October 19, 2022
With hundreds of millions of dollars in federal WaterSMART funding available over the next five years, MWCC and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) co-hosted a half-day workshop to help communities access this funding to achieve their conservation goals. The workshop included an overview of available funding opportunities, how to apply for and manage WaterSMART grants, and how to link capacity, planning, and project implementation grants.
Workshop Resources
- Workshop Slides
- WaterSMART Schedule of Funding Opportunities for 2022-2023
- Cooperative Watershed Management Program Fact Sheet
- Environmental Water Resources Projects Fact Sheet
- WaterSMART Budget Detail and Narrative Spreadsheet
- WaterSMART Budget Narrative Guidance
- WaterSMART Grants Website, including recorded webinars about upcoming funding opportunities
- How to Use Grants.gov webinar
Prior to applying for any federal grants, organizations must register with the federal SAM Database. Deanna Langman, Statewide Program Manager and Government Contracting Advisor for Big Sky Economic Development, can help Montana organizations with SAM registration and website.
Deanna Langman
Phone: 406-869-8410 Fax: 406-256-6877
langman@bigskyeda.org
Big Sky Economic Development
201 N Broadway
Billings, MT 59101
Workshop Agenda
- An overview of WaterSMART funding opportunities, including grants for watershed group capacity, project planning, and project implementation
- CWMP
- EWRP and Multi-benefits Projects
- Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Program
- Multi-benefit Projects Design Funding Opportunity
- Other programs: SWEP, WEEG, and Drought, Applied Science
- Successful project examples
- A walk-through of Reclamation’s WaterSMART process
- Life cycle of a WaterSMART project, proposal, then selection, then agreement, then implementation and conclusion.
- Roles and contacts within Reclamation
- BREAK
- Tips for writing a successful WaterSMART grant application o
- General application tips
- Budget development
- What to do if you receive funding
- Required systems: SAM.gov, ASAP, Grant Solutions
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Requirements
- Buy American Requirements for Infrastructure Projects
- Davis Bacon Wage Rate Requirements
- Ways to link different WaterSMART funding opportunities to achieve local water management and drought resilience goals