rfp15-05.pdf

OVERVIEW

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

TITLE: Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2015 Request for Proposals for

Agriculture and Nonpoint Sources Program Support for the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Request for Proposals (RFP)

RFP NUMBER: EPA-R3-CBP-15-05

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 66.466

IMPORTANT DATES

May 27, 2015 Issuance of RFP July 13, 2015 Proposal Submission Deadline (see Section IV for more information) July 27, 2015 Approximate date for EPA to notify applicants of results August 26, 2015 Approximate date for applicant to submit federal cooperative agreement application October 26, 2015 Approximate date of award

EPA will consider all proposals that are submitted via Grants.gov by 5:00 EDT on July 13, 2015.

Any proposals submitted after the due date and time will not be considered for funding. No proposals will be accepted by facsimile or e-mail. EPA will only accept proposals submitted via Grants.gov, except in limited circumstances where applicants have no or very limited Internet access (see section IV.).

SUMMARY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is announcing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partners with a proposal for technical and programmatic support related to implementation of the agricultural and other nonpoint source components of the Chesapeake Bay watershed jurisdictions’ (listed below) watershed implementation plans (WIPs). This RFP is seeking cost-effective proposals from eligible applicants for supporting state, regional, and local partners and other non-federal stakeholders to build the institutional and programmatic capacity for accelerated implementation of agricultural conservation and other nonpoint source programs.

This work will improve coordination and provide technical and logistical support to the CBP Partnership Water Quality Goal Implementation Team’s Agriculture Workgroup and Watershed Technical Workgroup. Proposals should also include technical and coordination support to the non-federal partners and the appropriate CBP technical workgroups for determining the best means for ensuring all implemented nonpoint source (both agricultural and non-agricultural) best management practices (BMPs) are tracked, verified, reported, and simulated in the suite of CBP partnership models.

CBP partners include federal agencies, seven watershed jurisdictions, and many non-federal organizations; however, work funded under this RFP will support the seven watershed jurisdictions and other non-federal partners. The seven watershed jurisdictions are Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

FUNDING/AWARDS: This RFP will cover the project period up to and including six years from an expected start date of October 26, 2015. CBPO plans to award one cooperative agreement to carry out all activities under this RFP. The total estimated funding for six years is approximately $3,000,000 to $3,750,000, with an estimated $500,000 to $625,000 available for the first year and each additional year. There is no guarantee of funding throughout this period or beyond.

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Proposal and Submission Information V. Proposal Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information (Appendices)

I: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

1. About the Chesapeake Bay Program The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary. A resource of extraordinary productivity, it is worthy of the highest levels of protection and restoration. Authorized by Section 117 of the Clean Water Act, the CBP is responsible for supporting the Chesapeake Executive Council through a number of actions, including the coordination of federal, state, and local efforts to restore and protect living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Section 117 also authorizes EPA to provide assistance grants to support the goals of the program.

The CBP is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. The CBP partners include the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; EPA, representing the federal government; and participating citizen, local government, and scientific and technical advisory groups.

The CBP partnership is guided at the direction of the Chesapeake Executive Council (Executive Council), which, through its leadership, establishes the policy direction for the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and exerts its leadership to rally public support for the Bay effort and signs directives, agreements, and amendments that set goals and guide policy for Chesapeake Bay restoration.

The Principals' Staff Committee (PSC) acts as the senior policy advisors to the Executive Council, accepting items for their consideration and approval and setting agendas for Executive Council meetings. The PSC also provides policy and program direction to the Management Board.

The Management Board provides strategic planning, priority setting, and operational guidance through implementation of a comprehensive, coordinated, accountable implementation strategy for the CBP. It directs and coordinates all of the goal teams and workgroups under it.

The Goal Implementation Teams (GITs) includes federal and non-federal experts from throughout the watershed. Thus, academic experts, advocacy organizations, and others become active members of the broad restoration partnership. Much of the work in this RFP will support the Water Quality Goal Implementation Team (WQGIT) and its Agriculture Workgroup, Agriculture Modeling Subcommittee, and Watershed Technical Workgroup.

The charge of the WQGIT is to evaluate, focus, and accelerate the implementation of practices, policies, and programs that will restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to conditions that support living resources and protect human health. The charge of the Agriculture Workgroup is to provide expertise and leadership on development and implementation of policies, programs, and research to reduce pollutant loads delivered from agricultural lands and animal operations to upstream waters and the Chesapeake Bay. The Agricultural Modeling Subcommittee provides enhanced agricultural modeling assistance to support the Agriculture Workgroup and the workgroup's expert review panels. The charge of the cross-sector Watershed Technical Workgroup is to provide a forum for communication and discussion between and among the jurisdictions and other CBP participants on technical issues related to BMPs, Chesapeake Bay watershed model processes, and management strategy development and implementation.

