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CHAPTER 33RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT AND PROTECTION PROGRAM: COUNTY, CITY, PRIVATE OPEN SPACES AND CONSERVATION EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAMSChapter rescission date pursuant to Iowa Code section 17A.7: 2029-06-05DIVISION IGENERAL PROVISIONS571—33.1(455A) Purpose. The purpose of these rules is to define procedures for the administration of the private cost-sharing funds within the open spaces account, the county conservation account, the city park and open spaces account, and the conservation education grant program of the resource enhancement and protection (REAP) fund.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.2(455A) Resource enhancement policy. The REAP program and its various elements shall constitute a long-term integrated effort to wisely use and protect Iowa’s natural resources through the acquisition and management of public lands; the upgrading of public park and preserve facilities; environmental education, monitoring, and research; and other environmentally sound means. Expenditure of funds from the county conservation account, the city park and open spaces account and the private cost-sharing portion of the open spaces account shall be in accord with this policy.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.3(455A) Definition. In addition to the definitions in Iowa Code section 455A.1, the following definition shall apply to this chapter:
"Open spaces" means those natural or cultural resource areas that contain natural vegetation, fish, or wildlife, or have historic, scenic, recreation and education value. Examples of open spaces in cities and towns include, but are not limited to, parks, riverfronts and town squares. In rural areas, open spaces include, but are not limited to, such areas as woodlands, prairies, marshlands, river corridors, lake shores, parks and wildlife areas.
Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.4(455A) Grant applications, general procedures. 33.4(1) Applications for all grant programs shall be made on forms provided by the department. 33.4(2) Applications shall provide sufficient detail as to clearly describe the scope of the project. Any application that is not complete at the time of project review and scoring, or for which additional pertinent information has been requested and not received, shall not be considered for funding. 33.4(3) Application deadlines are the same for county, city, and private open space grant programs. Conservation education program application deadlines are offered annually but not on the same schedule as the county, city, and private open space grant programs. Applications for all REAP grant programs will be reviewed and projects selected for funding at least once per year. The department shall publish on its website the date and time for submitting a funding proposal, providing at least 90 days’ notice. Applications must be submitted to the department as described on the website. 33.4(4) Joint applications are permitted. One entity must serve as the primary applicant. Joint projects sponsored by entities competing for funds from different REAP accounts (e.g., a joint city/county project) are allowable. Applications must clearly spell out the respective shares of project costs to be derived from various REAP accounts if the project is approved for funding. Any cooperative agreement between joint applicants must be provided as a part of the application. 33.4(5) Applicants shall not use other department grants, such as land and water conservation fund or wildlife habitat promotion with local entities, as leveraged funds for a project requesting REAP funds. Likewise, REAP funds shall not be used as matching funds for applications to other grants.Related ARC(s): 7910C, 9409C571—33.5(455A) Appraisals. Appraisal reports must be approved or disapproved in writing by the director. Grants may include incidental costs associated with the acquisition, including, but not limited to, costs for appraisals, abstracts, prorated taxes, deed tax stamps, recording fees and any necessary surveys and fencing.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.6(455A) Groundwater hazard statements. Grantees must obtain a properly completed groundwater hazard statement on all proposed acquisitions before the acquisition is completed. The statement must be filed with the department and county recorder pursuant to Iowa Code section 558.69. Prior to the acquisition of any property that has an abandoned or unused well, hazardous waste disposal site, solid waste disposal site, or underground storage tank, the grantee must file with the department a plan that details how these conditions will be managed to best protect the environment. This plan must be approved in writing by the director before the land is acquired.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.7(455A) Rating systems not used. During any funding cycle when total grant requests are less than the allotment available, the rating system need not be applied. All applications will be reviewed by the appropriate committee for eligibility to ensure they meet minimum scoring requirements and to ensure consistency with program policy and purposes.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.8(455A) Applications not selected for grants. All applications for projects considered eligible but not scoring high enough to be awarded a grant immediately will be retained by the department until two months prior to the next regular submittal date during which time they may be funded. If not approved for funding by that time, applicants will be notified by the department in writing. The original application will be returned to applicants only upon request. The applicant may resubmit the project or an amended version of the project for scoring and consideration during the next application cycle by resubmitting an original or amended application and five copies by the respective deadline.