Day 288
Luckily, the day our technician came to get all the information to develop our FMP, I must’ve been very chatty and open to our long term goals and ideas. At our meeting, the representative from the organization we are seeking funding from to support our restoration said the FMP written was very thorough, detailed, organized, and yet still broad enough to open up our land to a wide array of fundable projects.
Because our plan was written in a way to make many different projects eligible for funding, we had to prioritize potential projects. Once we apply, our application is reviewed. If accepted, it is then prioritized with other projects based on how much funding is available in that particular cycle. Part of this process may include a more detailed site visit and meeting with the landowners. Once the chosen applications have been prioritized, each project is awarded an amount of money according to their assigned ranking. Landowners are made aware of how much money they will receive. Then the fun really begins.
When I say money is awarded, I must clarify that the landowner pays for a project on their own before getting reimbursed, as long as the completed project was an approved part of the application. So, while receiving money is a great first start, figuring out the best way to use that money so that you can get reimbursed is a crucial and very important next step. Besides prioritizing potential projects, the landowner is responsible for finding the contractor who will work on the project while adhering to the guidelines and practices required by the funding source. This takes time to investigate costs, contractors able to complete the tasks, and timing to make sure the project is done at an appropriate time and at an appropriate and feasible price tag. Landowners with larger projects may aim to double up projects that have both been approved and fall within the funded amount.
While our project is large to us, in the grand scheme of things, it is considered a smaller project. This leaves us with a smaller window of opportunity to even receive funds and added pressure to use any received funds efficiently.
