Impact 100 Palm Beach County 2015 finalists!
Best Foot Forward (Grounded for Life)
Boca Helping Hands (Launch New Medical/Dental Clinic)
Flamingo Clay Studio (Sculpting Young Lives in Clay)
Florida Fishing Academy (Fishing for Families)
Pathways to Prosperity (Circles Palm Beach County)
The Soup Kitchen (Homebound Meal Delivery Program)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will be accepting grant applications April 11-29 for the Recreational Trails Program, which provides competitive matching grant funds to renovate, develop or maintain recreational motorized, nonmotorized and mixed-use trails and trailside facilities.
“DEP is pleased to partner with local communities in developing trail projects that increase accessibility and provide outdoor opportunities for recreation,” said Bryan Bradner, director of DEP’s Office of Operations. “This year, DEP removed the maximum grant cap on motorized trail applications to encourage more submissions to provide motorized boating trails and off-highway trail opportunities around the state.”
The program provides financial assistance to eligible government agencies and other organizations to develop public lands and recreational trails.
For the 2016 grant cycle, project proposals may address the following recreational trail needs:
As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, the Recreational Trails Program contract agreements are for two years and grants are provided on a 50:50, 60:40 or 80:20 (program/grantee) matching basis. The department has $1.5 million available for motorized trail projects this year.
| The FY 2015 FP&S application period will open this Monday, April 04, 2016 at 8 AM EDT and will close on Friday, May 06, 2016 at 5 PM EDT.
Begin preparing your application now by reviewing the Notice of Funding Opportunity and the technical assistance tools that are available. It is important to read the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) thoroughly as it contains the key programmatic updates and application requirements for all eligible applicants. FY 2015 FP&S Application Assistance Tools
FP&S Grants Help Desk: If you have questions about the NOFO or technical assistance tools listed, call or e-mail the FP&S Grants help Desk. The toll-free number is 1-866-274-0960; the e-mail address for questions is firegrants@fema.dhs.gov. |
| AFG Home Page: www.fema.gov/firegrants AFG Regional Representatives: http://www.fema.gov/fire-grant-contact-information AFG Help Desk: E-mail: firegrants@fema.dhs.gov |
In February, the SFWMD Governing Board approved a $9 million one-time Cooperative Funding Program as a way to support local stormwater management, alternative water supply and water conservation projects. The program combines our existing cost-share efforts into a single, streamlined application process.
With contracts scheduled to be awarded in October, we are looking for eligible projects throughout our 16 counties that are proposed for construction/implementation from Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2018. Our goal is to identify projects that are construction-ready or ready-to-implement conservation technology programs that can provide the most immediate benefits. The application process is open and closes Friday, May 20, 2016, at 6 p.m.
Stormwater Improvements
Managing stormwater runoff is a District priority that relies on successful local partnerships. When rain falls, South Florida landscapes are designed to channel excess stormwater into retention ponds and stormwater collection systems. Along the way, the stormwater picks up all kinds of pollutants, including fertilizers and pesticides from lawns as well as oils and coolant spilled from roadways and cars. Eventually, that stormwater runoff flows into regional lakes, canals and wetlands, and makes its way more gradually to the aquifers that supply our drinking water.
The stormwater component of the Cooperative Funding Program will share the cost of local projects that address water quality and flooding issues caused by stormwater runoff. Eligible projects should target:
Areas discharging to an impaired water body
Areas with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocations
Areas identified in a Best Management Action Plan (BMAP)
Areas identified within a Surface Water Improvement and Management Plan
Areas identified within another regional plan, such as the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan, St. Lucie River Watershed Protection Plan or Broward County Integrated Water Resource Plan
Examples of eligible stormwater projects in previous years include stormwater treatment areas, innovative restoration projects that improve water quality, water storage and infrastructure modifications, sediment reduction facilities and stormwater retrofits.
