To help restore clean water and healthy ecosystems to Southeast New England, Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), with financial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has launched the 2018 Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Watershed Grants. The grants target water pollution, habitat degradation, and other high-priority environmental issues, in order to foster sustainable coastal and watershed communities in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Pre-proposals are due Friday, March 30, 2018 at 5 p.m. Pre-proposals are not to exceed seven pages (one page for cover information, not to exceed two pages for the project narrative, three pages for the budget, and one page for an optional  map). Partner commitment letters are not required for the pre-proposals.

The Buzzards Bay NEP can provide technical support in the development of SNEP grant applications, and we can also partner with organizations on grant applications that meet our program’s goals or tasks in our work plan. Call Joe Costa at 508.291.3625 x 11 if you would like to propose partnering with the Buzzards NEP to discuss, or Sarah Williams at 508.291.3625 x 13 if you need specific map products or other technical support.

The SNEP Watershed Grants’ streamlined pre-proposal process makes it easy to submit an application. With more than two weeks to go, there’s plenty of time to develop and submit your pre-proposal. Complete application and submittal instructions are included in the Request for Proposals (RFP). DOWNLOAD THE RFP & RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS HERE

The SNEP program has posted new “Response to Questions” that address questions asked at public information sessions and webinars held by RAE in late February and early March. Prospective applicants are encouraged to review this document in developing SNEP proposals.

The 2018 SNEP Watershed Grants will provide up to $2.5 million to encourage strategic investments by state, local, tribal, and regional partners. The source of the funding is federal, and grantees are expected to provide an additional 33% of the grant amount in non-federal matching funds. Cash and in-kind contributions may be counted toward match.

The 2018 SNEP Watershed Grants support the goals and priorities of EPA’s Southeast New England Program, a regional effort to promote a resilient ecosystem of clean water, healthy diverse habitats, and sustainable communities in Southeast New England’s coastal watersheds. The grant program also supports the goals and priorities of the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and  Management Plan (CCMP). Learn more about EPA’s SNEP program here.

Wareham residents tour the Myers-Weweantic River land conservation project as part of the Father Bill’s & MainSpring housing for the homeless and those in need ribbon cutting event on June 19, 2017. Photo by Joe Costa.

In 2016, the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program awarded $35,000 to the Town of Wareham as part of their efforts to acquire and protect 8.7 acres of open space, wetlands, and riverfront property along the Weweantic River. This project, which came to fruition in 2017, was novel in that it was part of a more elaborate effort that combined open space and wetland protection, public access and recreation, and affordable housing into one project involving multiple granting agencies and local partners. The Buzzards Bay NEP helped fund the wetland and open space protection elements of the project, resulting in the acquisition and protection of most of the ten-plus acre property by the Wareham Conservation Commission. An existing apartment building (4 housing units) was acquired and renovated by Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) with funding provided by the Wareham Community Preservation Commission and MassHousing. The building will provide housing for the homeless, and others in need. The Buzzards Bay Coalition, Wareham Land Trust, and FBMS coordinated on various elements of project. Kudos to John Browning of the Wareham Land Trust, Brendan Annett and Allen Decker of the Buzzards Bay Coalition, and John Yazwinski of FBMS, for working with the property owner, advocating the project at town meeting, and preparing grant applications. Besides funding, the Buzzards Bay NEP provided technical assistance in the form of maps used in the grant applications to other grant programs.

Congressman Bill Keating and State Representative Susan Williams Gifford were among those speaking at the event.  Read more about this story at the Wicked Local Wareham site .