Watershed groups, county economic development departments, and state departments of transportation are all seekers of funding for projects to improve or protect wildlife habitat and assure quality drinking water to residents. Federal and state agencies are facing shrinking budgets, funding fewer grant applications, thus making the process more competitive on all levels. A recommended first stop for the funding seeker is the Directory of Watershed Resources (http://efc.boisestate.edu/watershed/searchmenu.asp) developed and maintained by the Environmental Finance Center (EFC)Network of Region 10 based at Boise State University. The directory is searchable by keywords. The database contains descriptions of foundation initiatives as well as state and federal agency requests for proposals. A sample search may be as simple as ‘stream restoration’ or more targeted by inputting more exact terminology, such as ‘remediation’ or ‘floodplains.’ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has several programs available. Clean Water Act, Section 319 funds are provided only to designated state and tribal agencies to implement approved nonpoint source management programs. State and tribal nonpoint source programs include a variety of components, including technical assistance, financial assistance, education, training, technology transfer, demonstration projects, and regulatory programs. The 2008 funding for Tribes highlights developing or implementing watershed-based plans that address Non-Point Source (NPS) impaired water bodies. An internet search under Clean Water Act Section 319 yields project eligibility requirements for the designated states and tribes. Another of EPA’s many grant opportunities is the Targeted Watersheds Grants (TWG) program designed to encourage successful community-based approaches and management techniques to protect and restore the nation’s watersheds. The TWG program is based on the fundamental principles of environmental improvement: collaboration, new technologies, market incentives, and results-oriented strategies. The TWG program has changed over the years. Starting in 2006, the request for proposals introduced a two-year cycle. The next cycle may well follow suit and include 2008 and 2009. Just released for a January 31, 2008 deadline is the Puget Sound Initiative Targeted Watershed Grant Program. U.S. EPA Region 10 is soliciting proposals under this announcement to support the protection and restoration of high valued Puget Sound aquatic resources in areas threatened by growth pressure through holistic watershed protection and management approaches at the local level. These grant funds will assist local and tribal governments in managing land uses while protecting watershed functions and values. Successful projects will match proposed activities to the appropriate watershed scale to ensure environmental results. The National Estuary Program, based on Section 320 of the Clean Water Act, directs EPA to develop plans for attaining or maintaining water quality in an estuary. This includes protection of public water supplies and the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish, and wildlife. It allows recreational activities, in and on water, and requires that control of point and nonpoint sources of pollution supplement existing controls of pollution. The PNW is home to three estuaries covered in the initiative—Puget Sound, Tillamook Bay, and the Lower Columbia River.

Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Coordination Project Partners Land Grant Universities Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Contact Fred Sorensen: 907-786-6311 http://www.uaf.edu/ces/water/ University Publications: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/publications/ Idaho University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System Contact Bob Mahler: 208-885-7025 http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqhome.html University Publications: http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Catalog/catalog.html Oregon Oregon State University Extension Service Contact Mike Gamroth: 541-737-3316 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ University Publications: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Washington Washington State University WSU Extension Contact Bob Simmons: 360-427-9670 ext. 690 http://wawater.wsu.edu/ University Publications: http://pubs.wsu.edu/ Northwest Indian College Contact Charlotte Clausing: 360-392-4319 cclausing@nwic.edu or http://www.nwic.edu/ Water Resource Research Institutes Water and Environmental Research Center (Alaska) http://www.uaf.edu/water/ Idaho Water Resources Research Institute http://www.boise.uidaho.edu/ Institute for Water and Watersheds (Oregon) http://water.oregonstate.edu/ State of Washington Water Research Center http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/ Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Region 10 The Pacific Northwest http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ Office of Research and Development, Corvallis Laboratory http://www.epa.gov/wed/ For more information contact Jan Seago at 206-553-0038 or seago.jan@epa.gov
	The Project Land Grant Universities, Water Research Institutes and EPA Region 10 have formed a partnership to provide research and education to communities about protecting or restoring the quality of water resources. This partnership is being supported in part by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Our Goal and Approach The goal of this Project is to provide leadership for water resources research, education and outreach to help people, industry and governments to prevent and solve current and emerging water quality and quantity problems. The approach to achieving this goal is for the Partners to develop a coordinated regional water quality effort based on, and strengthening, individual state programs. Our Strengths The Project promotes regional collaboration by acknowledging existing programs and successful efforts; assessing program gaps; identifying potential issues for cross-agency and private sector collaboration, and developing a clearinghouse of expertise and programs. In addition, the Project establishes or enhances partnerships with federal, state and local environmental and water resource management agencies, such as by placing a University Liaison within the offices of EPA Region 10.
	The U.S. Department of Agriculture through its many sub-agencies is a source of remediation, protection, and restoration funds. Typically, the funding will have an agricultural focus. Conservation Effects Assessment Program funding quantifies the watershed benefits derived from conservation practices. Favorable findings may serve to increase the funding available for farm conservation Best Management Practices (BMPs). The National Water Quality Program from Cooperative State Research, Extension, and Education Service funds ten programs encompassing EPA’s regional organization to protect and improve water quality, particularly in agricultural areas. This program brings scientists, university instructors, and Extension educators into a more effective partnership to address water quality problems that are agriculture related. Another Department of Agriculture sub-agency, National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs help people reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters. The programs are voluntary and require matching funds; however, the Service is a willing partner with science-based technical assistance and advice. Many Pacific Northwest private non-profit organizations are deeply interested and involved in watershed and habitat restoration and protection. A visit to the EFC searchable database proves this out. Although this Update is not about writing successful grant proposals, a key factor in finding funds is to determine the commonality of interests and environmental goals between a funds seeker and a funder.
	National Water Quality Program Areas The four land grant universities in the Pacific Northwest have aligned our water resource extension and research efforts with eight themes of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Animal Waste Management Drinking Water and Human Health Environmental Restoration Nutrient and Pesticide Management Pollution Assessment and Prevention Watershed Management Water Conservation and Agricultural Water Management Water Policy and Economics
	This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No 2008-51130-4734.

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HOME | About | Calendar | Contacts | Links | PNW Water Updates | Sitemap NIFA National Water Quality Program This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-51130-04734. all external sites will open in a new browser window page last modified on December 21, 2007