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NRCS urges sponsors to submit program funding requests
HONOLULU, Hawaii—The U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging local sponsors to submit project requests for funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, which responds to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is not necessary for a national emergency to be declared for an area to be eligible for assistance.
The EWP Program is a recovery effort aimed at relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters. All projects must have a project sponsor. NRCS may bear up to 75% of the eligible construction cost of emergency measures (90% within limited-resource areas as identified by the U.S. Census data). The remaining costs must come from local sources and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services. EWP is designed for installation of recovery measures to safeguard life and property as a result of a natural disaster. Threats that the EWP Program addresses are termed watershed impairments. These include, but are not limited to debris-clogged waterways, unstable streambanks, severe erosion jeopardizing public infrastructure, wind-borne debris removal, and damaged upland sites stripped of protective vegetation by fire or drought.
Funding is available for new projects as well as those already submitted to NRCS. NRCS will give additional consideration to projects in historically underserved communities that directly benefit limited resource areas or socially disadvantaged communities. NRCS will continue to review as funding is available. Eligible project sponsors include state government entities, local municipalities, conservation districts, and federally-recognized tribal organizations. Sponsors are encouraged to reach out to their local District Conservationist see contact information above and/or their state’s/territorial NRCS Watershed program manager John Mathews John.mathews@usda.gov or (808) 600-2922 with watershed concerns as soon as possible to ensure their project request is in the funding queue for consideration. (PR)
