Comments for FY2015 319 Project Proposal
Sponsor:
Project Title:
319 Request:
DEQ Prj Mgr:







Park Conservation District
Shields River Watershed Sediment Reduction
$51,800
Mark Ockey (406) 444-5351 mockey@mt.gov
319 funding is competitive this year. Your funding request needs to be adequate, but not
exorbitant.
Prior to filling out the Final Proposal Form, reread the Call For Project Proposals for FY2015,
especially Attachment A – Project Scoring Sheet and Attachment C – Instructions for Project
Proposal and Final Project Proposal Forms. Then, contact your DEQ Project Manager (noted
above) for additional assistance.
Your Final Proposal must clearly demonstrate that all aspects of your project meet each of the
following eligibility requirements:
o Address nonpoint source pollution
o Address impairments identified in Montana’s 2014 List of Impaired Waters
o Implement goals and objectives identified in the 2012 Montana Nonpoint Source
Management Plan
o Directly implement projects or activities identified in a DEQ-accepted Watershed
Restoration Plan (WRP)
Proofread your Final Proposal. You may wish to read it out loud or ask a colleague to read it and
provide comment.
Complete all aspects of the Final Proposal Form. Pay special attention to the information
requested in Section 1, as it seems to be a common source of errors. In Section 1 of the Final
Proposal Form, you do not need to include SWCDMI mini-grants in the list of open contracts.
Section IV: Scope of Work must contain a separate task for each of the following activities:
o Education and Outreach (E&O) – For proposals involving on-the-ground projects, E&O
activities should be directly related to the project. To a limited extent, project sponsors
may apply for funding for E&O projects that are not specifically related to an on-theground project, provided that the E&O projects are identified in their Watershed
Restoration Plan.
o Contract Administration – Deliverables should include status reports, annual reports and
a final report as well as appropriate billing and contract management. The 319 funds
requested for administrative activities must not exceed 10% of the total 319 funds
request in your proposal; however, local match associated with administrative activities
can exceed the 10% cap.
o Monitoring – For proposals involving on-the-ground projects, monitoring should
evaluate the success of the project at reducing nonpoint source pollution. For projects
addressing nitrogen, phosphorus or sediment, the monitoring task must include
estimation of annual pollutant load reductions. For E&O projects, monitoring should
include an evaluation of the activities’ effectiveness in reaching the target audience and
achieving the desired outcomes.
Review all task timelines, the project milestone table, and other dated information in the Final
Proposal. Dates must be consistent with the anticipated 319 funding schedule (funding would
likely not be available until June 30, 2015, and contract work would need to be completed
within 2 to 4 years).


Remember to include all applicable attachments (see Section V of the Final Proposal Form).
Late or incomplete Final Proposal Forms will not be considered. If you have any questions please
call your DEQ Project Manager well before the Final Proposal due date of September 29, 2014.
Other Comments
 Include photos of the proposed project sites with the Final Proposal.
 Identify the root cause(s) of bank instability in Brackett Creek project area. Is it natural? Is it the
result of flow alterations, loss of riparian vegetation, channel straightening? Will the proposed
project address the root cause(s)?
 Include a letter of support from each of the landowners and project partners.
 Park CD has, in the past, experienced difficulty in submitting complete, timely reports. Please
identify the steps you have taken to prevent recurrence of these issues.
 The funding for SAP/QAPP development seems low.
 Provide additional details on how you developed the cost estimates for tasks 1 and 2.
 Prior to the Agency Review Panel meeting, please arrange a site visit to the Brackett and Potter
Creek project areas to gather input on the proposed BMP techniques. Invite the following
individuals to attend the site visit:
o Each of the involved landowners
o The local FWP Fish Biologist
o The local floodplain administrator
o Representatives of potentially applicable permitting agencies (e.g. DEQ, FWP, Army
Corp of Engineers)
o At least one Park CD Supervisor
 Most streams naturally migrate back and forth across their floodplain enabling them to adjust in
response to changes in sediment load, stream flow, and channel slope. Natural channel
migration can also play an important role in creating riparian and aquatic habitat, and
maintaining the fertility of floodplain soils. A rock toe can sometimes be effective in providing
temporary bank stability while natural riparian regrowth and other stream processes become
re-established. However, attempts to “permanently” prevent channel migration are generally
discouraged (for 319 funding consideration) due to their high cost, high failure rate, and typically
negative effect on stream health. Such projects are usually better suited for other funding
sources that focus more on infrastructure protection and public works (e.g. SRF, RRGL, special
districts, and private funding). Please be cognizant of this when submitting your Final Proposal.
 Reword the Task 1 description of work to be done on the “5th bank”. Provide a more detailed
explanation of the technique you intend to use and how it will be applied.
 Further explain in Task 2 the importance of a release plan for the Cottonwood Reservoir.
 Include a task for the development of landowner agreements. Include a description of
anticipated maintenance, and identify who will be responsible for ensuring that the
maintenance is performed throughout the expected life of the practice.
 Please include a more robust plan for re-establishing riparian vegetation within the Brackett and
Potter Creek project areas. Where appropriate, consider adding techniques such as willow
sprigging, vegetated soil lifts, reseeding of native riparian vegetation, and sedge plug
transplanting. This may necessitate adjustments to your funding request and/or the acquisition
of additional volunteer support.
 Will riparian fencing or riparian grazing management be necessary in the Brackett Creek project
area in order to establish and maintain riparian vegetation?