1. Program, application detail

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality through April 15 will accept applications for Agricultural Best Management Practices Grants.

The grant program is designed to support pollution reduction efforts statewide, including helping landowners modify their agricultural practices to improve water quality and meet the objectives of total maximum daily load requirements, according to a department release. The load requirements aim to reduce amounts of pollutants, such as phosphorous, that enter water bodies.

Eligible projects must address farm or ranch practices and be ready to carry out, and must involve multiple partners and leverage other funding sources. Applicants should email a completed budget, an application template and supporting documentation — including letters of recommendation and maps — to NPSGrants@deq.idaho.gov.

The legislature in recent years has increased funding, “which will help lead to real water quality improvements,” Julia Achabal, the department’s surface water bureau chief, said in an interview. “The legislature is committed to water quality improvement and is demonstrating that with this increased number of funding dollars.”

The agricultural best management practices grant program started in fiscal 2018 with $500,000. The 2022 legislature committed $5 million, helped by a record-high state budget surplus, up from $1.2 million the previous year. Lawmakers in the current session are considering $2 million for the coming fiscal year.