Current Tribal Section 319 Grant Information
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Overview
Tribes and Nations are eligible to receive Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 319 grant funding to implement EPA-approved NPS programs. As required under the CWA, Tribes must be approved for treatment in a similar manner as a state (TAS) and have an EPA-approved NPS assessment report and NPS management program to receive Section 319 funds. Each year, an eligible Tribe may apply for a base 319 grant that support their NPS management program, and they are eligible to compete nationally for additional 319 funds (competitive 319 grants) to implement on-the-ground projects to restore and protect their waters.
FY25 Eligible Tribes/Nations: List of Tribes Eligible For Clean Water Act Section 319 Base and Competitive Funding for FY2025 (pdf)
See below for current information on application deadlines, eligible Tribes and additional guidance.
Base Grants
Effective FY23, the EPA will award Tribal CWA Section 319 base grants according to the table below. The revised base grant allocation formula outlined in Achieving Greater Equity in the Nonpoint Source Program Through FY23 Section 319 Grant Allocations (pdf) replaces the formula within the current Tribal guidelines linked below. The EPA anticipates revising the Tribal CWA Section 319 base grant guidelines in FY24 to reflect the revised formula.
|
Total Tribal Land Area (square miles) |
# Tribal CWA §319 Grantees in FY24 |
Base Grant Funding Amount |
|
0 – 2 i.e., Less than 2 sq mi |
69 |
$45,000 |
|
2 – 50 i.e., Equal to or greater than 2 sq mi AND less than 50 sq mi |
69 |
$50,000 |
|
50 – 500 i.e., Equal to or greater than 50 sq mi AND less than 500 sq mi |
44 |
$55,000 |
|
500+ i.e., Equal to or greater than 500 sq mi |
31 |
$70,000 |
Section 319 base funds may be used for a range of activities that implement the Tribe's approved NPS management program including: hiring a program coordinator; conducting NPS education programs; providing training and authorized travel to attend training; updating the NPS management program; developing watershed-based plans; and implementing watershed-based plans and on-the-ground watershed projects.
Proposed base 319 grant work plan deadlines vary by EPA Region. Please contact your EPA region for more details.
Competitive Grants
In addition to awarding Section 319 base grants (described above), each year the EPA's National NPS Program solicits applications via a national competition from 319-eligible Tribes and intertribal consortia to implement on-the-ground projects to manage NPS pollution. Competitive 319 grants may be used to develop and/or implement watershed-based plans and other on-the-ground projects that will result in significant steps towards solving NPS impairments on a watershed-wide basis. Tribal applicants may request up to $125,000 in federal Section 319 funds through this competition. In recent years, the EPA has awarded approximately $2.5 million/year in federal 319 funds under this solicitation, depending on Agency funding levels. Please note that applicants must submit applications via grants.gov.
The FY25 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) may be found on grants.gov. For reference, the PDF of the NOFO and other related resources are as follows:
FY25 Section 319 Tribal Competitive NOFO (pdf)
FY25 Tribal 319 NOFO FAQ (pdf)
Beginning in FY23 and continuing in FY25, to increase the number of Tribal NPS programs benefiting from competitive grants awarded under this solicitation, EPA will reserve a portion of available funds to make approximately five awards to eligible Tribal applicants that have not received a competitive grant under the CWA 319 Tribal NPS program in the last five years (FY2020 – FY2024). See reference list for eligibility:
List of No Competitive Grants FY20-24 (pdf)
Key Dates in the Competitive Grant Process:
- October 9, 2024, 3:30 – 4:30pm EST: Informational webinar #1.
- October 15, 2024, 12 – 1pm EST: Informational webinar #2. This webinar was recorded and has been posted to YouTube.
Slides for the Informational Webinars can be accessed here: FY25 319 Tribal Competitive Grant Info Webinar Slides (pdf)
- Tuesday, November 26, 2024: Deadline for questions from prospective Tribal applicants about the FY2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity. Questions may be submitted to tribal319grants@epa.gov
- Wednesday, December 11, 2024: *Application Deadline.* Applications must be submitted electronically to the EPA through Grants.gov by 11:59pm Eastern time in order to be considered for funding. Late applications will not be considered for funding. Click here for the direct link to the Grants.gov announcement page.
- February/March 2025: The EPA anticipates announcing final selections under this competition in late winter 2025.
Selected Projects Summaries:
Submitting Tribal 319 competitive grant project information to EPA:
Beginning in FY2022, as a condition of receiving a Tribal Section 319 competitive grant Tribal grantees are required to submit project information to EPA that will be entered into the EPA's 319 Grants Reporting and Tracking Database (GRTS). This information is due 90 days from the grant award date. Required project information includes a project description, NPS categories of pollution and pollutants to be addressed, proposed BMPs, anticipated environmental outputs and outcomes, project location, project budget information, and project partners contributing to project implementation. For a detailed step-by-step tutorial of this process, reference this training video.
Tribal 319 competitive grantees have two options for providing project information to EPA:
- Option 1: Fill out the Excel-based form (link below), then email this form to your EPA Regional Tribal GRTS lead.
Tribal GRTS Data Entry Form (FY23) (xlsm)
- Option 2: Create a GRTS user account, then create a new project page for your competitive grant project in the database. Get started.