FY 1996 - 1997 Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance

Including FY97 Great Lakes Priorities, GLNPO Request for Preproposals, and Roadmap of other Federal Funding

• I. PURPOSE
• II. FY97 PRIORITIES
• A. Reduce Toxic Pollution
• B. Protect and Restore Habitats
• C. Support Federal-State-Tribal Partnership
• III. GLNPO ACTIVITIES AND FUNDING
• Application Instructions for GLNPO Preproposals
• CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS
• POLLUTION PREVENTION
• HABITAT PROTECTION and RESTORATION
• ASSESSMENT / INDICATORS
• EXOTIC SPECIES
• INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
• ROADMAP OF FEDERAL GREAT LAKES PROGRAMS
• USEPA
• NRCS
• U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
• U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

The Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance (the Great Lakes “PFG” or the “PFG”) is a resource to assist the network of State, Tribal, Federal, and non-governmental organizations which together constitute the Great Lakes program. The Great Lakes PFG identifies joint priorities of the governmental partners of the Great Lakes Program. With this document, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) describes its funding process and solicits Preproposals for projects to be funded during Fiscal Year 1997 (FY97). At the end of this document we have also included a “Roadmap” of Federal Great Lakes Programs to assist other organizations and programs as they target their Great Lakes activities during annual program planning processes. If this “Roadmap” proves useful to our partners, we will improve and expand it in future years.

I. PURPOSE

The mission of the Great Lakes Program, as set forth in the U.S./Canada Water Quality Agreement, is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.

By publishing the Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance each year, the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) seeks to:

• implement that mission by fostering development of appropriate projects.
  
• achieve the objectives of the 1992 Great Lakes 5-Year Strategy - Protecting the Great Lakes: Our Environmental Goals and How We Plan to Achieve Them.
  
• provide program and funding guidance such that State and Tribal agencies are able to efficiently prepare grant proposals in concert with other program planning activities.
  
• identify joint priorities so that Great Lakes Program partners can use them in internal planning and so that grant proposals can be targeted at opportunities for the most significant environmental improvement.
  
• maximize the opportunity for developing joint partnerships between agencies and non-governmental organizations to achieve common environmental objectives.
  
• reduce the administrative burden associated with competing for individual project grants at various, unpredictable times throughout the funding cycle.

The Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance does not replace general USEPA National guidance or guidance developed by the Regional Program Offices. Rather, the PFG is a supplement to the annual planning process and should be used to facilitate planning Great Lakes activities in concert with other program planning efforts. The PFG is also intended to provide linkages among US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and other Federal Great Lakes programs.

II. FY97 PRIORITIES

The 1992 Great Lakes 5 Year Strategy set out the following objectives:

• Reducing toxic substances, with an emphasis on persistent, bioaccumulative substances.
• Protecting and restoring vital habitats.
• Protecting biological integrity; restoring and maintaining diverse living populations.

Toward these ends, the FY97 Great Lakes environmental priorities for USEPA and its State, Tribal, and Federal partners are identified below as “Reduce Toxic Pollution,” “Protect and Restore Habitats,” and “Support Federal-State-Tribal Partnership.” Arrayed below these priorities are the principal tools and focuses which are being used to address these priorities.

A. Reduce Toxic Pollution

Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance. Timely adoption and implementation of consistent water quality standards, antidegradation policies, and related procedures by statutory deadline.

Draft Binational Virtual Elimination Strategy. Evaluate opportunities to reduce uses, sources, and emissions of toxic substances, especially those which bioaccumulate. Participate in implementation measures and identify and target specific industrial sectors and geographic areas to reduce and eliminate (through pollution prevention) such targeted substances as PCBs, mercury, and lead.

Air Toxics. Assist States in (i) developing the Great Lakes Regional Air Toxics Emissions Inventory to quantify toxic emissions and establish relative loads and (ii) monitoring of air toxics trends.

Lakewide Management Plans. USEPA and its partners will (i) implement specific load reduction actions with an emphasis on reducing air emissions and non-point sources of persistent bioaccumulative pollutants and (ii) target remedial actions at sources of these pollutants (based on risk and science) within Lake watersheds. Associated priorities, within work plans and schedules approved by lake management teams, include:

Lake Michigan. Implement activities to prevent, reduce and/or remediate impaired uses by identifying sources and quantifying loads of Critical Pollutants. Complete Volume 1 of the Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) incorporating Lake Michigan Mass Balance (LMMB) data, loadings and source analysis, and adding ecosystem objectives, beneficial use impairment assessments, and indicators. The LMMB will interpret and report information about Lake Michigan air, water, sediments, and biota and will ultimately guide further toxics load reduction efforts and contribute to regulation and policy development.

Lake Ontario. Finalize Stage I LaMP and implement activities identified therein to reduce contaminant loads and restore beneficial uses to the Lake. Continue source identification and load quantification activities, improve mass balance models, develop environmental indicators, and identify data gaps and monitoring needs.

Lake Superior. Implement activities to prevent, reduce, and/or remediate impaired uses by continuing implementation of the zero discharge demonstration, special protection designations, the development of an integrated monitoring plan, and protection and restoration of important habitat. Complete Volume 3 of the LaMP, including analysis of current regulatory programs, and developing a reduction strategy utilizing tools and incentives.

Lake Erie. Complete Volume 1 of the LaMP and implement activities to prevent, reduce and/or remediate impaired uses, including development of ecosystem objectives, beneficial use impairment assessments, pollutant source and loadings analysis, and public involvement activities. Increase pollution prevention activities, as well as habitat protection and restoration activities.

AOCs and Special Places.

• Reduce toxic substances and protect/restore beneficial uses in the Areas of Concern (AOCs) through community-based environmental protection which enhances public communication and focuses and coordinates implementation of all relevant Federal, State, and local media programs.
• Target multi-media regulatory and non-regulatory actions to achieve risk-based environmental improvements in and around the Niagara River, Northwest Indiana, Greater Chicago, Southeast Michigan, Northeast Ohio, and on Tribal Lands.
• Promote and support brownfields initiatives, including information dissemination to assist brownfields redevelopment in AOC communities.

Contaminated Sediments. Help communities, especially in Areas of Concern, cleanup contaminated sediments in their rivers and harbors through application of regulatory authorities and cooperative approaches including (i) on-the-ground cleanup, (ii) remedial design, and (iii) field work and assessment.

