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EPA Offers Aid to Improve Quality of Agricultural Watersheds

Release Date: 03/02/2006
Contact Information: Martin Kessler, (913) 551-7236, [email protected]

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EPA announced that it is offering grants to improve water quality in watersheds in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. EPA intends to award an estimated $300,000 to eligible applicants.

EPA is soliciting proposals from a broad range of groups, including tribes, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, individuals, and regional, state, county and local governments. Grant proposals are due to EPA by May 11, 2006.

EPA will award grants to two types of projects: Watershed Improvement Projects (single media) and Watershed Improvement with Pesticide Emphasis Projects (multi-media).

These Watershed Improvement Grants will emphasize water quality improvements in agricultural watersheds by supporting innovative ways to use less and lower-risk pesticides and increase farmers’ adoption of ecologically-based approaches using integrated crop, pest, soil, and water management methods.

EPA is requesting proposals that directly result in on-the-ground activities that produce chemical, physical, and/or biological improvements in water quality in a watershed. These grants may be used to coordinate and accelerate research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, training, surveys, and studies related to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution.

Through these grants, EPA is supporting its Region 7 priorities of agriculture, critical ecosystems, and sensitive populations by emphasizing improved water quality and innovative farming practices that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially responsible.

For more details, see the Watershed Improvement Grants announcement on EPA Region 7’s Grant Opportunities Web page.