EPA-R10-OW-CRBRP-2022-02.pdf

AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance

Program - Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin

ACTION: Request for Applications (RFA)

RFA NUMBER: EPA-R10-OW-CRBRP-2022-02

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO: 66.962

IMPORTANT DATES:

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 RFA CLOSES – APPLICATIONS DUE April – May 2022 ANTICIPATED NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION July – August 2022 ANTICIPATED AWARD

Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) no later than Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) in order to be considered for funding.

COVID-19 UPDATE: EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in Section IV of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses (https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses).

FUNDING / AWARDS: EPA anticipates awarding between $1,500,000 and $4,500,000 of Columbia River Basin Restoration Program (CRBRP) funding under this announcement. Awards will be issued and managed through EPA’s Region 10 Office. EPA anticipates awarding about 15 cooperative agreements, ranging from $75,000 to $350,000 for the Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin portion of the Basin under this RFA, subject to the availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. Applicants may apply under both this RFA, and the Lower Columbia River Estuary RFA, which is issued separately, for basin-wide projects.

Minimum Application Amount: $75,000 Maximum Application Amount: $350,000 Total Available Funds: $1,500,000 - $4,500,000

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 (EPA), is issuing a Request for Applications (RFA) from eligible entities to improve water quality in the Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin, through specific actions to reduce toxics, increase monitoring, and/or increase public education and outreach. The Columbia River Basin Restoration Program (CRBRP) will assist tribal, state, and local governments; nongovernmental entities, and others as they implement the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan and the Lower Columbia River Estuary Plan - Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and conduct activities to support EPA national goals for the Columbia River Basin.

Eligible projects must address at least one of the following project categories: eliminating or reducing pollution; cleaning up contaminated sites; improving water quality; monitoring to evaluate trends; reducing runoff; protecting habitat; or promoting citizen engagement or knowledge. Priority for funding will be given to projects which are consistent with federal fiscal years 2021 and 2022 (FY21/22) funding priorities as described in the RFA.

Eligible entities include state governments, tribal governments, regional water pollution control agencies and entities, local government entities, nongovernmental entities, or soil and water conservation districts. The work must be for the purpose of environmental protection and restoration activities within the Columbia River Basin and may include programs, projects, and studies.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR SESSIONS:

EPA is hosting the same informational webinar on three different dates. Potential applicants are encouraged to participate in one of these information sessions to learn more about the Columbia River Basin Restoration program and the grant application process. Pre-registration is not required. Webinar links and dial-in information will be posted on our website:

https://www.epa.gov/columbiariver/columbia-river-basin-restoration-funding-assistance-program

Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (PT) (4:00 - 5:30 p.m. (ET)) Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. (PT) (12:00 - 1:30 p.m. (ET)) Wednesday, December 14, 2021, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. (PT) (12:30 - 2:00 p.m. (ET))

During the webinar, EPA will highlight any changes to the program, review eligibility criteria, funding limits and mandatory cost share requirements. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. If you are unable to attend a session, a recording may be available upon request by sending an email to ColumbiaRiverBasinGrant@epa.gov.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Applicants are encouraged to review the questions and answers posted at https://www.epa.gov/columbiariver/columbia-river-basin-restoration-funding-assistance-program for further clarification of this Request for Applications. EPA will respond to questions from applicants regarding threshold eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the application, and requests for clarification about any of the language or provisions in the announcement through the questions and answers document. Applicants may email written questions to ColumbiaRiverBasinGrant@epa.gov. All questions submitted via email by 4:00 p.m. PT each Friday during the RFA open period will be answered and posted in the questions and answers document the following week. The deadline for submitting questions via email is Friday, January 28, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. PT. The estimated final posting to the questions and answers document will be Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. PT. Further submittal information is described in Section IV.

NOTE: If you intend to name a contractor (including an individual consultant) or a subrecipient as a project partner or otherwise in your application, EPA recommends that you carefully review, and comply with, the directions contained in the “Contracts and Subawards” clause that can be accessed under the Section V.D clause for “Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated Into the Solicitation.”

Table of Contents

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background B. Scope of Work

Project Categories FY21/22 Priorities Other EPA Interests

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes and Performance Measures D. Statutory Authority

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. What is the amount of funding available?

B. Incremental and Partial Funding C. How many agreements will EPA award in this competition and what is the funding range?

