ATTACHMENT 2 - GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSALS
NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION CONTROL
AND MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION

CWA SECTION 319(h) GRANTS

            
1.0 Introduction
       
The Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resource (DPNR) - Division of Environmental Protection (DEP), in conjunction with the Nonpoint Source (NPS) Advisory Committee, is seeking proposals for NPS pollution control and management implementation projects.  The focus of the proposals will be on actions within a watershed or sub watershed that will address NPS problems germane to that watershed.  This focus on a geographic area necessitates that implementation projects be based on cooperative partnerships among all levels of government as well as other private and public entities within the region for implementation and management effectiveness.
        
2.0 Background and History of the NPS Program and Watershed Management
   

DPNR-DEP has been involved in NPS demonstration projects on a watershed basis over the last few years.    Beginning with the last two funding cycles for FY 98 and FY 99, the project areas were expanded to include all Category I Watersheds of the Territory, as identified in the Unified Watershed Assessment Report.  This funding (FY00) cycle is looking to support projects throughout the 14 watershed management areas that provide the most NPS environmental and economic benefit.

The Territory's NPS Pollution Prevention Program operates pursuant to the 1987 Federal Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act Re-authorization and Amendments of 1990 for the purpose of guiding the development and implementation of NPS management efforts to the extent consistent with existing statutory mandates and authority.  These grants are funded through section 319 (h) of the Federal Clean Water Act for projects that implement best management practices (BMPs) or innovative measures and other NPS controls in the 14 Category I watersheds  as identified in the Draft August 1998 Unified Watershed Assessment Report, and for projects that provide education and outreach to critical audiences, both on a watershed and sub watershed basis.  NPS management is a vital aspect of Virgin Islands efforts to improve and protect water quality and water supply on a watershed basis.
   

3.0 Purpose
   

The purpose of the funding is 1) to encourage the building of watershed management partnerships within a water management area, a watershed, or a sub watershed; and 2) to implement management practices for NPS control that have been proven to work either in the proposed project area or in another area of similar environmental conditions.  Unified Watershed Assessment Report,  identifies the 14 water watershed management areas.  The DEP is actively involved with beginning watershed management plans for several of the 14 watershed management areas and expects the funded NPS projects to eventually become coordinated with these efforts.

Based on the reasons previously noted, this request for proposals is for implementation projects including the implementation of BMPs or innovative measures which have been previously proven to be effective.  Proposals should fall into one of the two categories listed below.  These categories and the proposal selection criteria have been developed in consultation with the territory NPS Advisory Committee.  This Committee is composed of representatives from federal, and local government agencies, and representatives from business and industry, water purveyors and environmental interests.
    

4.0 Availability of Funds
   
At least $380,000 will be available for Fiscal Year 2000.  All contracts will need to be executed after June 30, 2000, when these funds become available.  Start date for each project implementation shall be upon execution of the individual contract or the subsequent 9 months.
   
5.0 Management Measures
    

Management measures are economically achievable measures to reduce NPS pollution.  They reflect the greatest degree of pollutant reduction achievable through the application of the best available nonpoint source control practices, technologies, processes, siting criteria, operating methods or other alternatives (as defined in section 6217(g) of CZARA).  Management measures are the objectives used to achieve an environmental goal.  Management measures should result in delivery reduction of the NPS pollutant(s) to a ground or surface water resource.  For the context of this Request for Proposal, management measures have been broken down into two categories. 

Category I:   Management Practices.

Category 11: Education and Outreach to Critical Audiences.

Implementing tools are application methods that may be used to achieve a management measure.  These tools may be applied in your proposal to achieve your goal and objectives.

Examples of Implementing Tools for Management Measures are as follows:

Education, Guidance, Training, Technical Assistance, Planning Assistance, Financial Incentives, Financial Disincentives, Legal and Financial Liability, Inspections, and Municipal Zoning.
  

6.0 Category Descriptions
  
Applicants may apply for a grant under one of the following categories:
    
6.1 Category I - Management Practices
    

Management practices are employed to achieve a management measure.  A management practice may be physical (e.g. construction) or operational (e.g. operation and maintenance).  Management practices such as source control are the first opportunity in any NPS control effort.  A management practice may be a series of BMPs that in combination achieve the goal of NPS control.  For example a filter strip may be effective for controlling particulate and soluble pollutants where sedimentation is not excessive, but for excessive sediment input the filter strip may be used as pretreatment or supplemental treatment combined with operation and maintenance to the system and education and outreach to promote a behavioral change to those contributing to the source of the NPS pollutant.