Great Lakes Enforcement Strategy. Correct discharge or emission violations posing direct threats to human or ecosystem health through continued Strategy implementation.

B. Protect and Restore Habitats

• Protect ecosystems possessing ecological integrity, bio-diversity, or rare ecological occurrences from adverse impacts of anthropogenic stressors.
  
• Restore physical processes, ecological structures, and functions to formerly degraded ecosystems that have the potential to be ecologically significant.

C. Support Federal-State-Tribal Partnership

• Improve State and Tribal capability to address Great Lakes environmental problems through a cross-program approach based on environmental information.
  
• Provide broad access (including Federal and State agencies) to a common environmental database and analytical tools, facilitating Federal/State/Tribal information exchange.

In identifying and carrying out activities consistent with the above priorities, maximum flexibility and support will be given to the States and Tribes to address the highest environmental risks, areas subjected to the greatest environmental stress, and the causes of that stress. USEPA will continue to work closely with the States and Tribes to target and support the base programs. Further, the Agency commits to making necessary adjustments in program commitments in order to ensure the successful implementation of actions to protect the Great Lakes.

III. GLNPO ACTIVITIES AND FUNDING

Each year, GLNPO solicits projects which will address the priorities of the Great Lakes program partners. For example, in FY95 GLNPO solicited projects for Contaminated Sediments, Habitat Protection and Restoration, Pollution Prevention, and State Capacity. From that solicitation, GLNPO received 176 Project Preproposals, requesting $25.5 Million, from 72 Applicants. From that universe, GLNPO selected 36 projects totaling $2.9 million for 25 Applicants.

With this Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance, GLNPO is again making "venture capital" available for important, innovative projects to protect and clean up the Great Lakes ecosystem. Our process, schedule, and funding targets are described below. The Roadmap of Federal Great Lakes Programs (Appendix 3) references possibilities for other USEPA and Federal assistance to Great Lakes related activities.

Assistance Process. GLNPO’s assistance process formally commences with a meeting of State, Tribal, and Federal mid-level managers to focus on Great Lakes priorities. At this year’s meeting in October, 1996, State and Federal pollution control agencies were, for the first time, joined by representatives from Tribes, agriculture, and the natural resource side of State agencies. Participation of other Federal agencies was also expanded. This Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance is one of the results of that meeting.

Applicants should commence preparation of Preproposals (see Appendix 1) in targeted areas (see Appendix 2 and the following paragraph) immediately. Preproposals submitted to USEPA will be evaluated based upon the criteria contained in Appendix 2. Please note that Preproposals will not be treated as confidential information. They may be shared during the evaluation process with partners external to EPA. Evaluations will take into account recommendations on specific Lake needs which may be provided by external partners. GLNPO will consider these recommendations as part of its evaluation process. Applicants will be notified as to whether they should subsequently submit full Assistance Application Packages (full Proposals). Final funding decisions will be based upon the full Proposals. Additional documentation (such as letters of recommendation from LaMP or RAP committees or State Agencies or with respect to quality assurance) may be required as part of the full Proposal. Applicants should also be aware that GLNPO intends to make reports and other products of this assistance easily accessible to the public via the Internet and other means.

Targeted Assistance for Toxics Reduction, Biodiversity, and Information Management. The October Great Lakes Planning Meeting verified the importance of strategically focusing on toxics reduction, biodiversity, and information management. We note that the relative distribution of funding targets for FY97 appears to vary from historic patterns. The apparent disparity is a result of the Federal budget impasse and GLNPO’s fulfillment of its 2-year commitment to fund sediment remediation. (As a result of the Federal budget impasse GLNPO did not do a general solicitation of Preproposals in FY96; however, GLNPO did fulfill its commitment to provide FY96 funding for sediment remediation. Other FY96 funding was either carried over to use in this Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance or used to fund continuations of work previously approved. Pursuant to GLNPO’s prior year sediment remediation project commitment, $500 thousand of FY97 funding is already allocated for that purpose and does not appear below.)

For FY97, GLNPO is thus targeting $3.7 million in assistance to States, Tribes, and our other partners for projects implementing these priorities. Targets are:

Toxics Reduction $1.7 Million

• Contaminated Sediments ($800 thousand)
• Pollution Prevention ($700 thousand)
• Assessment/Indicators ($200 thousand)

Biodiversity $1.8 Million

• Habitat Protection and Restoration ($1.5 million)
• Exotic Species ($300 thousand)

Information Management $200 Thousand

See Appendices 1 and 2 for specific instructions and criteria regarding GLNPO's FY97 request for Preproposals.

Other GLNPO Programs. GLNPO is actively involved in other program areas in addition to the specifically targeted solicitations described in this document. In the areas referenced below, GLNPO will coordinate at the Federal, State, Tribal, and local levels to ensure that those projects and resources are appropriately targeted to achieve mutual objectives. GLNPO staff are also available for consultation in these areas.

Lake ecosystem indicators. Through atmospheric deposition monitoring and open lake monitoring in each Great Lake for toxicant and nutrient loadings and concentrations (using EPA's research vessels), GLNPO will provide trend and baseline data to support and target remedial efforts and measure environmental progress. GLNPO and EPA’s Office of Research and Development will interpret and report information about Lake Michigan air, water, sediments, and biota through the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Study (LMMB), thus enabling the Agency and its partners to target further pollutant reductions. The joint GLNPO/Canadian atmospheric deposition network (including air monitoring stations on each Great Lake) will provide trend and baseline data to support and target remedial efforts and measure environmental progress under Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) and Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs). GLNPO, with its Canadian counterparts, will report on environmental indicators in the biennial State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference which will bring together over 500 representatives of the public and private sectors to facilitate risk- and science-based decision-making. Additional information is available from Paul Horvatin (312-353-3612).

Manage and provide public access to Great Lakes data. EPA's integrated Great Lakes information system, developed by GLNPO and its state and Federal partners, will deliver LMMB, and other, scientifically sound, easily accessible environmental information to decision makers and the public by traditional means and via the Internet. GLNPO will pilot techniques to provide public access to LMMB data via the Internet. Additional information is available from Pranas Pranckevicius (312-353-3437), Leader of GLNPO's Information Management Team.