Pursuant to Section 117(b)(2) of the Clean Water Act, 33 USC 1267 (b)(2), CBPO is the office within EPA charged with providing support to the Council in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. CBPO and CBP mentioned above are two distinct entities.

2. 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and Executive Order 13508 On June 16, 2014, the Chesapeake Executive Council, CBP’s governing body signed a new voluntary Chesapeake Bay agreement (referred to as Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement throughout this RFP) that will guide the CBP partnership’s work into the future. For the first time, Delaware, New York, and West Virginia signed the agreement as full CBP partners in the overall effort. This agreement is one of the most comprehensive restoration plans developed for the Chesapeake region, providing greater transparency and accountability of all CBP partners.

With 10 interrelated goals and 31 outcomes, this watershed-wide accord advances the restoration, conservation, and protection of all the lands and waters within the 64,000-square-mile watershed by promoting sound land use, environmental literacy, stewardship, and a diversity of engaged citizens. Additionally, the goals and outcomes aim to better protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay's living resources, water quality, and vital habitats. The new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement also recognizes the unique and vital role local governments play and how they are essential to the restoration effort.

This cooperative agreement will help fulfill the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement the Water Quality goal and its WIP-related outcomes.

B. Scope of Work

This RFP is seeking cost-effective proposals from eligible applicants for providing the CBP’s non-federal partners with support on technical and programmatic issues related to implementation of the agricultural and other nonpoint source components of the jurisdictions’ WIPs. Proposals should specifically address the need to support state, regional, and local partners and other non-federal stakeholders to build the institutional and programmatic capacity for accelerated implementation of agricultural conservation and other nonpoint source programs.

The programs should be geographically targeted and cost-efficient with effective practices and technologies for reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution. This support should ensure pollutant reduction outcomes with clear benefits to the agricultural producers and other local landowners. The successful applicant should also evaluate alternative approaches and innovative solutions to build and strengthen partnerships.

The work will support the CBP partners’ accelerated implementation of the most cost-effective, efficient and targeted nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment reduction actions on agricultural lands throughout the watershed. Proposals should specifically address how the applicant will provide this support through improving coordination and providing technical and logistical support to the CBP Partnership Water Quality Goal Implementation Team’s Agriculture Workgroup and Watershed Technical Workgroup, and the partnership's other technical, management and policy committees.

Proposals should also include technical and coordination support to the non-federal partners and the appropriate CBP technical workgroups for determining the best means for ensuring all implemented nonpoint source (agricultural and non-agricultural) BMPs are tracked, verified, reported, and simulated in the suite of CBP partnership models. Proposals should describe plans for working directly with U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, state agricultural agencies, universities, conservation districts, agribusiness, and non-governmental organizations to continually improve access to and the exchange and sharing of agricultural conservation implementation, land use, agricultural animals, and agricultural production related data, respectful of state and federal privacy laws. This work will involve coordinating with CBP partners and stakeholders in developing model data inputs that give the most accurate and defensible characterization of agricultural land use, cropland, animal operations, and nutrient use. This work also includes providing technical and logistical support to the agricultural and other BMP expert panels as directed by the WQGIT, the Agriculture Workgroup, and the Watershed Technical Workgroup.

While the CBP partnership is comprised of federal and non-federal organizations, any activities funded under this RFP will not directly benefit the federal partners. The recipient of the cooperative agreement awarded under this RFP may work directly with federal agencies, but the nature of that work will result only in benefits to the non-federal agencies, partners, and the general public. The non-federal partners of the CBP will provide programmatic direction to the cooperative agreement recipient through the WQGIT and its Agriculture Workgroup and Watershed Technical Workgroup.

CBPO plans to award one cooperative agreement to carry out all activities under this RFP. The estimated funding for six years is approximately $3,000,000 to $3,750,000, with an estimated $500,000 to $625,000 available for the first year and each additional year.

If your organization has an interest in this project, has the skills to accomplish the activities, and is eligible to receive a federal assistance agreement as described in Section III of this announcement, we encourage you to submit a proposal. Each eligible proposal will be evaluated using the criteria described in Section V. The activities are multi-year projects (up to six years), and the proposal should have a work plan and budget for the first year and an estimated budget detail for each of the subsequent five years.

