Environmental Enhancement Fund

Transcription

1 Environment Southland Environmental Enhancement Fund A guide to funding requirements and application form For now & our future

2 The Environmental Enhancement Fund Southland has lots of special native species and ecosystems that are at risk from animal pests, weeds, drainage and development. Environment Southland is committed to supporting communities and individuals who want to combat these threats and help restore our precious environment. So if you are doing pest control in a block of bush, creating a wetland or restoring a stream, the Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF) may be able to help you. What does the EEF cover? New biodiversity protection and enhancement projects. Expansions and improvement of existing projects. Projects that protect or enhance areas with high existing native biodiversity value e.g. remnants of native forest, wetland, shrubland and grassland as well as freshwater and marine environments. Projects that help restore badly degraded habitats e.g. riparian planting to protect freshwater biodiversity. Who can apply for funding? Community groups, private landowners and individuals and can apply for an EEF grant providing they have landowner permission and the project meets the criteria. Community groups will be given priority over individuals and private landowners. The EEF does not cover the maintenance of existing projects. You cannot apply for funding if you or your group has overdue rates or other outstanding charges owed to Environment Southland. Projects that create new areas of native habitat e.g. wetland creation. Projects on private land and community owned land (e.g, District/ City Council reserves). What doesn t the EEF cover? Projects on Crown-owned land. Funding the maintenance of existing projects. Resource consent applications and mitigation requirements. Projects resulting in commercial profit. Applications which are incomplete or do not provide enough information. For now & our future

3 Activities that qualify for funding The project site must lie within the Southland region. The EEF will fund activities such as, but not limited to: fencing pest animal control pest plant control native planting (whenever possible the project should use eco-sourced native plants). The application, selection and payment processes Applicants submit their project application. All applicants will be advised in writing within 10 days of decisions being made following an assessment process. Environment Southland will pay the grant on receipt of an invoice for work completed in the project where the costs claimed are consistent with those approved in the funding bid proposal. A site inspection may be carried out to confirm completion. How much funding is available and when can I apply? Environment Southland has allocated $40,000 to the fund for each financial year. A grant from the EEF will only cover the direct cost of materials and labour used in the project. The EEF will contribute up to 50% of the project costs. You can apply at any time but funded works must be completed and invoices received within the same financial year the grant is approved. Project sustainability and long-term protection Projects should have a long-term goal so that biodiversity values on the site continue to be protected after the funds have been invested. You will need to include information about continuing maintenance and demonstrate an ongoing commitment as part of the application. For large projects (over $1000) funding will only be given to those that are secured by long-term protection of the site. Ideally this should be legal covenant (e.g., with QEII Trust or the Department of Conservation). Alternatively, a formal landowner agreement which includes a management plan providing for ongoing protection and project maintenance may be considered. Small EEF grants of less than $1000 may be approved if the applicant can demonstrate commitment to the long-term maintenance of the project. Preference will be given to sites with formal protection. Not sure if your project is significant? You can contact Environment Southland with any questions about your project or application. Free ecological assessments are available from Environment Southland under our High Value Areas programme. Visit our website for more details. Providing significant benefits to biodiversity Priority will be given to projects that provide the most benefits to biodiversity. Projects will be assessed against a priority list. www. es.govt.nz

4 To help complete your application The EEF application form is available on the Environment Southland s website (search Environmental Enhancement Fund.) The application must contain the following information. General information Location of the project site including: - legal description of the land - outline of the site shown on an aerial photograph - small scale map and/or a line drawing describing its position and other relevant geographic information - photographs of the landscape and other important features If the applicant is not the landowner (e.g. community group working on community land) you must include evidence of the landowner s agreement for the work to be carried out. Any formal legal protection that may apply to the site, e.g. QE II Covenant, DOC Covenant, a signed landowner agreement form or for small grants (<$1000) provide evidence of demonstrated commitment to maintain the project. Biodiversity specific information Biodiversity values at the site, particularly the nature and condition of the ecosystem and any threatened species. If the area has had an ecological assessment, e.g., QE II Trust, DOC or a High Value Area (HVA) rapid ecological survey, this information should be included. Details of damage or threats that the proposed project will address, e.g., grazing by livestock, pest animals, pest plants. Description of how the biodiversity benefits of the project will be maintained after it has been completed (e.g. pest animal/plant control, fence inspections and maintenance, releasing of planted seedlings from rank grass growth). Detailed work plan Set out what the project entails and what you intend to do to protect and enhance the biodiversity values at the site including: specific objectives of the project details of the work proposed. Please provide as much detail as possible as this will help us assess the merits of the application i.e.: - Location and type of any fencing - native plantings include: the number and species of plants as well as the site preparation and maintenance you intend to do - animal or weed control include: what you intend to control and the methods you will use. Where appropriate your project plan should include maps and diagrams e.g. a map of where traps will be placed. How project success will be monitored. Time frame for the works to be done with proposed start and completion dates. Notes Unsuccessful applicants may reapply in the future. Projects must be completed and the funding costs invoiced within the financial year in which the grant is approved. If the project cannot be completed within this timeframe a formal request must be made to Environment Southland seeking an extension to the deadline. Budget Total cost of the project including: - Labour required, including the number of hours/days and an estimate of the cost. - Materials and other resources required and an estimate of the costs involved. Amount of funding that may be provided from other external sources, e.g. Community Trust of Southland, QEII etc. Land owner/community group s contribution, may be in cash or inkind. Where in-kind contributions are involved they should be costed in the proposal at no more than normal commercial rates. Where appropriate, cost estimates should be backed by quotations. Amount of funding sought from the EEF stating specifically what it will be used to pay for. The EEF will provide up to 50% of the project cost. Costing must exclude GST. Contact us The team at Environment Southland are happy to assist with further information, technical advice on projects of assistance with your application. Please feel free to contact us by ing service@es.govt.nz with Environmental Enhancement Fund in the subject line or call us on or For now & our future

