Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) - Special Announcement

Grant applications are now being accepted for the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) until 4:00pm on July 29, 2022.

Is your community looking for grants to help plan a water quality improvement project? Or maybe your community needs funds to build or install a project that has been discussed for years. From now until the end of July, the State’s largest annual funding opportunity, the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), is open for business.

The CFA includes multiple grant programs from a wide variety of state agencies. The grant programs in the CFA provide funding for projects such as upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities, installing structures to treat stormwater, and developing Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs. Below is an overview of some grant programs that can help Long Island municipalities plan and implement projects to improve their water quality. Visit the CFA to learn about all the opportunities available.

Grants to Plan Projects

The first step of any successful project is to have a good plan. Many municipalities have ideas for projects but need funds to hire a professional to complete the plan. Professional engineers, as well as professional hydrologists and/or geologists for some plans, are needed to evaluate alternatives and recommend best options to solve a water quality problem. The two grant programs highlighted below provide grant funds to prepare preliminary engineering reports and planning reports (such as feasibility studies or comprehensive assessment studies). These reports also are needed if a municipality is planning to seek funding to build the project.

NYS EFC Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG)

The Engineering Planning Grant Program focuses on providing funding for preliminary planning, often engineering reports, related to upgrading publicly-owned wastewater treatment systems. With the funding, municipalities prepare initial planning that makes them eligible for Clean Water State Revolving Funds, as well as for the Water Quality Improvement Project Program.

Cost Share: 20% of requested grant amount

Eligible Applicants:

Municipalities with a median household income:

a) Equal to or less than $75,000 according to the United States Census, 2019 American Community Survey for municipalities located in Regional Economic Development Council regions of the Capital District, Southern Tier, North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central NY, Finger Lakes, or Western NY; or

b) Equal to or less than $95,000 according to the United States Census, 2019 American Community Survey for municipalities located in Regional Economic Development Council regions of Long Island, New York City and Mid-Hudson.

A municipality may have no more than two active EPG awards at the same time.

Resource/Link for More Information: www.efc.ny.gov/EPG

NYS DEC Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Mapping Grant (NPG)

The NPG provides funding to municipalities and Soil and Water Conservation Districts for initial planning of non-agricultural nonpoint source water quality improvement projects. This grant also provides assistance for MS4 mapping. Below is a list of the types of projects that are eligible for nonpoint source planning reports.

• Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Facilities for Failing On-Site Treatment Systems
• Green Infrastructure
• Stormwater Retrofits
• Streambank/Shoreline Stabilization
• Comprehensive Stream Corridor Assessment
• Stream Sediment and Debris Management Plan
• In-Waterbody Controls for Nutrients
• Bathing Beach Restoration
• Stream Culvert Repair and Replacement

Cost Share: 10% of the requested grant amount

Eligible Applicants:

Nonpoint Source Planning Reports: Municipalities; Soil and Water Conservation Districts (except for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Facilities for Failing On-Site Treatment Systems)

MS4 Mapping: Regulated M4 Operators; Soil and Water Conservation Districts on behalf of regulated MS4 Operators

Resource/Link for More Information: www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/116725.html

Grants to Build Projects

Once a community has a completed project planning, they are ready to seek funding from grant programs that provide funds to build projects (these grant programs are often referred to as “implementation grants”). The following grant programs can help a community address their water quality problems.

NYS DEC Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program

The WQIP Program funds a variety of projects: wastewater treatment improvement, non-agricultural nonpoint source practices, land acquisition for source water protection, salt storage, aquatic connectivity restoration, and marine district habitat restoration. Municipalities can apply for WQIP Program funding for any combination of project types, up to five projects.

See the current WQIP RFP for details on each program type.

Cost Share:

Wastewater Treatment Improvement: 25% of award amount for high priority projects, 60% of award amount for general projects

Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control: 25% of award amount

Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection: 25% of award amount

Salt Storage: 50% of award amount

Aquatic Connectivity Restoration: 25% of award amount

Marine District Habitat Restoration: 25% of award amount

Eligible Applicants:

Wastewater Treatment Improvement: Municipalities

Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control: Municipalities; Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection: Municipalities, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Not-for-profit corporations

Salt Storage: Municipalities; Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Aquatic Connectivity Restoration: Municipalities; Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Not-for-profit corporations

Marine District Habitat Restoration: Municipalities; Soil and Water Conservation Districts: Not-for-profit corporations

Resource/Link for More Information: www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/4774.html

NYS EFC Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP)

The Green Innovation Grant Program supports projects across New York State that utilize unique stormwater infrastructure design and create cutting-edge green technologies to improve water quality.

See the program details on the EFC GIGP webpage.

Cost Share:

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Up to 90% of eligible project costs for a green stormwater infrastructure project in a municipality that meets the Median Household Income criteria, or that serves, protects, or benefits an environmental justice area. All other green infrastructure projects are eligible to receive up to 75% of total eligible project costs.

Water Efficiency: Up to 75% of eligible project costs for a water efficiency project in a municipality that meets the Median Household Income criteria, or that serves, protects, or benefits an environmental justice area. All other water efficiency projects are eligible to receive up to 50% of total eligible project costs.

Environmental Innovation: Up to 75% of eligible project costs for a water efficiency project in a municipality that meets the Median Household Income criteria, or that serves, protects, or benefits an environmental justice area. All other water efficiency projects are eligible to receive up to 50% of total eligible project costs.

Eligible Applicants:

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Municipalities; Private Entities; State Agencies; Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Water Efficiency: Municipalities

Environmental Innovation: Municipalities

Resource / Link for More Information: www.efc.ny.gov/GIGP

NYS DOS Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)

The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program provides funding for eligible municipalities to develop Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs (LWRP) and Watershed Management Plans. By preparing an LWRP, community stakeholders evaluate local waterfront resources, develop goals and a comprehensive strategy for the best use of those resources, identify ways in which the community can reduce risk to community assets and make them more resilient to future threats and natural disasters, propose future land and water uses, identify priority waterfront revitalization projects, and put in place a local program that will guide sustainable waterfront development. By preparing a Watershed Management Plan, communities develop a comprehensive plan to protect and restore specific waterbodies and their watersheds by identifying and prioritizing land uses and capital projects to reduce point and nonpoint source pollution, and protect or restore water quality, tributary corridors and aquatic habitats.

Once the planning process is complete, communities may apply for funding to design and construct eligible priority projects identified in these plans.

See the program details in the LWRP RFA for 2022.

Cost Share:

Up to 75% of the total eligible cost for the project, except where the proposed project is located in an environmental justice community, in which case state assistance awarded and paid shall not exceed 85% of the total eligible cost for the project.

Eligible Applicants:

Village, town, or city, located along the State's coast or a designated inland waterway, or a county with the consent and acting on behalf of one of more village, town, or city, located along the State's coast or a designated inland waterway

Resource/Link for More Information: https://dos.ny.gov/2022-2023-local-waterfront-revitalization-program

NOTE: There are other grants available through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA). This newsletter highlights some key grants that people interested in LINAP may be interested in and we encourage you to visit the CFA website for a full list of available funding. Also, the information in this newsletter is a summary of the grant programs highlighted. Anyone interested in one of the grants described in the newsletter should read the full grant description to learn about all the grant requirements, cost share requirements, eligible and ineligible costs and other important grant-related information.

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