Lake Champlain Basin Program

 

To implement the Lake Champlain Basin Management Plan, Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Future of the Lake Champlain Basin 2017 (Opportunities for Action), and to assist the states of New York and Vermont in protecting, restoring and preserving the Lake Champlain ecosystem. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2019 - Efforts in Lake Champlain will continue to support the successful interstate, interagency, and international partnership undertaking the implementation of the Lake Champlain Management Plan, Opportunities for Action, a plan designed to protect and where necessary restore the lake's water quality, sustain healthy ecosystems in the basin, support thriving communities and inform and involve the public in lake issues and activities. Financial awards under this program are made to the States of Vermont and New York, and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission to implement the Lake Champlain Management Plan. Congress directed EPA to allocate $11,000,000 of FY19 funding in the same manner as fiscal year 2018, of which $6,600,000 shall be for otherwise unmet need necessary to implement the Agency's 2016 Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load for Lake Champlain for projects and work identified in the State implementation plan. Funding priorities include phosphorus reduction, cyanobacteria control, water quality monitoring to track progress and alert the public if unsafe conditions exist, aquatic invasive species prevention and control, habitat protection and restoration, and environmental education and outreach.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
66.481
Federal Agency/Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2016 Since 1991, EPA's funding of the Lake Champlain Basin Program has led to the protection and restoration of the Lake Champlain basin through coordination with federal, provincial, state, and municipal agencies and local citizens. The main program goals, as laid out in the Lake Champlain Management Plan Opportunities for Action, are as follows: reducing phosphorus inputs to Lake Champlain; decreasing toxic contamination; minimizing the risks to humans from water-related health hazards; and controlling the introduction, spread, and impact of nonnative nuisance species. EPA works with the Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee to determine funding priorities and distributes funds accordingly. The following three entities typically receive funding on an annual basis: New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. They may choose to compete all or part of the funds. Competitive announcements typically include the number of anticipated awards. In FY 16, expected accomplishments include: further removal of invasive water chestnuts; conducting water quality and biological monitoring programs; continued development of an adaptive management system; development and implementation of aquatic invasive species colonization prevention programs that are pro-active and targeted within the Lake Champlain Basin; agronomy support, snow and ice removal training, floodplain and river corridor outreach, local implementation to reduce pollution from entering Lake Champlain and its tributaries, and education and outreach programs. Since 1991, EPA's funding of the Lake Champlain Basin Program has led to the protection and restoration of the Lake Champlain basin through coordination with federal, provincial, state, and municipal agencies and local citizens. The main program goals, as laid out in the Lake Champlain Management Plan Opportunities for Action, are as follows: reducing phosphorus inputs to Lake Champlain; decreasing toxic contamination; minimizing the risks to humans from water-related health hazards; and controlling the introduction, spread, and impact of nonnative nuisance species. EPA works with the Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee to determine funding priorities and distributes funds accordingly. The following three entities typically receive funding on an annual basis: New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. They may choose to compete all or part of the funds. Competitive announcements typically include the number of anticipated awards. In FY 16, expected accomplishments include: further removal of invasive water chestnuts; conducting water quality and biological monitoring programs; continued development of an adaptive management system; development and implementation of aquatic invasive species colonization prevention programs that are pro-active and targeted within the Lake Champlain Basin; agronomy support, snow and ice removal training, floodplain and river corridor outreach, local implementation to reduce pollution from entering Lake Champlain and its tributaries, and education and outreach programs.
Fiscal Year 2017 Since 1991, EPA's funding of the Lake Champlain Basin Program has led to the protection and restoration of the Lake Champlain basin through coordination with federal, provincial, state, and municipal agencies and local citizens. The main program activities focus on reducing phosphorus inputs to Lake Champlain; decreasing toxic contamination; minimizing the risks to humans from water-related health hazards; and controlling the introduction, spread, and impact of nonnative nuisance species. EPA works with the Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee to determine funding priorities and distributes funds accordingly. The following three entities receive funding on an annual basis: New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. In FY17, expected accomplishments include: reduction of phosphorus loading to Lake Champlain through implementation projects, further removal of invasive water chestnuts; conducting water quality and biological monitoring programs; development and implementation of aquatic invasive species colonization prevention programs that are pro-active and targeted within the Lake Champlain Basin; lakeshore management to reduce shoreline erosion, agronomy support, and education and outreach programs.
