Fiscal Year 2012: Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, Applied Science Grants for the Desert and Southern Rockies LCCs combined more than $2.4 million in Federal funding to enhance the management of natural and cultural resources that have a nexus to water resource management. For example, once completed, the funded projects are expected to develop decision support tools and methodologies to address the effects of climate change; use Light Detecting and Ranging and multispectral imagery to analyze water and sedimentation dynamics; develop a decision support tool for incorporating ecological flows into water management models used for basin-wide water supply planning; digitize original National Wetland Inventory maps; develop new biological information about springs and seeps; examine climate change impacts on stream low flows and effects on riparian vegetation; and develop a soil vulnerability index. Fiscal Year 2013: Information not available. Fiscal Year 2014: Information not available.

Uses and Use Restrictions

The Desert and Southern Rockies LCCs provide cost-shared financial assistance on a competitive basis for the following types of projects: (1) projecting future water availability and quality, (2) projecting the resiliency and vulnerability of natural or cultural resources, and (3) assessing and evaluating natural or cultural resource management practices and opportunities to adapt.

Eligible projects are restricted to within the geographic boundaries of the Desert or Southern Rockies LCCs.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible applicants include any: States; Tribes; Irrigation districts; Water districts; Organizations with water or power delivery in the Western United States or Territories as identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, as amended and supplemented; specifically, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands); Universities located in the United States; Non-profit research institutions located in the United States; or Non-profit organizations (Non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding under all three task areas so long as the proposal addresses fish or wildlife habitat in wetland, riparian, or aquatic areas and there is a nexus to a Reclamation project.).

Beneficiary Eligibility

The general public; agricultural, municipal and industrial water users; irrigation or water districts; state governmental entities with water or power delivery authority; tribes; non-profit research institutions; and non-profit organizations located in the states identified in the Act of June 17, 1902.

Credentials/Documentation

(1) A detailed written technical proposal including background data regarding the applicant, such as location, a detailed scope of work separating the work into major tasks, detail the stages of the proposed project, include an estimated project schedule showing the stages and the duration of the proposed work, including major milestones and dates, and substantiate the method(s) selected, the principles or techniques which are proposed to solve the problem, and the degree of success expected, and describing data responsive to the evaluation criteria listed in the Announcement. (2) When applicable, a funding plan showing how the applicant will pay for its 50% cost share requirement, and an official resolution adopted by the applicant s board of directors or governing body, or for state government entities and universities, an official authorized to commit the applicant to the financial and legal obligations associated with receipt, resolving that, if selected, it will negotiate and execute a cooperative agreement with Reclamation. (3) A detailed project cost proposal, including a budget with the annual estimated project costs, including salaries and wages, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, and indirect costs, an estimate of annual operation & maintenance costs, and the value of in-kind contributions of goods and services. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Environmental compliance for this program may be required depending on the scope of the specific project funded.

This may result in the need for an environmental impact assessment or environmental impact statement prior to the commencement of project activities.

An environmental impact statement is required for this program.

An environmental impact assessment is required for this program.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.

12372.

Application Procedures

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Multiple Funding Opportunity Announcements (Announcement) are annually posted on www.grants.gov. Submission of a complete technical proposal and projects budget is mandatory by the due date identified in the Announcement. In addition, applicants must submit all applicable SF 424 forms referenced in the Announcement.

Award Procedures

Proposals received in response to the Announcement are reviewed on the basis of a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the Announcement. Reclamation will make awards to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Authorization

Public Law 111-11, Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, Subtitle F, Secure Water, Section 9504(b)(42 USC 10364) and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934, Public Law 85-624, 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq., as amended, and Section 7(a) of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA) (70 Stat 1122; 16 U.S.C. 742f(a)); as limited and delegated by the Secretary of the Interior delegation of authority to the Bureau of Reclamation at 255 DM 1.1B.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

The review, scoring and announcement of the recipients typically take three to five months.

Appeals

Upon request, Reclamation will provide all applicants with information on why their proposals were not selected.

Renewals

The awarded projects are fully funded at the time of award.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.
Matching Requirements: Percent: 50.%. The Federal share of the cost of a project or activity carried out under this Program shall not exceed 50% of the total cost of the project or activity.
This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Proposed projects should be completed within 24 months from the project start date. Applications for projects requiring more than 2 years will be considered if it is demonstrable that there will be on-the-ground accomplishments each year. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Payment terms vary by agreement awarded under this program.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Upon completion of the agreement, recipients shall submit Program Performance Reports (e.g., semi-annual, final report); and other specific reports that may be applicable to the agreement such as property inventories, and patent and invention disclosures.

No cash reports are required.

No progress reports are required.

Upon completion of the agreement, recipients shall submit a SF-425, Federal Financial Report (e.g., semi-annual, final report).

No performance monitoring is required.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

State, local and Indian Tribal governments shall maintain project records in accordance with 43 CFR 12.82. All other recipients shall maintain project records in accordance with 43 CFR 12.953.

Financial Information

Account Identification

14-0680-0-1-301.

Obigations

(Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements)) FY 12 $1,247,030; FY 13 est $1,500,000; and FY 14 est $0

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Range: $35,113 to $200,014
Average: $915,677.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

43 CFR 12, OMB Circulars, Standard Forms, and Program information,
http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/lcc/index.html
Documents may also be obtained by contacting Reclamation.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. http://www.usbr.gov/main/regions.html.

Headquarters Office

Avra Morgan Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Program & Policy Services, Mail Code: 84-51000, P.O. Box 25007, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 Email: aomorgan@usbr.gov Phone: (303)445-2906 Fax: (720)544-4207

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Specific evaluation criteria will be included in the funding announcements posted on www.grants.gov. All applications will be evaluated using criteria that give priority to a project"s technical merit, the relevance to the LCC, dissemination of results to Reclamation and LCC partners, connections to Reclamation activities and exceed the minimum 50 percent non-Federal cost-share requirement.