Applicants must address each activity listed below in their proposal:

Activity 1: Agricultural Programmatic Implementation Support Estimated Funding: $200,000- $250,000 per year ($1,200,000 to $1,500,000 over six years)

This activity provides agricultural program implementation support for the WQGIT, its Agriculture Workgroup, and the CBP partnership's other technical, management and policy committees. This work will support their efforts to accelerate the CBP partners’ implementation of the most cost-effective, efficient and targeted nutrient and sediment pollutant load reduction actions on agricultural lands throughout the watershed.

The following are examples of the types of activities required to carry out Activity 1. Applicants may consider these tasks as well as describe alternative approaches to providing the requested support. Applicants are encouraged to describe how they would support efforts for building and expanding local, state and regional agricultural institutional and programmatic capacity necessary for the most effective and cost-efficient sets of nutrient and sediment pollution reduction practices and technologies needed to achieve the agricultural commitments within the six Chesapeake Bay watershed states’ WIPs and two-year milestones. Activity 1 does not support the District of Columbia.

Support Building and Expansion of Agricultural Institutional and Programmatic Capacity

Directly support efforts by state, regional, and local partners and stakeholders to build and expand their institutional and programmatic capacity for the implementation of agricultural conservation programs to deliver at or below the levels defined within the six states’ Phase II and III WIPs.

Support the six states in the implementation of the agricultural components of their WIPs, focusing on continued adaptation of agricultural conservation practice program implementation based on the latest information and data.

Work with state, regional, and local partners to ensure there are policies, programmatic capacity and capabilities, and underlying delivery mechanisms for implementing the most efficient and cost-effective pollutant reduction practices on agricultural lands.

Building and Strengthening Partnerships

Build and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders, such as U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies (strictly for the benefit of non-federal partners), state agricultural agencies, regional and national agricultural interest and trade groups, research universities, environmental groups, and others to advance well-managed agriculture that protects local and regional waters.

Regularly communicate the CBP partnership’s agricultural programs, policies, regulations, and new directions to these key stakeholders and build in-depth understanding of their interests in order to identify opportunities to coordinate programs and policies.

Work with these key stakeholders to identify opportunities for collaborating on innovative efforts that will help advance implementation of conservation approaches and farming techniques to address key agricultural environmental challenges in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Enhanced Access to and Sharing of Agricultural Data and Information

Work with U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies (strictly for the benefit of non-federal partners), state agricultural agencies, universities, conservation districts, agribusiness, and non-governmental organizations to continually improve access to and the exchange and sharing of agricultural conservation implementation, land use, agricultural animals, and agricultural production related data, respectful of state and federal privacy laws.

Work towards timely and routine sharing of data and information, with a focus on consistency across state and local jurisdictions, and ensuring the best available data is used in the CBP partnership’s shared collaborative decision making processes.

Evaluate Alternative Approaches and Innovative Solutions Evaluate alternative approaches and innovative solutions for accelerating agricultural nutrient and sediment reductions based on the best and latest science and research.

Apply in-depth understanding of science, technical issues, and capacity issues associated with accelerating agricultural conservation actions, grant programs and tools for helping address challenges, and national examples of how to address these challenges that could be adapted for use in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Identify key partners and stakeholders to collaborate with to identify and advance innovative solutions to the key agricultural challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Represent the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership in Local, Regional and National Forums Communicate CBP partnership agricultural policies, programs, goals, commitments, protocols, initiatives, and new directions at national and regional agriculture conferences, workshops, forums, and meetings.

Regularly participate in the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s State Technical Committee meetings within each the six Chesapeake Bay watershed states as needed to support the work of non-federal partners.

Communicate CBP Partnership Agricultural Policies, Programs, and Initiatives

Communicate directly with CBP partnership leadership committees (Principals’ Staff Committee, Management Board) and advisory committees (Citizens, Local Government, and Scientific and Technical) regarding the policy and programmatic opportunities and challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s agricultural communities in advancing well-managed agricultural operations that protect local and regional water resources.

Proactively communicate CBP partnership agricultural policies, programs, goals, commitments, protocols, initiatives, and new directions which may affect agriculture to local, state, regional agricultural agencies and interest groups, agribusinesses, and environmental groups on an ongoing basis.

