00A01022

Description:
The work to be accomplished with this award is to support Lake Champlain Basin Program's implementation of priority projects funded with appropriations from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in support of the Lake Champlain Management Plan, Opportunities for Action (OFA). Special emphasis will be placed on projects and project sites that benefit 'disadvantaged' or 'environmental justice' communities and/or the impacts of climate change. In FY22, priority work includes improving aquatic organism passage for resilience to climate change and mitigation of flooding, land acquisition and conservation for flood mitigation, climate change resilience, and restoration efforts, and tree nursery support to increase the availability of stem plantings to support habitat restoration efforts in the Lake Champlain Basin.

Activities:
The activities to be performed by the funding of this award include:

- Tracking progress towards goals in the Opportunities for Action, including the Lake Champlain Basin Program Annual Report.
- Design of a phosphorus 'treatment train.'
- Development and coordination of an aquatic organism passage program, including staff support, direct implementation funding, dam removal and river corridor protection program, and a competitive grant program.
- Strategic land acquisition for high priority land parcels that will improve water quality, improve aquatic habitat, climate change, and improved flooding resilience in communities with environmental justice concerns.
- Tree nursery support for conservation habitat planting.
- Aquatic invasive species management and spread prevention.

Subrecipient:
Activities implemented through subawards include: aquatic organism passage (AOP) improvements via the AOP competitive grants program, including engineering, design, and implementation for passage projects and dam removals; assessment of the impact of private roads on AOP in the Missisquoi and Chazy watersheds; strategic land acquisition for priority lands for habitat conservation, habitat restoration, floodplain restoration and protection for mitigation of and resilience to climate change; tree nursery support program to increase the availability of stems for conservation habitat plantings; wetland and floodplain restoration in New York; and aquatic invasive species management and spread prevention.

Outcomes:
Anticipated deliverables and expected outcomes will support implementation of the Lake Champlain Management Plan, Opportunities for Action. This management plan was most recently updated and approved in June 2022. Deliverables and outcomes include:

- Lake Champlain Basin Program Annual Report of activities leading to coordination and collaboration to engage in the discussion of environmental challenges facing the Lake Champlain Basin.
- Engineering and design for a treatment train leading to phosphorus reductions.
- Identification, coordination, and prioritization of projects with partners for aquatic organism passage, including permitting and engineering design, leading to increased resilience to climate impacts and flooding.
- At least 2 dam removals to improve aquatic organism passage and increase climate change and flooding resilience.
- Assessment of impacts of private roads on aquatic organism passage in the Missisquoi and Chazy watersheds to increase resilience to climate change and flood impacts.
- Increased availability of stems for conservation plantings, or reduced/eliminated costs of stems for conservation plantings to increase acres of river miles of conservation plantings.
- Restoration of critical wetlands or floodplains in the NY portion of the Lake Champlain watershed to improve habitat, mitigate climate change impacts, and reduce sedimentation and nutrient loading to Lake Champlain.
- 3 contracts or subawards to advance aquatic invasive species management and spread prevention.

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission

1 - A CLEANER, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT 1.2 - PROVIDE FOR CLEAN AND SAFE WATER 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 3 - CLEANING UP COMMUNITIES AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 3.1 - PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS

66.481 - Lake Champlain Basin Program

EPA Region 1: Boston [EPA - RO]

Vermont United States

State-Wide

EPA-CEP-01

Infrastructure $15,204,000 (67%) percent this Project Grant was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 196% from $7,649,000 to $22,641,000.