Grant Funding is Available

By Amber Lewis

 

The Department of Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, will be awarding water and energy efficiency grants. Through this grant program, WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) funding will be provided for on-the-ground water conservation and energy efficiency construction projects. Funded projects will seek to conserve and use water more efficiently, increase the use of renewable energy, protect endangered and threatened species, facilitate water markets, or carry out other activities to address climate-related impacts on water or prevent any water-related crisis or conflict.

The WaterSMART program has two funding groups, which encompass two different project sizes:
--Funding Group I: Up to $300,000 in funds are available.
--Funding Group II: $300,001 up to $1,000,000 in funds are available.

The Bureau is expecting to make between 30 and 40 total awards in Funding Group I and between four and eight total awards in Funding Group II.

Cost share is required in the amount of 50 percent or more of total project costs.

The application due date is May 4, 2010. Awards are expected to be announced in late June. All projects must be completed by September 30, 2012.

To be eligible, the applicant must have water or power delivery authority and be one of the following: a state or territory agency or department, a federally recognized Indian tribe, an irrigation and water district, an entity created under state or territorial law, a municipal water or power delivery authority, or an organization with water or power delivery authority.

Eligible applicants also must be located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands.

Time is of the essence! The application due date of May 4 is fast approaching. If you are interested in applying for this funding, please contact Olsson Associates to discuss potential projects as soon as possible.

Please go to http://www.oaconsulting.com/funding_calendar.htm or contact Amber Lewis for additional information regarding funding services.

Olsson Associates has highly qualified and skilled employees to handle all of your grant-related activities. Amber Lewis, funding specialist, is a professional grant writer and a certified grant administrator who can provide your community with these services. Please contact Amber Lewis at 402.463.0240 or e-mail alewis@oaconsulting.com.

 

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