Examples of source control techniques include, but are not linked to:
    

a.

Reducing or eliminating the introduction of pollutants to a land areas through  reduced nutrient and pesticide application.
    

b. Implementing soil erosion measures to prevent pollutants from leaving the site during land-disturbance activities (Note: activities required by the Department or a Soil Conservation District through regulatory programs are not eligible for funding).
  
c. Protecting riparian habitat and other sensitive areas through protection and preservation of riparian zones and highly erosive slopes, etc.
   
d.

Maintenance of pervious surfaces to protect natural hydrology.
    

e.

Watershed management plans, ordinances, and farm management plans, etc.
   

f. Setback standards for buffer zones and limits on impervious surface areas, etc.
    

For Category I, applicants will need to identify the watershed management area, or a watershed/subwatershed in accordance with the unified Watershed Assessment Report that pertains to their proposal.  The document identifies the 14 watershed management areas.

The project proposal may address the entire water region, a specific watershed management area(s), a watershed(s) within the management area, or a smaller subwatershed(s).  The purpose of Category I is to implement BMPs which have been proven to work whether tested in your project area or in areas of similar environmental conditions elsewhere.  Proposals for Category I must identify the impairment to the watershed/subwatershed and how the project will help mitigate or reduce this impairment or proactively address the prevention of future NPS impairment to the watershed/subwatershed.  A single community seeking a grant will need to think about their role in reducing or preventing NPS pollution within the broader context of a watershed.  The purpose is to encourage partnerships among cooperating entities that all have a "stake" in the environmental improvement of the watershed.   Funding for these projects are encouraged to piggyback with other funding sources or be used to complete an ongoing project.  Applicants may not submit the same proposal for multiple watersheds or for both categories.  Applicants submitting a project under Category I are encouraged to incorporate an information and education component to their project.  Please describe the target audience and how they  will participate.  Describe techniques employed to gain local government and community support.  Describe how the activity coordinates with, enhances or supplements other education/outreach activities in the area.
     

6.2 Category II - Education and Outreach to Critical Audiences
   
Education and Outreach to a Critical Audience are another means to reduce NPS pollution.  The critical audience participation is critical to meet management measure objectives.  The purpose of this category is to provide mechanisms that teach people to implement BMPs or NPS Management Programs.  Public education and outreach has long been recognized as an essential tool for NPS management and control.  Proposals should be comprehensive in the design and implementation approach.  In this category the applicant may choose a critical audience (such as developers) which may not lend itself to a specific watershed.  The applicant should explain how educating this critical audience will help mitigate NPS pollution.  Issues to be considered include:
    
a. Identify and target a critical audience(s) within a water region, a watershed management area, or a watershed in accordance with the Unified Watershed Assessment Report or a more territory wide critical audience, e.g., environmental commissions, local government officials, transient summer residents in coastal watersheds, engineers, landscape architects, and homeowners, etc.
   
b. Coordinate with existing education and outreach initiatives within the region and/or expand upon an existing successful program.  The success of the initial program must be documented.
   
c. Identify partners for the project, including a) others who have a stake in the environmental improvement or well being of the watershed and b) those who can contribute to the project in either cash or in-kind contributions.
   
Applicants in this category may submit a proposal to be implemented statewide or they may choose to conduct their project within a specific watershed, sub-watershed or water region.
    
7.0 NPS Grant Program Specifications
  
7.1 Eligibility
 

Entities which may apply for funding include:

Local comprehensive planning or health organizations and coalitions (formal or informal) of  and/or local environmental commissions; watershed and water resource associations; nonprofit organizations  501(c)(3), including but not limited to, the following:
  

a.

County planning departments, health departments or boards;
   

b. Designated Water Quality Management Program agencies;
  
c. V.I. and regional entities entirely within the Virgin Islands;
  
d. V.I. government agencies, universities and colleges;
  
e. Federal government;
  
f. Interstate agencies of which Virgin Islands is a member;
  
g. Intrastate regional entities.
  
