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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Announcing </B><st1:State><st1:place><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">California</B></st1:place></st1:State><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> Process for </B></FONT></FONT><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">2005 USEPA Targeted Watersheds Grant Program
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced its
third annual </FONT><A
href="http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/2005/2005grantsolicit.html"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>call for nominations</FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> for the “Targeted Watersheds Grant Program” (formerly
called the Watershed Initiative).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>This program may provide funds for support of community-based watershed
partnerships to conduct activities that achieve measurable clean water
goals.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">For fiscal year 2005, Congress has appropriated $10
million for projects competing on a nation-wide basis; an additional $8 million
will be directed toward projects in the <st1:place>Chesapeake Bay</st1:place>
watershed only. Typical grant awards for the selected watersheds are expected to
range from $600,000 to $900,000.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The program will place special emphasis on water quality trading projects
this year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>Only those programs that have completed watershed
assessments, developed technically sound watershed plans, and are ready for
on-the-ground work will qualify.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Applicants must meet
<U>all</U> criteria for eligibility (Section III), content and form of
nomination package (Section IV B), and format (Section IV C) described in the
“Targeted Watersheds Grant Program: Call for Nominations” document.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This document can be found at: </FONT><A
href="http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2005/February/Day-18/w3184.htm"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2005/February/Day-18/w3184.htm</FONT></A><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The Watersheds Grant Program is very competitive.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Applicants should carefully read the
evaluation criteria in the document referenced above <SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt">before considering whether to put in the time
and effort needed to apply. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Nominations must be submitted to EPA by a governor or
tribal leader.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each state governor
may submit up to 2 in-state watershed nominations but may submit an unlimited
number of interstate nominations to EPA (Regional Office) for this
competition.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Tribal leaders may
submit nominations directly to EPA.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>In order for the state of
<st1:State><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:State> to participate in this
process, we must have all applications in by <st1:date Year="2005" Day="7"
Month="4">April 7, 2005</st1:date>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>If you are interested, please provide the
following:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"><FONT
size=3>1)</FONT><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN><FONT size=3>Three (3) hard copies of your nomination
to:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Cathy Bleier<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">California Resources
Agency<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">1416 <st1:Street><st1:address>Ninth
Street</st1:address></st1:Street>, Room 1311<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:place><st1:City>Sacramento</st1:City>,
<st1:State>CA</st1:State><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><st1:PostalCode>95814</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P><PRE><o:p> </o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"><FONT size=3>2)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><FONT size=3>One electronic file of the title page, abstract, project description, and budget form only to <U><A href="mailto:cathy.bleier@resources.ca.gov">cathy.bleier@resources.ca.gov</A></U>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>This file must be limited to 120 KB in size and must not include any maps, letters of support, match certifications, or pictures.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></PRE>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cathy Bleier, Deputy Assistant
Secretary</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>California Resources Agency</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>1416 Ninth Street, Suite
1311</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sacramento, California
95814</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Phone: 916-653-6598</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fax:
916-653-8102</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Email: cathy.bleier@resources.ca.gov</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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