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.9(455A) Similar development projects. An application for a development project grant may include development on more than one area if that development is of a like type (e.g., tree and shrub plantings).Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.10(455A) Timely commencement and completion of projects. Grant recipients are expected to commence and complete projects in a timely and expeditious manner. A project period commensurate with the work to be accomplished will be established and included in the project agreement. Project sponsors may receive up to 90 percent of approved grant funds at the start of the project period. Failure to initiate the project or to complete it in a timely manner may be cause for termination of the project, return of unused grant funds at the time of termination, and cancellation of the grant by the department.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.11(455A) Waivers of retroactivity. Normally, grants for acquisitions or developments completed prior to application scoring will not be approved. However, an applicant may make written request for a waiver of retroactivity to allow project elements to be considered for grant assistance. Waivers will be granted in writing by the director and receipt of a waiver does not ensure funding, but only ensures that the project will be considered for funding along with all other applications.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.12(455A) Project amendments. Projects for which grants have been approved may be amended, if funds are available, to increase or decrease project scope or to increase or decrease project costs and grant amount. All amendments must be approved by the appropriate project review and selection committee and by the director. Amendments that result in an increase in the cost of the project in excess of $25,000 or 25 percent of the approved cost, whichever is greater, or that involve a change in the project purpose also must be approved by the commission.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.13(455A) Recordkeeping and retention. Grant recipients shall keep adequate records relating to the administration of a project, particularly relating to all incurred expenses. These records shall be available for audit by representatives of the department and the state auditor’s office. All records shall be retained in accordance with state laws.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.14(455A) Penalties. Whenever any property, real or personal, acquired or developed with REAP funds passes from the control of the grantee or is used for purposes other than the approved project purpose, it will be considered an unlawful use of the funds. If a grantee desires to use the approved funds for a purpose other than the approved project purpose that is an approved use of funds under the provisions of Iowa Code chapter 455A and these rules, the grantee shall seek an amendment to the project purpose by following the provisions provided in this rule. The department shall notify the grantee of any such violation. 33.14(1) Remedy. Funds used without authorization, for purposes other than the approved project purpose, or unlawfully must be returned to the department for deposit in the account of the REAP fund from which they were originally apportioned. In the case of diversion of property acquired with REAP fund assistance, property of equal value at current market prices and with similar open space benefits may be acquired with local, nongrant funds to replace it. Such replacement must be approved by the appropriate review and selection committee and the director. In the case of diversion of personal property, the grantee shall remit to the department at the current valuation of the real estate. The grantee shall have a period of two years after notification by the department in which to correct the unlawful use of funds. The remedies provided in this subrule are in addition to others provided by law. 33.14(2) Land disposal. Whenever the department, and, if a city or county, the grantee, determine that land acquired or developed with REAP fund assistance is no longer of value for the program purposes, or that the grantee can show good cause why the land should no longer be used in accord with the approved project purpose, the land may be disposed of with the director’s approval and the proceeds therefrom used to acquire or develop an area of equal value, or the grantee shall remit to the department funds at the current valuation of the real estate for inclusion in the account from which the grant was originally made. If land acquired through the private grant program is determined to be no longer of interest by the state, the proposed dispersal of the property shall be reviewed by the grantee, and the grantee shall have the first right of refusal on an option to take title to the property in question. For projects that only received developmental money, the life of the project is deemed closed after a period of 20 years from the date of the original grant; repayment of the grant will not be required. 33.14(3) Ineligibility. Whenever the director determines that a grantee is in violation of this rule or in violation or noncompliance with other grants administered by the department, that grantee shall be ineligible for further assistance until the matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of the commission.Related ARC(s): 7910C571—33.15(455A) Public communications. Grant recipients shall participate in public communications activities to inform the public of the REAP program and of their particular project. The project will not be considered successfully completed, for purposes of this rule, until evidence is provided to the department REAP coordinator that the following requirements have been met. The remaining 10 percent payment of the grant total will not be issued until such evidence has been provided. Evidence includes but is not limited to photographs showing sign placement, newspaper or magazine clippings, printed brochures or flyers available to the public, exhibits for public display and other related materials. Information gathered from site inspections by the department may also be considered acceptable evidence. 