Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission

BCWMC Water Quality Education Grants

(Updated January 2008)

The Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission (BCWMC) has developed a grant program to provide up to $1,000 to support the following activities:

• water-quality improvement projects;
• communication and education programs on reducing pollution from household activities; and,
• projects that raise citizen awareness of their role/ responsibility in improving and maintaining water quality in the watershed.

The BCWMC is requesting one-to-one matching funds or an in-kind match of labor, materials, staff, and other sources of funding or cash.

Who is eligible for these grants?

Generally, those eligible are groups or individuals living or working within the watershed or drawing participants from the watershed, or providing information for or support for local watershed data collection and educational outreach. For more specific information, see the BCWMC's Criteria for Water Quality Education Grants.

What kinds of activities are eligible?

Activities must focus on protecting or improving our water resources within the Bassett Creek Watershed, including lakes, streams, and wetlands, through direct projects, activities or educational opportunities. Training programs that increase educators' knowledge, skills, and ability to provide such opportunities are also eligible. For more specific information, see the BCWMC's Criteria for Water Quality Education Grants.

Eligible/ Ineligible Costs

• Materials, transportation, printing/postage, and instructional fees are eligible.
• Eligible costs are those incurred after the signing of the contract for activities proposed in the grant. Projects that are in process prior to the execution of the contract or are not included in the grant request are ineligible for funding.
• Projects that have no association with the watershed or that do not contain educational outreach or data collection usable by our watershed are ineligible.
• Non-native plants are ineligible for funding.
• Preference will be given to new or expanded activities and cannot be used to subsidize ongoing activities.

Timeline for Grant Applications

Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. All grants submitted will be reviewed in a timely manner and will be acted upon as soon as Commission schedule allows.

Grant Application and Application Procedure

After reviewing the BCWMC's Criteria for Water Quality Education Grants for eligibility details and the Application Procedure for application details, please fill out the Water Quality Education Grants Application and electronically submit it with any supporting materials to BCWMC Commissioner Ginny Black at ginny_bassettcreek@att.net 

To fill out the application form, you could save the application form (Word document) to your computer for completion or you could print the form and e-mail a scan of your completed application and materials. If you are unable to submit your application and materials electronically, mail them to: Ginny Black; C/O Amy Herbert, BCWMC; Barr Engineering; 4700 W 77th Street; Minneapolis, MN 55435-4803.

Contact Information

 
The Bassett Creek Watershed covers 40 square miles and includes all or part of the cities of Crystal, Golden Valley, Medicine Lake, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, New Hope, Plymouth, Robbinsdale, and St. Louis Park. It is governed by a joint powers board made up of representatives appointed by each of these cities and charged with protecting and improving water resources in the watershed. The Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission's projects help prevent flooding; monitor, protect, and improve water quality in the lakes and streams; protect fish and wildlife habitat; protect wetlands and groundwater; and help control erosion.