each country and enjoys the active participation of each federal government. For further details, visit the country-specific Web pages on this site.
Once a slate of eligible proposals has been determined per each country-program’s process, the proposals are further reviewed and ranked by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, a nine-member council established by the Act. The Council then recommends projects to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, a seven-member commission authorized by the Act to give final funding approval to projects. The Division administers the grants for all approved projects.
Current Funding
Total funding for the Standard Grants Program in FY 2009 is $77.2 million. Individual country totals can be found on each country-program’s Web page.
Accomplishments
From September 1990 through September 2009, some 3,850 partners in 1482 projects have received more than $983 million in grants. They have contributed another $1.96 billion in matching funds to affect 25.1 million acres of habitat and $1.1 billion in nonmatching funds to affect 219,950 acres of habitat. Individual country totals can be found on each country-program’s Web page.
Contacts
U.S. Standard Grants proposals: David Buie (david_buie@fws.gov), (301) 497-5870, or Bonnie Gaukler (bonnie_j -gaukler@fws.gov), (703) 358-2017.
Last updated: January 5, 2010
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EPA’s Office of Water Welcomes Deputy Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner
Water Headlines for the week of February 1, 2010, a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water
Today Nancy Stoner joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water. This will be Ms. Stoner’s second tenure with EPA, as she directed the Office of Planning and Policy Analysis in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance from 1997 to 1999. More recently, she was the co-director for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Water Program. Prior to that, she served as project director and attorney for the Clean Water Project for nearly ten years.
Ms. Stoner’s law background, knowledge of EPA, and experience with a wide range of water issues will be a great asset for the Agency’s water program. The EPA's Office of Water welcomes Deputy Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner.
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EPA’s Budget Proposal Seeks Efficiencies, Increased Environmental Protection: Budget proposal aligned with Administrator Jackson’s key priorities
Water Headlines for the week of February 1, 2010, a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water
The Obama Administration today proposed a budget of $10 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This budget heeds the president’s call to streamline and find efficiencies in the agency’s operations while supporting the seven priority areas EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson outlined to guide EPA’s work.
Budget Highlights:
Cleaning up communities: This budget includes $1.3 billion to address Superfund sites that may be releasing harmful or toxic substances into the surrounding community. Cleaning up these sites improves communities’ health and allows for these properties to be used for economic development.
In addition, $215 million is provided to clean up abandoned or underused industrial and commercial sites that are available for alternative uses but where redevelopment may be complicated by the presence of environmental contaminants. Revitalizing these once productive properties, known as brownfields, helps communities by removing blight, satisfying the growing demand for land, and enabling economic development. EPA will focus its efforts on area-wide planning and cleanups, especially in under-served and economically disadvantaged communities.
This budget also offers $27 million for EPA’s new Healthy Communities Initiative. This initiative will address community water priorities; promote clean, green, and healthy schools; improve air toxics monitoring in at-risk communities; and encourage sustainability by helping to ensure that policies and spending at the national level do not adversely affect the environment and public health or disproportionally harm disadvantaged communities.
Improving Air Quality: In addition to the funding provided through the Healthy Communities Initiative, this budget includes $60 million to support state efforts to implement updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA proposed stricter air quality standards for smog and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and will work with states to help them meet those standards in the years ahead.
Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships: This budget includes $1.3 billion for state and tribal grants. State and local governments are working diligently to implement new and expanded requirements under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. New and expanded requirements include implementation of updated NAAQS and addressing emerging water quality issues such as nutrient pollution. In addition to the $25 million for greenhouse gas permitting and $60 million to support state efforts to implement updated NAAQS, the $1.3 billion for state and tribal grants includes $45 million for states to enhance their water enforcement and permitting programs. In order to help tribes move forward with implementation of environmental programs, $30 million is budgeted for a new competitive Tribal Multi-media Implementation grant program. To further enhance tribal environmental management capabilities, this budget also includes an additional $9 million for Tribal General Assistance Program grants.
Taking Action on Climate Change: This budget contains more than $43 million for additional efforts to address climate change and work toward a clean energy future. EPA will implement the greenhouse gas reporting rule; provide technical assistance to ensure that any permitting under the Clean Air Act will be manageable; perform regulatory work for the largest stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions; develop standards for mobile sources such as cars and trucks; and continue research of carbon capture and sequestration technologies.
Protecting America’s Waters: This budget broadens efforts to clean up America’s great waterbodies. It provides $63 million for efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and $17 million for the Mississippi River Basin to respond to non-point source control recommendations of the Nutrients Innovation Task Group and implement recommendations outlined in the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Action Plan.
