This agreement is to fund the state of vermont's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that…

This agreement is to fund the state of vermont's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs and supports implementation of clean water act programs. In accordance with clean water act section 205(j)(3), unless a waiver request is approved by EPA, the recipient will jointly develop workplans with and provide at least 40% of this award to regional or interstate watershed management planning agencies. This agreement is supported by funding provided under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PL 117-58). Activities:the activities to be performed include the following water quality management planning activities include: vermont will conduct the statewide rotational river basin water quality assessment to complete field work, compile data, and generate assessment reports; vermont department of environmental conservation (DEC) will continue development of a statewide integrated watershed assessment that will incorporate multiple factors that affect watershed health such as water quality, stream geomorphology, aquatic biota, hydrology and other factors. Pass-through funding via DEC's request for proposal process will seek to support projects that include but are not limited to the design and construction of water pollution abatement and control projects that target nonpoint sources of pollution, municipal outreach and coordination for water infrastructure sponsorship program, and municipal outreach and coordination for federal emergency management agency mapping updates.subrecipient:vermont's pass-through allocation will be distributed via a request for proposals for tactical basin planning services, to be offered to vermont's regional planning commissions and natural resources conservation districts for subtasks to design and implement projects that will (a) restore and protect vermont's rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands from precipitation-driven nutrient and sediment pollution, as well as to (b) support the completion of 'construction-ready' clean water improvement projects identified on the DEC watershed projects database.outcomes:the deliverables to be provided under this agreement are: for state projects and activities, deliverables include the annual 604(b) status report, including list of completed river basin assessments, water quality planning and assessment activities, and summary of work on the statewide integrated watershed assessment tool. For pass-through projects, deliverables include notice sent to eligible region comprehensive planning organizations regarding availability of 2022 604(b) funds outlining nature of work scope; and performance-based 604(b) grant agreement and associated products or deliverables. The expected outcomes resulting from these efforts include updated basin assessments that will help inform clean water project implementation through the identification of critical source areas; increased knowledge of surface water quality conditions and trends as well as modeled watershed condition through statewide integrated watershed assessment will help direct implementation projects and prioritize future monitoring and assessment efforts; and completion of a variety of water quality management planning efforts by the eligible vermont regional comprehensive planning commissions. The intended beneficiaries include all residents of and visitors to the state of vermont.