Greetings IEP Community members,
Below are five items that may be of interest to the IEP community. Please share this information with others.
Aquatic Vegetation ID Workshop
The Aquatic Vegetation Project Work Team plans to host a vegetation ID workshop in September 2024, if a sufficient number of people (>20) express interest via this short survey. Please submit survey responses by Monday, June 10th. Please share the survey with anyone else who might be interested.
During the first half of the workshop, experts will give presentations covering common species found in the Bay-Delta ecosystem, including native and non-native species. During the second half, participants will get hands-on identification experience with live specimens of many of the species covered in the presentations. The workshop will be approximately four hours and take place at DWR - West Sacramento (3500 Industrial Blvd).
Contact Nick Rasmussen (nicholas.rasmussen@water.ca.gov) for questions.
Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
Fiscal Year 2024 Building Partner Capacity and Promoting Resiliency and Equity under Clean Water Act, Wetlands, Nonpoint Source, Monitoring, Assessment and Listing Programs
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. BACKGROUND
The EPA is soliciting applications from eligible applicants to provide support for training and related activities to build the capacity of agricultural partners, state, territorial and Tribal officials and nongovernmental stakeholders in activities to be carried out to support the goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 303(d) Program, the CWA 305(b) Program, the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program, the Nonpoint Source (CWA Section 319) Program, the Fish Monitoring/Advisory Programs, the Recreational Waters/Beach Monitoring Programs and the Water Quality Monitoring Program.
B. STATUTORY AUTHORITY
The statutory authority for the assistance agreements to be funded under this announcement is Section 104(b)(3) of the CWA which authorizes assistance agreements for the following activities: conducting or promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, reduction and elimination of water pollution.
Implementation projects are not eligible for funding under this announcement. If the application is a demonstration project, then the applicant must describe how it meets the following requirement. Demonstration projects must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches. The EPA expects that the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not a demonstration project. For applications that include demonstration projects, the applicant must describe how the project meets the above requirements.
C. NATIONAL PRIORITY AREAS
Each application submitted under this announcement must address one, and only one, of the five National Priority Areas described below. Applicants may submit more than one complete application package under this announcement as long as each application is separately submitted and addresses only one National Priority Area. The cover page of each application package must clearly indicate the National Priority Area addressed in the application. If an applicant submits an application that addresses more than one National Priority Area, it will be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed.
National Priority Area I: State and Tribal Aquatic Resource Monitoring Technical Training and Capacity Building Workshops
National Priority Area II: State, Tribal and Territorial Data Management and Data Sharing Training Workshops in Support of CWA Section 303(d), CWA Section 305(b), TMDLs and Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment
National Priority Area III: Training Workshops on Recreational Waters and Beach Monitoring Programs
National Priority Area IV: Nonpoint Source Technical Support for Tribes
National Priority Area V: Training Workshop on Fish Monitoring and Advisory Programs
A full application package can be found on the Grants.gov web page under the grant opportunity EPA-OW-OWOW-24-03.
Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by July 17, 2024 at 11:59 P.M. EDT. Late submission will not be considered for funding. Questions about this RFA must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified in Section VII, AGENCY CONTACTS, by July 01, 2024.
2024 Bay-Delta Science Conference Call for Abstracts
The due date for submitting an abstract for the 2024 Bay-Delta Science Conference has been extended to June 10, 2024. For more information, visit the Bay-Delta Science Conference website.
Draft Grand Challenges to Delta Science
The Delta Science Program is developing the third iteration of the Delta Science Plan, which aims to provide the vision, principles, and approaches for coordinating science in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This iteration's proposed focus is on addressing the “wicked” problems, or “grand challenges,” facing Delta science.
An essay detailing the literature review process and draft grand challenges (pdf) is now posted, and the authors are seeking feedback.
The opportunity to comment starts May 28, 2024. Comments may be submitted via this online survey, emailed to collaborativescience@deltacouncil.ca.gov, or mailed to the following address by July 12, 2024, to be considered for the final Grand Challenges Essay.
Delta Science Program
Collaborative Science and Peer Review Unit
715 P Street, 15-300
Sacramento, CA 95814
Reminder: Public Comments Wanted on the Draft Delta Plan Five-Year Review Report
The Delta Stewardship Council is seeking input on its five-year review of the Delta Plan.
This report uses established performance measures to provide a snapshot of measured progress toward Delta Plan objectives. It also includes an analysis of the Delta Plan’s regulatory functions and a series of recommendations, along with associated actions to outline how the Council and its partners can implement the Delta Plan over the next five years.
As a reminder, comments are due June 10, 2024, via email to fiveyearreview@deltacouncil.ca.gov, or by mail to the address below.
Delta Stewardship Council
715 P Street, 15-300
Sacramento, CA 95814