Soil and Water Conservation Commission

Water Quality and Conservation Grant Program

Request for Proposals

Deadline for Proposals: April 23, 2015

INTRODUCTION

The New Mexico Soil and Water Conservation Commission (SWCC) annually receivea legislative appropriation from the State of New Mexico to be used for special projects relating to water quality and conservation. These funds are awarded by the SWCC through the Water Quality and Conservation Grant Program. The goal of the grant program is to promote the health of New Mexico’s watersheds and conserve the water resources they produce. A limited number of projects addressing one or more of the following areas will be funded over the next fiscal year.

  1. Watershed Improvement/Management
  2. Irrigation Efficiency
  3. Riparian Restoration
  4. Natural Resource Information and Education
  5. Ground Water Protection/Conservation

ELIGIBILITY

Projects that are either sponsored or co-sponsored by one of New Mexico’s 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are eligible.The SWCDs must be active participants in the project, and be fiscally responsible for the grant award.

PROCEDURES

A review committee appointed by the SWCC will review the proposals.

Upon being approved for funding, the designated Project Coordinator, and at least one member of the SWCD board of supervisors must attend a Water Quality and Conservation Grant Training. Thetraining will review in detail the budgeting and reporting procedures, as well as any Joint Power Agreements that must be approved by the SWCD board of supervisors.

Project Coordinators may be asked to attend regularly scheduled SWCC meetings to present project updates and discuss project status. Quarterly reports including project updates and budget must be submitted to the SWCC.

A final project report will be due to the SWCC within 60 days after the completion of the project. Projects must be completed by the end of the fiscal year (1July – 30 June) in which they are funded.

Those projects that are not selected for funding will be notified by mail.

PROPOSAL FORMAT (Incomplete proposals will not be considered)

  1. Cover Sheet – Use the attached proposal cover sheet form.
  1. Project Title and Summary (one page, single spaced, 12point font, 1” margins)- On a separate page provide the project title and a project summary. The summary should concisely describe the objectives, justification, methods, and evaluation sections of the main body of the proposal. The summary must fit on one side of an 8½” by 11”sheet of paper. If the project is a recurring request, indicate progress of project, if it was completed, or current status and results of project.

Main Body of Proposal – fivepage limit, single spaced, 12point font, 1” margins.

  1. Objectives - Project Goals and Objectives should be listed individually, and stated in such a way that the progress toward meeting each objective can be measured and clearly recognized.
  1. Justification - Explain why it is important to implement this project.
  1. Approach and methods - This section should include steps to be taken to meet the project objectives. A plan of work with a brief project timetable, and any other information describing the steps to be taken to meet the project goals should be included.
  1. Evaluation - Describe how the project’s success and effectiveness will be evaluated. Methods of data collection should be described, as well as how this data will be used to determine the project’s effectiveness.
  1. Budget - Provide a detailed budget outlining all revenues and costs associated with the project. An administration fee up to five percent (5%)may be allowed. All funding sources must be identified as grant money, in-kind contributions, matching funds, etc. Please note the source of any grant monies, and if the grant funds require matching dollars.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

One electronic Microsoft Word formatted versionshould be emailed to:. All proposals must be receivedby5 p.m., Thursday, April 23, 2015. Faxed copies will not be accepted.

PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

Water Quality and Conservation Grant Program

Date:______
Project Title: ______

Sponsor SWCD: ______

Project Coordinator Information:

Name: ______

Address: ______

Telephone #: ______

Fax #: ______

Email:______

This project addresses the following area(s). (Check all that apply)

Watershed Improvement/Management

Irrigation Efficiency

Riparian Restoration

Natural Resource Information and Education

Ground Water Protection/Conservation

Total funds requested for this grant: $______

Does this project have current or pending funding? Yes____ No____

If yes, does that funding require a match? Yes_____ No_____

Can this project be completed if not fully funded? Yes_____ No_____