7.2 Qualifications Needed by an Applicant to be Considered for Funding

Applicants Must:
     

a. Have the staff and resources with the capability, expertise, and environmental experience to perform the proposed work; and
  
b. Have the ability and authority to implement the proposed project; and
  
c. Demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain partnerships for project implementation; and
  
d. Provide matching funds in an amount equivalent to at least 20 percent of the total project amount (i.e., at most a 4:1 ratio between NPS grant and matching funds).  The matching funds may consist of cash, in-kind services, or a combination of both.
   
7.3

Ineligible Activities

Funds will not be awarded for the following activities:
  

a.

Activities currently required by Department regulation.  Costs associated with compliance of permits or enforcement orders issued by the Department or a Soil Conservation District.  Costs required as a result of a pre-existing permit are ineligible; however, the fee cost of the permit(s) to perform the project is eligible.
   

b.

Costs for legal representation in a court of law.
   

c.

Costs associated with the purchase of land or major capital improvements and computer hardware.
   

d.

Pond dredging, weed harvesting, wier maintenance or other activities beyond the scope of controlling the input of NPS pollutants.
   

e.

Costs for BMP implementation on private lands, except for demonstration projects for which a mandatory cash cost-share of 25% is required.  This cost share is for that part of the total project costs related to the implementation on private lands.  However, it can be used as part of the overall 20% match for the total project cost.
   

f.

Other activities ineligible based on current EPA Guidance for Section 319 (h) grants.
   

8.0 Public Meetings

Four Public Meetings will be held to provide potential applicants with information and to answer questions regarding the proposal process.  Applicants are encouraged to come prepared to discuss potential projects eligible for funding. VIDPNR staff and the NPS Advisor Community will entertain questions and provide comments on proposal ideas.
   

Date Location Time
3/23/00 Florence A. Williams Public Library, St. Croix 6:00PM
3/22/00
   		Curriculum Center, St. Thomas
   		11:00AM
 
9.0 Pre-Proposal Format and Requirements

General Requirements for Submitting a Pre-proposal:
   

a. Cover Page - The cover page must contain: the title of the project, the project category, which one of the 14 watersheds the project falls under, the applicant's name, complete address, phone number, contact person (fax number and e-mail address are optional), approximate amount of money to be requested, and approximate amount of match.
   
b. Number of Pages - The pre-proposal may not exceed 5 pages total, not including the cover page, letters of resource commitment and budget page.
    
c. Typeset - The applicant should use 12 point type in standard type such as Times NewRoman.
  
d. Number of Copies - Three copies of the pre-proposal must be submitted by the deadline.
  
e. Budget Page.
   
f. Letters of Resource Commitment - one page letter from all major project partners outlining their commitment toward the matching funds requirement.  This is a letter and may be revised when submitting the complete proposal.
   
g. All pre-proposals must address the following:
   
1) Identify the watershed/subwatershed the project area will involve for Category I proposals.The identified watershed may be as large as one of the 14 watershed management areas identified in the Unified Watershed Assessment Report, or a hydrological complete subwatershed within one of the 14 watersheds.  USGS hydrologic units may be used (particularly when addressing projects in smaller areas, such as those codes of eleven or fourteen digits).  Category II proposals should also identify the watershed/subwatershed their project area will cover unless their project is Island wide.
  
2) Select one of the two categories for which the proposal is being submitted.
   
3) Provide a Statement of Need: What is the NPS problem, opportunity or need in your project area.  Explain the extent of the NPS problem and how and why your project will address the issue.  For Category II project explain how and why the target audience was selected to address a specific NPS issue.
   
4) State the goal and objective of the project.  The objectives are implemented through specific project tasks. Identify the major tasks needed to implement the project.
   
5) For each task, identify all partnerships and clearly indicate their role in achieving the objective. It is recommended that partnerships include entities from more than just one municipality.
  
6) Budget with figures associated with objectives (and if possible a task break down with cost and partner's contribution).
  
7) Attach letters of resource commitment from the major partners and project participants (as many of your identified partners as possible at this time).  The letters from the partners should state what they are contributing to the project (time, money and effort) and should be  reflected in the tasks section as discussed in Number 5.  NOTE: Generic letters of support  from nonproject partners, although important to the applicant do not contribute to the  execution and completion of the project in the long run and therefore, are discouraged from the pre-proposal process.
  

Pre-proposals must be delivered to DPNR-DEP or postmarked by April 30, 2000.

