What Grows On in Rhode Island News

Healthy Communities Grant Program ~ April 20 & 26, 2011

The 2011 Healthy Communities Grant Program integrates nine EPA New England programs  Assistance & Pollution Prevention, Asthma, Children¹s Environmental Health, Environmental Justice, Pesticides, Targeted Watershed, Tools for Schools, Toxics,  and Urban Environmental Program.

These programs are working in partnership to improve environmental conditions by competitively identifying projects that will achieve measurable environmental, human health and quality of life improvements in communities across New England.
 
In order to qualify for funding, projects must meet two criteria: (1) be located in and directly benefit one or more of the four Target Investment Areas; and (2) identify measurable environmental and public health results in one or more of the six Target Program Areas.
 
In 2011, Target Investment Areas include: Environmental justice areas of potential concern, Sensitive populations, Narragansett Bay Watershed (RI & MA), and/or Urban Areas in one or more of the EPA Region I States of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and/or Vermont.  Target Program Areas include: Asthma, Capacity-Building on Environmental and Public Health Issues, Healthy Indoor/Outdoor Environments, Healthy Schools, Narragansett Bay Watershed-Based Water Quality Management, and/or Urban Natural Resources.
 
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, local government, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, state or regional agencies, K-12 schools or school districts and tribes.
Proposals may be submitted for amounts up to $35,000 for projects with a New England-wide focus. Proposals for projects taking place in a defined geographic area (e.g., neighborhood, city, state, county) may be submitted for amounts up to $25,000. For projects identifying the Narragansett Bay Watershed-Based Water Quality Management Target Program Area, proposals may be submitted for amounts up to $25,000 for single-state projects taking place in Massachusetts or Rhode Island and up to $40,000 for projects with a Narragansett Bay bi-state (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) watershed focus.  The Healthy Communities Grant Program anticipates awarding approximately 10-20 cooperative agreements through this competitive program, based on availability of funding. Project periods will be for one or two years.

The deadline for Initial Project Summaries is May 2, 2011.
 
The Healthy Communities Grant Program will sponsor four telephone conference calls to address questions before the Initial Project Summary deadline.  Participation in the informational sessions is optional, but RSVPs are required.  The informational sessions for the Initial Summary Outlines are scheduled for the following dates/times:
 
April 14, 2011  10:00 am - 12:00 pm
April 20, 2011  1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
April 26, 2011  10:00 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
 
Please see Attachment F of the Application Guidance for more details and registration information.  After submitting your RSVP, you will receive instructions on how to participate in the conference calls.
 
The Application Guidance can be found at http://epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/pdfs/2011-HC-Application-Guidance.pdf
 
For more information, please contact me at [email protected] or 617-918-1698.

 

Press Release from EPA

Funding Available ~ Forest Land Planning ~ Application Deadline April 1, 2011

USDA Initiative Offers Assistance With Forest Land Planning
 
Applications for the New England-New York Forestry Initiative Will be Accepted Through April 1, 2011 for Current Funding
 
WARWICK, RI ~ USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced that $250,000 in federal funding is available to assist Rhode Island forest land owners with forest land planning and management under the New England-New York Forestry Initiative.

Funding Available ~ Organic Initiative in Rhode Island ~ Application Deadline March 4, 2011

Offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the third year, the EQIP Organic Initiative is available for Rhode Island farmers who are certified organic, transitioning to certified organic, or organic exempt according to USDA’s National Organic Program regulations. The national ranking deadline for sign-ups is March 4, 2011.  Applications received after this date will be ranked in the next funding group.

Experimenting with cover crops and crop rotations, installing intensive grazing infrastructure (grazing plans, internal fencing, walkways, water lines), establishing wildlife and pollinator friendly habitat, and installing seasonal high tunnels are examples of conservation practices for which funding may be available under this program. In addition, states offer Conservation Activity Plans that support conservation planning for organic agriculture.

Financial Assistance to Farm & Woodland Owners ~ Deadline January 14, 2011

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides conservation planning and financial and technical assistance to help you composting animal and plant waste, preventing soil erosion, protecting crop fields, enhancing woodlands, controlling invasive plant species, reducing irrigation water use, and improving water quality along among other resource concerns.  Funds are available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

The next application deadline is January 14, 2011.

Do you own or manage farmland or forest land in Rhode Island? Funding may be available to eligible applicants to protect, restore, or enhance your land!

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides conservation planning and financial assistance to help you address issues concerning:

• Soil Health
• Water Quality
• Air Quality
• Plant Productivity
• Animal Management
• Forest Management

Please join us for an information workshop to be held at the following locations!

Laurel Grange    January 6, 2011
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Corner of Snake & Sawmill Roads Harmony (North Scituate), RI 02829

East Farm @URI    January 5, 2011
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Bldg 75, 2150 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02881

Little Compton Grange    January 6, 2011
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM 32 Commons Little Compton, RI 02837

To register for an information workshop, E-mail [email protected]
or call 401-822-8848.

Innovative Conservation Grants Available ~ April 2010

From Natural Resources Conservation Service:

Approximately $25 million in fiscal year 2010 will be made available to fund projects designed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.   

Loraine Tisdale Environmental Education Awards Deadline ~ November 20, 2009

From the Environment Council of RI Education Fund:

Announcement of Application for Environmental Education Awards

Dear RI Middle School and High School Science Teachers, Science Club
Supervisors, and environmental organizations working in schools,

The Environment Council of Rhode Island Education Fund (ECRI Ed Fund) is
pleased to announce that we are opening the application process for the
Fifth Annual Loraine Tisdale Environmental Education Fund awards.

The Loraine Tisdale Fund honors a woman whose energy for a just and healthy
environment are legendary. Mrs. Tisdale held an undergraduate degree in
chemistry and a degree in nursing. For many years she led an organization
that addressed safety and health issues concerning pesticides.

We are pleased to offer 3 grants of up to $250 to teachers or environmental
organizations for support of projects that
1. Have student participation
2. Lead to measurable improvement in an environmental condition
3. Involve the community beyond a school in some way

The application deadline is November 20, 2009 and awards will be made in
January 2010 for projects to be undertaken in the Spring of 2010
.
Applicants should complete the below application and attach a one page
description of the project including the cooperative components of the
project, what the participants will gain, and how the success of the project
will be measured. Applicants should note that a final report with at least
one photograph of the project in progress must be produced at the end of the
project and presented to the Environment Council by July 15, 2010.
Applications should be sent to the Environment Council of Rhode Island
Education Fund .

We would prefer that applications be emailed to us at
[email protected] but will also accept applications by mail
to:
ECRI Ed Fund
PO Box 40568
Providence RI 02940

The Environment Council is more than willing to answer any questions you
have about the program and to discuss potential projects with you. We can be
contacted either by email at the address listed above or by phone at
621-8048.

Sincerely,
Greg Gerritt
for the ECRI Ed Fund


Application for the Loraine Tisdale Fund Environmental Education Awards
1. · Name of Applicant
2. · Address
3. · Phone/ email
4. · Name of Project Leader/ Director/ Responsible Person
5. · Name of group/ school sponsoring the project
6. · Town in which project will occur
7. · Number of persons carrying out project
8. · Purpose of project
9. · Budget for the project, including sources of funds and
whether those funds are in hand
10. · Completion date for project

Please include a one page description of the project including the
cooperative components of the project, what the participants will gain, and
how the success of the project will be measured.

We would prefer that applications be emailed to us at
[email protected] but will also accept applications by mail
to:
ECRI Ed Fund
PO Box 40568
Providence RI 02940