Synthesize information about the CBP partnership’s policies, regulations, protocols, and directions for addressing agricultural impacts to water quality for delivery to a wide variety of policy, technical, and public audiences.

Work with the CBP Partnership’s Communications Workgroup and Communications Office on ensuring the latest understanding of the Chesapeake Bay watershed agricultural community’s successes, challenges, and innovative approaches are being proactively communicated to audiences targeted by the Communications Workgroup.

Coordination of Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Agricultural Activities

Ensure the CBP Partnership’s Agriculture Workgroup and it’s supporting technical groups and subgroups are getting the level of technical, coordination, and logistical support they are requesting.

Regularly and proactively reach out to local, state, regional agricultural agencies, and interest groups, agribusinesses, and environmental groups on an ongoing basis to determine if the CBP partnership is hearing, understanding and acting on their voiced concerns, opportunities, and needs.

Activity 2: Nonpoint Source Program Implementation and Evaluation Support Estimated Funding: $140,000- $180,000 per year ($840,000 to $1,080,000 over six years)

This activity provides for the analysis and evaluation of nonpoint source program implementation support for the WQGIT, its Watershed Technical Workgroup, its source sector workgroups, and the CBP partnership’s other technical, management and policy committees.

This work will support their efforts to accelerate the CBP partners’ implementation of the most cost-effective, efficient and targeted nutrient and sediment reduction actions across all nonpoint source sectors.

The work under this activity will further build the jurisdictions’ capacity for targeting implementation of the most cost-effective and efficient pollution reduction practices and technologies by working directly with state, regional, and local governmental and non-governmental implementation efforts. This activity includes enhancing and maintaining the accountability systems used for tracking, verifying, reporting, and quantifying the estimated pollutant-load-reduction potential of practices, treatments, and technologies implemented throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The resultant data are used by the CBP partnership’s seven watershed jurisdictions to: assess achievement of their two-year milestones; assess progress towards implementing their WIPs; determine management effectiveness of locally-implemented practices, treatments and technologies; report Bay and watershed restoration actions to the public; and support adaptive management by the jurisdictional and local partner agencies.

The work under this activity will support efforts by the non-federal CBP partner agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to develop the necessary nonpoint source programmatic capacity. This will enable the Bay jurisdiction to implement the most effective and cost-efficient sets of geographically targeted nutrient and sediment reduction practices and technologies that will ultimately achieve the implementation commitments within their WIPs.

The following are examples of the types of activities required to carry out Activity 2. Applicants may consider these tasks as well as describe alternative approaches to providing the requested support. Applicants are encouraged to describe how they would support efforts for developing the nonpoint source programmatic capacity necessary for the Bay jurisdictions to implement the most effective and cost-efficient sets of geographically targeted nutrient and sediment pollution reduction practices and technologies.

Nonpoint Source Policy, Regulations, and Program Evaluations

Conduct multi-disciplinary team-based cost-effective and pollutant load reduction efficiency analyses of existing, proposed and potential federal, state, regional and local agency programs and policies directing implementation of nutrient and sediment load reduction practices and treatment technologies with an emphasis on nonpoint sources.

Design and carry out evaluations of the regulatory, financial, and policy gaps, and the capacity of existing infrastructure needed by the seven watershed jurisdictions to implement nonpoint source programs at sustained levels consistent with their respective WIPs and two-year milestones.

Evaluation of Watershed Jurisdictions’ Annual BMP Implementation Progress

In preparation of the annual model progress assessments, manage and test revisions to the National Environmental Information Exchange Network (NEIEN) schema, technical appendix, related documents, and plug-in procedures to accommodate new BMPs and reporting requirements that are consistent among the seven watershed jurisdictions.

As part of the integration of new BMPs into the modeling tools, work closely with the chairs, coordinators and members of expert panels, relevant source sector workgroups, and the WQGIT, including answering modeling questions, drafting technical appendices, and assisting coders.

Organize and process data revisions and forecasts for land uses, crop acres, septic systems, and animal populations, including review and approval through relevant stakeholder workgroups.

Guide the jurisdictions and other data providers through their NEIEN BMP implementation submissions.

Through an iterative process with partners, resolve technical, reporting, and verification issues in order to publish results of the annual progress assessment.

Report findings on nutrient and sediment loads, BMPs and other model data to CBP partners and stakeholders through information requests, CBP environmental indicators, Chesapeake Bay TMDL Tracking and Accounting System (BayTAS), and ChesapeakeStat. This should be done in support of the CBP partnership’s evaluations of progress toward two-year milestones, WIP commitments, and the Chesapeake Bay

TMDL.

