The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting proposals for its 2023 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) targets improvements to address the most significant environmental problems within the Great Lakes Basin.
Donor Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
State: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/23/2023
Size of the Grant: $25,000 -$100,000
Details:
Through an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service anticipates receiving funds to support projects that implement strategic, priority actions within Forest Service authorities to restore, protect, and maintain the Great Lakes ecosystem. For this GLRI Request for Applications (RFA) for Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs), successful projects will address invasive plant species that pose significant ecological threats in the Great Lakes Basin. Award of funds is contingent on allocation of EPA funding. Funds are available for the following program area:
GLRI Focus Area 2, Invasive Species
- Detect, prevent, eradicate, and/or control invasive plant species to promote ecological resiliency, watershed stability, and biological diversity on Federal, State, or other public or private land.
Funding Information
- Estimated Funding: $1,250,000 (anticipated)
- Minimum Federal request is $25,000 and maximum Federal request is $100,000.
Eligibility Criteria
The GLRI funding is available to CWMAs and similar invasive plant partnerships that work within the Great Lakes Basin of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. CWMAs and similar groups are organized partnerships of Federal, State, and local government agencies, Tribes, individuals, and various interested groups that manage invasive plants across boundaries within a defined area, generally a county or larger in size.
As defined by Midwest Invasive Plant Network, “Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs) are partnership organizations formed with the goal of managing invasive plants across jurisdictional and landownership boundaries. Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs) and Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs) are similar to CWMAs, but their goals may include the management of invasive animal species in addition to plants.
The following are key characteristics of CWMAs/CISMAs/PRISMs:
- Work within a defined geographic area
- Participation from a broad cross-section of stakeholders and landowners
- Decision making though a steering committee
- Long-term commitment to cooperation, preferably formalized through a partnership agreement
- Have a strategic plan for addressing species of concern
- Coordinate across jurisdictional boundaries
For the purposes of this funding opportunity, “CWMA” will refer to any invasive species partnership meeting the CWMA/CISMA/PRISM definition, so long as it includes specific objectives for invasive plants.
Applications may include work on all land ownerships within the Great Lakes watershed of the United States. The Great Lakes watershed is defined as those areas within the United States that currently or historically drain into Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, or Lake Ontario, or drain into the St. Lawrence River west of where the International Boundary line leaves the river.
Ineligible Projects
- Research: Basic research as defined, “Systematic study directed toward fuller knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind.” Note: Technical transfer, education, and outreach activities associated with applying research can be included in the application. A research entity can be included as a partner and can contribute (e.g., monitoring activities).
- Construction and capital improvements (e.g., facilities, infrastructure, roads).
- Projects that only have outreach and education as outcomes. However, projects are encouraged to include a component of outreach, education, and/or training as components of the project, or as a means to achieve the project objectives.
- Projects that only have surveying or mapping as outcomes, though projects may include a survey or mapping components.
- Cost-share, reimbursement, and other types of payment provided directly to private landowners; however, funding may be used to perform work on private lands.
- Forest Health authorities may not be used to cut either dead or dying trees, unless used to suppress or slow the spread of an outbreak.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
