The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About20190802 Ver 1_Grant Award Letter_20181119ROY COOPER Governor MICHAEL S. REGAN Secretary LINDA CULPEPPER interim Director NORTH CARO -INA Environmental Quality November 13, 2018 Russell F. Vannoy, Chair New River Soil & Water Conservation District 134 Government Circle, Suite 102 Jefferson, NC 28640 Dear Chairman Vannoy, I am pleased to announce that $138,000 in financial assistance for an NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) stream restoration project in your district has been approved by the State of North Carolina. I congratulate the New River Soil & Water Conservation District on its sponsorship of the Ed Liddle at Roan Creek stream restoration project. This grant will provide financial assistance to the district for restoring approximately 935 linear feet of degraded stream and 0.64 acres of degraded riparian buffer. As per Session Law 2017-212, these funds will be used to supplement funding provided by the federal EQIP program managed by USDA-NRCS, and will be disbursed in an amount not to exceed 90% of the grant award prior to receipt of the Final Practice Approvals made by NRCS upon completion of the project. The Division of Water Resources of the Department of Environmental Quality will be contacting District staff concerning the administrative requirements, including the signing of a grant contract with the State, for the use of state funds for this project. This award letter is not a guarantee of funding. Please be aware that with Session Law 2017-57, the Appropriations Act of 2017, and Session Law 2017-212, the General Assembly has made changes to the NRCS-EQIP program for all future projects that are not yet under contract with the State. Previously, the North Carolina General Statutes and Administrative Code required that all EQIP payments be made only upon the Department's receipt of final practice approvals from the sponsoring federal agency, USDA-NRCS, (as opposed to interim or periodic partial payments prior to project completion). With the changes found in Section 36.3(h), the General Assembly now expressly allows for partial payments to be made to grantees upon receipt of a certified reimbursement request or invoice. In addition, grant payments from the State can only be made directly to grantees (i.e., your Board/District), not to subcontractors, administrators or other designees. The General Assembly now allows non-governmental entities who manage, administer or execute a grant on behalf of a unit of local government to be included as a co -applicant (and thus co -grantee) on the grant, which would allow them to request and receive payments under the grant. Requests for periodic or partial payments prior to completion must be signed by both co -applicants. We look forward to working with you on this stream restoration project. If you have questions, please contact Amin Davis at 919-707-9132 or via email at amin.davis@ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, ECc: Derek Goddard, BREC PA % Andrew Cox, New River SWCD Amin Davis, Division of Water Resources Lin)a Culpepper Sue Homewood, Division of Water Resources Interim Director, Division of Water Resources D_E Q North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 11617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617 919.707.9000