Application Instructions for GLNPO Preproposals

January 15, 1997 Deadline

GLNPO requests submission of three-page Preproposals for FY97 funding of projects pertaining to contaminated sediments, pollution prevention, assessment/indicators, habitat protection and restoration, and exotic species. Preproposals are also required from applicants seeking additional funding under existing GLNPO grants. Preproposals will not be kept confidential. Following evaluations, full proposals will be requested from selected applicants. Please read the project criteria carefully and follow instructions.

Availability

GLNPO seeks to reach a broad cross-section of its State, Tribal, Federal, and non-governmental partners with this solicitation. Assistance is available pursuant to Clean Water Act 104(b)(3) for activities in the Great Lakes Basin and in support of the US-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Matching/Quality Assurance

The minimum non-Federal matching requirement for GLNPO assistance is 5% of the entire project cost and may be provided in cash or by in-kind contributions and other non-cash support. An approved quality assurance plan will be required prior to the commencement of data collection and reporting.

Format for Transmittal/Preproposals

If your organization submits more than one Preproposal, we request that you do so in a single, coordinated package of preproposals accompanied by a transmittal letter. (State Agencies - refer also to the following page.) The transmittal letter for such submittals should indicate an overall Contact Person (including phone number and address) and a ranking of your preproposals in priority order.

Preproposals are to be no more than three pages, excluding the transmittal letter. No other attachments are permitted. Provide an original (unbound) and one copy of all documents. Include the following components in the order shown and under the headings that follow:

1. Applicant Information. Applicant Name, Key Contact Person, Address, Phone, Fax, and E-mail.
2. Project Title. No more than 60 characters.
3. Amount. Specify amount of GLNPO funding requested for FY97. Separately specify anticipated requests for subsequent years (these will require approval through that year’s funding process).
4. Category. Specify among: Contaminated Sediments, Pollution Prevention, Assessment/Indicators, Habitat Protection and Restoration, Exotic Species, or Information Management.
5. Geographic/Political Area Affected. Specify all affected States, Lake Basins, and Areas of Concern.
6. Relevance to Great Lakes Priorities. State how the proposed work supports Great Lakes priorities (Section II of the Priorities and Funding Guidance), keeping in mind the project criteria (Appendix 2).
7. Problem Statement. Describe the issue that the project will resolve or address and its relevance to the Great Lakes.
8. Proposed Work/Outcome. Outline what will be done, how, and under what timetable. State anticipated environmental results, referencing affected pollutants, industry sectors, economic impacts, habitats, and/or species. If applicable, address environmental justice issues, such as benefits to disproportionately affected populations. Identify deliverables and final products.
9. Education/Outreach Component. If applicable, describe the target audience and how that group would be impacted by the project.
10. Budget. Estimate the proposed GLNPO and applicant cost of the work over the life of the project by summary categories for: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, other, and indirect costs, if applicable.
11. Other Funding. List funds which are being pursued or have been committed to your project by provider (include your organization) and amount.
12. Collaboration/Support. Describe plans and status of collaboration amongst the public, private, and independent sectors. Evidence of support will be required for full proposals.

Address / Deadline

Preproposals must be received by January 15, 1997. Faxes will not be accepted. Send to:

USEPA - GLNPO (G-9J)

77 West Jackson Boulevard

Chicago, Illinois 60604-3590

Multiple Preproposals - Coordinators

Applicants submitting multiple Preproposals have been asked to coordinate their submission so that Preproposals are ranked in priority order. Applicants desiring to internally rank their Preproposals may, therefore, need to establish internal processes and deadlines not reflected in the FY97 Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance. The following State Environmental, and Natural Resource Agencies have identified their own internal coordinators for this process. Preproposal writers from within these organizations should contact these coordinators before writing and submitting Preproposals.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency:
Robert Schacht (708) 338-7900

Indiana Department of Environmental Management:
Carla North (317) 233-6734

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality:
Diana Klemans (517) 373-2758

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency:
Dan Helwig (612) 296-7215

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:
Pat Collins (218) 834-6612

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:
Gerry Mikol (716) 851-7000

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency:
Julie Letterhos (614) 644-2871

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection:
Kelly Burch (814) 332-6816

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources:
Greg Hill (608) 267-9352

Should your organization desire to identify your contact in the Internet version of this document or in the version published in FY98, please contact Mike Russ of GLNPO (312) 886-4013. 

CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS

(Planning Target: $800,000*)

GLNPO will provide funding, technical support, and vessel support to assist contaminated sediment work in priority geographic areas in the Great Lakes. GLNPO's emphasis and ultimate objective is to assist in bringing about remediation of contaminated sediments at these sites.

Projects could include:

• sediment assessments (chemical, physical, biological) to better map contamination at a site.
• sediment assessment in areas where subsistence fishing is high.
• data collection to better understand the relationship between contaminated sediments and fish residues.
• data collection to support the development of risk/hazard assessments.
• bench/pilot studies to support remedial efforts.
• other activities supporting sediment remediation.

GLNPO's preproposal evaluation will seek a balance among sediments activities; however, preproposals will be prioritized in the following order: (i) on-the-ground cleanup, (ii) remedial design, and (iii) field work and assessment. The evaluation will also consider:

• support from the local RAP committee.
• availability of other funds to support the work.
• likelihood that remedial measures, including enforcement, will result.

Contact: Marc Tuchman (312) 353-1369

POLLUTION PREVENTION

(Planning Target: $700,000*)

GLNPO will provide assistance to partners to continue developing pollution prevention projects which will reduce the amount of persistent toxic substances, especially those which bioaccumulate, in the Great Lakes Basin. Projects should support the draft Canada - United States Strategy for the Virtual Elimination of Persistent Toxic Substances in the Great Lakes Basin (Binational Virtual Elimination Strategy) as well as goals and objectives developed as part of Lakewide Management Plans and Remedial Action Plans. The draft Binational Virtual Elimination Strategy can be accessed on the Internet via GLNPO’s homepage (http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/).

Projects could include:

working with a business sector releasing significant amounts of persistent toxic substances.

