Department of Commerce: Economic Development Assistance Program

Department of Commerce: Economic Development Assistance Program

This program provides funding that will promote economic development efforts to enhance the competitiveness in regions experiencing substantial and persistent economic distress, resulting in increased private investment and higher-skill, higher-wage jobs.

Funds Target Sustainability and Justice Issues

Threshold Foundation

The Threshold Foundation works to mobilize money, people, and power to create a more just, joyful, and sustainable world. For the 2009-2010 funding cycle, the Foundation will provide grants to nonprofit organizations through the following two grantmaking committees: The Sustainable Planet Committee will focus on community-based solutions for a sustainable world, local solutions for threatened biodiversity ecosystems worldwide, and climate change efforts to accelerate reduction of carbon emissions through carbon taxes or auctioned cap and trade policies within the United States. The Justice and Democracy Committee will focus on criminal justice reform efforts to address policies that negatively impact youth, drug policy reform to end drug laws that criminalize youth of color and to remove barriers to education for incarcerated youth, and models of building electoral power in historically underrepresented U.S. constituencies. Online letters of inquiry must be submitted by September 25, 2009. Detailed application guidelines are available on the Foundation's website.

Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Region Fish Passage Program

Project proposals are due on or before November 6, 2009. Funds provided under this RFP may only be used for in-the-water activities, including engineering costs. There are approximately 15,300 dams over 6 feet high and hundreds of thousands of other smaller barriers to fish passage, such as perched culverts and road crossings, in our Region. Many of these barriers have a negative impact on fish and other native aquatic organisms, such as crayfish, freshwater mussels, and insects. Removing these barriers will enhance biodiversity and help restore healthy populations of aquatic species.

Small dam removals, perched culvert renovations, low water crossing improvements, rock ramp installations, stream grade control structure modifications, barrier inventories, and evaluation monitoring activities are eligible for funding. If your staff is interested in submitting a project proposal, please follow the attached guidance. Full proposals are due to Aaron_Woldt@fws.gov on or before COB November 6, 2009. Staff from partner agencies and Service staff from non-Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices (FWCO) interested in submitting a proposal must contact the appropriate FWCO to coordinate your proposal and to develop a Fisheries Operations Needs System (FONS) submission for your project. The geographic areas of responsibility and the primary points of contact for each FWCO are attached.
Thank you for your interest in the Midwest Region Fish Passage Program. Removing barriers and reconnecting rivers and streams is one of the most important things we can do to restore habitat for fish and other aquatic species.

If you have general questions about the Fish Passage Program or the proposal submission process, please contact:
Mr. Aaron Woldt, Fisheries Program Supervisor, at 612-713-5110. More information about the Region 3 Fish Passage Program can also be found at:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Fisheries/publications/r3-fishpassageprgm7-31-07.pdf.

Grant Opportunity: Healthy Watersheds through Healthy Forests

There's a grant opportunity from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities called Healthy Watersheds through Healthy Forests. The goal is to link water consumers with water producers in a long-term mutually beneficial relationship - in short to "monetize water as an ecosystem service." Two or three grants will be given in the eastern U.S. in private-ownership dominated forested watersheds that serve as drinking water sources.

Downstream Strategies is interested in working with a local water utility and other partners to develop a proposal and to implement a project, should we find a watershed that fits the program. The ideal watershed would be largely forested, mostly in private ownership, and a source water area for a water utility.

See http://www.usendowment.org/pendingrfps.html for more information.

If you are interested in discussing a potential collaboration, or if you could suggest a water utility or watershed that seems like a good fit, please contact Evan:

Evan Hansen, President
Downstream Strategies
219 Wall Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
304.292.2450
www.downstreamstrategies.com

PA DEP ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PERIOD FOR FEDERAL COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT GRANTS

Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger today announced that DEP’s Water Planning Office will begin accepting applications for federal fiscal year 2010 coastal zone grants. The grants are funded by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), and will finance projects within the Delaware Estuary and Lake Erie coastal zones that support the program’s mission to protect and enhance Pennsylvania’s coastal resources. Applications must be received by Oct. 23. Applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements, (e.g. be a political subdivision, an authority, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization or an educational institution). DEP and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have launched an electronic grant application system - Environmental eGrants - which standardizes the application process and provides an environmentally friendly way to submit a grant application through a secure Internet connection.

All applications for coastal zone management program grants must be submitted electronically through the eGrants system at: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/grants. The Environmental eGrants program will guide users through the process of completing the electronic grant application.

Public information sessions on the new electronic grants system will be held in both coastal zones. The first session will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. in Room 108 of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive, Erie. The second session will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 9:30 a.m. in the Betsy Ross Room 6069 at the Philadelphia State Office Building, 801 Market St., Philadelphia. To submit an application or to obtain more information concerning coastal zone grants, visit DEP’s website at www.dep.state.pa.us, keyword: “Coastal Zone,” or contact DEP’s Water Planning Office, Second Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market St., P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063, phone (717) 772-4785.

Department of the Interior: Endangered Species - Candidate Conservation Implementation

This program provides funding to prevent the need to list candidate species and for projects that benefit at-risk species that are potential candidates, with emphasis on those actions that address threats identified in candidate assessments.
More here.

The Conservation Alliance Supports Wilderness Protection Programs

The Conservation Alliance is a group of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots citizen-action groups and their efforts to protect wild and natural areas in North America where outdoor enthusiasts spend their time. Funded programs should focus primarily on direct action to protect specific threatened wild places and waterways. The Alliance is not looking for mainstream education or scientific research projects, but rather for active campaigns. Before applying for funding, an organization must first be nominated by one of the Alliance's member companies. The upcoming nomination deadline for grants of up to $35,000 is November 1, 2009. The Alliance will send each nominated organization a request for proposal (RFP) including instructions on submitting a full request, which is due December 10, 2009. To review the grant criteria, visit the Conservation Alliance website.