USDA - Program Plan
Watershed Operations and Flood Prevention - ARRA Recovery Plan
Last updated: 2009-05-14Table of Contents
Click on each of the links below to read the part of the Plan relating to each topic.
Objectives
Program Purpose
Watershed Operations is a voluntary program which provides assistance to sponsoring local organizations of authorized watershed projects, planned and approved under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 (P.L. 83-566), and 11 designated watersheds authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 (P.L. 78-534). ARRA-funded watershed projects are prioritized to jumpstart the economy, create jobs, and invest in our nation’s public infrastructure.
Public Benefits
The Watershed Operations program contains measures for watershed protection; flood mitigation; water quality improvements; soil erosion reduction; rural, municipal and industrial water supply; irrigation water management; sediment control; fish and wildlife enhancement; and wetlands and wetland function creation and restoration.
ARRA funds will be obligated through federal contracts and project agreements. These funds will create jobs, stimulate the economy, and accomplish high priority conservation work in our nation’s watersheds. Funds for construction are encumbered by the standard federal contracting process or through project agreement where Sponsors advertise, award and administer their contract.
A four-step process will be used to ensure projects proposed for funding will provide jobs for people in economically distressed communities and accomplish mission critical conservation work. These steps are outlined below.
1. State Conservationist – recommended projects are economically defensible and environmentally sound as well as ready for immediate implementation. Additionally, the State Conservationist certifies that Sponsors meet the “readiness test” whereby all land-rights, permits and the non-federal share of the project are available.
2. National Program Leader Review – projects recommended by State Conservationists will be reviewed by the Program Leader. This review will consider geographic distribution, economic impacts, and other benefits of the proposed portfolio of work for balance and to accomplish NRCS strategic goals including the project benefit to an economically distressed community.
3. Deputy Chief for Programs Review –recommendations will be reviewed by the Deputy Chief’ for consistency with Economic Recovery Act priorities and overall balance.
4. Chief’s Final Selection – The Chief will review all projects and make the final decision on projects that will be advanced for concurrence by the Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, for the Secretary’s approval.
Measures
The measures have been revised to enrich the performance metrics for Recovery targets. In some instances, targets will not be available until additional baseline data has been collected.
Schedule and Milestones
Funding will take place in two phases. The first 60% of the funds, approximately $85,000,000 will go to projects considered “shovel ready” and are expected to begin project implementation in 60-120 days after project selection. In the second phase, projects that will begin implementation within 180 days or less. Projects that have not been awarded in a timely manner may have the remaining funding withdrawn. Withdrawn funds would then be redistributed to new projects or projects exceeding expectations.
| Milestone | Completion Date |
|---|---|
| Funds obligated for all structural projects | 2010-09-30 |
| Construction completed on all structural projects | 2012-09-28 |
| Land treatment contracts completed | 2015-09-30 |
Projects and Activities
Kinds and Scope of Program Activities
NRCS provides grants of technical and financial assistance to project Sponsors, (units of state and local governments and Tribes to implement authorized watershed project plans. All projects with a total federal share > $5 million have been authorized by Congress; projects <$5 million have been authorized by the Chief, NRCS.
ARRA watershed project activities include:
• Permit Required Mitigation is replacement of environmental features impacted by construction of a project measure.
• Structural Repair is follow-up work to correct unforeseen deficiencies or site conditions that impact the safety of a project measure.
• Land Treatment Projects are contracts with individual landowners to install conservation practices to improve water quality, water conservation on their property.
• New construction is the investigation, survey, design and construction of project measures that provide multi-purpose benefits, owned, managed and operated by units of government.
Review Process
OMB Guidance addressing the ARRA notes that Agencies should ensure that progress can be tracked against certain accountability measures related to the proper delivery of funds. The Agency is ensuring that it has the capacity to track, in coordination with the Department as necessary:
1. Audits and investigation of ARRA funds occurring to identify wasteful spending and minimize waste, fraud, and abuse;
2. Qualified personnel overseeing ARRA funds;
3. Opportunities to use competitive awards maximized;
4. Timely award of dollars;
5. Timely expenditure of dollars;
6. Timely completion of planned work;
7. Cost overruns minimized; and
8. Improper payments minimized.
To the extent possible, the agency will make use of existing measures of performance and monitoring to ensure that its performance goals are being tracked and met. In addition to reducing the burden on grant recipients and contractors, the use of existing measures will allow the public to see the performance impact, in terms of change against present performance levels, of ARRA investments.
NRCS will utilize the Program Operations Information Tracking System (POINTS) database to track program performance. POINTS captures accomplishment information on projects which will be funded through the ARRA.
Cost and Performance Plan
The reporting requirements described in Chapter 4 provide the measures required by the ARRA related to accountability and transparency. In addition to these requirements, the Agency has established its own publicly available website which will report additional information on the Agency’s actions in ARRA -related matters: www.nrcs.usda.gov/recovery.
Nationally, the NRCS Oversight and Evaluation Division staff will conduct an assessment of implementation of the Agency’s delivery of ARRA though a comprehensive assessment monitor the status of implementation of funded projects to assure that ARRA requirements are being met. Additionally, the USDA OIG will conduct an audit of each program. This will include evaluating any projects that are behind schedule to determine appropriate action, including determining whether the project can be completed within the overall timeframe or if funds should be re-allocated or de-obligated to be used on other projects.
Energy Efficiency Spending Plans
Not applicable.
Program Plan Award Types
Direct Federal Program
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Source: Data provided by the Agency through the Office of Management and Budget.