• demonstrating how economic incentives or voluntary actions can induce companies to "virtually eliminate" the use and/or release of persistent toxic substances (e.g. mercury, lead, PCBs, cadmium, PAHs, dioxin).
• creating partnerships with sectors to document progress in achieving multi-media reductions of persistent toxic substances to the Great Lakes.
• supporting projects/initiatives resulting from State Mercury Task Forces.
• cooperative efforts with sectors to analyze new technologies to achieve reductions of persistent toxic substances.
• agricultural clean sweeps or household hazardous waste collections to collect and properly dispose of persistent toxic substances.

GLNPO's preproposal evaluation will consider:

• furtherance of the goal of virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances, as described in the draft Binational Virtual Elimination Strategy.
• furtherance of environmental goals in Lakewide Management Plans and Remedial Action Plan Areas of Concern, especially the reduction of toxic substances which are persistent and bioaccumulate.
• transferability across the Great Lakes Basin and beyond.
• potential to advance government and private partnerships.
• building on lessons learned from past or ongoing similar efforts.
• ability to define measures of success.

Contacts: Danielle Green (312) 886-7594 / Elizabeth LaPlante (312) 353-2694

ASSESSMENT / INDICATORS

(Planning Target: $200,000*)

GLNPO will consider Preproposals that interpret and/or expand upon data collected for the Lake Michigan Mass Balance (LMMB) Study or that continue some level of activity that uses mass balance information. Suitable projects may build upon data already collected from tributaries, atmosphere, water, sediment or biota; may interpret data for specific purposes; or may expand upon novel findings resulting from the LMMB Study.

GLNPO's preproposal evaluation will consider:

• The degree to which the project enhances progress toward the goals of the LMMB Study and/or the Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan
• The availability of other funds to support the work.
• Demonstrated expertise to conduct the project
• Technical merit of the project.
• Demonstration of adequate laboratory facilities and instrumentation to complete the proposed work.
• Project costs.

GLNPO also solicits, from our partners, data and information needs concerning Great Lakes ecosystem health for FY1997 and beyond. Once the information needs are clearly understood, we will work with our partners to identify the means for obtaining data. We encourage cooperative requests which utilize GLNPO’s sample collection and information management capabilities. Assistance awards may or may not be the most efficient vehicle to facilitate data collection and interpretation. Approaches may include use of the research vessel R/V Lake Guardian, cooperative programs with other federal or state agencies, modification of existing data collecting programs, etc.

Contact: Paul Bertram (312) 353-0153

HABITAT PROTECTION and RESTORATION

(Planning Target: $1,500,000*)

GLNPO will assist its partners by funding habitat restoration and protection activities which will demonstrate practices and tools for protecting and restoring nearshore aquatic, terrestrial, and wetland habitats. Partners should consider (i) the 1994 report prepared by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and funded in part by USEPA, The Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Great Lakes: Issues and Opportunities, (ii) new ideas generated from projects described in the April, 1996 GLNPO Mining Ideas Report (http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/mineidea.html) and (iii) work being done in conjunction with the 1996 State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (http://www.cciw.ca/solec/ ) when developing preproposals.

Projects could include:

• -stimulating growth, marketing, and distribution of a wider variety of local plant genotypes.
• -restoring biodiversity of coastal wetlands.
• -re-establishing critical habitat for native, non-game fish species.
• -encouraging stewardship of public and private property to preserve biodiversity and stimulate economic sustainability.
• -addressing habitat and native plant restoration in newly cleaned up brownfield sites.
• -using native plants for landscaping to promote restoration of ecosystems.
• -activities that support LaMP and RAP habitat priorities. GLNPO's preproposal evaluation will consider the general concepts expressed in TNC's report

and:

• whether the project is located in an area supporting significant biodiversity.
• whether the project has biological importance on a regional or global scale.
• whether the project could lead to new ways of integrating economic growth with conservation.
• capability of replicating success and fostering similar actions elsewhere, creating new partnerships and testing new techniques or approaches.
• opportunity to test new biological management practices and new restoration techniques (e.g., species reintroduction, rebuilding habitat, and developing biological corridors).
• appeal to a variety of funding sources (i.e., creating, rather than depleting, funding sources).
• potential for identifying and reporting demonstrated environmental results.
• incorporation of an education/outreach component.

Contact: Karen Holland (312) 353-2690

EXOTIC SPECIES

(Planning Target: $300,000*)

GLNPO will provide assistance to address exotic (non-indigenous) aquatic species in the Great Lakes Basin. Project categories could include:

• Development and demonstration of strong and innovative programs (education and outreach, new technology, or biological) to prevent or control the spread of invading aquatic species to, within, and from the Great Lakes Basin.
• Identification of the ecological effects the current suite of exotics are having on nutrient and toxins cycling in the Great Lakes ecosystem.
• Documenting ecological impacts of exotic aquatic species on the Great Lakes food web.
• Documenting the economic impacts or potential economic impacts of exotic aquatic species already in the Great Lakes.

GLNPO's preproposal evaluation will consider:

• design, objectives, and scientific viability of the project.
• reasonableness of project scope and budget.
• potential for project to benefit the Great Lakes ecosystem.
• transferability across the Great Lakes Basin and beyond.
• potential to advance government and private partnerships and community involvement.

Contact: Marc Tuchman (312) 353-1369

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

(Planning Target: $200,000*)

GLNPO seeks to issue a single grant to assist partners in the development of a Great Lakes GIS spatial data set which would ultimately facilitate/inform decision-making by environmental managers. Regarding the data set:

• The data set will be directly useable by users of PC mapping applications, such as ArcView 2, ArcView 3, and MapInfo (etc.).
• It would cover a multitude of data layers that would be packaged to be of use to environmentally oriented PC GIS users.
• These data sets would be distributed by USEPA in a variety of ways, including downloading from USEPA internet sites.

GLNPO's preproposal evaluation will consider:

• whether the project would result in new capabilities to understand and manage our activities to protect the Great Lakes environment.
• furtherance of environmental goals in Lakewide Management Plans and Remedial Action Plan Areas of Concern, especially the reduction of toxic substances which are persistent and bioaccumulate.
• availability of other funds to support the work.
• demonstrated expertise to conduct the project and to deal with environmental data sets.

