There’s up to $300,000 available in grants for innovative and collaborative projects in 2009 that promote water conservation and water quality improvements in the valley. Proposals must have a stamp of approval from the local council or regional district board before being forwarded to the Okanagan Basin Water Board’s grant program, explains program administrator Genevieve Dunbar. Eligible applicants include local governments, non-profit community groups and irrigation or improvement districts. She says they hope to see proposals for projects which could serve as models for other groups in the valley, and projects which will affect policy, so it’s not just a one-off impact. Collaboration with partners and achieving matching funding is a bonus for an applicant. Often the OBWB funds can be used to leverage larger amounts, with grants from other sources as well, she said.
The board would also like to see applications for projects related to the Okanagan Sustainable Water Strategy prepared by the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council and released to the public in October. It’s available online at www.obwb.ca. Usually they receive applications for double the amount of money available, she noted, so the successful projects are generally pretty good. This is the fourth year of the grant program, which has given out $1.1 million for 59 projects. Dunbar said projects previously funded through the program have led to significant improvements in water conservation and water quality and have leveraged a substantial amount of external funding from senior governments and other donors. The deadline for application is Feb. 13, and must include the resolution of support from the local government body.
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