DEQ, in partnership with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the agricultural industry, is offering grant opportunities that support implementation of environmental improvement programs on confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) for the purpose of improving soil, water, and air quality with an emphasis on manure and nutrient management.
Funds may be used to protect/improve air, water, or soil quality or reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the CAFO site. Projects eligible for CAFO improvement grants are projects are not eligible for funding under the Clean Water Act § 319 Nonpoint Source Grant program or the Idaho Ag BMP fund.Â
In October 2022, the CAFO Improvement Fund Committee awarded $5 million to 13 applicants to support environmental improvement projects in the agricultural industry. The successful applicants demonstrated a significant improvement in current operations, ranked highest in water and air quality protection categories, and included one or more of the following components:Â
Funded Projects included:
- DariTech Biolynk water recycling system
- Screw presses
- Centrifuge
- DariTech DT 360 presses
- Sloped screens
- Separation building
- New lagoon construction
- Reverse Osmosis System
- Pump for lagoon to add acreage for lagoon water application
- Advanced distillation
- Pipeline to additional acreage for lagoon water application
A successful CAFO grant must meet the following criteria:
- A minimum of 40% of the total project costs must come from sources other than the CAFO Improvement Fund.
- Projects must start within one year of the award and be completed within 3 years.
- Producer must have an approved and current Environmental/Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) in accordance with state regulations and must comply, as demonstrated by the most recent NMP review.
- Demonstrate how project/equipment/practice will be maintained over time.
- Project must be implemented within the CAFO management area.
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Applicants with more than one CAFO may submit separate applications for multiple facilities but awards will be capped at $1 million per owner/partnership.Â
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Upcoming Meetings
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11Oct
Confined Animal Feeding Operations Improvement Fund Committee MeetingTuesday, Idaho Dairymen’s Association
26Jul
Confined Animal Feeding Operations Improvement Subgrant Application Committee MeetingTuesday, DEQ State Office
19Jul
Confined Animal Feeding Operations Improvement Subgrant Application WebinarTuesday, Zoom Meeting
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Application Process
A downloadable application form and budget template are available in the resource list below.Â
Submit applications to Mary Anne Nelson by August 31, 2022. All fields in the application form must be completed according to the guidelines provided. Each project should also include a completed budget template using the Excel workbook provided.
Completed applications should be emailed to Mary.Anne.Nelson@deq.idaho.gov using the following format for a title subject line: CAFO Improvement application – insert name of the project.
Include a completed application form, completed budget template, and supplemental information such as maps, letters of recommendation, or supporting information as appropriate.
Applications will be reviewed for completeness before being provided to the CAFO Improvement Fund Committee for scoring and prioritization. If there are any questions, DEQ will contact the applicant for clarifying information. Before delivering applications to the committee, information that would identify a specific facility owner will be redacted to allow for a fair and equitable review from the committee.
The CAFO Improvement Fund Committee will review applications received, prioritize the projects, and recommend to DEQ the projects for funding. DEQ will then work with individual applicants to enter into sub-award contracts. Letters will be mailed to all applicants after the committee has made their recommendations to inform them of the application status.
Budget Conditions
Once an applicant has been awarded a grant, DEQ will work with the facility to enter into a sub-award. CAFO Improvement projects will be reimbursed regularly after the facility submits an invoice to DEQ for payment. An invoice template will be provided with the sub-award contract. This template will have the approved budget column populated with information from the submitted budget.
Receipts should be attached and organized for easy verification. DEQ will review each invoice with accompanying documents and send a PDF copy of the invoice to the facility for signature. A signed copy of the PDF invoice should be returned to DEQ for payment to be processed electronically.
Invoice Process
Once an applicant has been awarded a grant, DEQ will work with the facility to enter into a sub-award. CAFO Improvement projects will be reimbursed regularly after the facility submits an invoice to DEQ for payment. An invoice template will be provided with the sub-award contract. This template will have the approved budget column populated with information from the submitted budget.
Receipts should be attached and organized for easy verification. DEQ will review each invoice with accompanying documents and send a PDF copy of the invoice to the facility for signature. A signed copy of the PDF invoice should be returned to DEQ for payment to be processed electronically.
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Surface and Wastewater Division Administrator