Contact: Pranas Pranckevicius (312) 353-3437

ROADMAP OF FEDERAL GREAT LAKES PROGRAMS

The Great Lakes Program brings together Federal, state, tribal, local, and non-governmental partners in an integrated, ecosystem approach to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes. The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) with Canada provide the basis for our international efforts to manage this shared resource. Additional responsibilities are defined in Section 118 of the Clean Water Act, Section 112 of the Clean Air Act Amendments, and the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990. The 1992 Great Lakes 5-Year Strategy, developed jointly by EPA and its multi-state, multi-Agency partners and built on the foundation of the GLWQA, provides the agenda for Great Lakes ecosystem management: reducing toxic substances; protecting and restoring important habitats; and protecting human/ecosystem species health.

Various USEPA and other Federal programs are involved in this effort. GLNPO provides this Roadmap of Federal Great Lakes Programs to assist other organizations and programs as they target their Great Lakes activities during annual program planning processes. The identified contacts can provide additional information about these programs. This is not a comprehensive list, and at this time only identifies activities and funding for few of the key Federal organizations (USEPA, NRCS, USFWS, and USACE) participating in the Great Lakes Program. Information regarding Federal funding opportunities for water quality programs at the National level can be found in the June, 1996 GAO report Water Quality A Catalog of Related Federal Programs (GAO/RCED-96-173). The GAO information is also available via GAO’s World Wide Web Home Page (http://www.gao.gov).

GLNPO would appreciate submissions of additional information for this 93"Roadmap”from other Great Lakes programs.

USEPA

USEPA’s role in the Great Lakes is to steer this effort and to provide timely technical support and assistance, coordinating not only with U.S. partners, but also with Canadian counterparts. USEPA Great Lakes efforts are organized in a nested structure. USEPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) steers and coordinates activities at a Great Lakes Basin-wide level. Regional Teams and programs steer and coordinate activities focusing on Lakes Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior and their Areas of Concern, as well as other targeted geographic areas (including Niagara River, Northwest Indiana, Greater Chicago, Southeast Michigan, and Northeast Ohio). Coordination and integration of State, Tribal, and Federal environmental programs is intended to be accomplished through the development of annual Environmental Performance Partnership Agreements (EnPPAs). Specific projects can also be developed outside of the EnPPA structure.

The USEPA section of this Appendix includes information about the following programs:

• GLNPO
• Region 5 Teams
• Water
• Air
• Superfund
• RCRA
• Pesticides/Toxics
• Env. Education
• Research

GLNPO. GLNPO’s annual Great Lakes Priorities and Funding Guidance (PFG) spells out GLNPO’s role in the Great Lakes and identifies FY97 funding opportunities. For FY97, GLNPO is soliciting preproposals for projects in the areas of contaminated sediments, pollution prevention, assessment/indicators, habitat protection and restoration, and exotic species. Interested organizations should consult the Great Lakes PFG and submit their preproposals by no later than January 15, 1997 in order to be considered for the FY97 funding cycle.

REGION 5 TEAMS. USEPA Region 5, covering Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, includes media programs as well as Teams focused on particular topics and geographic areas. The Regional Teams serve leadership and coordinating roles to ensure that their functional priorities are addressed. In this role, they influence funding decisions of USEPA media programs, such as Air, Water, and Waste, as well as National Initiatives, such as Brownfields. Regional Teams may also be direct sources of funding. If issues or funding needs are identified that are not within the scope of the Great Lakes PFG, but are priorities within the scope of these teams, contact one of the following Regional Team Managers:

Region 5 is also establishing a Regional Ecosystem Team which will focus on protection and restoration of important ecosystems. The interim contact for that Team is John Schneider (312) 886-0880.

Brownfields. The goal of USEPA’s Brownfields Initiative is to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Nationally, support will be available in FY97 for brownfields pilots to test redevelopment models, direct special efforts toward removing regulatory barriers without sacrificing protectiveness, and facilitate coordinated environmental cleanup efforts at the federal, state and local levels. 25 - 30 pilots are anticipated to be funded nationally for up to $200,000 over two years. Regional participants do not have separate funding. For additional information, contact:

• Region 5: Mary Beth Tuohy (312) 886-7596
• Region 3: Tom Stolle (215) 663129
• Region 2: Larry D'Andrea (212) 6374314

Environmental Justice. The Agency has designated the pursuit of environmental justice one of its top priorities. As part of its commitment, the Headquarters Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) created the Environmental Justice (EJ) Small Grants Program and Community University Partnership (CUP) Grants Program. The EJ Small Grants Program is intended to help community-based/grass-roots organizations, non-profit organizations and Tribal governments address environmental justice issues and concerns. The purpose of the CUP grants program is to facilitate partnerships between universities and communities/Tribal governments on EJ concerns with a primary emphasis on universities providing technical assistance to communities/tribes. In FY96, EPA awarded $3 million in EJ small grants and $2 million in CUP grants nationwide. A request for applications for FY97 grants, expected to be published in the Federal Register in mid-December 1996, will describe the program and indicate when applications should be received. Contacts for additional information are:

• Karla Johnson (312) 886-5993
• Margaret Millard in Region 5 (312) 353-1440 for EJ Small Grants Program
• Danny Gogal in OEJ (202) 564-2576 for CUP grants program

Southeast Michigan. As the Southeast Michigan area has been designated as one of Region 5’s priority places on which to focus the agency’s efforts and resources, one of the primary goals of the team is to encourage partnerships and build capacity at the local level, especially focusing on the priorities identified by the stakeholders in the area. Consequently, the Region 5 Southeast Michigan (SEMI) Team is soliciting preproposals for projects to be located in Southeast Michigan. Under their Request for Preproposals (RFP), a total of at least $200 thousand is available for projects in the categories of Contaminated Sediments/Water Quality, Critical Habitat, Brownfields/Land Use, Air Pollution, and Toxics Reduction. The SEMI RFP is being mailed at the same time as the Great Lakes PFG. Several submission categories for the SEMI RFP are similar to GLNPO’s PFG categories (specifically, Contaminated Sediments, Habitat, and Pollution Prevention). While the funding described in the SEMI RFP is available only to projects in the SEMI area, SEMI partners may submit projects under both the GLNPO PFG and the SEMI RFP, so long as that fact is noted in their submissions. For additional information regarding SEMI, contact Laura Lodisio (312-886-7090).

