2027_Att2_319h_NPS_Application_Questions_Final (29).xlsx

Project Overview

Note: As of July 1, 2024, SWCDs are no longer required to provide any match (TA or BMPs) but must provide cost-share for BMPs.

Project Methods

Budget Narrative

Project Capacity

https://ecfr.io/Title-02/se2.1.200_1430 Timeline

Definitions-Examples Definitions and Examples

Additional TA funding for administering for multiple partners: an Applicant with multiple partners or sub-awardees (two (2) or more partners receiving funds aside from the Subrecipient) is eligible for up to 10% additional TA for administrative support to coordinate all of the partners, associated meetings, and reporting. Administrative support includes salaries, logistics (travel and meeting expenses), or indirect costs for services provided to administer the project. This is only eligible for projects that have more than one (1) additional partner as a sub-awardee for which the Applicant will have to administer a sub-award. Paying a contractor does not qualify for additional TA, but engaging a partner and providing them a sub-award would qualify as long as there is more than one (1) partner with a sub-award.

Additional TA funding for new Subrecipients: Applicants that have never received or administered a targeted NPS Implementation project, nor received Section 319(h) funds from Virginia may request a one (1)-time five-percent (5%) increase in TA funds (e.g., up to $15,000 for a $300,000 project) to provide additional resources needed for initiating an implementation project. The additional TA funds may be used for developing system processes to address reporting and tracking needs, initial educational and outreach purposes and for the development of initial materials and systems.

Additional TA funding for water quality monitoring: applications including plans for water quality monitoring to document progress in improving water quality based on implementation are eligible for additional TA funds of up to 5% of 319(h) funding requested. Example: if total requested grant funding from DEQ is $300,000, including the monitoring funds, then the additional TA funds that are available is $15,000. Additional TA funds are only eligible to cover costs related to monitoring including staff time spent on monitoring activities (sample collection and analyses), contractual service costs, supplies, equipment, etc., and travel related to actual sampling and reporting. Time to develop a QAPP should be included in the monitoring budget and count towards the budget cap.

Agricultural BMPs: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) or DEQ specifications for practices on agricultural land that are an effective and practicable means of preventing or reducing the amount of pollution generated by nonpoint sources.

Chesapeake Bay Phase III WIP: Virginia’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP III) was completed in August 2019 in order to achieve nutrient and sediment reductions needed to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. It details best ma

Community characteristics: refers to the demographics, economic components, geographic features, cultural norms, history and land use information that could impact project implementation (positively or negatively).

Cost allocation plan: a report or policy for calculating and spreading centralized costs (either direct or indirect) across an organization or between shared programs. The goal is to ensure that each funding source or program bears its fair share of the total cost of the items in question. Subrecipients are required to use this process when a cost cannot be attributed as 100% in support of the project activities.

Cost effective: the effectiveness or productivity of an effort in relation to its cost, for example, the calculated pollution reductions for a given BMP in relation to how much it will cost to implement it.

Current, previous or other associated grants: can be grants awarded to your organization or grants to other organizations within the IP area of which your organization is familiar. Applicants should contact the regional NPS coordinator in your area to learn of current or previous grants of which your organization may not be aware.

Current status: an interpretation of water quality in the area in regard to the impairment this project will address. Applicants should contact their regional NPS coordinator to access available water quality data for the area. An analysis of the BMPs implemented in the area and anecdotal information are also acceptable. Stronger responses will rely more heavily on an analysis of water quality data; weaker responses will rely solely on anecdotal information. Information could come from the IP if the IP is recent (within the last two (2)-three (3) years); although, if it is been longer, responses should provide newer information (within the last two (2)-three (3) years) than what was in the IP.

De minimis rate: the 15% de minimis indirect cost rate is a federal-recognized rate that non-federal entities may use to recover allowable indirect costs on grants when they do not have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate. An organization may charge the de minimis rate at 15% of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). MTDC is defined at 2 CFR 200.68 as being: “All direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward.”

Direct costs: an expense incurred that can be directly related to the production of specific goods or services and employment. Direct costs are those that an organization can assign to a grant; they include costs of goods and services directly related to the grant activity, as well as compensation and related fringe benefits of employees who work on the award.

