Federal

Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal Transit Program

TTP funds are to be allocated for grants to support planning, capital, and operating assistance for Tribal public transit services.

Eligible Recipients:
Native American tribes in need of public transportation services on Native American reservations.

Eligible Projects:
Public transportation capital projects, operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation, planning, and the acquisition of public transportation services, including service agreements with private providers of public transportation services.

Funding Source:
US Department of Transportation

Funding Amount:
Projects selected for funding under the TTP can be funded up to a 100% Federal share of project costs

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
Lorna Wilson
Program Manager
202-366-0893

A TDD is available at:
1(800) 877-8339 (TDD/FIRS)

More Information:
https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/applying/notices-funding/public-transportation-indian-reservations-program-fy-2018-notice

Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program

The EPA’s Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program provides money to community groups so they can pay for technical advisors to interpret and explain technical reports, site conditions, and EPA’s proposed cleanup proposals and decisions.

Eligible Recipients:
Types of community groups that can apply for a TAG include, but are not limited to:

  • A community group or citizens’ association which was formed because of issues and concerns it had about
    the site.
  • A group that has been actively involved at the site and that includes all the affected individuals and groups who joined in applying for the TAG.
  • A group made up of several groups (like those described above) that came together to deal with community concerns about the site and its effects on the surrounding area.

Eligible Projects:
Here are some examples of what group might pay a technical advisor to do:

  • Review site-related documents from EPA or others.
  • Meet with group and other community members to explain site information.
  • Make site visits, when appropriate and necessary, to learn more about
    site activities.
  • Travel to meetings and hearings about the site.
  • Evaluate plans for reusing the site after it is cleaned up.
  • Interpret and explain health-related information.

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
Up to $50,000

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
Arlene Chin
U.S. EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
212-637-3408

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/technical-assistance-grant-tag-program

Community Action for a Renewed Environment

Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) is a competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for a community to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environment. Through CARE, a community creates a partnership that implements solutions to reduce releases of toxic pollutants and minimize people’s exposure to them. By providing financial and technical assistance, EPA helps CARE communities get on the path to a renewed environment.

Eligible Recipients:
Local, public non-profit institution/organizations, federally-recognized Indian tribal government, Native American organizations, private non-profit institution/organization, quasi-public nonprofit institution/organization both interstate and intrastate, local government, colleges, and universities could be eligible to apply for CARE funds.

Eligible Projects:
For most communities, the major areas that should be considered are: air quality, drinking water, local surface water and ground water, waste disposal, and risks in the indoor environment including in schools. Environmental risks and impacts that are worth considering include: lead, pesticides and radon in homes, businesses that use or release hazardous chemicals, the use and disposal of hazardous chemicals in the home and schools.

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
Two Levels:

  1. 75,000 to 100,000
  2. 150,000 to 300,000

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
CARE Program
US EPA (8001A)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460
1-877-CARE 909

Marva E. King
HQ Care Program
202-564-2599
king.marva@epa.gov

More Information:
www.epa.gov/care/

Rural Energy for America Program Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants

This program helps promote energy independence by increasing the private sector supply of renewable energy and decreasing demand through greater energy efficiency. Making these efficiency and energy production changes will also help lower the energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers.

Eligible Recipients:

  • State, Tribal, or local government entities
  • Rural electric cooperatives
  • Land-grant colleges or universities, or higher education institutions
  • Public power entity Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Councils

Eligible Projects:
Some examples of eligible projects are:

  • Renewable energy technical assistance
  • Energy audits
  • Renewable energy site assessment

Funding Source:
US Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Funding Amount:
Varies. A max of $100,000 can be awarded.

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
The Galleries of Syracuse
441 South Salina St. Suite 357
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-477-6400
Fax: 315-477-6438

More Information:
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-energy-audit-renewable-energy-development-assistance

Weatherization Assistance Program

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. Funds are used to improve the energy performance of dwellings of needy families using the most advanced technologies and testing protocols available in the housing industry. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides funding to states, U.S. overseas territories, and Indian tribal governments, which manage the day-to-day details of the program. These governments, in turn, fund a network of local community action agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local governments that provide these weatherization services in every state, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and among Native American tribes.

Eligible Recipients:
Cost-effective energy efficiency measures for existing residential and multifamily housing with low-income residents. Under this definition, it includes a wide variety of energy efficiency measures that encompass the building envelope, its heating and cooling systems, its electrical system, and electricity consuming appliances.

Eligible Projects:
Incentives are capped based on a PV System size that does not exceed 110% of the total kWh consumption for the previous 12 months of electric usage. For New Construction, systems must be sized not to exceed 110% of the estimated demand based on estimated load.

Funding Source:
US Department of Energy

Funding Amount:
Varies

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program
U.S. Department of Energy
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
1000 Independence Ave. SW, Mail Stop EE-2K
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585

More Information:
http://energy.gov/eere/wipo/weatherization-assistance-program

Forest Legacy Program – Northeast

The Forest Legacy Program is a partnership between States and the USDA Forest Service to identify and help conserve environmentally important forests from conversion to nonforest uses. The main tool used for protecting these important forests is conservation easements.

