00I02400
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
**Description:** The purpose of this award is to provide funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
The recipient will implement greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction programs, policies, projects, and measures identified in a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) developed under a Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) planning grant.
Activities conducted through this grant will benefit all residents and visitors to the state of Montana through four main objectives:
Implementation of ambitious measures that will achieve significant cumulative GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond;
Pursuit of measures that will achieve substantial community benefits, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities;
Complementing other funding sources to maximize these GHG reductions and community benefits; and,
Pursuit of innovative policies and programs that are replicable and can be 'scaled up' across multiple jurisdictions.
**Activities:** The activities to be performed include seven forestry, agriculture, livestock, and working lands projects to reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
The first project involves forest management and wildfire mitigation, including reforestation, cone collection, and tree seedling planting in wildlands impacted by wildfires.
The second project will expand urban and community forests in underserved communities to increase shade and tree canopy cover and sequester carbon dioxide.
The third project involves mitigation and extinguishment of underground coal seam fires and above ground fires caused by these burning coal seams.
The fourth project aims to reduce nonpoint source pollution and harmful algal blooms that impact waterways, lakes, and wetlands.
The fifth project will implement innovations in agricultural fertilizer use to improve soil health to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and capture carbon in soil.
The sixth project implements a ranch and grassland stewardship program for improved grazing management planning for regenerative carbon storage in soil.
The seventh and final project will implement a livestock feedlot innovation program to improve animal waste management systems to reduce methane and other greenhouse gases.
**Subrecipient:** Four subawards are planned for this grant.
The first subaward of $5,000,000 will support over 20 community urban forestry projects throughout the state.
This subaward will fund personnel, contractual services, and supplies to inventory tree data, plant trees, and monitor success.
Subaward amounts will vary depending on the technical capacity and financial need of the local community groups.
The second subaward of $2,100,000 to up to four counties and two tribal governments is to conduct public outreach, purchase equipment, hire and train staff, procure contractual services, and administer the coal seam fire mitigation project.
The third subaward of $1,000,000 is to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to address nonpoint sources of pollution to rivers, lakes, and wetlands impacted by harmful algal blooms.
This subaward anticipates awarding between four to eight projects over the project period for personnel, contracted technical services, restoration activities, and monitoring.
The fourth and final subaward is to the Montana Department of Agriculture in the amount of $21,000,000.
This subaward anticipates implementing an innovative precision fertilizer program to reduce applications of ammonia and nitrogen-based fertilizers in the soil to improve soil health and sequester carbon.
A coordinator will be hired over five years to lead education and outreach activities and hold ten or more educational meetings and workshops.
Another project of this subaward involves improving native grassland health by incorporating smaller pasture sizes, field rotations, and modifying grazing practices to improve pasture lands and sequester more carbon in native plants.
A coordinator will be hired to liaise.
The recipient will implement greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction programs, policies, projects, and measures identified in a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) developed under a Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) planning grant.
Activities conducted through this grant will benefit all residents and visitors to the state of Montana through four main objectives:
Implementation of ambitious measures that will achieve significant cumulative GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond;
Pursuit of measures that will achieve substantial community benefits, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities;
Complementing other funding sources to maximize these GHG reductions and community benefits; and,
Pursuit of innovative policies and programs that are replicable and can be 'scaled up' across multiple jurisdictions.
**Activities:** The activities to be performed include seven forestry, agriculture, livestock, and working lands projects to reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
The first project involves forest management and wildfire mitigation, including reforestation, cone collection, and tree seedling planting in wildlands impacted by wildfires.
The second project will expand urban and community forests in underserved communities to increase shade and tree canopy cover and sequester carbon dioxide.
The third project involves mitigation and extinguishment of underground coal seam fires and above ground fires caused by these burning coal seams.
The fourth project aims to reduce nonpoint source pollution and harmful algal blooms that impact waterways, lakes, and wetlands.
The fifth project will implement innovations in agricultural fertilizer use to improve soil health to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and capture carbon in soil.
The sixth project implements a ranch and grassland stewardship program for improved grazing management planning for regenerative carbon storage in soil.
The seventh and final project will implement a livestock feedlot innovation program to improve animal waste management systems to reduce methane and other greenhouse gases.
**Subrecipient:** Four subawards are planned for this grant.
The first subaward of $5,000,000 will support over 20 community urban forestry projects throughout the state.
This subaward will fund personnel, contractual services, and supplies to inventory tree data, plant trees, and monitor success.
Subaward amounts will vary depending on the technical capacity and financial need of the local community groups.
The second subaward of $2,100,000 to up to four counties and two tribal governments is to conduct public outreach, purchase equipment, hire and train staff, procure contractual services, and administer the coal seam fire mitigation project.
The third subaward of $1,000,000 is to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to address nonpoint sources of pollution to rivers, lakes, and wetlands impacted by harmful algal blooms.
This subaward anticipates awarding between four to eight projects over the project period for personnel, contracted technical services, restoration activities, and monitoring.
The fourth and final subaward is to the Montana Department of Agriculture in the amount of $21,000,000.
This subaward anticipates implementing an innovative precision fertilizer program to reduce applications of ammonia and nitrogen-based fertilizers in the soil to improve soil health and sequester carbon.
A coordinator will be hired over five years to lead education and outreach activities and hold ten or more educational meetings and workshops.
Another project of this subaward involves improving native grassland health by incorporating smaller pasture sizes, field rotations, and modifying grazing practices to improve pasture lands and sequester more carbon in native plants.
A coordinator will be hired to liaise.
Funding Goals
1 - TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS 1.1 - REDUCE EMISSIONS THAT CAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Montana
United States
Geographic Scope
State-Wide
Montana Department Of Natural Resources & Conservation was awarded
Montana Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant Program
Cooperative Agreement 00I02400
worth $49,769,891
from EPA Region 8: Denver in October 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Montana United States.
The grant
has a duration of 5 years and
was awarded through assistance program 66.046 Climate Pollution Reduction Grants.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program: Implementation Grants (General Competition).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 11/14/24
Period of Performance
10/9/24
Start Date
10/8/29
End Date
Funding Split
$49.8M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$49.8M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
00I02400
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
State Government
Awarding Office
68HF08 REGION 8 (GRANTS OFFICE)
Funding Office
68X000 REGION 8 (FUNDING OFFICE)
Awardee UEI
FM98VUXB4LM9
Awardee CAGE
3RCC8
Performance District
MT-90
Senators
Jon Tester
Steve Daines
Steve Daines
Modified: 11/14/24