This budget also invests $3.3 billion to maintain and improve outdated water infrastructure and keep our wastewater and drinking water clean and safe. This is in addition to $6 billion in funding provided to states through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Assuring the Safety of Chemicals: This budget calls for $56 million for chemical assessment and risk review to ensure that no unreasonable risks are posed by new or existing chemicals. This budget also invests $29 million (including $15 million in grants funding) in the continuing effort to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, and $6 million to support national efforts to mitigate exposure to high-risk legacy chemicals, such as mercury and asbestos.
Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice: This budget contains $8 million for environmental justice programs. It targets increased brownfields investments to under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and proposes $9 million for community water priorities in the Healthy Communities Initiative, funds that will help under-served communities restore urban waterways and address water quality challenges. EPA is committed to identifying and addressing the health and environmental burdens faced by communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. This commitment is fulfilled through the agency’s efforts to give people a voice in decisions that impact their lives and to integrate environmental justice in EPA programs, policies and activities.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/budget
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We are exploring the possibility of co-housing/co-ownership and cooperative farming in Ashfield on 50 acres of old fields, ponds, wetlands and woods that we have been restoring as a working berry farm for the last 5 years. There are large numbers of native high bush blueberries we continue to work on restoring by selective cutting of overstory. Last year we put up a 72' long high tunnel greenhouse specifically for early berries and other niche crops for farmers market. There is a large farmhouse, outbuildings and potential for two more (small) house sites. We keep bees, use honey in and process our value added berry products at a community kitchen (FCCDC in Greenfield). This site is particularly suitable for permaculture, and not traditional row crops. We are looking for 2 to 5 mature individuals that have a passion for outdoor work and play and with sufficient income/savings for an initial investment. Please refer to our website for more information.
Kate Kerivan
Owner/grower
Bug Hill Farm
POB 516, Ashfield Ma 01330
(413) 628-3980
www.bughillfarm.org
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January 14, 2010 - from WCBS New York:
A.G. Cuomo Goes After Drugs In NY Water
from the Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Serving homes from Westchester County to Staten Island, the New York City drinking water supply is a vital resource. Protecting it from pharmaceutical pollution is a growing concern. NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he's taking a proactive step to keep so-called "waste drugs" out of the water supply...There haven't been any long-term nor short-term studies done on this kind of an impact of multiple pharmaceutical drugs exposed to humans, particularly the most vulnerable such as children and developing fetuses," said Adrienne Esposito of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
Video and full article: www.citizenscampaign.org/news/story.asp?id=132
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Council approves $990,000 for farms
From gazettenet.com
By Chad Cain
Created 02/05/2010 - 10:00
NORTHAMPTON - The city took a big step forward Thursday in its quest to buy a pair of neighboring farms near downtown Florence for future use as an athletic complex, farmland, open space and possibly community gardens.
The City Council agreed to appropriate $990,000 for its portion of the acquisition of the Bean and Allard farms off Spring Street. The action, on first reading, came one day after the Community Preservation Committee recommended the council approve an application from the Conservation, Recreation and Agricultural commissions to buy the farms.
"Having the money in place is very important," said Wayne Feiden, director of the Office of Planning and Development. The money will allow the city to apply for grants and send a clear message to the Allard and Bean families and the Trust for Public Land that the city is serious about the purchase.
The council indefinitely tabled a separate request to take a second reading on buying only the Bean Farm. That agreement called for buying 45 acres of the Bean Farm for $910,000. <gazettenet.com for more>
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State rescinds controversial forestry email
Posted by bdaley February 3, 2010 02:57 PM
By Beth Daley
GLOBE STAFF
It’s no secret that when public meetings are held on controversial topics – wind farm anyone? – both sides try to fill the room with participants advocating their point of view.
But now, state officials are being accused of trying to stack the deck in an unethical way.
Yesterday afternoon, Tom Ryan, the secretary of the Massachusetts Forester Licensing Board and a forester with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation sent out an email to state foresters – the people who are licensed to cut down trees on private and public lands – saying they would receive continuing education credits if they attended more than one public hearing on a controversial draft state forestland management plan. Those credits are needed for foresters to keep licenses active. The public hearings begin tomorrow night in Westborough.
It is not clear why one group of people should be given any incentive by the state for attending a public meeting. But telling foresters they would receive credits only for attending more than one drew the immediate outrage of some environmentalists who said the state was trying to ensure the meetings were filled with a pro-cutting group of people.
To DCR commissioner Rick Sullivan’s credit, he rescinded the promise of credits within hours of it going out after environmentalists alerted him to the email – and long before a phone call from the Globe this morning. Still, the state still hadn’t sent out a notice yet to foresters telling them of the change as of 3 p.m. today, although a spokeswoman said one would be going out this afternoon.