33.15(1) Signs. Grant recipients are required to adequately display the 12-inch by 12-inch REAP signs, provided by the department at no charge, on project locations where appropriate so that users of the project can readily see that REAP is at least partially responsible for the project. The REAP signs will be maintained and replaced as necessary as long as the department has signs available. 33.15(2) Dedication ceremony. Grant recipients shall hold a public meeting or event to dedicate the project. Information provided during the event shall include information in regard to the REAP program and its role in supporting the project. This information shall also be provided to local news media by use of a news release. Local and state elected officials shall be invited to attend and participate. 33.15(3) Grants include public communications plan. A description of the public communications plan shall be included in every project submitted as a grant request. Grant recipients shall carry out the plan if their project is funded.Related ARC(s): 7910CDIVISION IICOUNTY GRANTS571—33.16(455A) County conservation account. All funds allocated to counties under this program may be used for land easements or acquisitions, capital improvements, stabilization and protection of resources, repair and upgrading of facilities, environmental education, and equipment; except as restricted by Iowa Code section 455A.19. 33.16(1) Expenditure guidelines. All expenditures and restrictions shall be in accordance with Iowa Code section 455A.19. Expenditure of funds for personnel costs are allowed by Iowa Code section 455A.19, but only when personnel are clearly directed toward the purpose and policy of the REAP program. Personnel costs are not allowable under the competitive grant program. Up to 20 percent of a total project’s cost may be used to cover costs of engineering and design work or other consultant fees directly associated with the project. 33.16(2) Competitive grant project planning and review committee. a. The makeup of this committee is as follows: two representatives of the department appointed by the director; two county conservation board directors appointed by the director of the department with input from the Iowa association of county conservation boards; and one member selected every three years by a majority vote of the director’s appointees. Additionally, there shall be at least two alternates designated by the director with input from the Iowa association of county conservation boards. The members shall select a chairperson at the first meeting during each calendar year. Terms of appointment to the committee shall be on a three-year staggered term basis. b. Conflict of interest. An individual who is a member, volunteer, or employee of an entity that has submitted a project shall not serve on the scoring committee during that award cycle. Instead, one of the alternates shall review and score in the individual’s place. 33.16(3) Competitive grant project selection criteria. Under the competitive grant program, a project planning and review committee shall establish criteria and scoring systems to be utilized in project evaluation. The criteria and scoring system shall be submitted to the director and natural resource commission for approval. Criteria and scoring systems must be distributed to all counties at least 90 days prior to the project application deadline. In order to be eligible for award, an applicant must receive, at a minimum, 50 percent of the total allowable points. 33.16(4) Availability of funds. Those funds allocated on a per capita basis and those awarded in the competitive grant program shall be allocated only to counties dedicating property tax revenue at least equal to 22 cents per $1,000 of the assessed value of the county’s taxable property to conservation purposes. Annual certification from the county auditor of each county shall be made on forms provided by the department. The certification shall include information on total assessed value of taxable property in the county; budget of the county conservation board, including a distinction of that which is derived from sources other than property taxes; and a schedule of expenditures and staffing. A copy of this certification must be filed with the director. REAP program funds received shall not reduce or replace county tax revenues appropriated for county conservation purposes. a. County conservation purposes include and are limited to the following activities and responsibilities: (1) Operation and maintenance of real property and equipment under the jurisdiction and control of the county conservation board, and utilized by the public for museums, parks, preserves, parkways, playgrounds, recreational centers, county forests, county wildlife areas, establishment and maintenance of natural parks, multipurpose trails, restroom facilities, shelter houses and picnic facilities and other county conservation and recreational purposes as provided in Iowa Code section 350.4. (2) The acquisition and development of real estate utilized for purposes authorized by Iowa Code chapter 350. The cost of planning, engineering or architectural services directly related to acquisition and development is allowable as a county conservation purpose. (3) The county conservation board’s share of joint operations of facilities and programs as described in