Organizations may submit more than one pre-proposal, but are discouraged from submitting the same pre-proposal for different watersheds/subwatersheds.  Pre-proposals will be reviewed by a team in the VIDPNR, EPA and the NPS Advisory Committe.  The purpose of this review is to identify the most beneficial concepts, identify ways to improve the benefits of those projects, match potential partners with each other (as appropriate) and to save the applicants' time.  Pre-proposals that pass this review process will be notified to proceed with submission of a complete proposal.  Those applicants not selected will be notified and provided with recommendations on how to improve their proposals for the future.
  

10.0 Requirements for Submitting a Complete Proposal
     
Each proposal must contain Sections A through L. Please keep in mind when preparing your proposal that if the following format and requirements are not met including deadlines, the DPNR and NPS Advisory Committee will not review the proposal.  Once you have been notified by DPNR-DEP to proceed with preparing a complete proposal, the following criteria are applicable:

General Instructions for Proposals:
  

  • Number of Pages - recommended 10-1 5 pages not including cover page, budget page, list of references (if applicable), watershed/subwatershed map (if applicable) and letters of resource commitment.  Concise applications are encouraged, as they indicate a greater level of pre-planning and organization by the applicant.
      

  • Typeset - 12 point type in standard type such as Times New Roman, single spaced.
      

  • Number of Copies - Five copies, preferably double sided (duplex).
       

  • Budget Page.
       

  • Letters of Resource Commitment - one page letter from each of your partners stating their role and contribution to the project.  The letter should specify the monetary, in-kind labor (in hours and costs) or in-kind materials they are continuing to each of the tasks for which they will be involved.
       

  • Cite references - Supporting documentation should be cited and summarized as necessary.
       

  • Map - Provide a map of the watershed/subwatershed for your project (unless your project is Island wide Education and Outreach under Category II)
Complete proposals must be delivered to DPNR-DEP or postmarked by May 31, 2000.

Please consider the following additional criteria for proposals:
   

a.

The degree that the proposed project demonstrates coordination with existing territorial Nonpoint Source Initiatives and incorporates territorial best management practices priorities and goals.  Evaluation may be based upon the degree to which the proposed project provides an effective and comprehensive management plan which is designed for continuing implementation.

Suggested References: Unified Watershed Assessment Report for the USVI .  Stormwater and Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Best Management Practices Manual, National Environmental Performance Partnership Agreement,  USEPA's Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Sources of NPS Pollution in Coastal Waters (Issued under the Authority of Section 6217(g) of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990), and the Virgin Islands Water Quality Inventory Report (305 b report).
   

b.

The degree of transferability of the proposed approach of the implementation project to other areas of the territory.  Evaluation will be based on the extent to which the project can be used by other watershed areas throughout the territory.
   

c.

The degree to which the proposed implementation project exceeds the required 20 percent local share.
   

10.1 Body of Proposal for All Projects:
   
A. Cover Page

The cover page must contain:
   

  • Title of the Project
      

  • Project Category (project may be submitted under one category only)
       

  • Watershed Region (unless Category 11 and you are citing Island wide education and outreach)
       

  • Primary or Lead Applicant's Name
       

  • Contact Person
       

  • Complete Address
       

  • Phone Number (fax number and e-mail address are optional)
       

  • Amount of Funding Being Requested
       

  • Anticipated Match and Source of Match
        

  • Total Project Cost and Ration of Requested Funding to match (4:1 maximum)
        

  • All Cooperating Entities (partners associated with objectives and tasks)
B.

Executive Summary (about 250 words)

The executive summary should present the essence of the proposal much like an abstract.  It summarizes the material in each major section of the proposal and describes: the problem or need; the purposes and goals of the project; who will be served; methods, procedures, and program activities; who will carry out the project; where the project will take place; the time frame for the project; the background and qualifications of the organization; the cost of the project; and the benefits of the project.  The executive summary is capable of speaking for the proposal when it is separated from it.  NOTE: The Department may use this information for the preparation of press releases or other Departmental publications, so clarity is critical.
    

C.

Statement of Need (Project Justification and/or Definition of Problem)

Describe why project is needed, scope of the problem, and current status: how implementing this project will address the root cause of the NPS pollution problem.  For Category II define the critical audience to be educated and how this will help reduce a specific cause of NPS pollution.  Give background water quality information if available.

The Statement of Need should provide data from multiple sources that answer the following questions:
   

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