“It would be inappropriate to allow anyone to receive credit for attending this public process,’’ said DCR spokeswoman Wendy Fox. “We have gone to great lengths to inform the public about these forums, to solicit participation from all members of the public statewide. In no way does DCR want to influence the discussion.”
But forestry practices on state lands is a deeply controversial issue here in Massachusetts in recent years as the state becomes more aggressive in cutting down trees.
And while advocates are happy foresters will not be given an incentive for attending the meetings, they say their credibility in the department has suffered.
“They want to make sure vested interests are there and speak out,’’ said Mike Ryan, executive director of friends of the Middlesex Reservation and on the advisory group of stakeholders for the forest plan. “It points to a systemic failure of the department to have a comprehensive program that protects its forested resources.”
Here is a copy of the email:
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:14 PM
Greetings Foresters,
A continuing forester education opportunity for your information. See attached announcement and certificate.
The draft recommendations have just been made available at the following website: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/publicmeetings/tsc_draft_recommendations.htm.
Forest management recommendations have been made for both public and private forestlands.
Credit will be given for attendance at more than one meeting.
If you attend a meeting and desire CFE credit please have the attached certificate signed and include with your
next license renewal application.
Tom Ryan, Service Forester
Secretary, MA Forester Licensing Board
Department of Conservation and Recreation
PO Box 1433; Pittsfield MA 01201
BEAT Note: In addition to "stacking the deck", BEAT believes that the state offering foresters credit to attend the forest visioning meetings would be a gross violation of the state's new Ethics Law. Plus, it shows that the biggest problem at DCR is not likely to be solved by this whole forest visioning process - that is the culture at DCR needs to change. BEAT participated in the visioning process as a member of the Advisory Group of Stakeholders. We were never sure, throughout the process, whether or not the visioning was an attempt to really change the way DCR has been doing business, or an attempt to, once again, appear to listen to the public while continuing business as usual.
Jane
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Building creative financing options for local food producers
from Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
CISA has joined with eight organizations to develop new economic opportunities for small businesses linking together the food system in the Pioneer Valley. Formed and funded as a pilot project in late 2009, the Pioneer Valley Grows Infrastructure Finance working group is identifying financing solutions for businesses working on packing, processing, and distribution along the local food chain. These efforts will strengthen market options for local farms and bring more locally grown food to Pioneer Valley communities. See this Greenfield Recorder article for more information about PVGrows.
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New Reporter for the Berkshires
Time Warner Cable / Channel News 9 has a new Berkshire County Bureau Reporter, Sabina Kuriakose. (518-641-7418 sabina.kuriakose at capitalnews9.com) If you have TV worthy environmental news, please let her know.
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Constellation Energy EcoStar Grant Program
Constellation Energy supports nonprofit organizations that are working to improve the quality of life in company communities throughout the U.S. The company offers EcoStar Grants of up to $5,000 to local nonprofit organizations for projects that address at least one of the following five environmental focus areas: pollution prevention, education, energy efficiency, conservation, and community activism. Funded projects must be located geographically within a region where Constellation Energy does business (this includes all six New England states). The application deadline is March 16, 2010.
EcoStar Grants -
Environmental stewardship is one of Constellation Energy's core foundational values. Because of our commitment to use natural resources responsibly, prevent pollution, improve energy efficiency and enhance our stewardship efforts, EcoStar Grants are now being offered to local communities where Constellation Energy does business. These grants compliment our overall environmental giving strategy and represent another step that we are taking to link our employees with the communities we live in and serve.
We invite projects that fall within the following parameters to submit a competitive request for support.
On-line Application
Click here to access the EcoStar Grants on-line application.
For your convenience please review the applicant instructions.
Please also review the FAQ.
Application Deadline for EcoStar Grants: March 16 (annually)
Awards will be announced on or before Earth Day (April 22)
Award Criteria
- Organization must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit, with a Board of Directors
- Grant range up to $5,000 each
Note: Grant funds limited to maximum of 20% administration and office expenses (i.e., salaries, phone and postage)
- Applicants much include a project budget indicating how grant dollars will be spent
- The project must be located geographically within an area Constellation Energy does business
(continental 50 states with the exception of AZ, GA, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, WY)
- Constellation Energy Employee engagement is preferred but not required
- Recipients must wait three years before reapplying
- Environmental Focus Areas
- Project should fit at least one of five environmental focus areas:
- Pollution Prevention
- Recycling projects and drop-off collection events
- Tree plantings and maintenance to reduce CO2 emissions
- Litter reduction
- Education
- Workshops, seminars, training and/or public relations to inform and influence the public regarding environmental stewardship
- Energy Efficiency
- Projects and/or partnerships that support large and small-scale energy conservation measures
- Conservation
- Wetlands restoration
- Wildlife/habitat protection
- Community Activism
- Neighborhood, park clean-ups
- Create public green spaces, community gardens, urban forests
The Massachusetts Watershed Coalition
....Creating a Network of Watershed Partners.