Expansion or change in focus area: means a change, whether minor or major, in the project scope from previous 319(h)-funded projects. For example, switching the types of BMPs administered from Agricultural and Septic to only Septic practices, reducing or expanding the geographic areas eligible for cost-share assistance, etc.

Federal Uniform Grant Guidance: a "government-wide framework for grants management" – is an authoritative set of rules and requirements for Federal awards that synthesizes and supersedes guidance from earlier OMB circulars

Fiscal stress: a locality’s ability to generate additional local revenues from its current tax base relative to the rest of the Commonwealth (source). Pages 22-24 of DEQ’s Nonpoint Source Implementation BMP Guidelines addresses fiscal stress, including how a fiscal stress designation can impact the cost-share rate structure and how to determine if your project area is deemed fiscally stressed.

Indirect costs: an expense incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one (1) project and not readily assignable to a single project specifically benefitted without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. Applicants with a federally approved indirect cost rate agreement may include indirect costs within their Application as part of their non-BMP funding request. This can be either 319(h) funded or for match. Indirect funds are considered part of the TA funds. If indirect funds are requested or provided as match, the Applicant shall include documentation of a federally approved indirect rate (including a signed copy of the agreement). If the Applicant does not have a federally approved indirect cost rate agreement, the Applicant may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 15% (see Section 200.414(f) of the Federal Uniform Grant Guidance).

IP goals: targets for implementation activities as identified in implementation plans (e.g., number of Agricultural BMPs or outreach campaigns).

IP of interest: Implementation Plan for which the Applicant is currently applying for 319(h) funds.

Landowner agreement: binding agreement between a landowner and either a Subrecipient or sub-award to allow a BMP to be installed on their property. The document includes a requirement to keep the practice functioning and in existence for the practice lifes

NPS Implementation Plan(s) or Watershed-Based Plan (IP): plans developed in coordination with local stakeholders to identify activities to address specific nonpoint sources of pollution.

Outputs: an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work products related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative, but must be measurable during a grant agreement period (source). Examples: three (3) stream exclusion BMPs installed, 550 people reached via community presentations, 45 septic pump outs, etc.

Partner roles: types of work/expertise/assistance that different partners may do or provide to a project. Partner roles generally fall into three (3) categories:

Technical lead: provides technical expertise for BMP design and construction to ensure that BMPs are technically sound and meet the approved BMP specifications.

Supporting partner: provides outreach, education, administrative or other programmatic support (such as activities related to things like water quality monitoring)

Project administrator: the organization tasked with oversight and management of partners. This entity is usually the Applicant.

Pet Waste BMPs: practices that are an effective and practicable means of preventing or reducing nonpoint source pollution from domesticated animal waste.

Public outreach: advertising, marketing, education and other similar engagement activities to promote a program, issue or cause.

Residential Septic BMPs: practices on residential land that are an effective and practicable means of preventing or reducing nonpoint source pollution from failing or malfunctioning septic systems or straight pipes.

Sub-awards: Awards made from an entity that has a 319(h) Subrecipient Agreement with VA DEQ to other organizations (i.e., Partners) in order to carry out part of a Federal program.

Sub-watersheds: a smaller area within a larger watershed. Sub-watersheds drain into a river or other waterbody creating a watershed.

Subrecipient: An entity that receives 319(h) funds via a Subrecipient Agreement with VA DEQ to implement the NPS program.

Subrecipient Agreement: Agreement of awards made from an entity that has received federal funding (i.e., DEQ) to organizations (i.e., Subrecipients) in order to carry out part of a Federal program.

Target/Targeting: narrowing focus to a particular geographic area, community or set of activities, usually to prioritize resources of a project.

TMDL impairment(s): an identified pollutant that has been limited to a maximum amount allowable in a waterbody so that the waterbody will and continue to meet the water quality standards for that particular pollutant. Common examples in Virginia are: bacteria, sediment and nutrients.

Urban BMPs: practices in urban or suburban density areas that are an effective and practicable means of preventing or reducing the amount of pollution generated by nonpoint sources.

Virginia/National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES/NPDES) permits: permission granted to point sources authorizing to discharge limited amounts of pollutants into waterbodies. In addition to permission for discharging pollution, permit holders must adhere to monitoring and reporting requirements and other provisions to ensure discharges do not hurt water quality or human health.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdfhttps://www.deq.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10026/637613625312070000https://www.deq.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4481/637469262077670000https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 image1.png