D. What is the project period for awards resulting from this solicitation?

E. Funding Type

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities B. Cost-Sharing C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures B. Submission Instructions C. Technical Issues with Submission D. Submission Date and Time E. Funding Restrictions F. Informational Webinar Sessions G. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Evaluation Criteria B. Review and Selection Process C. Other Factors D. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements C. Reporting Requirement D. Disputes E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

APPENDIX A – Project Narrative and Attachments: Instructions, Format, and Content

1. Cover Page

2. Work Plan Budget Detail

3. Other Attachments Additional Resources

APPENDIX B – How to Fund Projects and Partnerships Additional Resources

APPENDIX C - Application Submission Checklist APPENDIX D – Project Location Description and Map

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

The Columbia River Basin is one of the world’s great river basins in watershed size, river volume, and environmental and cultural significance. Covering nearly 260,000 square miles – approximately the size of the state of Texas – the Columbia River Basin is the nation’s sixth largest watershed. The Basin drains portions of Canada’s British Columbia province and seven U.S. states, but mostly Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Within its boundaries lies multiple tribal reservations and 45 million acres of tribally co-managed land. The Basin contains great geographic and land-use diversity, including alpine peaks, forested slopes, semi-arid grassland and rangeland, arable agricultural land, and an extensive estuary. From its source in the Canadian Rockies, the mainstem Columbia River flows more than 1,200 miles to the Pacific Ocean. Its average annual flow – 270,000 cubic feet per second – makes it the United States’ fourth largest river by discharge. Significant tributaries include the Kootenai, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Okanagan, Yakima, Snake, John Day, Deschutes, Willamette, and Cowlitz Rivers.

The Basin’s aquatic ecosystem is critical to supporting the fish and wildlife and over 8 million people who reside within the watershed and depend on its resources for their health and livelihood. There is concern about the health of the Basin’s aquatic ecosystem and the potential risk to human health due to the presence of toxics found in the fish, wildlife, water, and sediment. Toxic contamination is a human health risk and key environmental justice issue for tribal people and other high fish-consuming populations. Columbia River salmon and steelhead runs were once the largest in the world with as many as 16 million fish returning annually to spawn in the Basin. Columbia River tribes have depended on native fish species, including (but not limited to) salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and lamprey for thousands of years for spiritual, cultural, and nutritional sustenance. Human activities including hydrologic modifications for flood control and power generation, industry, urban development, mining, and agricultural practices have affected fish spawning and rearing habitat, blocked, or impeded fish passage, and contributed toxic contaminants that have impaired water quality. Many scientists believe that recovery of salmon, steelhead, and other fish populations cannot be achieved without reducing toxics in water and sediment.

In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Study of Chemical Residues in Fish found bioaccumulative toxics in Columbia River Basin fish tissue. Recognizing the historic importance of fish in the diets of tribal people and the potential human health impacts of toxics, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) and EPA developed the 1994 Fish Consumption Survey of the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Yakama, and Warm Springs Tribes of the Columbia River Basin which found that tribal people were consuming 9 to 12 times more fish than the average US resident. EPA and CRITFC followed up that study with the Columbia River Fish Contaminant Study 1996-1998 which found 92 pollutants in fish from 24 tribal fishing sites, including contaminants with human health impacts such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, mercury, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and furans.

EPA convened the Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working Group in 2005 to share information and collaborate on toxics reduction in the Columbia River Basin. The Working Group led the development of the 2009 Columbia River Basin State of the River Report for Toxics which addressed four contaminants: DDT, PCBs, mercury, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and the risk they pose to people, fish and wildlife, and highlighted successful efforts to reduce those contaminants. The 2009 report was followed by the 2010 Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan, which identified sixty-one actions needed across five categories: increasing public understanding to reduce toxics; increasing toxics reduction actions;

conducting monitoring to identify sources and reduce contaminants; developing a regional research program; and developing a shared data management system. In 2014, the Working Group released its Strategy for Measuring, Documenting, and Reducing Chemicals of Emerging Concern, providing an outline for a research and monitoring strategy and a characterization of the impacts of chemicals of emerging concern on human health, aquatic life, and terrestrial wildlife.