Iowa Code section 350.7. The cost of the county’s weed control program, as required by Iowa Code chapter 317, may specifically be included as a county conservation purpose if the county conservation board director or a member of the county conservation board staff is appointed county weed commissioner by the board of supervisors, and is given full authority to plan and accomplish an environmentally sound vegetative management program. (4) The administration of the county conservation program, including and limited to the expenses of board members, salary and expenses of the county conservation board director, and related clerical, technical and support costs charged directly to the county conservation board’s budget. (5) Any reimbursement from the county conservation board’s budget for the actual expense of county-owned equipment, use of county equipment operators, supplies, and materials of the county, or the reasonable value of county real estate made available for the use of the county conservation board as provided by Iowa Code section 350.7. Such reimbursements shall be supported by daily time and activity records detailing the hourly charge for equipment and operator use, the specific quantities and cost of materials used, or a fee appraisal prepared by an independent fee appraiser and approved by the director. (6) No other costs, including indirect costs as computed for purposes of federal grant programs or distribution of general county overhead, are allowable as a county conservation purpose. b. Reserved. 33.16(5) Certification procedures. The annual certification that a county is dedicating property tax revenue at least equal to 22 cents per $1,000 of the assessed value of the county’s taxable property to conservation purposes shall be submitted by the county auditor to the department on forms provided by the department. Certification is based upon actual expenditures for conservation purposes during the previous fiscal year. Submission of a certification by October 1 of any year will qualify the county for per capita funds held in reserve for that county and establish eligibility for participation in the competitive grant program. The certification will remain in effect through June 30 of the following year. Counties that fail to meet this requirement for any given fiscal year are ineligible for that fiscal year. A county that is ineligible can reestablish eligibility for a future fiscal year through the certification process. a. The levy of property taxes for county conservation board purposes shall be calculated in the following manner. First, the actual expenditures for all county conservation purposes for the fiscal year shall be determined. Next, the total of all receipts derived from county conservation activities and all grants and donations received or billed for from whatever source for county conservation purposes shall be determined. The total of all receipts and grants shall then be subtracted from the total expenditures. This result shall then be divided by the total taxable value of all county property to determine the amount per thousand dollars utilized to support county conservation purposes. b. Transfers of property tax receipts to the reserve account established under Iowa Code section 350.6 shall be included as expenditures in the fiscal year that transfers occur for purposes of the calculation of the certified levy. Withdrawals from the reserve account and expenditures and receipts reflected in the special resource enhancement account created as provided in Iowa Code section 455A.19 shall not be included in the calculation of the certified levy. c. If a dispute arises over the appropriateness of a county expenditure as a county conservation purpose or the accuracy and correctness of the certified levy by the county auditor, the director shall notify the state auditor and request that a recommendation be included in the next audit report. Upon receipt of the audit report, the director shall make a final determination and adjust subsequent distributions to the county or request reimbursement from the county as necessary. 33.16(6) Fund distribution schedule. Funds from the county resource account that are distributed on a per capita and per county basis shall be distributed by the department to each eligible county quarterly. 33.16(7) Special account. Each county board of supervisors shall create a special resource enhancement account in the office of the county treasurer, and the county treasurer shall credit all REAP funds from the state to that account. a. REAP funds received by the county shall not be used to fund any program or activity that was funded in prior years by other county revenues. Expansion of previously funded programs is permitted. Each county board director, as part of financial documentation regarding the special resource enhancement and reserve accounts, shall document that county expenditures of REAP funds supported only programs and activities not funded in prior years by county revenues other than REAP funds. For purposes of this documentation, expenditures from the special resource enhancement account for land acquisition shall be viewed as a new program and not a continuation of previous land acquisition programs. Expenditures from the special resource enhancement account for routine maintenance of facilities must involve only facilities previously constructed or otherwise acquired with REAP funds. REAP funds may be used for renovation, expansion or upgrading of facilities regardless of the source of funding for the original facilities, except as prohibited by Iowa Code section 455A.19. Likewise, expenditures from the special resource enhancement account for equipment, supplies, materials, or staff salaries must directly relate to the establishment or expansion of programs or activities with REAP funds, and such programs or activities shall not have been