Ensuring Verification of the Submitted BMP Implementation Progress Data

To ensure reported implementation data better reflects on-the-ground levels and changes in BMPs through time, conduct data analyses to assess the data quality, flag anomalies for further investigation with relevant partners, and resolve discrepancies. This task includes reported historic data for model calibration and associations with water quality monitoring data, as well as annual BMP data for model progress assessments.

Actively participate in the continual collaborative process of enhancing BMP verification programs. Coordinate the regular review of these programs as documented by the jurisdictions’ quality assurance plans and descriptions of collection and estimation methods for historic data.

Enhance capabilities for tracking and reporting of the re-verification of practices reaching their assigned lifespans and BMP maintenance updates through NEIEN.

Accommodate the ever-changing updates of BMP types (including “resource improvement” practices), BMP effectiveness, and BMP specificity with the full array of CBP decision support tools—NEIEN, Scenario Builder, Chesapeake Assessment and Scenario Tool (CAST) and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model—in support of enhancing verification of BMP implementation.

Management, Evaluation, and Programmatic Application of Nonpoint Source Data

Manage, synthesize, and analyze agricultural, urban, and forestry BMP implementation data and other nonpoint source-related information necessary to support the partnership-based Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model design, development, calibration, validation, and application to develop and run management scenarios.

Acquire and maintain national, regional, state, and local databases used in the CBP’s decision support tools including agricultural census, fertilizer sales, U.S. Census Bureau data, land-cover imagery and land uses, animal industry data, and local and state agency BMP implementation data.

Ensure CBP partners, interested parties, and the public have access to the primary and synthesized Chesapeake Bay nonpoint source-related data.

Application and Transparency of a Suite of Accounting and Decision-Making Tools

Lead the CBP partnership through the team-based refinement and enhancement of the partnership’s Scenario Builder as a continuously improving decision support tool to analyze and evaluate nonpoint source programs and policies.

Oversee partnership-based enhancements to Scenario Builder, including improved data and methods for calculating manure and chemical fertilizer application timing and rates to crops as well as BMP accounting and processing.

Apply Scenario Builder in support of the generation of input decks for running management scenarios through the suite of Bay models as requested by CBP partners for model calibration, progress assessments, and “what-if” scenarios that evaluate nonpoint source programs and policies and help develop implementation plans.

Effectively communicate input parameters, assessment methodologies and results of the linked Scenario Builder and Watershed Model tools so that evaluations of the cause-effect relationships of management options and loading reductions are understandable.

Lead the CBP partnership through the team-based refinement and enhancement of the partnership’s CAST and its counterparts as continuously improving decision support tool to support the watershed jurisdictions’ planning and targeted implementation of BMPs and technologies directed towards reducing nutrient and sediment pollutant loads.

Work to continually expand the CAST scenario output parameters to better match with the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement’s outcomes.

Support the development and training of CAST for use by local, regional, and state stakeholders in their development of two-year milestones and WIPs.

Build out BayTAS and ChesapeakeStat as key archives for reporting to the partnership and the public progress toward BMP and loading goals for TMDL-tracking.

Communicate technical material about Chesapeake Bay environmental models and the TMDL, WIPs, and two-year milestones to a multitude of stakeholders, down to the level of local public sectors, watershed organizations, and agribusiness and development industries.

Explanation of Observed Water Quality/Biological Resource Trends

Support team-based multi-disciplinary efforts to explain observed trends in water quality monitoring data collected from hundreds of stations across the watershed and throughout the Chesapeake Bay tidal waters. In explaining trends, the successful applicant should factor in the historical changes in agricultural conservation practices; managing stormwater, wastewater and other BMPs on nonpoint sources; changes in land use, land cover, agricultural animal populations, and atmospheric deposition.

Work with the CBP Partnership’s Communications Workgroup to determine how and where to best present and display the resultant explanations of trends based on the intended audiences.

Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Watershed Technical Workgroup Coordination

Directly support the work of the Watershed Technical Workgroup’s chair, focused on carrying out the workgroup’s mission within the partnership.

Identify discussion topics and future agenda items for a forward looking, rolling schedule of Watershed Technical Workgroup meetings and conference calls that reflect the Watershed Technical Workgroup’s and the larger partnership’s priorities.

Oversee the development of the Watershed Technical Workgroup’s meeting and conference call agendas, presentations, advance briefing materials, issue and options papers, and meeting/conference call summaries.

