This agreement provides funding for the operation of the the winnebago tribe of nebraska's continuing environmental programs while giving IT greater flexibility to address its highest environmental…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska a $130,499 cooperative agreement under the Performance Partnership Grants program (CFDA 66.605) to support the Tribe's continuing environmental programs from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. Key deliverables under the award include quarterly and final reports, a Section 106 water quality assessment report, and a watershed-based plan for the Winnebago watershed. The funding will allow the Tribe to conduct surface water quality monitoring, develop water quality codes and management strategies, and train staff. Outcomes include partnerships to inform the public about nonpoint source pollution and increased technical capacity to promote best management practices for water resources on Tribal lands. No subawards are included in the cooperative agreement.

Description

This agreement provides funding for the operation of the the winnebago tribe of nebraska's continuing environmental programs while giving IT greater flexibility to address its highest environmental priorities, improve environmental performance, achieve savings and strengthen the partnership between the winnebago tribe of nebraska and EPA. This agreement funds tribal continuing environmental programs for the development of other water quality programs such as wetlands and ground water monitoring, lays groundwork for developing tribal water quality codes and integrated resource management strategies, perform future water quality assessments and assist in the future development of EPA approved tribal water quality standards. The work includes outputs and outcomes associated with managing continuing environmental programs which include activities to protect and maintain the condition of the natural environment and how that condition affects human health and ecosystems. Another part of the work includes the control or prevention of nonpoint source pollution.activities:the activities to be performed include: (1) review and revise, if needed, the following approved reports and plans; surface water chemical monitoring sampling plan, the ambient stream physical and biological monitoring sampling plan, the chemical assessment of surface water, fish tissue and sediments quality assurance project plan and related standard operating procedures, physical and biological assessment of surface water quality assurance project plan and related standard operating procedures, water quality monitoring strategy. (2) conduct physical, chemical and biological monitoring and data collection in accordance with the general guidelines described in the approved sampling plans and consistent with the quality assurance protocols outlined in the approved quality assurance project plans and related standard operating procedures for surface water assessment; collect and evaluate all quality control data generated in accordance with the approved quality assurance project plans to ensure the verification and validity of the data. (3) enter physical, chemical and biological water quality data into tribal databases, WQX compatible format templates and WQX database warehouse (4) prepare a comprehensive surface water quality assessment report for the physical, chemical and biological surface water data generated in the 2023 sampling season; preparation and submission of a new calendar year work plan and budget as well as any required revisions to the current approved work plan and budget; also preparation and submission of quarterly and final progress reports (5) training the water quality specialist in best program management practices and other media related topics (6) preparation and submission of a new calendar year work plan and budget as well as any required revisions to the current approved work plan and budget (7) promote open communication with other tribal programs, tribes, states, federal agencies and private landowners not included in the partnership (8) complete preparation of winnebago watershed-based plan identified by EPA's nine elements and (9) conduct programmatic administrative duties; and prepare watershed-based planning of missouri river identifying upstream dischargers using EJ screening tool. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include quarterly reports, final report, 106 assessment report, and winnebago watershed based plan. The expected outcomes from this agreement are partnerships developed with state, federal and other agencies, activities that inform the public about the potential effects of nonpoint source water pollution on water quality, surface water and ground water resources on the reservation. To increase technical knowledge and skills that promote best management practices and influence decisions vital to the implementation of the