On December 9, 2016, Congress passed the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act (CRBRA) as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), also known as the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016. The WRDA was signed into law by the President on December 16, 2016. The legislation focuses on the U.S. portion of the Columbia River Basin including the States of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The newly created Section 123 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) directs EPA to establish a Columbia River Basin Restoration Program which includes a Working Group that is representative of states, tribal governments, industry, and other entities. Clean Water Act Section 123 (33 U.S.C. § 1275) also directs EPA to develop a voluntary, competitive grant program for “environmental protection and restoration programs throughout the Basin” Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 was the inaugural year of funding for this program, and also included FY 2020 funding.

For further information about the program as well as examples of currently funded projects, please visit https://www.epa.gov/columbiariver/about-epas-work-columbia-river-basin.

B. Scope of Work

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing this Request for Applications (RFA) for projects from eligible entities to improve water quality in the Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin, through specific actions to reduce toxics, increase monitoring, and/or increase public education and outreach. The Columbia River Basin Restoration Program (CRBRP) will assist tribal, state, and local governments; nongovernmental entities, and others as they implement the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan and the Lower Columbia River Estuary Plan - Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and conduct activities to support EPA national goals for the Columbia River Basin.

Pursuant to CWA § 123(b)(3)(C) and (d), eligible projects must address at least one of the following project categories: eliminating or reducing pollution; cleaning up contaminated sites;

improving water quality; monitoring to evaluate trends; reducing runoff; protecting habitat; or promoting citizen engagement or knowledge. Priority for funding will be given to projects which are consistent with FY21/22 funding priorities as described below.

The work must be for the purpose of environmental protection and restoration activities within the Columbia River Basin and may include programs, projects, and studies. Applicants can submit a total of three (3) applications overall under this solicitation so long as each one is separately submitted and for a different project. A single application must include activities in one or more of the following categories.

Project Categories

1. Eliminating or reducing pollution including strategies or projects to reduce toxics into streams of the Columbia River Basin, including agricultural best management practices such as Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships, stormwater and sediment management, and pesticide collection and take back programs.

2. Cleaning up contaminated sites including targeted small-scale clean-up actions at sites not receiving funding under EPA CERCLA funded programs (Brownfields and Superfund) where hazardous chemicals, oil, pollutants and/or mining related contaminants have been released into the Columbia River Basin.

3. Improving water quality to reduce toxics in the Columbia River Basin.

4. Monitoring to evaluate trends including monitoring current conditions such as the sampling and analysis of Columbia River Basin water, fish and sediment focused on toxics.

5. Reducing runoff through agricultural best management practices and/or sediment and stormwater runoff controls, including green infrastructure.

6. Protecting habitat to reduce the impact of toxics on Columbia River Basin fish and wildlife.

7. Promoting citizen engagement or knowledge by increasing engagement and communication with individual community members (such as local, state and tribal environmental managers, and/or NGOs), creating bi-lingual outreach and education materials on the topic of toxics reduction, green chemistry pilot projects, and/or sharing examples of successful toxics reduction efforts.

FY21/22 Priorities

For the FY21/22 grant competition, evaluation points (under Section V) may be given to projects which address one or more of the following priorities, in addition to addressing one or more of the required project categories above; and build off existing successful efforts in the Columbia River Basin to address toxics and that leverage or expand on existing partnerships. Evaluation scores will not depend on the number of priorities addressed but rather on the quality with which the priorities are addressed. Across all priorities, there is a focus on toxics and their impact on human health and fish and wildlife. See documents on the Columbia River Basin RFA website for reference.

1. Increased monitoring and access to data from monitoring in the Columbia River Basin with a focus on toxics with an impact on human health and fish and wildlife.

2. Reducing stormwater and agricultural runoff by using strategies such as green infrastructure to reduce the toxicity and/or quantity of runoff and/or implementing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) such as Pesticide Stewardship partnerships.

3. Promoting citizen engagement or education to promote pollution prevention, for example, increasing knowledge on pollution prevention strategies and actions that can be taken by communities, businesses, and government to reduce toxics in the Basin.

4. Cleaning up contaminated sites including targeted small-scale clean-up actions at sites not receiving funding under EPA CERCLA funded programs (Brownfields and Superfund) where hazardous chemicals, oil, pollutants and/or mining related contaminants have been released into the Columbia River Basin.