previously funded with other county revenues. b. Failure to adequately document expenditures from the special resource enhancement account or to provide the documentation as previously described regarding these expenditures upon request by the state auditor or department staff will result in the county losing its eligibility to receive per capita and competitive grants from the REAP program for a period of one to three years. A county that loses its eligibility may reestablish its eligibility by certifying that the county tax dollars dedicated to county conservation purposes during the previous fiscal year were at least 22 cents per $1,000 of assessed taxable property.Related ARC(s): 7910CDIVISION IIICITY GRANTS571—33.17(455A) Competitive grants to cities. Fifteen percent of available funds in the REAP fund (after the $350,000 annual allocation to the conservation education board and 1 percent of revenues to the fund are allocated to the administration fund) shall be allocated annually to the city park and open spaces grant account. That 15 percent shall be divided into three portions according to the percentage of the state’s urban population in each category, with each portion available on a competitive basis to cities falling within one of the following three size categories: (1) cities of less than 2,000; (2) cities between 2,000 and 25,000; and (3) cities larger than 25,000. Funds shall be initially apportioned to each category as per this rule. If at the time of project review and scoring there are funds available in any category that exceed the requests for grants in that category, those funds may, at the director’s discretion, be transferred to another category where requests exceed the funds available. 33.17(1) Eligible sponsors. Any incorporated city or town in the state may make application for a grant. 33.17(2) Grant ceilings. Incorporated cities and towns are eligible to receive annual grants from the REAP fund in accordance with the following schedule:PopulationMaximum0 — 1,000$ 50,0001,001 — 5,00075,0005,001 — 10,000100,00010,001 — 25,000125,00025,001 — 50,000150,00050,001 — 75,000200,000over 75,000300,000The grant ceiling may be waived upon approval by the director if (1) the project is regional in nature or is projected to serve a minimum of 100,000 people; or (2) the project cannot be staged over a multiyear period so that a separate grant application might be submitted each year. 33.17(3) Review and selection committee. a. The director shall appoint a five-member review and selection committee to evaluate project applications. This committee shall include one member representing each of the three size classes of cities (e.g., one from a city of less than 2,000, one from a city of 2,000 to 25,000, and one from a city of more than 25,000). The director shall request a list of candidates from the Iowa league of cities and Iowa parks and recreation association. The remaining two members of the committee shall be a representative of the department and an at-large member. Additionally, there shall be at least two alternates designated by the director from the candidates list provided by the Iowa league of cities and the Iowa parks and recreation association. The committee shall elect its own chairperson from its members. Members shall serve three-year staggered terms. b. Conflict of interest. An individual who is a member, volunteer, or employee of an entity that has submitted a project shall not serve on the scoring committee during that award cycle. Instead, one of the alternates shall review and score in the individual’s place. 33.17(4) Project selection criteria. A project planning and review committee shall establish criteria and scoring systems to be utilized in project evaluation. The criteria and scoring system shall be submitted to the director and natural resource commission for approval. Criteria and scoring systems must be distributed to all counties at least 90 days prior to the project application deadline. In order to be eligible for award, an applicant must receive, at a minimum, 50 percent of the total allowable points. Related ARC(s): 7910CDIVISION IVPRIVATE GRANTS571—33.18(455A) Private cost-sharing program. At least 10 percent of the funds placed in the open spaces account shall be made available for cost sharing with private entities for cost sharing at a maximum level of 75 percent. 33.18(1) Protection defined. Protection is defined as the purchase of all or a portion of the rights associated with ownership of real property so as to ensure that open space values associated with that property are protected in perpetuity. Protection methods, in order of preference, include, but are not limited to, fee title acquisition, purchase of easements, or other mechanisms that provide long-term assurance of open space protection. Title for acquired properties shall be vested in the state of Iowa, and projects must be consistent with priorities established by the department. 33.18(2) Eligibility to participate. Any trust, foundation, incorporated conservation organization, private individual, corporation or other nongovernmental group able to provide funds or interest in land sufficient to equal at least 25 percent of a proposed protection project may submit or cause to have submitted a project for funding consideration. Except however, a private organization established to benefit a specific governmental entity is not eligible to submit a project. Governmental entities are also not eligible to submit a project. 33.18(3) Grant amount. The department will provide grants for up to 75 percent of the appraised cost of the land plus incidental acquisition costs. Costs in excess of these must be borne by the grantee. 