Proactively follow through on actions/next steps agreed to by the Watershed Technical Workgroup to ensure their priority work proceeds between scheduled meetings and conference calls.

Coordinate with Agriculture, Urban Stormwater, Forestry, Wastewater Treatment, Streams, Wetlands, and other CBP workgroups to identify, define, quantify, and incorporate pollutant reduction BMPs into CBP’s decision support tools, models, and systems.

Coordinate the CBP partnership’s approval of all changes to the NEIEN system.

Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Agricultural Modeling Subcommittee Coordination

Coordinate the CBP Agriculture Workgroup’s Agricultural Modeling Subcommittee, which is tasked with analyzing and recommending agricultural data and methods for future versions of Scenario Builder and the Watershed Model.

Draft agendas and prepare materials in advance of the Agricultural Modeling Subcommittee’s meetings and conference calls.

BMP Expert Panel Support

Provide support to the CBP partnership-convened BMP expert panels, helping ensure the panels’ recommended BMP definitions and efficiencies are compatible with the partnership’s suite of environmental models in terms of proper simulation and crediting.

Provide technical interpretation and support for workgroup and WQGIT approval of expert panel recommendations through, in part, technical appendices.

Review and work to improve how CBP partner jurisdictions and agencies track and report BMPs for use in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model and ensure the data accurately reflects real world conditions and are consistent and equitable among the different sectors.

Review and approve how BMPs are simulated in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model to ensure that the assumptions accurately reflect real world conditions, are consistent and equitable among the different sectors, and reflect the CBP partnership’s decisions based on the recommendations of each BMP expert panel.

Activity 3: Agriculture Workgroup Coordination Estimated Funding: $160,000 - $195,000 per year ($960,000 to $1,170,000 over six years)

This activity provides support to accelerate the implementation of the agricultural conservation practices by all involved parties working with the WQGIT and, specifically, it’s Agriculture Workgroup.

The successful applicant will support efforts by the non-federal CBP partner agencies, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders to utilize the Agriculture Workgroup and related workgroups as forums for collaboration. This will include but not be limited to the development of information, programs, policies, and decision-making supporting efforts by the individual jurisdictions to successfully carry out their WIPs.

The successful applicant will collaborate with federal, state and university researchers, extension agents and scientists to analyze emerging agricultural nutrient and sediment reduction technologies and research to determine their contribution to achieving Chesapeake Bay Program water quality goals. The position will identify innovative technologies and approaches for accelerating agricultural nutrient and sediment reductions based on the latest science and research.

The following are examples of the types of activities required to carry out Activity 3. Applicants may consider these tasks as well as describe alternative approaches to providing the requested support. Applicants are encouraged to describe how they would support the actions and activities of the WQGIT’s Agriculture Workgroup.

Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Agriculture Workgroup Coordination

Directly support the work of the Agriculture Workgroup’s chairs as a workgroup coordinator, focused on carrying out the workgroup’s mission within the partnership.

Provide leadership in the development and implementation of Workgroup strategies for meeting the agricultural nutrient and sediment reductions goals, coordinating partner efforts to meet those goals, and evaluating progress in meeting those strategies.

Identify discussion topics and future agenda items for a forward looking, rolling schedule of Agriculture Workgroup meetings and conference calls that reflect the Agriculture Workgroup’s and the larger partnership’s priorities.

Oversee the development of Agriculture Workgroup meeting and conference call agendas, presentations, advance briefing materials, issues and options papers, and meeting/conference call summaries.

Provide a forum for discussion, exchange of information, and evaluation between federal, state, and local agencies, conservation districts, universities, agri-business, and the corporate sector on sustainable and/or cost-effective agricultural production systems that benefit water and air quality.

Augment and maintain representation on the Agriculture Workgroup of federal and state agricultural agencies; federal, state and county conservation agencies engaged with agricultural management; agribusiness and other non-governmental organizations related to agriculture; and academic institutions to provide an expanded expertise in agricultural production, sciences, and programs.

Proactively follow through on actions/next steps agreed to by the Agriculture Workgroup to ensure the priority work proceeds within the partnership between scheduled meetings and conference calls.

Serve as spokesperson for the Agriculture Workgroup to agricultural stakeholders and the agricultural community for improving communication, comprehension and information support for the Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Model and supporting models.

Serve as an Agriculture Workgroup representative on the WQGIT and associated workgroups, teams and committees.

