Tools Designed to Save Time and Find Money
Environmental Finance Center
Boise State University

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is pleased to introduce two software tools for watershed groups designed to save you time in crafting implementation plans and to help you find the resources you need to get the work done. These tools, used by watershed professionals all over the country, have been fine-tuned with Arkansas watershed groups in mind. The Directory of Watershed Resources now includes Federal, Private and Arkansas-specific program information to help you find the funding information you need to implement your local watershed strategy.

In March of 2006 the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at Boise State University presented two proposals to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to provide training and resources to watershed groups in Arkansas.

The EFC has worked extensively on issues relating to financing watershed restoration strategies since its inception. The Center has presented several workshops throughout the country and has developed software tools to assist watershed groups in developing long term financing plans to reach their watershed restoration goals. As part of this effort, the Center has developed the Directory of Watershed Resources, a searchable database of funding programs, and Plan2Fund, a watershed planning tool to assist in developing a long term financial strategy. Utilizing their experience with watershed funding issues, the EFC proposed to add Arkansas funding information into the Directory, followed by a comprehensive watershed-funding workshop at the AWAG Watershed Conference that demonstrated the Directory and Plan2Fund to watershed groups in Arkansas. These tools will assist watershed organizations throughout Arkansas in developing sustainable financing plans.

Plan2Fund is a Watershed Planning Tool that helps organizations determine their funding needs to meet the goals and objectives of their Watershed Program Plan. Plan2Fund walks users through estimating the costs of their watershed program plans's goals and objectives, assessing any local matches, and determining funding needs. The results can be used to search for funding sources utilizing the EFC's internet-based Directory of Watershed Resources.

The Directory of Watershed Resources is a searchable database of over 1,000 sources of funding that can be matched to your need for resources. The Directory now includes information on Arkansas funding programs and resources.

To access these useful tools, follow these links to the Directory of Watershed Resources and Plan2Fund. Plan2Fund software can be downloaded to your computer and online tutorials for the Directory and Plan2Fund software are available.

For more information about the watershed planning tools contact: Bill Jarocki, Environmental Finance Center, Boise State University, (208) 426-1567 or bjarocki@boisestate.edu