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Federal & State Grant Opportunities
Meeting with Heather Silvanik to talk about the Federal Grant Opportunities
Saturday, August 16, 2025
3 pm – 4 pm
Attendance:
- Heather Silvanik
- Sandy Shafer
- Jennifer Erena
- Mark Felice
- Jerry Weisenfluh
- Bruce Hutcheson
- Carolyn Barbera
- Russ Turpin
Heather is with the Fayette County Conservation District, 141 Leestown Ctr. https://www.kyfccd.org/ (2nd floor of DMV building).
There is an opportunity with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) urban conservation programs .
Heather asks, what’s your dream for the greenspace?
Sandy – would like to see a small area plan for the entire flood plain, which is owned by 4+. She is a strong proponent of exploring the options/opening the cave as a historical landmark. Soil technicians are available to do a site visit and can develop a conservation plan. But their area of expertise not urban environment.
Picadome school is built on a cave, and the entire area is karst topography
Jennifer – dreams in addition to stream / riparian restoration and native plantings, would be around land use and beautification. Fruit trees, play areas, flowers, education opportunities with signage, walking paths, and memorial for Linda Bradford.
Mark – reinforce area around sewer line to minimize/eliminate flooding, native plantings to reduce mosquitos! (Jennifer seconds the mosquito reduction!)
We discussed what activities are acceptable under the USDA initiatives?
Implementation Stages:
- Brush management like honeysuckle and tree of heaven.
- Planting pollinators – must use USDA seed blend.
- Tree planting - Planting trees and shrubs, works out to be about 70% of the cost.
No strings attached to register except reporting. Property must not earn more than $1M.
All funding is unit based, meaning a specific $ amount per acre, per tree/shrub, etc. No receipts. Show a technician the work that has been done.
The funds will increase significantly soon, and funds are currently allocated until 2030.
Maintenance Stages
Options for maintenance - all unit based. Even if funding didn’t cover implementation stage.
USDA Process
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service
To access financial piece, must be registered with Farm Services Agency. The landowner can designate a property steward to do all the components, individual or LLC/nonprofit (ex FOWR, PNA), like program management & funding requests.
It’s a long-term process. Once applied, it can take up to a year to get approved and started. Strictly for Federal. Fall and Spring ranking period
We would still need to seek support from the LFUCG grants for implementation. Sense of scale - as a contractor, programs do not pay what it takes for professionals to do the work, often 30-70%. Storm water grants can pay 100%. Tempering expectations - will be a gap.
Aimed at farms but Heather knows how to participate for urban, Heather worked with State to advocate for urban areas.
Other opportunities once USDA registered
Once you get registered, there is a state program you can be eligible. Used for signage (food forest) and education.
Conservation Stewardship Program
1 acre of pollinator field, currently at $500 to implement; maintain $4000/year. CSP conservation stewardship program.
Follow up / Action Items
Heather will email us the document that needs to be completed to register land with USDA. She encouraged individuals to also register their yards if they want to learn the process. Some individuals have created pollinator areas in their yards. Feel free to make an appointment with her.
Jennifer will tell Bill Holland about the process to register. Luckily, it can all be done electronically. She will ask Bill about having FOWR to be the property steward. The agreement can be verbal. But FOWR might want to have written documentation, like a 5-year agreement/$1 lease for clarity.
5 years is the time line needed
