The United States (U.S.) Department of the Interior’s (Interior) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program establishes a framework to provide Federal leadership and assistance for using water efficiently, integrating water, and energy policies to support the sustainable

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use of all natural resources, and coordinating the water conservation activities of various Interior bureaus and offices.

Through the program, Interior is working to achieve a sustainable water strategy to meet the Nation’s water needs.

The Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Drought Response Program is an important part of WaterSMART.

Many areas in the west are currently experiencing unprecedented drought conditions.

While droughts are common in the western U.S., there is growing evidence that climate change is causing longer and more frequent droughts in some areas.

Drought directly impacts Reclamation’s ability to deliver water and power to contractors, central to Reclamation’s mission.

As the Nation’s largest wholesale water supplier, Reclamation must support our customers, stakeholders, and partners in building resiliency to drought and climate change.

Reclamation has developed a new Drought Response Program to improve our ability to assist States, tribes, and local governments to prepare for and address drought in advance of a crisis.

The Drought Response Program supports a proactive approach to drought by providing assistance to water managers to (1) develop and update comprehensive drought plans (Drought Contingency Planning), (2) implement projects that will build long-term resiliency to drought (Drought Resiliency Projects), and (3) implement emergency response actions.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports the Development and Update of Drought Contingency Plans that will build long-term resiliency to drought and climate change.

For further information on the Drought Response Program, please see www.usbr.gov/drought/.

For further information on the WaterSMART Program, please see www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/.