Eligible Recipients:
Landowners with property which lies partially or entirely within a designated Forest Legacy Area.

Eligible Projects:
Participation in the program is entirely voluntary. The primary method of protection is with conservation easements in which landowners sell a portion of the property rights and retain ownership of the land. The use of conservation easements allows the land to remain in private ownership and ensures that important public values such as wildlife habitat, natural areas, forest resources, and outdoor recreation opportunities are protected. Participating landowners may prefer to sell the property outright in which case the land would be owned by the State and managed as State Forest land.

Funding Source:
USDA Forest Service, NYSDEC, local and private sources

Funding Amount:
Varies

Matching Requirements:
Federal Funding: 75%
State, Local or Private Funding: 25%

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Lands and Forests
625 Broadway, 5th Fl.
Albany, NY 12233
518-402-9405
Fax: 518-402-9028
lflands@gw.dec.state.ny.us

More Information:
www.dec.ny.gov/lands/63117.html

Community Facilities Loans and Grants

Community Facilities Programs provide loans, grant and loan guarantees for essential community facilities in rural areas. Priority is given to health care, education, and public safety projects.

Eligible Recipients:
Public entities such as municipalities, counties, parishes, boroughs, and special-purpose districts, as well as non-profit corporations and tribal governments.

Eligible Projects:
This program funds the development of essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Typical projects are hospitals, health clinics, schools, firehouses, community centers, and many other community-based initiatives.

Funding Source:
USDA Rural Development

Funding Amount:
Varies

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
USDA-RD
The Galleries of Syracuse
441 South Salina St. Suite 357
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-477-6400
www.rurdev.usda.gov/ny/
Or: Contact Local Field Office

More Information:
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities-direct-loan-grant-program

Brownfield Assessment Grants

This grant provided by the EPA provides funding for developing inventories of brownfields, prioritizing sites, conducting community involvement activities and conducting site assessments and cleanup planning related to brownfield sites. A critical part of the EPA’s assessment efforts is to ensure that residents can reap the benefits of brownfield redevelopment.

Eligible Recipients:
Local government as defined under 2 CFR 200.64; Indian Tribe; Redevelopment Agency sanctioned by the state; Government entity created by Sate Legislature; State; and Land Clearance Authority.

Eligible Projects:
Funds can be used for the direct costs associated with the inventory, assessment, and cleanup planning for brownfield sites for the Community, Site-Specific, and Coalition option areas.

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
Varies. Maximum of $350,000 to $600,000 based on assessment.

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
US EPA
Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Mail Code 5105 T
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460
877-251-4575

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding#tab-6

Funding Guidance for State and Tribal Response

The primary goal of this funding is to ensure that state and tribal response programs include, or are taking reasonable steps to include, certain elements and establish a public record. The secondary goal is to provide funding for other activities that increase the number of response actions conducted or overseen by a state or tribal response program. This funding is not intended to supplant current state or tribal funding for their response programs. Instead, it is to supplement their funding to increase their response program’s capacity.

Eligible Recipients:
To be eligible for funding a state or tribe must:

  • Demonstrate that its response program includes, or is taking reasonable steps to include, the four elements of a response program, described below; or be a party to voluntary response program Memorandum of Agreement (VRP MOA) with EPA; and
  • Maintain and make available to the public a record of sites at which response actions have been completed in the previous year and are planned to be addressed in the upcoming year.

Eligible Projects:
Eligible uses of funds include, but are not limited to, site-specific activities such as:

  • Conducting assessments or cleanups at brownfields sites (see next section for additional information),
  • Oversight of response action,
  • Technical assistance to federal brownfields cooperative agreement recipients,
  • Development and/or review of site-specific quality assurance project plans (QAPPs),
  • Preparation and submission of Property Profile Forms, and
  • Auditing site cleanups to verify the completion of the cleanup.

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
Up to $1.5 million

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
John Struble
290 Broadway, 18th Fl.
New York, NY 10007
212-637-4291
Fax: 212-637-4211
www.epa.gov/brownfields

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/funding-guidance-state-and-tribal-response-programs-fiscal-year-2019

Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grant

The objective of the Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grant is to develop job training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field. The training focuses on solid and hazardous waste remediation, environmental health and safety, and wastewater-related training.

Eligible Recipients:
Government entities as defined in CERCLA Section 104(k)(1) or eligible nonprofit organizations as defined in Public Law 106-107, the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act.

Eligible Projects:

  • Solid Waste Management or Cleanup training.
  • Superfund site cleanup and innovative and alternative treatment technologies training.
  • Wastewater treatment training.
  • Emergency planning, preparedness, and response training.
  • Enhanced environmental health and safety training.
  • Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training.

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
Grants average $200,000

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
Schenine Mitchell
US EPA Region 2
290 Broadway, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10007
212-637-3283
mitchell.schenine@epa.gov

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding#tab-6