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Entries for the 'USDA' Category
j.brown99 posted on May 09, 2012 07:34
President Obama’s administration has been working to improve and strengthen relationships with Tribal Nations, with special concern for ensuring healthy and prosperous futures for current and future generations.
The agreement, and similar settlements and agreements like one between the Sodoba Band and southern California, are important steps in making sure that tribal lands have the available water resources needed to maintain adequate irrigation and household uses.
The White House has also created a useful page that lists a number of Tribal resources available within Federal Agencies. It is a convenient one-stop directory of several web links directly to the offices that deal specifically with Tribal issues, including water management, policy development, technical advice resources, and other areas.
Steve Wilson posted on February 16, 2012 12:32
Technical assistance providers and federal agencies that serve and support tribal water and wastewater systems have developed a unifying and comprehensive strategy to coordinate services. This approach has given everyone involved a better understanding of the roles they each play in supporting tribal systems and has resulted in improved working relationships that are paying dividends for the tribes they serve.
Tribal Technical Assistance Workgroup
A national workgroup was formed to look at the technical services being offered to tribal water and wastewater systems. The group included tribes; those providing tribal services including rural water associations, regional RCAP affiliates, tribal organizations; as well as the federal partners also serving tribes, IHS, USEPA, and USDA. The IHS found that about 12% of American Indian and Alaskan Native Village homes do not have safe water and/or basic sanitation facilities, compared to 0.6% of non-native homes in the US. The committment was made to try and reduce the number of tribal homes without access by 50% by 2015.
In evaluating services, they found that service was inconsistent across Indian Country, in some areas there was coordination among service providers, but in many some areas there was not. Lack of coordination and communication has lead to confusion, conflict, or inefficient use of limited resources. The workgroups objective was to maximize the benefits that coordination and communication would provide to create a higher level of service for all tribal systems, while minimizing the duplicate services and conflicts that were barriers to service and wasting resources. The result of their efforts was the Tribal Access Workgroup Report that describes their efforts, and provides recommendations on how to move forward to develop better coordination and communication among tribal service providers.
The Recommendations
The workgroup came up with 9 recommendations to improve coordination that revolved around two specific action items. One was development of an online tool that should be maintained to allow service providers and recipients to easily identify their respective TA partners. The other action item was to hold semi-annual technical assistance coordination meetings, and in the report, the structure, format, protocol, and justification are all provided in detail.
Outcomes
The online tool is the Tribal Contact Manager database, found under "Tribal Resources" on SmallWaterSupply.org. If you are a provider or tribe interested in knowing who your partners are, you can search the database for a list by organization, then click on the specific office to get to their contact information.
The technical assistance provider (TAP) meetings are ongoing. I have been fortunate enough to participate in these meetings, so far, in Arizona and Nevada, and its clear that this approach is providing the service providers with a new, improved paradigm with which to develop services. Region 5 is holding its next TAP meeting next week, we are already seeing the providers sharing information in advance of that meeting.
Communication and coordination are always crucial pieces of any service program. Formalizing an approach that takes advantage of everyone's strengths is already providing dividends for the providers. We are excited to see the long-term value of these coordination meetings come to light as tribal services become more consistent, efficient, and effective.
JAdomaitis posted on November 30, 2011 07:25
2012 Americorps Planning Grants
Intent to Apply due: Dec. 15 (via email to: americorpsgrants@cnc.gov)
Applications due: Jan. 18, 2012
Americorps has three different grant opportunities available: Indian Tribes Planning Grants, and State and National Planning Grants. These planning grants are meant to assist and better prepare organizations who hope to compete for an Americorps grant in the next grant cycle. The six areas that grant competion will focus on are economic opportunity, disaster services, healthy futures, education, veterans & military families, and environmental stewardship. Applicants may apply for up to $50,000, but the applicant must not have previously received an AmeriCorps grant.
Technical Assistance and Training Grants for Rural Systems (USDA Rural Development)
Apply by: Dec. 31
Grants are available from USDA Rural Development to help non-profit organizations in rural areas with a wide range of issues relating to the delivery of water and waste disposal service. Please see http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-wwtat.htm for more information.
FY 2012 Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) - HUD
Apply by: Jan. 4, 2011
The ICDBG program from HUD is offering single-purpose grants which can be used for a wide range of infrastructure, housing, and economic development purposes, which includes (but is not limited to) water and sewer system development. Go to this page for more information. Please note that Congress must still appropriate the funding for the FY 2012 program. HUD's SWONAP staff is conducting two ICDBG Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) workshops (one in Phoenix on Nov. 30-Dec.1, and one in Albuquerque on Nov. 30) designed principally for tribes, tribal organizations and individuals directly involved in the preparation of ICDBG Applications. To register for the Phoenix workshop go here. To register for the Albuquerque workshop go here.
Steve Wilson posted on December 20, 2010 09:11 
 There Is Still Funding AvailableThe money in the Recovery Act for funding drinking water and wastewater infrastructure might be finished, but the "regular" funding available from the states and USDA annually is still available. There has been some talk out there that because ARRA is over, you might have missed out on grant and loan opportunities, but be sure to ask the funders in your state what might be available.
Who Are the Funders?
There is this really helpful, but not well known, website that lists all of the funders in each state, as well as their contact information. The Small Community Water Infrastructure Exchange is a website of water infrastructure funding officials from across the country. Click on "contacts by state" and you will find a list of people who can help you with various grant and loan programs in your state. You can also contact your State Rural Water Association or State RCAP Affiliate and they can direct you to the right resources and answer some of your questions.
Is The Paperwork Overwhelming?
Filling out all of the application forms can be really intimidating, and I'm sure in some cases its at least slowed down a community's efforts to seek funding, if not stop it all together. Using consultants to develop and complete application forms can be expensive, and for some of you, beyond your current financial capabilities. Again, you should contact your technical assistance providers for assistance. Your State Rural Water Association and State RCAP Affiliate both recieve funding from USDA just so that they can help you with grant and loan applications and development. There are even grants available to do the initial design and planning for your project.
Half The Battle Is Knowing Where To Get Information
If you are having trouble with the forms, application process, or even knowing who it is you should be talking to, contact Rural Water or RCAP in your state. If you don't know who at those groups to talk to, call us, we will make the initial call for you, find out who can help you get started, and get that information to you. We are here to help!
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