CALL FOR WMA WORK PLAN PROPROSALS *
Prevention, Early Detection, and Eradication of
Noxious Weeds in Northern and Central California
What: The California Department of Food and Agriculture is requesting
work plans to implement noxious weed control projects in northern and
central California. (Counties excluded, due to alternate funding
already provided to their region, include: San Diego, Riverside, Los
Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino)
The funding available ($212,000) comes from the US Forest Service and
is addressing the prevention, early detection, and eradication of
noxious weed populations on non-federal public and private lands near
forested lands (including USFS lands) in California. Proposed
projects must be on state, county or private lands, near forested or
rangelands.
Who is eligible: Proposals must be submitted on behalf of a California
Weed Management Area Group mostly in northern and central California
(see above for counties that are excluded). Projects within the
work plan can be conducted by: members of the Weed Management Areas,
but the lead agency (contractor) must be a County Agricultural
Departments or Resource Conservation District.
Project proposals that were funded in the 2005 funding cycle will not
be accepted as they still have funding for 2006. However, NEW projects
are highly encouraged from all eligible WMA groups.
Proposal/Project Requirements:
(1) Proposed projects must fall within one of the Priority Topic
Areas (list below)
(2) Proposed projects must be on state, county or private lands
(3) Proposed project must be near forested or range lands
(4) Proposals must on behalf of a California Weed Management Area
group
(5) Proposal format must follow the work plan and budget examples
provided
NEW! Increased priority for funding will be given to a project that has
a direct link with a coordinated ongoing and/or planned project on
Federal forested lands within the WMA.
NEW! Increased priority funding will also be given to a project that
addresses A-rated Noxious Weed(s).
How to put together a proposed work plan:
(1) Address one or more of the listed "topic area priorities"
(see list below).
(2) Follow the work plan format in the "work plan"
attachment. See "example work plan" and "example budget".
Proposals that do not follow the work plan and budget format as
provided in the examples will not be accepted.
Cost Share Requirement:
Proposals will be funded on a 50:50 cost-share basis. Matching
funds can be in-kind. In-kind or monetary matches must be
non-federal.
Recommended Size of Projects: projects should try to not exceed an
average maximum of $20,000/per year (for 2-year projects) or a total
maximum of $40,000 per project. Small and medium sized projects
are encouraged.
If your project has separate components make sure that the budget is
broken down by component so that funding of individual components can
be considered as an alternative to all or nothing approval.
Make sure that proposals and funding are used for projects on state,
county or private lands, near forested or rangelands. Funding
cannot be used on federal or tribal lands. Furthermore the
funding cannot be sub-contracted to a federal entity.
NEW!! All proposals must include some kind of clear, explicit map
showing the location of the weed populations proposed for
eradication/containment in the proposal. This map must also show
other populations of that same weed species in the WMA or in the
greater surrounding region where control is proposed. Ideally the map
should show the boundaries of the national forest lands with in the
county. CDFA will happily assist you in the production of this
map if you contact us prior to February 20th (hopefully sooner).
When are proposals due?
Electronic proposals are due by 5:00PM, Wednesday, March 1st,
2006. Email proposals to Steve Schoenig, sschoenig@cdfa.ca.gov
Proposals will be reviewed (and ranked for selection if necessary) by
mid March, 2006 by a selection review panel consisting of
representatives from the University of California, California Forest
Pest Council, California Invasive Plant Council, California Native
Plants Society, and California Department of Food and Agriculture.
When can actual work begin?
The work can begin as early as July 1st, 2006 (provided the contract is
in place) and can continue through June 30th, 2008.
Proposals will be accepted in the following Priority Topic Areas:
1) Proposals with a clear direction toward eventual
complete eradication of small, pioneer infestations (less than 5 acres
in size: less than 100 net acres of weed in county). Proposals
can address brand new projects or continued support for previously
funded projects. Project proposals in this priority area must
include monitoring data (such as: estimate of plants killed after
follow-up visits, number of plants treated each year and/or other
quantitative data from sampling techniques) kept over the lifetime of
the project, or proposed data that will be gathered for brand new
projects. Ideal targets are A-rated noxious weeds, or other
incipient invaders, as defined above. Proposals must include a
map clearly showing the location of weeds proposed for eradication and
other locations of that weed in the WMA or in the greater surrounding
region.
2) Proposals addressing the leading edge containment
of a noxious weed. Proposals must address why the infestation is
currently not eradicable and thus justify why a containment strategy is
being undertaken. A clear link to proposed containment activities
preventing further spread towards USFS lands or other forested lands
must be shown. Proposals must include a map clearly showing the
total geographic area impacted by the infestation and proposed
containment boundaries.
3) Proposals addressing survey of and subsequent
clear direction toward the eradication of noxious weed infestations
found in "source material" locations, such as: gravel pits, rock
quarries, mulch sources, and the like, that have been or could
potentially be linked to new weed infestations away from the source
material site. Proposals addressing weed free forage will not be
accepted. A distinction should clearly be drawn between
government owned (County, State, or Federal) and privately operated
source material locations. If the proposal addresses privately
owned source material locations, a strong cost share (e.g. 75% private
entity: 25% proposal funding) must be demonstrated. Proposals
must also draw a clear tie to benefits to USFS lands.
Questions?
Call or Email:
Steve Schoenig, (916)-654-0768, sschoenig@cdfa.ca.gov
or
Carri Pirosko, (530) 545-9119, cpirosko@cdfa.ca.gov