The Peru Gazette

rand Isle, VT – The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will hold a pre-application workshop on December 13, 2023, to discuss ideas for potential projects and help applicants prepare Letters of Request for Lake Champlain Watershed Environmental Assistance Program consideration.

The Lake Champlain Watershed Environmental Assistance Program awards design and construction services provided by the New York District of the Corps for planning, designing, and implementing projects that protect and enhance water quality, water supply, ecosystem integrity and other water-related issues within the watershed.

Project awards consist of federal services (not cash) equal to 65% of the total project cost for the projects. The local sponsor must match 35% in non-federal funds through cash or in-kind services.

The LCBP and USACE accept Letters of Request for watershed restoration projects on an ongoing basis for determination of a project’s eligibility. The LCBP reviews projects throughout the year. The Program administrators host periodic information sessions to keep management partners updated and make communities aware of the opportunity.

Any municipal entity, state or interstate agency, Native American nation or qualifying nonprofit organization within the Lake Champlain watershed is eligible. The emphasis of the Invitation for Letters of Request is on water quality protection for projects too large to be funded at the local, municipal or state level.

Dr. Eric Howe, Program Director for the LCBP, said, “We’re pleased to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make this support available to communities in the Lake Champlain Basin. The services offered through the program can help fill funding gaps for large, critical projects to improve water quality and habitat.”

If a project is deemed eligible based on the Letter of Request, the applicant will develop a project summary in coordination with the Corps. The LCBP reviews and ranks project summaries. Approved projects will be selected for implementation.

The December workshop is free of charge, and representatives from any eligible organization are encouraged to attend. USACE and LCBP staff will review the application process, types of projects that are typically successful under the Section 542 program, and the typical timeline.

The workshop will be held on December 13, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the LCBP office at 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, Vermont. Please RSVP to Kerry Crowningshield atkcrowningshield@lcbp.org.

The assistance program is administered in accordance with the Lake Champlain General Management Plan authorized under Section 542 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000. Selected projects will help to further the goals of the Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action.

More information and the Invitation for Letters of Request is available on the LCBP website, www.lcbp.org/about-us/grants-rfps/partner-grants/#envasst, or by calling the LCBP office at (802) 372-3213 or toll free at (800) 468-LCBP.