[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 214 (Friday, November 4, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68499-68500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28576]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
Draft WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Funding
Opportunity Announcement
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We are seeking comments on a draft announcement of funding
that will be available for establishing or expanding an existing
watershed group. The funding is part of the Cooperative Watershed
Management Program whose goals are to improve water quality and
ecological resilience and to reduce conflicts over water by managing
local watersheds through collaborative conservation. We plan to publish
a final announcement as soon as possible after the close of the comment
period.
DATES: Submit written comments on or before December 5, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Ms. Avra Morgan, Bureau of
Reclamation, Office of Policy and Administration 84-51000, P.O. Box
25007, Denver, Colorado 80225; or email aomorgan@usbr.gov. The draft
funding announcement is available at: http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/cwmp/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Avra Morgan, Bureau of Reclamation,
(303) 445-2906, aomorgan@usbr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft funding announcement on which we
are requesting comments is part of the Department's WaterSMART
Cooperative Watershed Management Program. When published in final after
we evaluate comments received, the announcement will inform eligible
applicants that funding is available to establish a watershed group or
expand an existing watershed group. This notice summarizes the main
elements of the draft announcement. You can view the complete
announcement at http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/cwmp/.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar established the WaterSMART
Program in February 2010. The WaterSMART program provides funding to
watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to work together to
address their local watershed needs. Through this program, we provide
Federal leadership and assistance on;
Efficient use of water;
Integrating water and energy policies to support
sustainable use of natural resources;
Forming strong, diverse partnerships with States, tribes,
and local entities; and
Coordinating water conservation activities among all
Department bureaus and offices.
The Nation faces an increasing set of water resource challenges.
Aging infrastructure, rapid population growth, depletion of groundwater
resources, impaired water quality associated with particular land uses
and land covers, water needed for human and environmental uses, and
climate variability and change all play a role in determining the
amount of fresh water available at any given place and time. Water
shortage and water-use conflicts have become more commonplace in many
areas of the United States, even in normal water years. As competition
for water resources grows--for irrigation of crops, growing cities and
communities, energy production, and the environment--the need for
information and tools to aid water resource managers also grows.
Included below is a summary of the main provisions of this draft
funding announcement.
Applicant Eligibility
Applicants eligible for funding to establish a watershed group
include States, tribes, local and special districts (e.g., irrigation
and water districts, county soil conservation districts, etc.), local
governmental entities, and non-profit organizations. To be eligible,
applicants must:
Significantly affect or be affected by the quality or
quantity of water in a watershed;
Be capable of promoting the sustainable use of water
resources; and
Be located in the western United States or Territories as
identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, as amended and
supplemented.
Individuals, universities, for-profit organizations or companies,
and Federal agencies are not eligible for Cooperative Watershed
Management Program funding.
To be eligible for funding to expand a watershed group, the
applicant must:
Be a grassroots, non-regulatory entity that is legally
incorporated within the state in which it operates;
Address water availability and quality issues within the
relevant watershed; and
Otherwise meet the definition of a ``watershed group'' as
described in the draft funding announcement.
Funding
Applicants must use funds awarded under the announcement to
establish or expand a watershed group; develop a mission statement;
develop project concepts; and develop a restoration plan. Applicants
may request up to $50,000 in Federal funds each year, for a period of
up to 2 years. A non-Federal cost-share is not required. Second-year
funding will be awarded to applicants that demonstrate sufficient
progress throughout the year, contingent on availability of
appropriations. An equal number of awards will be made available to
applicants under each task area, contingent on demand.
Criteria
The funding criteria under the announcement will prioritize
proposals that represent a maximum diversity of interests; serve a
broad geographic scope; are expected to address critical watershed
needs; include activities aligned with a state water plan; demonstrate
active participation in a Landscape Conservation Cooperative or
integration of the mission and goals of a particular Landscape
Conservation Cooperative into the proposed activities; and include a
proposed schedule and milestones that are reasonable and appropriate.
The criteria identified within the draft funding announcement will
assist us in fulfilling the goals of the program by collaboratively
improving water quality and ecological resilience, and reducing
conflicts over water at the watershed level.
Public Disclosure
We seek comments and suggestions for improvement to any of the
provisions summarized above or on any other elements of the draft
announcement.
Before including your name, address, phone number, email address,
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
[[Page 68500]]
Dated: October 21, 2011.
Anne J. Castle,
Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.
[FR Doc. 2011-28576 Filed 11-3-11; 8:45 am]
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