The Peru Gazette

Grand Isle, VT – The Lake Champlain Basin Program seeks proposals for projects that improve water quality and ecosystems in the Lake Champlain watershed. The Program anticipates awarding more than $1,400,000 in grants for projects to be implemented in 2022.

These Local Grants will be awarded in the following categories:

1. Clean water – small implementation grants (up to $20,000 per award),
2. Clean water large implementation grants* ($25,000 to $125,000 per award)
3. Clean water– planning grants* (up to $50,000 per award)
4. Healthy ecosystems – habitat and native species conservation (up to $25,000 per award)
5. Healthy ecosystems – aquatic invasive species spread prevention and management (up to $15,000 per award)

Eligible organizations include colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, municipalities and non-federal/non-state government agencies.For-profit companies may apply to categories 2 and 3 (marked with an asterisk above) but are not eligible for other grant categories. Projects located in the New York, Québec, and Vermont portions of the Lake Champlain Basin will be eligible for consideration.

The categories in this RFP replace the Pollution Prevention and Habitat Conservation, Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention, and Enhanced BMP categories offered previously in the LCBP’s Local Grant program. For clarification about the appropriate grant category for a specific project, applicants should contact:

Matthew Vaughan, LCBP Technical Coordinator, or

Meg Modley, LCBP Aquatic Invasive Species Management Coordinator

Local organizations play a critical role in planning and implementing projects on the ground to achieve water quality and habitat protection goals. Since 1992, the LCBP has awarded more than $14 million to nearly 1,500 projects in New York and Vermont. Recent projects supported by the Local Grant program include:

• Removal of the partially breached Johnsons Mill Dam on the Bogue Branch in the Missisquoi River Basin in Bakersfield, Vermont;
• Relocation of a salt storage shed away from the Castleton River in Fair Haven, Vermont;
• Expansion of spread control and prevention efforts for invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil in Follensby Clear Pond in the Saranac Lake watershed of New York;
• Purchase of phosphorus removal and chlorine reduction equipment for the wastewater treatment plant in Peru, New York;
• Aquatic invasive species education and outreach by Ausable River Steward in New York;
• Intervention plans to control runoff and erosion from farms in the Québec portion of the Missisquoi Bay and the Pike and Rock River subwatersheds to reduce sediment and phosphorus loads.

Eric Howe, LCBP Director, said, “These clean water and healthy ecosystem grants are a key element of a strategy to achieve the goals of Opportunities for Action. The funding available this year is the greatest we have been able to offer in nearly thirty years of supporting these local grants. We look forward to working with community partners to improve water quality and habitat in the Basin.”

The grants will support projects that advance the goals of the long-term Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action (plan.lcbp.org). They are supported by funds awarded to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission on behalf of the Lake Champlain Basin Program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Proposals for Clean Water grants are due on October 11, 2021. Proposals for Healthy Ecosystems grants are due on October 27, 2021. Grant guidelines, applications, and submission requirements for each category are available at lcbp.org/grants.