The Peru Gazette

Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in partnership with NEIWPCC, seeks proposals for projects that improve water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin.

The intent of this funding opportunity is to improve water quality through the planning, design, or prioritization for future water quality improvement projects, or the implementation of projects that will directly result in the reduction of water pollution in Lake Champlain and its tributaries.

Proposals for grants will fall into one of three categories:

1. Clean water: small grants for implementation

1. Clean water: large grants for implementation

1. Clean water: grants for planning

“These grants will help communities and organizations advance clean water in Lake Champlain and its tributaries,” said Dr. Eric Howe, NEIWPCC Program Director of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “By supporting both on-the-ground projects and the planning that makes them possible, this funding opportunity provides the tools needed to reduce pollution, restore healthy waterways, and protect the lake for future generations.”

Eligible organizations must be located in the U.S. and able to conduct work within the Lake Champlain Basin, and include colleges and universities; nonprofit organizations; for-profit companies (may only apply to categories 1 and 2); New York Soil and Water and Vermont Natural Resource Conservation Districts; and non-federal, non-state government agencies, including municipalities.

Approximately $680,000 in funding is available to support awarded projects. Grant request limits vary by grant category. One proposal may be submitted per eligible organization.

The awarded projects will advance the goals of the long-term Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action (plan.lcbp.org). This grant opportunity is supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, and in partnership with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Proposals are due at 5:00 PM EST on September 29, 2025. An informational webinar covering clean water, healthy ecosystems (large and small), and aquatic invasive species (AIS) grants will be offered on September 9, 2025 at 12:00PM (register for the Zoom webinar at this link). Please note that healthy ecosystems and AIS grant opportunities will be released under a separate Request for Proposals, but the informational webinar will cover all of the above grant categories. Awarded clean water projects are targeted to begin work in May 2026 and must be completed by June 2029.

More information, including grant guidelines and applications, is available on the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s website at lcbp.org/grants.