Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 08, 2010
Contact:
$2.5 million in water quality grants available
(Richmond) – Local governments, nonprofit organizations and others are eligible to apply for $2.5 million in Water Quality Improvement Fund grants to reduce runoff or nonpoint source pollution from developed lands around the state. Grants are available from $5,000 to $250,000. Applicants have until Nov. 1 to submit proposals.
“These grants will help fund projects that reduce the leading source of water quality problems – nonpoint source pollution – from urban, suburban and rural developed lands,” said David A. Johnson, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. “The grants are part of Virginia’s overall effort to improve local streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.” DCR administers these nonpoint source WQIF grants.
Local governments including cities, counties, towns, as well as soil and water conservation districts, planning district commissions, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and individuals are eligible to apply for these grants.
There are three categories of grants. Grants for on-the-ground implementation projects can range from $25,000 to $250,000. Projects in this category include stormwater management retrofits, low impact development, urban nutrient management planning and implementation, residential septic system replacement and repair, riparian buffer protection programs and stream restoration. Grant requests for nonpoint source projects related to education, outreach, capacity building, monitoring and assessment can receive from $5,000 to $40,000. Grant requests from localities to develop a qualifying local stormwater management program consistent with Virginia’s proposed stormwater regulations are also eligible to receive from $5,000 to $40,000.
More details on the grants can be found in the 2010 WQIF Request For Proposal found online at www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/wqia. The grant application and proposal submittal deadline is Nov. 1, 2010.
Questions regarding this grant program may be directed to DCR soil and water conservation regional managers across the state or by e-mailing DCR’s soil and water grant managers at swcgrants@dcr.virginia.gov. Contact information for regional offices can be found at www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swintro#regional.
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