33.18(4) Project review and selection committee. a. The director shall appoint a committee to review and score projects. The committee shall include the following: three persons representing the private sector and two alternates selected from a pool of potential names as submitted to the director by the various private eligible groups; administrator of the conservation and recreation division of the department, or the administrator’s designee; and the bureau chiefs of the department’s wildlife bureau and parks, forests, and preserves bureau or their designees. The committee shall elect its own chairperson from its members. The committee will report to the director the order in which proposed projects were ranked using criteria as specified in subrule 33.18(5). b. Conflict of interest. An individual who is a member, volunteer, or employee of an entity that has submitted a project shall not serve on the scoring committee during that award cycle. Instead, one of the alternates shall review and score in the individual’s place. 33.18(5) Project selection criteria. A project planning and review committee shall establish criteria and scoring systems to be utilized in project evaluation. The criteria and scoring system shall be submitted to the director and natural resource commission for approval. Criteria and scoring systems must be distributed to all counties at least 90 days prior to the project application deadline. In order to be eligible for award, an applicant must receive, at a minimum, 50 percent of the total allowable points. 33.18(6) Department rejection of applications. The director may remove from consideration by the project review and selection committee any application for funding the acquisition of property that the department determines is not in the state’s best interest for the department to manage. The department’s basis for determining such interest may include, but not be limited to, inaccessibility to the project area, environmental contamination and unacceptable use restrictions, management cost, the proximity to other governmental entities that may impose use restrictions or special tax assessments on the area, or lack of conformance with priorities established by the department. Examples of use restrictions can include prohibitions on hunting, trapping, timber harvest, vegetation management, and easements that affect the range of public use and activities that could otherwise be allowed. 33.18(7) Certification of availability of funds. Applicants must certify at the time of application that sufficient funds, land, letter of credit, or other acceptable financial instrument is available from private sources to cover the private share of the project. 33.18(8) Acquisition responsibilities and process. The grantee is responsible for obtaining an appraisal that is approvable by the department and for obtaining the director’s written approval of that appraisal. The grantee is responsible for negotiating an option to purchase the property with the seller. If the option contains any requirements for action by the department or restrictions on the use of the land, those requirements or restrictions must be approved by the director and the commission before they are incorporated into the option. The grantee is responsible for closing the transaction, recording the transaction with the appropriate county recorder, and providing the department with a copy of the deed naming the department as owner and a title vesting certificate. The director may, under special conditions, allow title to be vested in the name of a city or county. Necessary assurances may include the placement of special conditions on that title, the existence of an approved, long-term management agreement or other measures as deemed appropriate by the commission. The department may provide assistance at the request of the grantee, or at the director’s recommendation.Related ARC(s): 7910CDIVISION VCONSERVATION EDUCATION BOARD571—33.19(455A) Conservation education program policy. 33.19(1) Grants and agreements. The conservation education program shall constitute a long-term integrated effort to support conservation education through formal and nonformal education projects and programs by means of competitively awarded grants and cooperative agreements. 33.19(2) Definitions. The following definitions shall apply to this division:"Conservation education programs" means programs developed for formal (K-12 students), nonformal (preschool, adult and continuing education) and higher education (postsecondary and adult) programs, within the subject areas of natural resource conservation and environmental protection.
"Dissemination grant" means funds deployed for the purposes of executing projects previously funded by REAP conservation education program funds that were successful in execution and have transferability to other educators and conservation programs.
"Dissemination plan" means the required documentation for projects greater than $10,000 funded by the REAP conservation education program funds. A dissemination plan contains specific details of the project, including expected outcomes essential for the uptake and use by educators and conservation programs.
"Educator" means any person who teaches environmental/conservation education. This may apply to certified teachers, governmental or private naturalists, education specialists, or others so determined by the department.
"Environmental/conservation education materials" means materials that are developed or produced that provide knowledge, skills, processes and strategies that enhance Iowa citizens’ understanding of natural resources conservation and environmental issues.
"Stipends for Iowa educators who participate in innovative conservation education programs" may include tuition costs; acceptable food and lodging costs; substitute teacher costs; mileage expenses or separate allowances when applicable for educators to attend approved environmental/conservation education workshops, in-service programs and conferences; and other costs as approved by the department.