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AFWA Supports Creation of New Wildlife & Hunting Heritage Conservation Council
The Council Will Help Strengthen Cooperation in Conserving Wildlife and Nurturing Future Generations of Sportsmen and Women
WASHINGTON, DC -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer today at a joint press conference held at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial announced the creation of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC), an official advisory group chartered to provide advice to the government on wildlife conservation and hunting issues and on carrying forward the nation’s hunting tradition.
The WHCC replaces and improves upon the previously existing Sporting Conservation Council by bringing together state fish and wildlife agencies; Native American tribes; the sporting conservation community; the archery, shooting and hunting sports industries; and wildlife conservation organizations to provide a forum for sportsmen and women to discuss policies that benefit wildlife resources and recreational hunting. more
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12 Energy Grants to Agricultural Businesses
BOSTON — February 9, 2010 – Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Ian Bowles today announced 12 grants to help farmers across the Commonwealth maintain energy efficient buildings, improve heating systems and install renewable energy technologies like solar power and biomass.
Grants awarded by the Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) totaling $248,124 will fund projects at farms in Amesbury, Amherst, Ashfield, Granby, Harvard, Ipswich, Rayhnam, Shelburne, Sudbury, West Brookfield, Westhampton and Worthington.
“These grants will help Massachusetts farmers build more successful operations by practicing energy efficiency and utilizing renewable energy, in the process becoming models for businesses across the Commonwealth,” Secretary Bowles said.
“By helping farmers reduce costs, improve efficiency and become more energy independent, the Department’s energy grants show our continued commitment to ensuring the economic and environmental viability of Massachusetts agriculture,” DAR Commissioner Scott Soares said.
DAR’s Agricultural Energy Grants support the efforts of the Massachusetts agricultural industry to implement energy-efficient building techniques and to maximize their renewable energy resources. These grants fund projects to install solar power technologies, gas condensing boilers and cleaner burning, more efficient heating systems that will facilitate regulatory compliance and cut operating costs. Projects receiving grants include a thermal blanket for a greenhouse operation, an advanced biomass outdoor wood boiler to heat a greenhouse and an upgrade of a reverse osmosis unit to ensure more efficient maple syrup production.
Funding for the grants comes from the $1.7 billion Energy and Environment Bond Bill signed by Governor Deval Patrick in August 2008. The 2010 grants fund the following projects:
- Amesbury – Cider Hill Farm: $30,000
To fund a photovoltaic system.
- Amherst – Simple Gifts Farm: $26,000
To fund a photovoltaic array.
- Ashfield – South Face Farm: $6,256
To fund a reverse osmosis upgrade.
- Granby – Red Fire Farm: $30,000
To fund a solar array.
- Harvard – Carlson Orchards Inc.: $15,000
To fund a refrigeration upgrade.
- Ipswich – Appleton Farms: $29,750
To fund a solar hot water heater and biomass outdoor wood boiler.
- Rayhnam – Olson’s Greenhouses: $20,000
To fund a thermal blanket to improve greenhouse energy efficiency.
- Sudbury – J.P. Bartlett Company Inc.: $30,000
For the installation of gas condensing boilers.
- Shelburne – Biscuit Hill Farm LLC: $25,000
For the installation of a photovoltaic system.
- West Brookfield – Ragged Hill Orchard: $20,000
To fund a photovoltaic system.
- Westhampton – Mayval Farm: $10,445
For the installation of a vacuum pump, heat recovery system and in line plate cooler.
- Worthington – Justamere Tree Farm: $5,673
To fund a reverse osmosis upgrade project.
Click here for more information about DAR energy programs.
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Groups merge to preserve 57 acres
By Derek Gentile
Updated: 02/09/2010 11:55:19 PM EST
Berkshire Eagle Staff
STOCKBRIDGE -- The Laurel Hill Association and the Stockbridge Land Trust have joined forces to purchase a 57-acre tract at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183.
Representatives of both groups attended Monday night’s Selectmen’s meeting to announce their plans to the board.
The parcel in question, presently owned by the Delmolino Family Trust, is just east of Route 183 and south of Route 102. The property runs down Route 102 to the Pinewoods Housing Development, according to Janice Shields, president of the Laurel Hill Association. It crosses over Larrywaug Brook. <more>
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