5 Environmental Enhancement Fund Application Form Please read the Environmental Enhancement Fund Explanatory Information before completing this application form. If you have any questions about the fund or the application process, please contact us by ing with Environmental Enhancement Fund in the subject line or call us on Section 1: General information Applicant: Address: Home phone: Cell phone: address: Land owner/s name and contact details (if not the same as the applicant). Please include evidence that the landowner has given permission for the work to be carried out: Site location Describe the location of the area of land for which funding is being sought a map or sketch may be attached: Legal description: Site description Describe the area of land in terms of its area in hectares/acres and what it consists of, eg., native forest, wetland, grassland, farmland. An attached map, sketch plan or site photographs may be used): Current use Describe how the site is currently being used, e.g cropped, grazed: www. es.govt.nz

6 Section 2: Biodiversity value and project benefits Biodiversity values at the site Describe the biodiversity values at the site, particularly the nature and condition of the ecosystem and any threatened species. If the area has had an ecological assessment such as a High Value Areas report or a QEII assessment, please include the report in the application: Current threats and damage Describe the threats and any damage to the site, e.g. the site is being grazed or canopy damage by the presence of introduced pests: Project aims and benefits Describe what the project aims to do, e.g. fence off a native forest remnant to exclude livestock, reduce possum, stoat and rat populations to protect native birds, remove invasive weeds to improve forest health, restore native wetland vegetation by way of a planting programme: Section 3: Project work plan Tips for completing the project work plan please provide as much details as possible. You may submit the project plan as a separate document if required. Planting Projects include a planting list with the number and type of plants include details of site preparation and maintenance required e.g. weed control include details of any equipment you need to purchase e.g. tree guards, fertiliser tablets, stakes Animal Pest Control Projects Explain which pest you will target and the method you will use Include the number and type of traps or bait stations you need Include details of how the control will be carried out Include a sketch of where the traps/baitstations will go Weed Control Projects Explain which weed you will target and the method you will use e.g. manual control/spraying/cut stumping Fencing Include a map of where the fence will go Include details of the type of fencing needed Describe any site preparation needed e.g. if the line needs to be cleared or an old fence needs to be removed Project work plan What will be done, who will do it, what materials will be used and how long will it take: For now & our future

7 Long-term maintenance Briefly describe how the biodiversity benefits of the project will be maintained after the EEF component of the project is completed i.e., pest animal/plant control, fence inspections and maintenance, releasing of planted seedlings from rank grass growth): Project start date: Project completion date: Please note that projects should be completed within the financial year in which funding is approved. If for any reason a project extends into the next financial year, a time extension must be obtained from Environment Southland before 30 June. Section 4: Legal protection Current legal protection Does the site or any part of the site have legal protection, eg., QE II Trust Covenant or similar? If so please describe. Future legal protection Would the owner consider seeking legal protection for the site in the future? If so please give details: If there is no current legal protection on the site, please complete one of the following options. Projects with no legal protection requesting funds of more than $1000 Please contact Environment Southland to request a landowner agreement form. The landowner agreement provides a guarantee that the site will be looked after. Projects with no legal protection requesting funds of $1000 or less: Please provide evidence of your commitment to maintain the project, e.g. describe how you intend to fund future maintanance or investment in the project. www. es.govt.nz

8 Section 5: Budget Please note that the Environmental Enhancement Fund grant will reimburse up to 50% of the project cost. This will be paid on completion of the project. Labour and materials supplied by the applicant/project sponsor are treated as contributions in kind and their value is used to determine the amount of funding to be provided on a 50/50 basis. In kind contributions should be costed at normal commercial rates. Costs must exclude GST. Item Unit CosT ($$$) No. Required Total Cost ($$$) Applicant Contribution ($$$) EEF application ($$$) Labour costs Please describe (e.g. applicant time, volunteer time, contractor time) Material costs Please describe (e.g. traps, fence posts, plants) Other costs Please describe Total project cost $ Total applicant contribution $ Total EEF applicantion (NB: this should be 50% or less of the Total Project Cost) $ Other funding Please advise if funding is being sought from other sources and if so how much, who from and when would funding be confirmed. Section 6: Declaration The information contained in the application is true and correct. Signature: Date: Please post your completed application to Environment Southland, Private Bag 90116, Invercargill 9840 or it to service@es.govt.nz service@es.govt.nz es.govt.nz facebook.com/environmentsouthland