BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — If your B.A.S.S. Nation club has a proposal for a project that either helps native vegetation thrive or controls exotic invasive species, your club could win up to $3,000 from the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Foundation & Aquatic Plant Management Society in 2017.
AERF & APMS are once again partnering with B.A.S.S. Conservation to provide funding for B.A.S.S. Nation club projects that will protect and enhance aquatic habitat for bass and other species of fish and aquatic life. Projects could include introducing native aquatic plants such as water willow, eelgrass or pondweeds to provide nursery cover and shelter for juvenile sportfish; plantings to stabilize shorelines and reduce erosion; transplanting button bush, willow or cypress that can provide fish-holding cover in aging reservoirs; chemical control, physical removal or educational outreach about exotic invasive plants like hydrilla, watermillfoil or water chestnut that threaten aquatic systems and hinder fishing and boating access.
Although grant funding is for one year, multi-year projects that bring together several partners and funding from other sources will be given preference. Proposals that serve to continue existing projects are also acceptable as long as the proposal fits into the larger project’s long-term goals. The project must include a monitoring plan to show how short-term benchmarks are being met and how long-term success will be defined. If youth workers such as a Junior Bassmasters, B.A.S.S. High School or College team members are involved, the project will have a competitive edge in the judging process.
Your proposal packet must include a one page narrative of the project’s 1) Long-term Goal & Short-term Objectives; 2) Methods & Materials; 3) Monitoring Plan to document progress; 4) Estimated Cost; and 5) Timeline from Implementation to Completion.
Your proposal packet must include a letter of support from the state fisheries or natural resource agency, a municipality or lake authority (e.g., Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, River Authority, etc.) showing how you are partnering with the agency on the project. You may also include an aerial photo or map of the proposed project site and any photographs or other relevant supporting documents, especially if your proposal serves to continue an existing project.
B.A.S.S. staff and representatives from AERF and APMS with review the applications and announce a winner on or before June 1. The narrative, agency support letter and other photos or documents must emailed to Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director at ggilliland@bassmaster.com scanned as a single PDF file and by April 30.