Alternative Water Supply (AWS)
Meeting the growing need for water in South Florida hinges on efforts to develop region-specific sources that offer an alternative to traditional groundwater and surface water. This component of the Cooperative Funding Program is focused on supporting the development of AWS projects that will diversify the supply while reducing dependence on freshwater resources. Examples of alternative water supply are:
Saltwater or brackish water
Reclaimed or recycled water
Surface water captured during heavy rainfalls
Sources make available through addition of new storage capacity
Storm water (for use by consumptive use permittee)
Any other source designated as non-traditional in a regional water supply plan
Eligible AWS projects in previous years have included aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), reclaimed water plant expansions and transmission mains, reverse osmosis plants, brackish water supply wells and tailwater recovery projects.
From Fiscal Years 1997 to 2016, AWS projects totaling approximately $1.5 billion in construction costs received partial funding from the South Florida Water Management District. The District provided approximately $194.6 million in budgeted grants toward 490 alternative water supply projects that produced 435 million gallons of capacity per day.
Water Conservation
Formerly known as the Water Savings Incentive Program (WaterSIP), this component of the Cooperative Funding Program is continuing to support water conservation efforts of public and private water providers or users. Projects that use hardware and/or technology to implement water conservation are eligible for funding consideration.
Examples of eligible water conservation projects in previous years include:
High-efficiency indoor plumbing retrofits and/or rebates
Automatic line flushing devices and/or hydrant flushing devices
Pre-rinse spray valves
Irrigation retrofits, including soil moisture sensors, rain sensors and irrigation head upgrades
The District encourages industrial, commercial, institutional and agricultural water users, as well as homeowners and condominium associations, to apply for funding.
From Fiscal Years 2003 to 2015, $15.7 million in projects qualifying for WaterSIP were partially funded. The District contributed approximately $5.1 million toward 181 projects with an estimated savings of 2.84 billion gallons of water per year, or 7.8 million gallons of water per day.
USDOT Requests Applications for $800 Million New FASTLANE Grant Program
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that it is now soliciting applications for the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grant program. The FASTLANE program is a new program in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act to fund critical freight and highway projects across the country. The FAST Act authorizes $800 million in funding for the FASTLANE program for fiscal year 2016, with 25 percent reserved for rural projects, and 10 percent for smaller projects.
“Our nation needs a strong multimodal freight system to both compete in the global economy and meet the needs of consumers and industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We now have an opportunity to fund high-impact projects that address key challenges affecting the movement of people and freight.”
The FASTLANE grant program provides funding for projects of national or regional significance. FASTLANE grants provide dedicated funding for projects that address major issues facing our nation’s highways and bridges. For the first time in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 50-year history, the program establishes broad, multiyear eligibilities for freight infrastructure, including intermodal projects.
FASTLANE grants will address many of the challenges outlined in the USDOT report Beyond Traffic, including increased congestion on the nation’s highways and the need for a strong multimodal transportation system to support the expected growth in freight movement both by ton and value. It is also in line with the Department’s draft National Freight Strategic Plan released in October 2015, which looks at challenges and identifies strategies to address impediments to the efficient flow of goods throughout the nation.
FASTLANE grants, authorized by the FAST Act’s Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects (NSFHP) program, will fund small and large projects, based on project size, that meet statutory requirements. Large projects (equal to the lesser of $100 million or a certain specified statutory percentage of the project state’s FY 2015 apportionment) are eligible for a minimum award of $25 million. Small projects, which consist of projects below the minimum large project size threshold, are eligible for a minimum award of $5 million.
The NSFHP program is authorized at $4.5 billion through 2020. Applications for FY 2016 are due on April 14, 2016. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is available HERE.
– See more at: https://www.transportation.gov/FASTLANEgrants#sthash.LBl5684A.dpuf
FEMA’s Fire Prevention grant is open and is due May 6, 2016. The program funds fire prevention education programs and R & D aimed at improving firefighter safety.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grants Programs Directorate is responsible for the implementation and administrations of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The purpose of the AFG Program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The Grants Programs Directorate administers the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grants as part of the AFG Program. FP&S offers grants to support activities in two categories: (1) activities designed to reach high-risk target groups and mitigate incidences of death and injuries caused by fire and fire-related hazards (“Fire Prevention and Safety Activity”) and (2) research and development activities aimed at improving firefighter safety (“Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity”). The program guidance document provides potential applicants with the details of the requirements, processing, and evaluation of an application for financial assistance for both of these activity areas.
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=282157