The application period for the federally funded grants for projects to restore polluted and impaired state waters is now open. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources will accept proposals until midnight May 4 for the Clean Water Act-Section 319 (h) Nonpoint Source Grant Funding Program for Fiscal Year 2021. Projects that implement a division-approved watershed restoration plan to restore the water quality for waters impaired by nonpoint source pollution are eligible for funding. State and local governments, interstate agencies and public and private nonprofit organizations, including academic institutions, can apply. “The 319 grant promotes partnerships and leveraging of resources to strengthen local stewardship of our shared water resources. This funding provides an opportunity for nonprofits and local governments to restore the habitat and quality of streams and other public trust waters across the state through voluntary local watershed initiatives,” said Richard W. Gannon, Nonpoint Source Planning Branch supervisor with the division.