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Request for Applications
R5-GL2008-3

Answers to your questions about Request for Applications: Lake Priorities

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Q.1. How many applications do you expect to receive in response to this solicitation? Is this program particularly competitive?
A.1. We expect to make 8-12 awards. We do not know what to expect. In the past, the success rate for general solicitations has been around 25%; however, that may not be indicative of the success rate for this more targeted solicitation.

Q.2. Could you confirm that applications must be received by midnight or postmarked by June 10 to be eligible?
A.2. See Section IV.E of the Announcement. Application packages, regardless of the mode of submission, must be postmarked or received by EPA or through grants.gov by midnight, Central Standard Time, June 10, 2008.

Q.3. I understand that matching funds are not required but considered in the review process; how much in matching funds are you looking for when these types of funds are offered? The more match, the better? Is there a preference for cash or in-kind contributions?
A.3. There is no set amount. Match is a possible component of collaboration and leveraging, which will be evaluated as described in Section V.F. of the Announcement. An applicant can get full credit under this criteria by demonstrating collaboration and leveraging, even without match. Many awards are likely to be issued without any match at all. There is not a preference between cash and in-kind contributions.

Q.4. Out of the various eligible entities listed on page 9 of the RFP, which ones usually apply and are successful?
A.4. All of the various eligible entities so listed have applied and have been successful.

Q.5. Why is there funding for Lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Ontario, but not Erie?
A.5. During the past year GLNPO has made funding available throughout the Great Lakes basin, including Lake Erie, in several offerings, including project agreements pursuant to the Great Lakes Legacy Act and grant offerings through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Watershed Restoration Program, the Great Lakes Collections of Household Unwanted Electronics and Medicines announcement, and the outstanding Pollution Prevention and Reduction offering which also closes on June 10.  GLNPO has in recent years funded several projects unique to Lake Erie as part of the exploration of the Lake Erie dead zone, including a grant which focused on Lake Erie loadings information.  Additional funding is not offered for that work now because GLNPO already funded it.  Complementary work is now being funded from other sources.  Finally, GLNPO funds much of the other priority Lake Erie work through non-competitive grants with the States of Ohio and Pennsylvania.  For this year, GLNPO has determined that such non-competitive State grants are the most effective and efficient way to fund the priorities identified in the Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan and Remedial Action Plans for Lake Erie and its Areas of Concern.  

Q.6. Do you intend for disposal and collection to be part of your Education/Outreach criteria in Section V.G?
A.6. No. We plan to amend the Request for Applications to fix this. Criteria V.G. will read as follows:
G. Education/Outreach: Effectiveness of education/outreach and plans to disseminate project results. (10 points for Topics I.A. and B. 0 points for Topics I.C. and D.)

Q.7. Where can I find more information on the web about the Great Lakes Index?
A.7. Information about the Index is included in the quality description accompanying the Agency's FY07 annual performance report (see page 127 of the document at: http://www.epa.gov/ocfopage/par/2007par/par07appendix_b_details.pdf ). Chapter 7 of the 2007 Coastal Conditions Report (at http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nccr/2005/Chap7_GreatLakes.pdf) includes additional background information, although that report includes a "water quality index" that is not a part of the Great Lakes Index.

Lake Michigan
Michigan Q.1. What is your definition of Green Infrastructure? Green Infrastructure can mean hubs, sites and links on a regional or watershed scale, or it can mean earth/water friendly technology such as green roofs, rain gardens, and bio-swales. In some cases it can mean both. Any clarification would be helpful.
Michigan A.1. The Request for Applications calls for projects "advancing the work of the Lake Michigan LaMP." Reference to US EPA's Green Infrastructure Policy can be found on page 9 of Chapter 6 of the Lake Michigan LaMP 2008 ( www.epa.gov/glnpo/michigan.html ). The Policy is also available at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure (Green infrastructure facilitates or mimics natural processess that also recharge groundwate, preserve base flows, moderate temperature impacts, and protect hydrologicalic stability.)

Michigan Q.2. What are your expectations regarding tool development? $75K doesn't go that far these days, and to create a good web-based tool requires a lot of expertise, time, and resources. Do you expect the tool to be a software program on a CD, s user-friendly web-based tool, or something like a hard copy booklet with checkboxes?
Michigan A.2. The Request for Applications calls for projects "advancing the work of the Lake Michigan LaMP." Pursuant to the Request for Applications and the Lake Michigan LaMP, any of the tools you have referenced would be eligible, as would existing tools which could also be further developed or leveraged through the addition of training and networking of communities for distribution.

Michigan Q.3. Do you envision the training and tool development to apply just to coastal communities, or do you envision that they apply to all communities within the Lake Michigan watershed?
Michigan A.3. The Request for Applications calls for projects "advancing the work of the Lake Michigan LaMP." Since the Lake Michigan LaMP is applicable to all communities within the Lake Michigan watershed, optimal training and
tool development would be applicable for all basin local government/communities.
 

 

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