Fiscal Year 2019 Since 1991, EPA's funding of the Lake Champlain Basin Program has led to the protection and restoration of the Lake Champlain basin through coordination with federal, provincial, state, and municipal agencies and local citizens. The main program activities focus on reducing phosphorus inputs to Lake Champlain; decreasing toxic contamination; minimizing the risks to humans from water-related health hazards; and controlling the introduction, spread, and impact of nonnative nuisance species. EPA works with the Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee to determine funding priorities and distributes funds accordingly. The following three entities receive funding on an annual basis: New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. In FY19, expected accomplishments include: reduction of phosphorus loading to Lake Champlain through implementation projects; reduction of phosphorus through otherwise unmet needs necessary to implement the Agency's 2016 Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load for Lake Champlain for projects and work identified in the State implementation plan; further removal of invasive water chestnuts; conducting water quality and biological monitoring programs; development and implementation of aquatic invasive species colonization prevention programs that are pro-active and targeted within the Lake Champlain Basin; lakeshore management to reduce shoreline erosion; agronomy support; and education and outreach programs.
Authorization
Clean Water Act, Section 120, Public Law 107-303
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
In accordance with Section 120 of the Clean Water Act, EPA may provide funding to the states of Vermont and New York and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission for the implementation of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. In addition, EPA may choose to solicit applications from other state, interstate, and regional water pollution control agencies, and public or nonprofit agencies, institutions, and organizations that are eligible to receive grants from EPA through this program. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Assistance under this program generally benefits State environmental, health, and agriculture agencies; interstate water pollution control agencies; public nonprofit institutions and organizations; sponsored organizations; Federal agencies; local agencies; intrastate agencies; public and private nonprofit institutions and organizations; private organizations; small businesses; and quasi-public nonprofit institutions.
Credentials/Documentation
Nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations may be required to provide documentation of their organizational status upon application.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. Informal pre-application discussions or conferences with the Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee, and EPA Regions 1 and 2 are required. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the competitive announcement.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. The Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee, in conjunction with EPA Regions 1 and 2, develops the annual budget and task list. This budget and task list is then divided between the States of Vermont and New York and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. From this information, these three organizations then prepare grant applications and workplans for submittal to EPA Region 2 and/or Region 1. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through https://www.grants.gov.
Award Procedure
Each federal assistance application and final work plan will be evaluated by EPA Region 1 or Region 2 to determine the adequacy of the application under the established EPA grants program requirements and guidelines, including, but not limited to, the requirements set forth in 2 CFR 200 and 1500. Technical merit and the relevance of the project to the priorities and objectives established in Opportunities for Action will also be considered. Each application will also be subject to an administrative review by the EPA Region 1 or 2 grants management office as appropriate to determine whether all administrative requirements have been met. The workplan is submitted to the EPA Region 1 and 2 Regional Administrators for approval prior to the award of any assistance agreement. Once a Regional Office approves the annual workplan, funds are awarded by the EPA Region 1 or 2 Regional Administrator as appropriate. Grantees will receive an award package from the appropriate EPA Regional grants management office that must be accepted and signed by an authorized official of the recipient organization and returned to the grants management office within 30 days. Awards may be made on an advance or reimbursement basis. Awards that are not signed and returned by the deadline may be subject to cancellation. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals, and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements.
Deadlines
Specific information regarding deadlines is provided in the competitive announcement.
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
Notification of action on proposals varies depending on the timing of funds release to the EPA Regional Offices from Headquarters. Interval from submission to notification may vary from two months to eight months.
Appeals
Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts." Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable.
Renewals
No cost extensions and amendments may be available subject to the approval of EPA. Approval of subsequent funding is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to EPA's priorities, availability of funds, and the Agency policy on the competitive grant process.
How are proposals selected?
The Steering Committee recommends projects to EPA for funding based on the technical merit of the proposal and its relevance to the Lake Champlain Basin Management Plan. EPA approves applications after Steering Committee recommendation based on the technical merit of the application and its relevance to the Lake Champlain Basin Management Plan. The evaluation and selection criteria for any competitive awards under this CFDA assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement.
How may assistance be used?
As described in Section 120 of the CWA, funds may be used to implement elements of the Lake Champlain Basin Management Plan, Opportunities for Action. Projects outside of the Lake Champlain Basin are not eligible for funding under this program. Grant awards must be made in consultation with the Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee, and must support activities consistent with the goals of Opportunities for Action.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: Performance monitoring is required under this program.
Auditing
Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year.