Serve as the Agriculture Workgroup’s representative for the development and implementation of WQGIT- and Agriculture Workgroup-sponsored workshops and conferences related to agriculture.

Lead or assist with pubic field days, meetings, conferences, symposiums, etc., related to agricultural production systems; marketing and economics; and conservation practices and programs to provide educational opportunities for achieving improved water quality.

Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Collaboration and BMP Expert Panel Support Coordinate with the Agriculture Workgroup and the WQGIT to convene expert panels to develop recommendations of BMP definitions and effectiveness values of existing and innovative practices for approval as required under the CBP partnership’s BMP protocol process.

Staff and coordinate the work of the convened BMP expert panels.

Collect technical and modeling information relevant to developing BMP definitions and effectiveness values by consulting with the relevant CBP partnership’s source sector, land use, and technical workgroups and their members for information on the technical issues pertaining to each BMP, treatment, and technology.

Interview scientists and/or practitioners identified as lead researchers/implementers by the respective CBP partnership workgroups for specific BMPs, treatment processes, and reduction technologies regarding their knowledge about specific practices being investigated.

Obtain information on practices being implemented in CBP partners’ programs and operational conditions relative to these practices.

Consult with the CBP Modeling Workgroup and the supporting Modeling Team staff to identify how each practice will be simulated in the applicable CBP partnership’s models and other decision support tools.

Conduct scientific literature searches to aid in the development of new or revised practice definitions and effectiveness values. Compile all available information for each BMP, treatment process, or reduction technology identified by the convened expert review panel.

Assist the expert review panels in determining which data should be used to develop loading and effectiveness estimates.

Document the recommendations developed by the expert review panels, address the elements listed in the CBP partnership’s BMP protocol.

Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Agricultural Programs Technical Support

Provide technical coordination and support to the Agriculture Workgroup's subcommittees and subgroups for developing recommendations for the improved tracking, reporting, and verification of agricultural conservation practice implementation throughout the watershed for use in projecting nutrient and sediment load reductions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model and supporting models.

Support ongoing efforts throughout the partnership to continually improve cost-effectiveness estimates for agricultural conservation practices based on the latest scientific, implementation, and economic data.

Assist in the evaluation of agricultural production, practice and land use inputs in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model and supporting models, and how agricultural conservation practices are modeled to ensure accurate representation of agricultural loads and projected nutrient/sediment reductions from reported implementation.

Assist the CBP partnership with the continuing development and implementation of the NEIEN NPS-BMP Data Exchange system to improve the exchange of agricultural nonpoint source practice panel recommendations and implementation data.

Serve as an agricultural technical resource to the CBP partnership on regional and state agricultural production systems and programs within the watershed, especially nutrient management and animal agriculture programs.

Assist the CBP partnership in developing materials and tools to strengthen the relationship and understanding of agricultural conservation implementation levels to the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Obtaining Additional Information

For additional background information on the CBP achievements and commitments, see the CBP Partnership’s website located at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/ or call 1-800-YOUR-BAY to receive information by mail.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage & Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA also requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700.7.pdf).

1. Linkage to EPA’s Strategic Plan The overall objective of this cooperative agreement is to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem through continued technical support to address water-quality restoration goals and maintain public awareness of Chesapeake Bay restoration. Under EPA’s FY2014–2018 Strategic Plan (see: http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan), this objective supports Strategic Goal #2: Protecting America’s Waters; Objective 2.2: Protect and Restore Watersheds and Aquatic Ecosystems; specifically, Improve the Health of the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem. The project funded under this announcement must be linkable to these strategic goals. Specifically, the proposed activities will support jurisdictional implementation towards and assessment of achievement of the seven Bay watershed jurisdictions’ (DC, DE, MD, NY, PA, VA, WV) two-year milestones, reporting to the public on progress of implementing the jurisdictions’ WIPs, and improving adaptive management by the jurisdictional partner agencies.

2. Outputs The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and 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 an assistance agreement funding period. Expected outputs from the project(s) to be funded under this announcement may include the following:

Increased number of nutrient- and sediment-reducing agricultural conservation practices and other nonpoint source BMPs implemented.

Increased number of agricultural conservation practices and other nonpoint source BMPs tracked, verified, and reported by the six Chesapeake Bay watershed states and the District of Columbia.

Increased number of new, CBP-partnership-approved nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment load-reduction efficiencies or values for new or existing BMPs or other pollutant load-reduction/prevention treatments or technologies applied to agricultural and other lands within the Chesapeake Bay watershed designed to reduce nonpoint source nutrient and sediment pollution.

