The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources is now accepting proposals through the Clean Water Act-Section 319 (h) Nonpoint Source Grant Funding Program for projects seeking to restore waters in North Carolina impaired by nonpoint source pollution.
The program, which is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, will provide as much as $1.5 million for water quality restoration. Projects can include restoration of riparian buffers, stormwater management efforts, wetland and floodplain restoration, targeted nutrient and sediment reduction projects or stream restoration.
State and local governments, state-recognized tribes, interstate agencies, as well as public and private nonprofit organizations, including academic institutions, are eligible to apply. Applications are due at midnight on May 6.
“Through this program, EPA provides states an important funding stream for voluntary, locally led initiatives to restore surface waters in North Carolina,” said Richard W. Gannon, MEM, supervisor of the DWR Nonpoint Source Planning Branch. “Runoff pollution stemming from all land uses remains a significant challenge to restoring and protecting the quality of our state's surface waters.”
Eligible project proposals must address impaired waters impacted by nonpoint source pollution in areas with a DWR-approved watershed protection plan, or, alternatively, must address impaired waters with a current EPA-approved Tribal NPS Management Program plan.
Applicants who wish to implement a watershed restoration plan that is not on the existing DWR-approved list must submit a plan and North Carolina 9-Element Plan checklist to rishi.bastakoti@deq.nc.gov by March 15.
Impaired waters are water bodies listed as either category 4 or 5 in either of DWR’s to 2020 and 2022 Integrated Reports. DWR will also consider proposals for waters included in category 4 or 5 of the latest draft Integrated Report.
Availability of grant funds, amounts and award schedules are conditioned on EPA’s budget, as approved by Congress, and subsequent allocation of Section 319 funds to the state. DWR reserves the right to wholly fund, partially fund or not fund any proposal or any component of any Section 319 grant proposal.
For a full description of the program including requirements, eligibility, forms and scoring criteria, visit DEQ’s 319 grant program website.
For additional questions regarding the FY 2024 319(h) RFP, please contact Rishi Bastakoti at rishi.bastakoti@deq.nc.gov.