Abstract |
The purpose of this manual is to provide an overview of federal requirements that will help guide state and territory nonpoint source agency staff when they apply for and administer grants awarded under section 319 of the Clean Water Act. Incorporating the legal, administrative, financial, and programmatic requirements into a single document will help to ensure consistency among the grant distribution processes of the states. In addition, this manual can be used to train new staff who are unfamiliar with section 319 and to help existing staff when applying for and using section 319(h) grant funds. This manual focuses on procedural requirements and does not address all of the substantive requirements codified in the law and in EPA's published guidelines. The reader should refer to the specific requirements when needed and contact the appropriate U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional project officer to ask specific questions and to request up-to-date information on section 319 guidance and forms. Appropriate Internet citations are provided and hyperlinked throughout the document and summarized in Appendix A. This guide applies only to state programs. American Indian tribes should refer to EPA's Web site for the annual Tribal Guidance and the Tribal Nonpoint Source Planning Handbook (USEPA, 1997). |