Increased incorporation of local–scale, agricultural-related and other nonpoint source inputs into the Chesapeake Bay watershed model leading to better simulation of agricultural and other nonpoint source inputs and the resulting nutrient and sediment pollutant loads.

Progress reports and a final report will also be required outputs, as specified in Section VI(C) of this announcement, “Reporting Requirement.”

3. Outcomes The term “outcome” means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be qualitative and environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature but must also be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period. An example of an outcome under this proposal is expanded and accelerated implementation of BMPs for reducing nonpoint sources of nutrients and sediment on the ground due to adaptive changes in local, state, and federal BMP delivery programs. Another example is long-term behavior changes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed farming community measured by increased implementation of priority agricultural conservation practices that have maximum nutrient and sediment load reduction efficiencies in designated priority watersheds.

D. Authorizing Statutes and Regulations

The cooperative agreement made as a result of this announcement is authorized under the Clean Water Act, Section 117(d). Under Section 117(d) (1) of the Act, EPA has the authority to issue grants and cooperative agreements for the purposes of protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem. This project is subject to the Office of Management and Budget’ (OMB) Uniform Grants Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) and EPA-specific provisions of the Uniform Grants Guidance (2 CFR Part 1500).

II: AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Amount and Expected Number of Awards

CBPO plans to award one cooperative agreement under this RFP. Funding for the activity listed above is approximately $500,000 to $625,000 annually for FY2015 through FY2020, depending on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations. The total estimated funding for six years is approximately $3,000,000 to $3,750,000.

EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no award under this announcement.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selection is made. Any additional selection for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decision.

B. Award Type

Successful applicants will be issued a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is an assistance agreement that is used when there is substantial federal involvement with the recipient during the performance of an activity or project. EPA awards cooperative agreements for those projects in which it expects to have substantial interaction with the recipient throughout the performance of the project. EPA will negotiate the precise terms and conditions of “substantial involvement” as part of the award process. Federal involvement may include close monitoring of the recipient’s performance; collaboration during the performance of the scope of work; in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, as appropriate, review of proposed procurements; reviewing qualifications of key personnel; and/or review and comment on the content of printed or electronic publications prepared. EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient. The final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient.

For this project, federal involvement would typically be in the form of participation with other CBP partners and stakeholders in an advisory capacity to the grantee. This participation is expected to include involvement through the various CBP Goal Implementation Teams and related committees and workgroups (on which EPA also participates to ensure that all the recommendations for technical work support the CBP partners). All work conducted is to support the efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

C. Partial Funding

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund a project, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice the applicant or affect the basis upon which the proposal or portion thereof was evaluated and selected for award and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

D. Expected Project Period

The expected project period for the cooperative agreement is six years, with funding provided on an annual basis. No commitment of funding can be made beyond the first year. The expected start date for the award resulting from this RFP is October 26, 2015.

E. Pre-Award Costs

Recipients may incur otherwise eligible and allowable pre-award costs up to 90 days prior to award at their own risk without prior approval of EPA’s award official. Pre-award costs must comply with 2 CFR 200.458 and 2 CFR 1500.8. If EPA determines that the requested pre-award costs comply with the relevant authorities, and that the costs are justified as allocable to the project, then these costs may be included as allowable expenditures at the time that the assistance award document is prepared.

However, if for any reason EPA does not fund the proposal or the amount of the award is less than the applicant anticipated, then EPA is under no obligation to reimburse the applicant for these costs incurred. Thus, applicants incur pre-award costs at their own risk. Costs incurred more than 90 days prior to award require the approval of EPA Region 3’s grant official.

III: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, colleges, universities, and interstate agencies are eligible to submit proposals in response to this RFP. For-profit organizations are not eligible to submit proposals in response to this RFP.

B. Cost-Share or Matching Requirements

Pursuant to Clean Water Act 117(d)(2)(A), the agency shall determine the cost-share requirements for awards. The CFDA Number 66.466 states that assistance agreement applicants must commit to a cost-share ranging from 5 percent to 50 percent of eligible project costs as determined at the sole discretion of EPA. For this RFP, EPA has determined that an applicant must provide a minimum of five percent of the total cost of the project as the non-federal cost-share.

Cost-share may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Involvement from foundations, watershed groups, private sector, eligible governmental, as well as non-conventional partners can help with the match. This match must be met by eligible and allowable costs and is subject to the match provisions in grant regulations.