REGIONAL WATER PROGRAMS. Region 5 will be utilizing Coastal Environment Management (CEM) funds, as authorized under Clean Water Act Sections 104, 118, 312, 301(h),319, 320, and 403. The language in the President’s budget has historically directed these funds toward scientific and technical support for state and local management of coastal watersheds in response to human health and aquatic life risks due to pollution and loss of habitat. This program uses funds for grants to States, Tribes, and not-for-profit institutions under Sections 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act, and requires a five percent cost match from the recipient.

Region 5 will utilize these funds for projects which advance Regional/State priorities in the Great Lakes Watershed such as toxics reduction, pollution prevention, and community-based environmental protection. This money will be coordinated out of the Water Division, specifically the State and Tribal Programs Branch.

The State and Tribal Program Managers in this branch, as indicated below, will work with the Regional Team Managers, the States, and the Tribes to propose and evaluate projects which advance our shared goals. Projects will be evaluated on the basis of how well they address the Regional/State priorities. While at this time the Region is not soliciting proposals from other entities, except on a case by case basis, any questions regarding specific State, Tribal, or watershed priorities can be obtained by contacting these individuals:

• Illinois: Matt Didier (312-886-6711)
• Indiana: Kathy Adams (312-886-0404)
• Michigan: Marcia Damato (312-886-0266)
• Minnesota: Mark Messersmith (312-353-2154)
• Ohio: please contact Marcia Damato
• Wisconsin: Mary Murphy (312-353-9288)
• Tribes: Claudia Johnson-Schultz (312-886-6108)

The Water Division also administers grants to States, Tribes, and local planning agencies under Sections 104, 106, 319, and 604(b) of the Clean Water Act. At this time, none of these funding sources are anticipated to be available to other entities. Applicants interested in more information regarding the USEPA Region 5 Water program should contact Mary Pat Tyson (312-886-3006 ) for information.

Region 3 Water Protection Division priorities pertain to: Presque Isle Bay (investigation of sediment remediation, analyzing additional RAP data to complete areal extent of use impairment and viable remediation techniques, Stage II RAP preparation, and initiating appropriate remedial actions); Lake Erie LaMP development (estimating/reporting critical pollutant loadings and completing/implementing lake and tributary monitoring plans); Phosphorus Reduction Plan implementation; and the Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance (commitment to adopting regulations). Further information regarding Region 3's program is available from Charles Sapp (215) 566-5725.

Region 2 sets priorities according to the implementation needs of the Lake Ontario LaMP, Niagara River Toxics Management Plan (NRTMP), and New York State RAPs. The Region and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation work together (along with relevant Canadian agencies) to identify ecological and human health problems in the Great Lakes, target cross-media pollutants responsible for the problems, and act to reduce sources of those pollutants. Applicants interested in Region 2's program should contact Barbara Spinweber (212-637-3848) or Alice Yeh (212-637-3845) for information.

AIR PROGRAM. USEPA's Office of Air and Radiation conducts the Great Waters Program, an integrated media program charged with examining deposition of air pollutants to the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Lake Champlain, and coastal waters. This program includes monitoring, modeling, emission inventories, effects assessment, policy development, and other subjects. While most work is conducted under routine mechanisms, the Great Waters program is open to leveraging complementary projects with States coordinating with or through the Regions or GLNPO.

USEPA has designated the Great Lakes a national program for funding under 105 of the Clean Air Act. Efforts will continue to focus on Lake Michigan. Approximately $1.3 million should be available for air toxics source identification and inventory work; process characterization studies; dispersion, deposition, and transport modeling; and air toxics monitoring. The core group for the Great Waters Study (which includes State and Federal representatives) will determine how this funding will be utilized to meet mutual objectives. Proposals are not being solicited at this time. USEPA contacts for additional information are: Carlton Nash (312-886-6030) and Melissa McCullough (919-541-5646).

SUPERFUND PROGRAM. Superfund's major role in the Great Lakes may potentially be in their ability to obtain contaminated sediment cleanups. CERCLA provides one of the most comprehensive authorities available to USEPA to obtain sediment cleanup, reimbursement of USEPA cleanup costs, and compensation to natural resource trustees for damages to natural resources affected by contaminated sediments. Under CERCLA, USEPA may initiate response actions or compel potentially responsible parties to undertake cleanup of contaminated sediment sites. Remedial efforts have proven successful utilizing both the removal and remedial CERCLA authorities at priority contaminated sediment sites. In addition, CERCLA may provide the foundation for partnership approaches leading to remedial efforts.

Superfund may also provide technical support in the form of site assessments for potential removal efforts, human health and ecological risk assessment, support to innovative technological development through the Superfund Innovative Technologies Evaluation Program, and technical expertise in development of cost estimates and design development.

USEPA Region 5 contacts for additional information are Jim Hahnenberg (312-3534213) or Rosita Clarke (312-8867251).

REGIONAL RCRA PROGRAM. The amount of 3011 funding available to each State has thus far been based on the number of Treatment and Storage Disposal Facilities in that State which were in the Great Lakes Basin. Great Lakes RCRA resources under 3011 ($2,058000 through Region 5, $90,000 through Region 3, and $390,000 through Region 2) are targeted for the States in FY97. Updated information can be obtained from the contacts identified below.

RCRA criteria are expected to require that funding for RCRA activities to improve the environmental quality of the Great Lakes Basin would need to be matched by the State, subject to the same matching provisions as the rest of the 3011 State grants. Highest priority would be given to accelerating work at sites having an impact or potential impact on the Great Lakes ecosystem, especially where toxic substances may be impacting the waters of the Lakes or tributaries. Activities could include:

• Increased inspections and enforcement actions.
• Closure work.
• Permitting and corrective action based on priority ranking.
• Waste minimization activities.
• Other activities which the State demonstrates are beneficial to environmental quality.
• Any grant would need to be related to hazardous waste activity.
• Pollution prevention, waste minimization, and solid waste management (illegal dumping, recycling, household hazardous waste collections, etc.) activities in support of the draft Binational Virtual Elimination Strategy, Lakewide Management Plans, and Remedial Action Plans.