Related ARC(s): 7910C, 9409C571—33.20(455A) Eligibility for funds. In years in which funds are made available, grant applications may be submitted by institutions of higher learning; government agencies, including local school districts; private schools and home schools; area education agencies; day cares; and organizations. Preference shall be given to Iowa residents. 33.20(1) Fund distribution. The total available funds will be distributed as follows: a. The first $50,000 will be awarded to public/private pre-K through grade 12 education disseminated as small grant awards not to exceed $10,000 per request and no less than $1,000 per request. b. The next $50,000 will be awarded to dissemination grants, if a dissemination project is provided by the department for the year. c. The remaining $250,000 will be awarded for large grant awards not to exceed $80,000 per request. Large grant awards require a minimum of 33 percent matching funds either as an in-kind or a cash match. d. If all funds are not allocated through paragraphs 33.20(1)“a” and “b,” the remaining funds will be allocated to qualifying projects in paragraph 33.20(1)“c.” 33.20(2) Expenditure guidelines. a. Eligible program types. Applicants can apply for funding that supports hands-on interactive types of educational experiences, such as workshops, trainings, field trips, or classroom activities, or passive education experiences, such as interpretive or wayside signs, brochures or video programming, or education center exhibits. b. Personnel expenses. Requests for personnel expenditures shall not exceed 40 percent of the total grant request and can only be used for staff directly engaged with the educational offering. Administrative support personnel are not eligible grant fund expenses. An awardee will provide documentation on actual hours worked in order to receive the 40 percent reimbursement costs for personnel. This does not include educator stipends or funding provided to individuals in order to attend a workshop, conference or training, all of which are allowable expenses under this grant program. c. Travel expenses. Reimbursement is for in-state travel only; mileage, lodging, and food expenses will be reimbursed at the current state rate as found on the department of administrative services website. d. Noneligible expenses. Grant funds cannot be used for technology or infrastructure development or construction whose singular function is not primarily and consistently dedicated to the program or exhibit for which grant funds are requested. Additionally, grant funds cannot be used for food and beverage costs or reimbursements.Related ARC(s): 7910C, 9409C571—33.21(455A) Competitive grant project planning and review committee. 33.21(1) Review committee. a. The director shall appoint a five-person review and selection committee to evaluate project applications. This committee shall include one representative of the department appointed by the director, one representative of the department of education science consultant or designee, one representative of the Iowa conservation education council, one representative of the Iowa association of naturalists, and one representative of the Iowa association of county conservation boards. Additionally, there shall be at least one alternate identified and designated by the director from each represented organization. Terms of appointment to the committee shall be on a three-year staggered term basis. b. An individual who is a member, volunteer, or employee of an entity that has submitted a project shall not serve on the scoring committee during that award cycle. Instead, one of the alternates shall review and score in the individual’s place. 33.21(2) Competitive grant project selection criteria. a. Under the competitive grant program, a project planning and review committee shall establish criteria and scoring systems to be utilized in project evaluation. The criteria and scoring systems shall be submitted to the natural resource commission for approval. b. The department shall publish on its website the date and time for submitting a funding proposal and the criteria and scoring system, providing at least 90 days’ notice. Applications must be submitted to the department as described on the website. c. Upon recommendation of the planning and review committee, the natural resource commission shall award the grants. 33.21(3) Dissemination plan. a. After completion of the project awarded through the large grants, and prior to final request for reimbursement, the awardee shall complete a dissemination plan as provided on the department’s website. Projects funded with conservation education program funds are intended to be replicable by other educators or conservation programs in Iowa. b. Annually, the review and selection committee will review dissemination plans; select successful projects per criteria developed and approved by the natural resource commission; and offer additional award opportunities, not to exceed $10,000 per awardee, of up to $50,000 of conservation education program funds for other educators or conservation education programs to implement. 33.21(4) Nonapplication of copyright. Program materials developed from REAP funds for conservation education materials shall bear the REAP logo. However, materials developed under this grant shall not be copyrighted by the grantee unless the department gives permission. A digital copy of all program materials developed shall be supplied to the department as part of the dissemination plan.Related ARC(s): 9409C571—33.22(455A) Grantee responsibilities. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.23(455A) Board review and approval. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.24(455A) Waivers of retroactivity. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.25(455A) Penalties. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.26(455A) Remedy. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.27(455A) Termination for convenience. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.28(455A) Termination for cause. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.29(455A) Responsibility of grantee at termination. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. 571—33.30(455A) Appeals. Rescinded ARC 9409C, IAB 7/9/25, effective 8/13/25. These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 455A.19 and 455A.21.Related ARC(s): 6789C, 7910C, 9409C