Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant (CBIG) funds enable states within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to meet the goals outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, including the improvement of water quality and achieving Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for pollutants of concern.

Section 117(e)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grants (CBIG) to states and signatory jurisdictions in the Watershed for the purpose of implementing the management mechanisms established under the Chesapeake Bay Agreement.

Delaware’s portion of the grant is administered by the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program.

The Local Government Implementation Funding Grant (LGIF) is a separate source of funding within the CBIG and can be individually selected on the Grant Application Form. Specific criteria for the CBIG LGIF grant are detailed below.

Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grants

Program Goals

Delaware’s Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant (CBIG) is detailed in a 6-year workplan. It relies on partnerships to help meet local goals. The CBIG is used to help fund water quality-based best management practices (BMP) projects and priorities under the following objectives:

Objective 1: Support coordinated efforts and bring together stakeholders in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Objective 2: Monitor and evaluate progress towards achieving Delaware’s TMDLs and Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

Objective 3: Accelerate implementation of cost-effective practices and enhance partnerships in the agriculture sector.

Objective 4: Accelerate implementation of cost-effective practices and utilize partnerships in the developed and natural sector.

Objective 5: Investigate and determine toxic contaminant levels within Delaware’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay, and address as appropriate.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants may be public and private entities, including local governments (county, city, or town), conservation districts, tribal authorities, regional development centers, local school systems, colleges and universities, homeowner’s associations, and local nonprofit organizations including those representing local governments, state agencies, federal agencies, watershed groups, and for-profit groups within the State of Delaware’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Preference is given to projects involving cooperative partnerships.

Funding Process

Eligible proposals are selected for funding by the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program through a competitive grant process. Each CBIG project must have a 100% match of the federal grant funds requested. Match may be a combination of cash and in-kind services.

The DNREC Nonpoint Source Program administers the grant application process and provides technical and financial guidance during the grant application and project period.

Proposals for funding under the CBIG grant should follow the CBIG Request for Proposals guidelines document.

Additional Non-Federal Match Funds May be Available

State funded non-federal match may be available for submitted grant proposals on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the review and ranking committee. If a limiting factor in your grant proposal is achieving the minimum non-federal match threshold, please reach out to the grant point of contact. Submitted proposals in consideration of state funded match will still be subject to the same reviewing and ranking metrics.

Local Government Implementation Funding Grant

The Local Government Implementation Funding Grant (LGIF) is an annually determined portion of funding set aside in Delaware’s CBIG. LGIF is intended for use by local entities within Delaware’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for BMP implementation projects that will improve water quality by reduction of nutrient and sediment loads.

The purpose of the grant program is to make measurable improvements to surface and groundwater quality throughout Delaware’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed and to benefit citizen education and actions regarding the waters of the State.

Funds should be used to help implement BMP projects identified in Delaware’s Chesapeake Bay Phase III Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) or watershed Pollution Control Strategy (PCS).

The grants program will prioritize projects that promote community involvement, leverage additional resources, further education and outreach, demonstrate innovative science, policy, and technology, and provide a project/program approach that is both measurable and transferable in water quality improvements obtained.

Program Goals

Proposals should be designed to demonstrate water quality improvements to local impaired waters on developed and non-developed landscapes with traditional and/or innovative, yet sustainable and cost-effective approaches. In addition, projects should lead to ways of approaching nonpoint source load reductions, while also contributing knowledge of cost effective, sustainable new ways of doing business.

Examples of possible uses of this funding by local entities that reduce nutrient and sediment loads and support Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) implementation are below:

• Local implementation of priority, structural agricultural, urban/suburban, and/or resource BMPs identified in Delaware’s Chesapeake Bay WIP;
• Installation of green stormwater BMPs within municipalities;
• Local urban/suburban stormwater improvements; and
• Structural Agricultural BMPs that address urban stormwater

Grant Eligibility

Applicants may be state, county, municipality, city, town, conservation district, not-for-profit organization representing local governments, watershed organizations, community organization, and/or homeowner’s association within the State of Delaware’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Applicants may submit up to two project proposals per grant cycle.

Preference is given to projects involving cooperative partnerships. Agricultural operations and private for-profit firms are not eligible for these funds. Interested parties may enter into a working arrangement with an eligible applicant.

Funding Process

Eligible proposals are selected for funding by the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program through a competitive grant process.

The DNREC Nonpoint Source Program administers the grant application process and provides technical and financial guidance during the grant application and project period.

Related Topics:  bmp, chesapeake bay, conservation, grants, nonpoint source, water quality, watershed