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Grant Community.com Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Descriptions |
CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC
ASSISTANCE
66.456: National Estuary Program
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| PROGRAM AND AWARD | FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS |
| ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS | FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO. |
| APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS | INFORMATION CONTACTS |
| RELATED PROGRAMS | ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS | POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS |
Applicant Eligibility: Grants are issued only for those estuaries designated by the Administrator. The Administrator is authorized to make grants to State, interstate, and regional water pollution control agencies and entities, State coastal zone management agencies, interstate agencies, other public and nonprofit private agencies, institutions, organizations, and individuals (Section 320(g)(l)). Profit making organizations are not eligible for grants.
Beneficiary Eligibility: Financial assistance is made for a public purpose, as the ultimate beneficiary is the public and the living resources in estuaries.
Credentials/Documentation: Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments, OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions, and OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit organizations.
Preapplication Coordination: Preapplication assistance may be obtained from the appropriate EPA Regional Office. All proposals or work statements should be developed in response to the priority tasks identified in the management conference annual work plan. Proposals should also be developed in response to negotiated schedules for commitments to meet the purpose of a management conference outlined in the Act for the estuary. Each proposal will be considered by the appropriate management conference and the EPA Regional program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Application Procedure: Application kits may be requested from the EPA Grants Administration Division, 3903R, Washington, DC 20460, or from the appropriate Regional Office. The completed application, including the final proposal approved by the estuary management committee, should be submitted to the appropriate EPA Regional program office for processing. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program.
Award Procedure: Each application and final proposal shall be subject to EPA Regional program office administrative evaluation to determine the adequacy of the application under grant regulations and National Estuary Program objectives, including technical merit and relevance of the project. Awards are issued by the EPA Regional program offices.
Deadlines: Complete applications must reach the appropriate Regional program office no later than June 1 to be considered for fiscal year funding. Earlier schedules may be established by estuary program management or organization. Such information is available from the Regional program office.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: About 90 days after deadline for application submission.
Appeals: Appeals are subject to the provisions of 40 CFR Part 30.63 and Part 31 Subpart F.
Renewals: Renewals are subject to approval of the individual estuary management organization. Contact the appropriate EPA Regional office for guidance.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals: Proposals are approved by the individual estuary management organizations according to technical merit and relevance to the objectives, projects and tasks identified in the estuary Project's annual work plan. Proposals should contain schedules for progress reports and products that will contribute findings and recommendations for management decisions; provide for project data to be presented in EPA prescribed formats; provide for on-going project coordination and problem resolution that may arise as work progresses; and show adequate resources to complete the work described to meet work plan objectives.
Examples of Funded Projects: Cooperative agreements awarded to States, interstate agencies and nonprofit organizations to conduct water quality assessments, monitoring, public education and outreach programs to involve the public in developing and implementing estuary Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMP), implementation of CCMP action plans, tracking and overseeing implementation, and evaluating and reporting on progress in implementation and environmental results.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $10,000 to $795,000; $100,000.
Contact EPA regions to determine numbers of proposals funded.
Federal Agency: OFFICE OF WATER, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Type of Assistance: Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).
Obligations: (Grants) FY 99 $12,600,000; FY 00 est $13,100,000; and FY 01 est $11,900,000.
Budget Account Number: 68-0108-0-1-304.
Authorization: Clean Water Act, Title III, Section 320, as amended, Public Law 94-117, 33 U.S.C. 466 et seq.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature: Federal Register, Vol. 59, 61124, November 29, 1994, Technical Amendment Financial Assistance Requirements for the National Estuary Program (40 CFR, Part 35). "Saving Bays and Estuaries, a Primer for Establishing and Managing Estuary Projects," EPA/503/8-89-001, is available from the Oceans and Coastal Protection Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (4504F) U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460. Forms and instructions for filing are included in an application kit.
Regional or Local Office: Water Quality Policy Division, EPA, Region I, Boston, MA 02203. Phone: (617) 918-1511. Division of Environmental Planning and Protection Division, EPA Region II, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278. Phone: (212) 637-3724. Environmental Services Division, EPA, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Phone (215) 815-2710. Water Management Division, EPA, Region IV, 61 Forsyth St., SW., Atlanta, GA 30303. Phone: (404) 562-9355. Water Quality Protection Division, EPA, Region VI, 1445 Ross Ave., Dallas, TX 75270. Phone: (214) 665-7101. Water Management Division, EPA, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Phone: (415) 744-1860. Office of Ecosystems and Communication, EPA, Region X, 1200 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101. Phone: (206) 553-4181.
Headquarters Office: Darrell Brown, Chief, Coastal Management Oceans Branch, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Protection (4504F), EPA, Washington, DC 20460. Phone: (202) 260-6502.
(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)
Formula and Matching Requirements: Section 320 (g) of the Water Quality Act of 1987 limits the amount of grants to 75 percent of aggregate project costs for each estuary program and requires that the nonfederal share be provided from nonfederal sources. The nonfederal share can be contributed by any of the participants in the management conference. Contact the appropriate management conference program office or EPA Regional Office for more information.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Grants are normally funded on a 12-month basis (yearly). Project period may cover up to 36 months, with continuations possible for certain types of projects. Payments will be on a letter of credit or advance basis.
Uses and Use Restrictions: Resources will be used to meet the requirements of Section 320, including the better definition of priority problems identified by the conferences by assessing trends in water quality and resources and determining the causes and sources of the problems. Annual workplans are developed and approved by each management conference outlining projects to be undertaken during the fiscal year. Twenty-eight estuaries have been designated including: Long Island Sound, Puget Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, New York-New Jersey Harbor, Delaware Bay, Delaware Inland Bays, Sarasota Bay, Galveston Bay, Santa Monica Estuary, Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds, San Francisco Bay, Casco Bay, Massachusetts Bays, Indian River Lagoon, Tampa Bay, Peconic Bay, San Juan Harbor Bay, Corpus Christi; Tillamook Bay, the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuarine Complex, New Hampshire Estuaries, Barnegat Bay, Maryland Coastal Bays, Charlotte Harbor, Mobile Bay, Morro Bay, and Lower Columbia River Bay. NEPs carries out such tasks as: (1) gathering and analyzing existing and historical data from various sources of information previously collected in the estuary; (2) identifying and conducting research to acquire new data as needed to address priority problems; (3) increasing regional public understanding of the problems and complexities of the estuary, and bringing public input to the decision making and management processes; and (4) developing and recommending priority corrective actions to address the most significant problems. Section 320 of the WQA provides resources for CCMP plan development and limited demonstration of actions included in the CCMP.
Reports: Quarterly interim, and final progress and expenditure reports; program evaluations and other reports as required by the specific terms of the Agreement. Financial Status Reports must be submitted for each project at the end of each fiscal year.
Audits: Grants are subject to inspections and audit by representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States and EPA or any authorized representative. Periodic audits should be made as part of the recipient's systems of financial management and internal control to meet terms and conditions of grants and other agreements. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made for that year. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," was published in the Federal Register on June 30, 1997. The Circular implements the Single Audit Act amendments of 1996. The Circular requires nonfederal entities that expend more than $300,000 in Federal award dollars, to have an audit conducted in accordance with the Circular's provisions. With the revised Circular, the previous OMB Circular No. A-128 for single audits of State and local governments was rescinded and the single audit requirements for these entities were incorporated among the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133.
Records: Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes to each grant must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained until expiration of 3 years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.
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