MassDEP is offering competitive EPA 319 grant funding to support non‑point source pollution projects across the Commonwealth. Applicants must tie proposed BMPs, restoration, or protection activities to an approved nine‑element Watershed‑Based Plan and provide quantitative pollutant‑removal estimates. The program waives the usual 40 % non‑federal match, requires cost‑reimbursement (no advance payments), and mandates outreach, operation‑and‑maintenance plans, and quarterly reporting. Funding totals approximately $2.5 M for FY 2025‑2026, with typical award sizes ranging from $50 k to $600 k.
• Eligible entities include municipalities, counties, conservation districts, NGOs, private farms, and tribal governments.
• Project scopes may involve agricultural BMPs, wetland restoration, culvert replacement, nitrogen‑sensitive coastal water improvements, or healthy‑watershed protection.
• Proposals must include pollutant‑removal estimates for phosphorus, nitrogen, sediment, and E. coli (if applicable), a conceptual design, permitting plan, and a detailed budget separating federal and any voluntary match.
• Mandatory tasks: outreach/education, operation‑and‑maintenance plans for BMPs, and regular reporting.
• No upfront vendor payments; reimbursement on a monthly basis, with a 10 % retainage held until final acceptance.