Great Lakes RCRA 3011 projects would be incorporated into State program plans. USEPA contacts for additional information are:

• Region 5:Richard Traub (312-353-8319); Mary Setnicar (312-886-0976) for P2, waste minimization, solid waste management
• Region 3: Paul Gotthold (215-597-7937)
• Region 2:Andrew Bellina (212-264-0505) and Alan Straus (212-637-4160)

PESTICIDES/TOXIC SUBSTANCES. USEPA's Pesticides/Toxic Substances Programs have primary responsibility for programs under TSCA, FIFRA, and EPCRA 313, which provide for regulation of chemicals (including bioaccumulative chemicals of concern such as PCBs and certain pesticides) and of annual reporting by industry of toxic releases. Principal activities targeted to the Great Lakes which will continue in FY97 include: PCB equipment phasedown, and agricultural clean sweeps. Other activities include performing inspections or outreach for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), promoting the reduced use of pesticides, including pollution prevention supplemental environmental projects (SEPs) in our enforcement actions, and supporting leadbased paint abatement activities. USEPA contacts for additional information are:

• Region 5:Tony Martig (312-353-2291) for Toxics; Margaret Jones (312-353-5790) for Agricultural Clean Sweeps
• Region 3:Donald Lott (215-597-9870) for pesticides, lead, and asbestos ; John Ruggero (215-566-2142) for PCBs and EPCRA
• Region 2:Fred Kozak (908-321-6769) for Pesticides; Dave Greenlaw for Toxics (908-321-6817)

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. The 1990 National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) gives USEPA authority to issue grants to stimulate environmental education by supporting projects to design, demonstrate, or disseminate practices, methods, or technologies related to environmental education or training. Tribal or local education agencies, colleges or universities, state education or environmental agencies, nonprofit organization or noncommercial educational broadcasting entities are eligible to compete for funding under this national program by submitting pre-applications. Applicants requesting less than $25,000 apply and compete in EPA's Regional offices; applicants requesting between $25,000 and $250,000 apply and compete at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In the 1996 competition, EPA Headquarters awarded approximately $625,000 and each Region awarded $150,000. Following rigorous evaluation processes involving internal and external reviewers, Regions 2 and 5 used their FY96 NEEA funds for assistance to 20 and 23 projects, respectively. Applications are judged against the criteria published in the annual Request for Proposal (RFP) for environmental education grants. The target date for publishing the RFP for the FY97 environmental education grants program in the Federal Register is November 1996. If you would like to receive the RFP directly, please contact the environmental education coordinator in your Region, or call (202) 260-8619 to be added to EPA's national mailing list.

Applicants for FY97 Great Lakes environmental education projects are encouraged to submit and compete in the NEAA program. Although GLNPO does not separately solicit environmental education projects, to maximize the number and amount of projects contributing to environmental education GLNPO may fund some of the Great Lakes related projects which are submitted to the Regions and Headquarters under the auspices of the NEEA program.

USEPA contacts for additional information are:

• Headquarters:George Walker (202-260-8894)
• Region 5:Suzanne Saric (312-353-3209)
• Region 3:Bonnie Smith (215-566-5543)
• Region 2:Terry Ippolito (212-637-3671)

GREAT LAKES RESEARCH. The US/Canadian Great Lakes research strategy guides USEPA Great Lakes research in order that it have an ecosystem focus consistent with the goals of the Five Year Strategy. Research supports a risk-based approach, geared to the identification and targeting of worst case problems for initial emphasis. USEPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program plays an essential role in both identifying regional-scale problems and monitoring to determine environmental benefits of alternative actions. A foundation is being developed in the following areas:

• Development of mass balance and food web models to establish and predict relationships of chemical loadings to residues and effects on aquatic life and wildlife.
• Determining the ecological effects of exposure to chemicals and changes in habitat conditions on Great Lakes watersheds, wetlands, and the Lakes.
• Identification and development of indicators and a monitoring framework for quantitatively measuring the status and trends of the condition of the Great Lakes ecosystems.

The Office of Research and Development has consolidated and expanded its extramural grants program to $55 million in FY96 and $90 million in FY97. In FY96, requests for proposals that support the science for the protection of the Great Lakes focused on contaminated sediments, endocrine disruptors, watershed, ecological assessment, air quality, drinking water, and water and watersheds.

Requests for proposals are solicited from academic and not-for-profit institutions located in the U.S. and state or local governments. Profitmaking firms are eligible only under certain laws including absence of profit from the project. The results will be applicable to many of the issues facing protection of the Great Lakes Water Quality.

The complete packages for the abstracts listed here can be found on EPA's internet Home Page  (http://www.epa.gov) under "Grants." More information can also be obtained by writing to:

NCERQA Grants Information
Mail Code 8701
401 M Street SW
Washington D.C. 20460

USEPA's contact for additional information is Steven Hedtke (218-720-5550) (ERL-Duluth).

NRCS

The USDANatural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has a variety of programs that fund conservation activities in all the Great Lakes states. Some of these funds are administered directly by NRCS and some NRCS provides guidance and/or technical assistance for them. In other cases NRCS passes the funds to other agencies to administer. The federal Farm Bill sets the guidance for NRCS to work on conservation issues and develops programs that provide the funding. The NRCS home page on the INTERNET at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ can provide a starting point for finding NRCS programs that fund soil and water conservation practices, wetlands enhancement, watershed protection, forestry, soils mapping, urban activities, and information. Contact local county NRCS offices for additional information. You may also wish to contact the NRCS Great Lakes Water Quality Liaison, Bob Burris, at (419) 245-2514 or the NRCS/GLNPO Liaison, Roger Nanney, at (312) 353-7979.

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is actively involved in addressing the protection, restoration, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources throughout the Great Lakes Basin.

One part of this effort is the National Wetlands Inventory - Great Lakes Status and Trends Study. FWS has recognized the Great Lakes Watershed as a priority resource area and has begun to analyze wetland changes that help define linkages among aquatic, wetland, and upland landscape systems. Land-based GIS coverages are being integrated and analyzed to identify important habitat types and interactions. FWS is monitoring urban and rural growth patterns, agriculture and silviculture, and their interactions to as an aide to land management decisions and actions. Information about this activity is available from Kim Santos (813-570-5420) or the National Wetlands Inventory Internet home page (http://www.nwi.fws.gov/).

FWS funding is available through its Federal Aide State Grant programs, including:

Coastal Wetlands. Under the Coastal Wetland Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act, FWS provides matching grants to coastal states, including Great Lakes States, to acquire, protect, or restore coastal wetlands. Information about the coastal wetland grant program is available from Mr. Michael Vanderford (612-713-5148).

