NRAC Clean Ohio Program has $4.8M available for funding
The Natural Resources Assistance Council (NRAC) has released guidelines and application instructions for Round 20 of the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program.
This year, there is $4.8 million available to award to District 15 applicants from Adams, Brown, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton counties. Applications for funding will be accepted now through Friday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.
Apply online by visiting the OVRDC Clean Ohio webpage https://bit.ly/3GGIKOl.
Administered by the Ohio Public Works Commission, the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission (OVRDC) is the liaison for the District 15 Clean Ohio Program, which is dedicated to the acquisition and improvement of natural green spaces, riparian corridors, and waterways within Appalachian Ohio. The goal of the program is to preserve the natural beauty of the region and make these areas accessible to the public. Additionally, the fund aims to restore areas affected by invasive species.
New to the submission process for this round of funding, there is an optional letter of intent applicants may submit to access assistance in preparing applications.
“By adding the optional letter of intent, our goal is to better assist our applicants in determining eligibility and developing a more competitive application,” said Eli Cole, OVRDC Development Specialist and Clean Ohio Liaison.
The optional Letter of Intent guidelines can be found in the district policies and NRAC Clean Ohio application manual published on the OVRDC website. The optional Letter of Intent is due by the close of business on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
District 15 has a total of $4.8 million in funding for Round 20. Eligible applicants include Local Political Subdivisions and Non-Profit Corporations as detailed below.
Local Political Subdivisions
• Counties
• Cities
• Villages
• Townships
• Conservancy Districts
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Joint Recreation Districts
• Park District/Authority.
Non-Profit Corporations – A non-profit corporation is eligible to apply if it is exempt from Federal income taxation pursuant to 26 U.S.C 501 (a); and one of its articles of incorporation is directly related to the purposes for which Clean Ohio Conservation grants are issued.
Applicants must originate in the following eligible counties of Adams, Brown, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton.
Applications for funding will be accepted through the WorkWise portal until the close of business on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. To access WorksWise, sign up for a username and password with your OPWC Program Representative. OPWC provides online training on how to request access and use the system to apply for funding.
For more information about the Clean Ohio program, please visit the OPWC District 15 website, the OPWC website, or contact the Clean Ohio Liaison Eli Cole, at ecole@ovrdc.org or (740) 947-2853.
About OVRDC: Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission (OVRDC) is a regional planning commission and Local Development District (LDD) dedicated to the development of Southern Ohio, providing multi-jurisdictional planning and economic development, administrative, professional and technical assistance to local governments, nonprofits, communities and citizens in a 12-county region. More information at www.OVRDC.org.
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