Grant Application Process

The Upper Clark Fork River Basin (UCFRB) Restoration Plan Procedures and Criteria (PDF) provides a framework for spending the approximately $130 million in settlement funds. The state established a granting process in which government agencies, private entities and private individuals can apply for restoration funds based on those procedures and criteria.

Grant funds may be used for projects that will restore or replace injured natural resources and/or lost services provided by those resources. Projects must be located within the Upper Clark Fork River Basin (PDF). This requirement does not apply to:

1. research or education projects, provided that the proposed research or education pertains to restoration of natural resources located in the UCFRB;
2. a project, or a portion thereof, that would be located outside of the UCFRB but would have the effect of restoring or significantly facilitating the restoration of natural resources or lost services of the UCFRB; and
3. projects to restore native trout, provided such projects are located in the Big Blackfoot River Basin and there is a showing that it would be impractical or uneconomic to restore such trout in the UCFRB.

Eligibility

Four types of projects are eligible for Upper Clark Fork River Basin (UCFRB) grant funding:

• Restoration projects – These projects will restore, rehabilitate, replace or acquire the equivalent of injured natural resources and/or the services lost as a result of releases of hazardous substances by ARCO or its predecessors. The injured natural resources and/or lost services were the subject of the Montana v. ARCO lawsuit.
• Project development grants – Funding for project development grants is designed to promote the development of project proposals from entities that have sound restoration ideas but do not have funds available to develop those ideas.
• Monitoring and research projects – These projects must pertain to restoration of natural resources in the basin.
• Education projects – These projects must pertain to the restoration or replacement of natural resources in the basin.

Applications

Pre-Applications: Prospective applicants may, at any time, submit a pre-application. A pre-application offers an applicant the opportunity to get a non-binding opinion from the state on whether a particular conceptual proposal may be an appropriate project for funding from the UCFRB Restoration Fund before going through the more time-consuming process of preparing a comprehensive proposal. Pre-applications are not required.

There are two application options, depending on the amount of the grant request:

• Long Form and Budget Worksheet for requests over $25,000 – Applications for projects over $25,000 must be submitted during the regular grant cycle and are considered with other applications. The regular grant cycle refers to the schedule provided in the Restoration Plan Procedures and Criteria, with application materials being distributed in January, due in April and final funding decisions made in December.
• Short Form and Budget Worksheet for requests of $25,000 or less – Applications for projects seeking $25,000 or less are considered on an open cycle basis - they can be submitted at any time throughout the year and are considered on a first come, first served basis. This process is not intended for a series of small projects that are really part of a larger project or otherwise closely linked. Applicants for these small projects also have the option of submitting their application during the regular grant cycle to be considered with other projects as described above.

Guidance

NRDP prepared the following information, in consultation with the UCFRB Remediation and Restoration Advisory Council, to assist potential applicants:

• Application Review Guidelines (PDF), January 2006 – guidelines based on the UCFRB Restoration Plan Procedures and Criteria that categorize the degree to which restoration projects meet or address a particular criterion. The categories provide a framework to aid in consistently evaluating and comparing projects.
• Frequently Asked Questions about the Application Process (PDF), January 2008
• Guidance for Recreational Projects (PDF), April 2003; updated January 2008 – background on how Montana's natural resource damage lawsuit addressed lost recreational uses and the eligibility of recreational projects for grant funds
• Guidance for Work on Private Lands (PDF), December 2003 – assists those applying for UCFRB grant funds for a project that involves restoration activities on privately owned lands
• Guidance on Confidentiality, Procurement Provisions and Equipment Policy (PDF), January 2006 – outlines the requirements that applicants must follow if their application is funded, including guidance on confidentiality and equipment
• Guidance on Matching Fund Documentation (PDF), January 2008 – guidance on matching funds and sample matching fund documentation that should be submitted to NRDP for credit toward matching fund requirements
• Guidelines for Project Applications Involving Aquatic and Terrestrial Resources and Public Recreation (PDF), March 2003; updated January 2008 – helpful hints for those preparing applications for grant projects that seek to improve aquatic and terrestrial resources and associated recreational services
• Issue Paper on Conservation Easements (PDF), March 2001 – a summary of a panel discussion on the pros and cons of conservation easements. A video of the panel is available upon request from NRDP.
• Sample Grant Agreement (PDF), January 2007 – an example of a grant agreement entered into between the grant recipient and the Natural Resource Damage Program after a project is approved
• Sample Project Abstracts (PDF), January 2008 – samples of project abstracts to assist applicants
• Sample Project Budget (Excel), January 2007 – a sample to assist applicants
• Watershed Information for Restoration Planning (an external website), March 2002 – helps those planning restoration projects in the basin
• Wildlife Population Data and Habitat (an external website), January 2005 – information and GIS-based maps relating to the upper portions of the basin are available through the Montana Natural Resource Information Systems website