Backyard Conservation Program Technical Assistance

The summary for the Backyard Conservation Program Technical Assistance grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the California State Office, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Backyard Conservation Program Technical Assistance: Introduction: The Backyard Conservation Program (BCP) is a national program developed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in cooperation with the National Association of Conservation Districts and the Wildlife Habitat Council. The theme of this program is ?Bringing Conservation from the Countryside to Your Backyard?. This is a voluntary program for non-agricultural parcels, urban landowners, and community projects on public property. The BCP adapts practices commonly used by farmers to solve natural resource problems on agricultural lands to address similar issues at a smaller scale. The need to holistically address issues such as water quality is evident; increasingly, urban runoff contributes a significant proportion of the pollutants that enter our lakes and streams that are defined as ?impaired? under the Clean Water Act. When applied locally, the Backyard Conservation Program is adapted to meet conservation needs identified by the community. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, which spans portions of five counties in California and Nevada, the most imperative resource concern is water quality and the alarming decline in the clarity of Lake Tahoe. Experts estimate that approximately one-third of the sediment and attached nutrients that enter the Lake originate from urban area runoff. This opinion is collaborated with the declining trend in water clarity paralleling a period of rapid urban development since the 1960?s in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Single-family residential parcels that have been ?hardened? by impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways, and rooftops contribute sediment and nutrients to Lake Tahoe at an accelerated rate, impairing water quality. Local regulations require that all existing single-family residential properties will be retrofitted with Best Management Practices (BMP?s) designed to infiltrate runoff from a 20 year (1 inch per hour) storm event, on-site. BMP?s may include paving driveways and parking pads, infiltration trenches and dry wells, adequate vegetation cover and stabilized slopes. Other resource concerns that may need to be addressed to deal with water quality issues are irrigation water management and nutrient management. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, other local natural resource issues may be targeted through the Backyard Conservation Program, depending on local community needs and coordination with other agencies. These resource issues may include fuels reduction, water conservation, drinking water source protection, controlling noxious weeds, disposal of household hazardous waste, recycling measures, bear awareness, and other needs as identified. Background: Applicants will be responsible for working in conjunction with NRCS to provide technical assistance through the Backyard Conservation Program to plan and implement conservation practices to assist land owners with resource problems and concerns that affect Lake Tahoe. NRCS expects to award up to two cooperative agreements based on proposals submitted and benefits derived for the current fiscal year. Funds available for the current fiscal year are: $36,000 for the Lake Tahoe Basin in Placer and El Dorado Counties in California, and $26,000 for the Lake Tahoe Basin in Washoe, Carson, and Douglas Counties in Nevada. Any agreements resulting from this solicitation will have a one-year base period and three one-year options. Activities under these cooperative agreements will be carried out from approximately September 15, 2004 through September 30, 2005. Applicants will specifically identify either the California or Nevada portion of the Lake Tahoe Basin they are interested in carrying out the work in when submitting their proposal. Scope of Work: The successful applicant will be responsible for delivering technical assistance to private homeowners in the Lake Tahoe Basin under the Backyard Conservation Program. They will complete conservation planning efforts on single-family residential properties to meet the objectives of the ?Best Management Practice? Retrofit Program in the Lake Tahoe Basin, in compliance with all local and state regulations. This includes making field visits to perform inventory and evaluation, recording measurements and calculations, analyzing data, prescribing appropriate conservation practices (and alternatives, where feasible), and recording the property owner?s record of decision. All current resource information that is available (soils, geology, parcel maps, designated Stream Environment Zones, etc) will be utilized to generate ?Site Evaluation? products; e.g. plans that target the BMP Retrofit Program. Site Evaluations will follow a standard format as provided by NRCS, be maintained on a computer database, and be made available to NRCS and to the property owner. The selected applicant(s) will also provide technical assistance to land owners who are implementing conservation practices for the BMP Retrofit Program. Other technical assistance products that may be delivered include: irrigation water management, nutrient and pest management, mulching recommendations to meet erosion and fuels issues, ?Defensible Space? landscaping (including forestry practices as appropriate), wildlife habitat improvement, noxious weeds control, and other practices that are identified over the term of the agreement(s). Additionally, education and outreach efforts will be provided to landowners to increase their awareness on hazardous waste disposal, living with bears, recycling options, drinking water source protection, water conservation, composting, and other resource issues that may be identified during the term of the agreement(s). The primary NRCS conservation practices used in the Lake Tahoe Basin are irrigation water management, nutrient management, pest management, access road, critical area planting, roof runoff management, wildlife upland habitat management, subsurface conveyance system, and cut bank stabilization. For the initial agreement(s), a minimum of 80 plans for technical assistance will be documented on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin, and a minimum of 60 plans for technical assistance will be documented on the Nevada portion of the Basin. A minimum of 5% of the plans for technical assistance will be submitted to the local NRCS office for technical review. At least 90% of the plans submitted will meet NRCS standards and specifications and other policies (Conservation Planning and the e-FOTG (Field Office Tech Guide) at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov). Inability to meet the criteria will result in non-payment until performance is demonstrated. All customer contacts and records of technical assistance/education/outreach provided under this program will be maintained on a computer database and be made available to NRCS. An education and outreach program, commensurate with the number of property owners targeted for delivery of the Backyard Conservation Program, will be developed by the applicant and approved by NRCS. The applicant will also carry out the education and outreach program, as scheduled. This component may include workshops and other public events, as well as in meeting with individual clients. Most materials under this component are prepared and paid for by others, as well as mailing costs. The successful applicant will participate in interagency meetings as needed to coordinate delivery of the Backyard Conservation Program in local communities. The successful applicant will submit quarterly reports of progress tracking progress on all tasks and submit a year-end report documenting accomplishments. All services provided in conservation planning, conservation practice application, and other technical assistance must meet USDA-NRCS standards and specifications as set forth in the NRCS regulations. The selected applicant shall report to NRCS the appropriate data elements associated with the technical services provided to private landowners so that the data can be entered into the conservation accomplishments tracking system. NRCS anticipates being substantially involved in carrying out the work covered by this cooperative agreement. NRCS will also provide a representative to participate in the planning and management of the cooperative agreement and coordinate activities. NRCS will provide oversight and as necessary, agency software, forms, and other resource information. Evaluation Criteria ? Listed in Descending Order of Importance 1. Organizational Capabilities ? the adequacy of organizational resources and experience to successfully manage and perform the project. This includes recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising staff that completes the tasks in a professional manner and reflects a positive impression on both the Backyard Conservation Program and on NRCS. Demonstrate the ability to provide the necessary supplies, equipment and other support to compete the tasks. 2. Knowledge and applied use of best management practices used in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and of the corresponding NRCS practice standards and specifications related to those BMP?s. 3. Knowledge of local and State ordinances and regulations related to implementing BMP?s in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and experience in working with local, State, and federal agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin. 4. Knowledge of the Backyard Conservation Initiative as applied locally in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and commitment to promote and implement the program in a professional manner. Each proposal will be evaluated and ranked in accordance with the evaluation factors listed above. Discussions may be held with each applicant regarding the applicant?s experience, the proposed plan of action or alternative courses of action. After selection, NRCS will enter into negotiations with the selected applicant to discuss cost and the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement to be signed.