Notice of Intent Instructions

The Notice of Intent (NOI) process allows us to identify ineligible applicants and applications prior to the effort of completing a full proposal saving the time and effort of both applicants and Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program staff. It also identifies who is interested in doing what and where. This allows us to better plan for the proposal review process, and it allows NPS staff time to offer advice and guidance on projects prior to submittal of full proposals.

Here are the rules for the NOI Process:

1. NOI forms must be electronically submitted in MS Word or searchable PDF format.
2. Full proposals will only be accepted from applicants that the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has deemed likely eligible based on a review of NOIs.
3. The Organization and Watershed must be the same in the NOI and the full proposal.
4. While the level of detail in the NOI is low, and we anticipate changes in detail, the general scope of the NOI and the full proposal must be the same. In particular, we realize that partners, contractors, and estimated funds may not yet be firmly determined by the NOI submittal date and changes in these elements are expected by EGLE.

Line by line instructions:

Organization Information: The name, address and telephone number of your organization. Please include the Zip + 4 for the address. Include the name, title, and e-mail of someone that the NPS Program staff can contact for additional administrative or technical information about the proposal. List the Federal ID and UEI number for your organization in the spaces provided

Check boxes:

• Does your organization have proof of a successful audit for a period ending after March 25, 2024, or will you have proof by April 27, 2026? If so, check yes. Proof of audit is not needed to submit an NOI but required as part of a full proposal. Organizations that cannot supply such proof by the full proposal due date are not eligible.
• Does your organization have a federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA)? If so, check yes and submit a copy of your NICRA with your NOI.

Project Name: 65 characters Preferred names include the name of the watershed and type of project. For example, “Big River Protection”. Titles should not begin with “The” or end with “Project”.

Project Location: is the primary county in which the project is located. This is to help us distinguish similarly named projects. Use only one (1) county name.

Water Body Name: is the name of the water body or water bodies the project will impact.

The HUC is the U.S. Geological Survey hydrologic unit code for the watershed in which the project is located. Eight (8), 10 and 12‑digit HUC numbers are available for Michigan watersheds from the United States Geological Survey website: Find HUC. Use the HUC for the smallest size area that includes your entire project and downstream impacted area.

Watershed Management Plan Name: Provide the name of the EGLE/United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)-approved watershed management plan referencing your project and/or the EPA approved Tribal NPS Program Plan. Note: Watershed plans must have been approved by March 18, 2026 for the project to be eligible.

Specific Recommendation(s) being implemented; Provide the page and recommendation number for each recommendation that will be implemented from the watershed management plan. This should be a specific recommendation and not a broad goal or objective.

Listed Watersheds: For watersheds with water bodies that are not attaining designated uses due to NPS causes fill in the requested information from Appendices B1 and B2 of Michigan’s current Integrated Report.

Project Summary: A brief description of what is proposed to be done. This section should be a summary of the major proposed tasks and linkages to any listing(s) in the Integrated Report. The summary must include reference to the specific watershed plan recommendations being implemented. Note that this section must not exceed 200 words.

Project Outcomes: The anticipated environmental or administrative outcomes of the project such as an estimate of the length or area of a water body restored; a description of the anticipated measurable improvements in water quality (e.g., a decrease in E. coli levels or an increase in macroinvertebrate scores; the length or area of a water body permanently protected; the number of practices implemented and the anticipated results; or a summary of actions to be taken and their anticipated results) or social indicators. Note that this section must not exceed 100 words.

Project Includes: Use the check boxes and dropdown boxes to indicate the elements of the proposal.

Estimated Grant Funds and Estimated Local Match: Your best guess at how much you will be requesting in grant funding and how much local match you will be able to secure. These numbers are for NPS Program planning – you will not be held to these amounts.