Endangered and Threatened Species. Under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, FWS provides financial assistance to the States through cooperative agreements supporting the conservation of endangered and threatened species. Information about this program is available from Mr. T.J. Miller, Ecological Services (612-725-3536, extension 230).

Programs for Wildlife Restoration, Sports Fish Restoration, Partnerships for Wildlife, and the Clean Vessel Act.

Information about all these programs is available from Mr. Robert Lange (612-725-3596) or on the Internet (http://midwest.fws.gov/level1/fed-aid.htm). For general information about FWS and its Great Lakes activities, contact Bob Krska (612-725-3613, ext. 203) or the FWS/GLNPO Liason, Rich Greenwood (312-886-3853), or visit the FWS home pages on the Internet:

• Region 3: http://midwest.fws.gov/
• Region 5: http://northeast.fws.gov/

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has a number of missions within the Great Lakes basin, including navigation, flood control, erosion protection, and environmental protection and restoration. The North Central Division, located in Chicago, is responsible for Corps activities within the watersheds of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi River, and the boundary waters of the Souris, Red and Rainy Rivers. Under this Division are four district offices responsible for implementing Corps missions in the Great Lakes basin. These districts are located in Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago and St. Paul. For more information about the Corps, its organization and missions, check out the North Central Division home page (http://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/default.asp).

Navigation. Navigation is perhaps the most recognizable Corps mission in the Great Lakes. There are 137 Federal navigation projects in the basin, of which approximately 60 are commercial harbors and channels. Corps' navigation activities include the operation of locks, maintenance of breakwaters, and dredging silt from channels to maintain safe depths. The Corps also operates visitors centers at the Duluth Harbor and Soo Locks.

A number of the Federal harbors are within designated areas of concern, and have deposits of contaminated sediments both inside and outside the navigation channel. In such locations, the interests of navigation and the RAP may share a common need for a facility to manage contaminated sediments. At the Indiana Harbor and Ashtabula River/Harbor, the Corps is working in conjunction with other agencies to plan multi-purpose disposal facilities for contaminated sediments. Corps districts are planning to conduct sampling and testing of sediments from approximately 20 Great Lakes harbors in FY97 in relation to future dredging and disposal activities. States and RAP groups have "piggy backed" onto Corps sediment sampling in order to reduce sampling costs. States and RAP/LaMP groups wanting to collaborate with the Corps navigation activities should contact Tim Monteen (312-353-6378) (Timothy.Monteen@usace.army.mil) for information.

Regulatory Program. The preservation and protection of aquatic resources and wetlands are an essential part of the Corps' regulatory mission. The Corps, in cooperation with the USEPA, manages the dredge and fill permit program under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. Permitting requires the balancing of economic development and environmental protection. To support this mission, the Corps and EPA have developed a proactive tool for the preservation of aquatic resources. This tool is the advanced identification and classification of wetlands in areas experiencing economic development pressures. The Corps has also delegated parts of the regulatory decision making to State and county governments through programmatic general permits. States and RAP/LaMP groups wanting to collaborate with the Corps regulatory program should contact Mike Loesch (312-353-7762) (Michael.A.Loesch@usace.army.mil) for information.

WRDA PROGRAMS and FUNDING. The Corps has a number of programs to restore the environment. Some of these programs, authorized under recent Water Resources Development Acts (WRDA), may be applied at Great Lakes sites, or in conjunction with Remedial Action Plans. These programs are not grants, but are cost-shared support provided to States, local governments, and Indian tribes by the Corps or its contractors for planning, design, and/or construction. Brief descriptions are provided below. To find out more about the application of these, and other Corps environmental programs in the Great Lakes basin, contact Jan Miller of the Corps' North Central Division in Chicago (312-353-6354) (Jan.A.Miller@usace.army.mil).

RAPs. One such program (Section 401 of WRDA 1990) is specifically for Great Lakes Remedial Action Plans (RAPs). Under this authority, the Corps can provide technical support to the development and implementation of Great Lakes RAPs. Currently, the Corps is developing feasibility plans for contaminated sediment remediation and habitat restoration in support to the Ashtabula River (Ohio) and Grand Calumet River (Indiana) RAPs. The Federal/Non-Federal cost share is 50/50. The FY97 appropriation is $500,000.

Planning Assistance to States. (Section 22 of WRDA 1974) The Corps can support States (and Indian tribes) in their comprehensive planning for the development, utilization, and conservation of water and related land resources. A Corps district is developing GIS systems for mapping natural resources on Indian tribal lands in the Great Lakes basin under this authority. The Federal/Non-Federal cost share is 50/50. The FY97 appropriation (nationwide) is $2,000,000.

Project Modifications of Improvement of Environment. (Section 1135 of WRDA 1986) This authority can be used to restore habitat and improve water quality that has been impacted by existing Corps projects (navigation structures, locks and dams, reservoirs, etc.). For example, coastal wetlands that have been eroded by traffic in an adjacent Federal navigation channel might be restored or protected. Non-governmental, non-profit groups may also sponsor projects under this authority. The Federal/Non-Federal cost share is 75/25. The FY97 appropriation (nationwide) is $17,000,000.

Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration. (Section 204 of WRDA 96) This new authority, which is similar to Section 1135, can be used to construct projects for the restoration and protection of aquatic ecosystems. However, this authority is not limited to ecosystems impacted by existing Corps projects. The Federal/Non-Federal cost share is 65/35. Nothing was appropriated for this purpose for FY97.

Beneficial Use of Dredged Material. (Section 204 of WRDA 1992) The Corps of Engineers dredges approximately 4 million cubic yards of sediments from Great Lakes harbors and channels every year. Much of these sediments are clean, and could be used for a variety of beneficial uses, such as beach nourishment and construction fill. Under this authority, the Corps can restore and create aquatic habitat, including wetlands, in connection with dredging at authorized Federal navigation projects. The Federal/Non-Federal cost share is 75/25. The FY97 appropriation (nationwide) is $1,500,000.

Environmental Dredging. (Section 312 of WRDA 1990) This authority enables the Corps to dredge contaminated sediments outside authorized Federal navigation channels for environmental remediation. Dredging is cost-shared, but disposal of dredged sediments is a non-Federal responsibility. The Federal/Non-Federal cost share is 50/50. Nothing was appropriated for this purpose for FY97.

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