Records
Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes to each grant, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained for three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. If questions still remain, such as those that arose as a result of an audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. This program has a statutory matching requirement; see CWA section 120 (f)(3). For all assistance (grants and cooperative agreements) agreements made under this program, federal costs shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the agreement.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Assistance agreements are generally made for a multi-year period at the discretion of EPA. Start dates for assistance agreements are variable and are established at the discretion of EPA. Generally however, it is intended that start dates closely follow award dates of the assistance agreement. Awards are fully funded, recipients draw down funding as cost are incurred, typically monthly. The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
Bryan Dore, US EPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Mail Code OEP 6-1, Boston, MA 02109-3912. Phone: (617) 918-1211; FAX: (617) 918-0211; E-mail: dore.bryan@epa.gov. Mario Paula, US EPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866. Phone: (212) 637-3819; FAX: (212) 637-3889; E-mail: paula.mario@epa.gov.
Headquarters Office
Bryan Dore
US EPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Mail Code OEP 6-1
Boston, MA 02109 US
dore.bryan@epa.gov
Phone: 617-918-1211
Fax: 617-918-0578

Mario Paula
US EPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10007 USA
paula.mario@epa.gov
Phone: 212-637-3819
Fax: 212-637-3889
Website Address
https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-1-new-england
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0108-0-1-304
Obligations
(Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 18$8,400,000.00; FY 19 est $11,000,000.00; FY 20 est $0.00; FY 17$4,395,000.00; FY 16$4,395,000.00; -
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Range: $490,850 to $6,999,556/fiscal year; Average: $3,665,333/fiscal year.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Lake Champlain program grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the general grant regulations at 2 CFR 200 and 1500. All assistance agreements must support the goals and objectives of the Lake Champlain Management Plan, Opportunities for Action, most recently updated in 2017. A copy of this document is available on request from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT 05458, Phone 802-372-3213 and is also available online at http://www.lcbp.org/ .
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2016 Grants and cooperative agreements awarded to states and interstate agencies, and subawards to universities, towns, and nonprofit organizations are for implementation of the Lake Champlain Management Plan. Grants awarded to States of Vermont and New York and NEIWPCC generally cover multiple tasks and projects per grant. Examples of work carried out by these grants include: (1) funding for the overall program coordination, the full-time New York and Vermont Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinators employed by their respective states, and continued development of an adaptive management system; (2) annual lake and tributary monitoring for phosphorus and other parameters by professional limnologists; (3) phosphorus reduction: research on phosphorus carried downstream by eroding stream banks, research on policy options for further phosphorus reduction from point and nonpoint sources, tracking implementation of best management practices on farms, geomorphic studies, riparian restoration work; (4) removal of invasive species such as water chestnuts; (5) development of aquatic species colonization prevention plans; and (6) nutrient management plan assistance to farmers in New York and Vermont. Subawards may be awarded to carry out local implementation, education, and outreach projects.
Fiscal Year 2017 Grants and cooperative agreements awarded to states and interstate agencies are for implementation of the Lake Champlain Management Plan. Examples of work carried out by these grants include: (1) funding for the overall program coordination, the full-time New York and Vermont Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinators employed by their respective states, and continued development of an adaptive management system; (2) annual lake and tributary monitoring for phosphorus, cyanobacteria and other parameters by professional limnologists; (3) local implementation subawards to reduce phosphorus, conserve habitat, limit the spread of invasive species, enhance watershed resiliency and support outreach and education about Lake Champlain issues; (4) removal of invasive species such as water chestnuts; (5) agronomy technical assistance in New York; (6) development of public information about recently finalized Total Maximum Daily Loads for Vermont segments of Lake Champlain, (7) healthy soils education for landscaping companies in Vermont and New York; and (8) Lakeshore assessments to reduce streambank erosion.
Fiscal Year 2018 Projects funded during the FY18 grant cycle include a water chestnut monitoring and management program; bioengineering training and demonstration projects on priority shoreland sites; implementation of green stormwater infrastructure to address combined sewer overflows; "Trees for Streams," a program to improve riparian habitats and protect water quality through planting woody buffers; implementation of a farm phosphorus management optimization and tracking tool; St. Albans public-private partnership stormwater demonstration project; and implementation of the longterm water quality and biological monitoring program for Lake Champlain.
Fiscal Year 2019 Projects funded using FY19 appropriations include floodplain and restoration and functional assessments; an internal loading assessment and modeling study for Missisquoi Bay; the Farm Agronomic Practices Program; Municipal Grants-in-Aid road runoff reduction and treatment program; aquatic nuisance species local implementation grants; boat launch steward program; cyanobacteria monitoring program; technical agronomic support to farmers in New York; Lake Champlain Basin Program enhanced grant awards for pollution prevention; and implementation of the the long-term water quality and biological monitoring program.