Project Grant 02J24301

DESCRIPTION:THE GRANTEE WILL INVEST NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM (NEP) INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA) FUNDING TO PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT TRANSFORMATIONAL, LANDSCAPE-SCALE PROJECTS THAT WILL ADVANCE LOCALLY DETERMINED PRIORITIES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN (CCMP), ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE ACTION AGENDA ACROSS THE PUGET SOUND REGION. FURTHERMORE, THIS FUNDING SUPPORTS FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES COORDINATING THEIR PROGRAMS AND SPENDING IN A SYNCHRONIZED FASHION, AND PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL PARTNERS AND TRIBES TO PREPARE PROPOSALS THAT PUT VARIOUS RECOVERY AND PROTECTION PIECES TOGETHER. THIS FUNDING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO ACHIEVING A MULTI-BENEFIT APPROACH, AS THE GRANTEE SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS OF THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY TO THINK, PLAN, AND ACT ACROSS SECTORS AND GEOGRAPHIES TO ALIGN TRANSPORTATION, LAND USE, HABITAT RESTORATION AND PROTECTION, AGRICULTURE, FLOOD HAZARD REDUCTION, AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. THE NEP IIJA FUNDING WILL SUPPORT ALL GOALS OF THE ACTION AGENDA, BY ACQUIRING FUNDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOMES.ACTIVITIES:THE RECIPIENT WILL COORDINATE WITH TRIBES AND LOCAL PARTNERS TO USE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM (NEP) INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA) FUNDS TO FORM A TEAM MADE UP OF TWO GROUPS. THE LEVERAGING FUNDING GROUP WILL FOCUS ON GENERATING INVESTMENT TO IMPLEMENT LOCAL PRIORITIES BY LEVERAGING THE UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA) AND THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) AS WELL AS STATE OF WASHINGTON INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE CLIMATE COMMITMENT ACT. THE BARRIERS REMOVAL GROUP WILL FOCUS ON SUPPORTING TRIBES AND LOCAL PARTNERS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THEIR LOCAL RECOVERY PRIORITIES IN THE ACTION AGENDA. WITHOUT A FOCUS ON ADDRESSING BARRIERS, INVESTMENTS IN PUGET SOUND RECOVERY WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE OR TIMELY.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: USE THE RECENTLY APPROVED 2022-2026 PUGET SOUND ACTION AGENDA, AS THE NEP FUNDING AUTHORITY, TO HELP FOCUS AND INFLUENCE FEDERAL AND STATE PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE DISBURSING THESE FUNDS TO MAKE INVESTMENTS TOWARDS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS THAT SUPPORT PUGET SOUND RECOVERY OUTCOMES AND LOCAL PRIORITIES. PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL PARTNERS TO DEVELOP TRANSFORMATIVE, LANDSCAPE-SCALE INITIATIVES, INCLUDING COORDINATION ACROSS JURISDICTIONS. IDENTIFY FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL PRIORITIES AND SUCCESSFULLY ACQUIRE RESOURCES BY STRATEGICALLY LEVERAGING IIJA AND OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT THE ACTION AGENDA. IMPLEMENT LOCAL PRIORITIES IN THE ACTION AGENDA BY SUPPORTING LOCAL PARTNERS TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE GAPS AND BARRIERS, AND ADVANCE GOALS TARGETED TO EQUITY, CLIMATE, AND RESILIENT (NATURE-BASED) INFRASTRUCTURE.