BWSR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPTION FOR
FY’11 STATE COST SHARE BASE GRANT
At their June 24, 2009 meeting the BWSR Board approved allowing SWCDs to use all or part of their
Cost Share allocation for technical assistance, with Board Conservationist approval, for the FY ‟10 –‟11
biennium when:
1. Federal funds or other non-state funds will be leveraged and they couldn‟t do the project
otherwise; or,
2. Funds are used on a project(s) that is State Cost Share Program or EQIP eligible and their 2009
Financial Report indicates less than 18-months operating capital in their fund balance.
Implementation Policy
A) SWCD board action and documentation in the minutes will be required for any District using
their base grant funds for technical assistance instead of practices. On a form provided by BWSR,
the request must include a narrative indicating how the funds will be used, a budget, and
signature of the chair. The request must then be sent to the board conservationist for approval
prior to using funds for these purposes.
B) Base grant funds used for technical assistance are regarded as “used on practices” for future
productivity calculations.
C) The option remains for a SWCD to use up to 20% of their base grant for technical and
administrative costs. (To further define technical and administrative costs associated with the
program see Part III, Grant Administration, B.2, “Technical and administrative costs and lower
priority problems” on page 9, in the new cost share manual.)
D) State Cost Share Base grant funds dedicated to technical assistance instead of practices,
1) Must be used for SWCD or JPB staff costs, not private consultants.
2) Must be spent by the end of the grant agreement period (June 30, 2012).
3) Cannot be used as match for NPEA base grants.
4) Cannot be used for administrative costs.
E) Technical assistance costs include technical staff salaries, wages, benefits, training that is
specifically directed to project delivery, and travel expenses. Technical assistance costs do not
include leasing or capital equipment purchases.
F) SWCDs may pool their funds to provide technical assistance via a pooling agreement or JPA.
Requirements
A) SWCDs have until the end of the first FY (June 30, 2011) to request to use their base grant
for technical assistance.
B) In accordance with BWSR administrative policy all base grant funds used for technical
assistance must be reported in eLINK. This reporting must clearly connect the technical
assistance to one or more projects and identify any non-state financial contribution.
C) Funds may be used for technical assistance when: 1) Federal funds or other non-state funds
will be leveraged and they couldn‟t do the project otherwise, and, 2) Funds are used on a
project(s) that is State Cost Share Program or EQIP eligible and their 2009 Financial Report
indicates less than 18-months operating capital in their fund balance.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPTION REQUEST
FOR STATE COST SHARE BASE GRANT
(For the period July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2012)
SWCD_________________________
Briefly describe how funds will provide technical assistance for projects that will:
; Leverage federal or other non-state funds and the projects would not otherwise be
completed; or
; Be used on projects that are Cost Share Program or EQIP eligible.
Budget:
Regular Statewide FY „11 Cost-Share Base Grant Amount $ ____________
Technical staff salaries, wages $_________________
Benefits $_________________
Training $_________________
Travel expenses $_________________
Total funds dedicated to
technical assistance $_________________
Balance Remaining for Conservation Practices $_____________
Signatures:
The SWCD agrees to implement this Technical Assistance Option according to the attached Implementation Policies.
Requested by: ________________________________ Date:_____________
SWCD Chair
Approved by: ________________________________ Date:____________
Board Conservationist
Please submit this request to your Board Conservationist on or before June 30, 2011.