Information on toxic contaminants covered by these priorities can be found on the grants website and include, but are not limited to, mercury, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), the Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working Group list of priority pollutants https://www.epa.gov/columbiariver/prioritization-toxics-columbia-river and the toxic pollutants listed by reference in Section 307(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act (see 40 C.F.R. 401.15).

Other EPA Interests Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies.

Meaningful involvement means people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health; the public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; community concerns will be considered in the decision-making process; and decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.

For purposes of this competition and the evaluation of applications, “underserved communities” means people/communities of color, low income, tribal and indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those who have pre-existing medical conditions.

In addition, climate change poses risks to human health, the environment, cultural resources, the economy and quality of life. These changes are expected to create further challenges to protecting human health and welfare and the environment.

EPA is interested in projects that: 1) mitigate for past environmental justice impacts and improve community health, resilience and/or sustainability; and 2) foster resilience and adaptation to changing climate and environmental conditions.

For example, projects may:

Address or facilitate the identification and reduction of threats to communities that have environmental justice challenges; or

Improve community health, resilience and/or sustainability; or Address the disproportionate and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related and other cumulative impacts; or Address impacts resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial and/or other actions that have affected and/or currently affect underserved communities; or Foster coastal resilience or adaptation to changing climate and environmental conditions.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes and Performance Measures

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements with the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA also requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf).

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan: The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s Strategic Plan. Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 1, “Deliver a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment for all Americans and future generations by carrying out the Agency’s core mission.,” Objective 1.2, “Provide for Clean and Safe Water.” And Objective 1.3, “Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination”. Under these objectives, EPA will “…in partnership with states and tribes, sustainably manage programs to support drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, and recreational, economic, and subsistence activities” and “provide better leadership and management to properly clean up contaminated sites to revitalize and return the land back to communities.” Applicants must explain in their application how their project will further one or both of these objectives.

Please read EPA’s FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan (www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan) for more information.

EPA also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf).

Applicants should include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the priorities described above. Specifically, the proposed activities must have outputs and outcomes related to one or more of the seven program priorities: eliminating or reducing pollution;

cleaning up contaminated sites; improving water quality; monitoring to evaluate trends;

reducing runoff; protecting habitat; or promoting citizen engagement or knowledge.

2. Outputs: The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable over the term of the grant funding period. Applications must include a description of project outputs and the way in which recipients will track project milestones throughout the grant period. Project output examples may include, but are not limited to, number of presentations made, number of participants at an event, and draft and final reports produced.

Progress reports and a final report will be required outputs, as specified in Section VI.C “Reporting Requirement,” of this RFA.

3. Outcomes: The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be qualitative and environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, but must also be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period.

Outcomes expected as a result of the awards under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Pollutant and sediment load reductions, attainment of water quality objectives, or other numeric indicators of water quality improvement.

Ecological and/or human health benefits achieved.

Increases in the quantity or quality of monitoring on the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Improvements to the local economy, social conditions, and the welfare of residents in such communities.

Additional information regarding EPA's definition of environmental results in terms of "outputs" and "outcomes" can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015- 03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf and https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results.

D. Statutory Authority

The Columbia River Basin Restoration Program (CRBRP) is authorized by 33 U.S.C. § 1275, amended by Pub. L. 115-270, title IV, § 4105, Oct. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 3875. CRBRP authorizes the award of grants for environmental protection and restoration of the Columbia River Basin.

EPA’s authority to obligate grant funds is subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. What is the amount of funding available?

EPA anticipates awarding between $1,500,000 and $4,500,000 under this announcement, subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

Applicants can submit a total of three (3) applications overall under this solicitation so long as each one is separately submitted and for a different project. If an applicant submits more than three (3) applications to EPA, the applicant will be contacted prior to EPA review of any of the applications to determine which application(s) the applicant will withdraw from the competition.

B. Incremental and Partial Funding

EPA may incrementally fund applications by funding phases of proposed projects. If an applicant is selected for incremental funding, EPA and the applicant will negotiate a final workplan, timeline and budget which has clearly delineated activities or phases with separate budget estimates for each activity/phase of a project within the project period. A portion of the total requested funding will be awarded at the beginning of the project period for the specified activities/phases. Subject to the availability of funds, and other applicable considerations, additional funding may be awarded later as an incremental budget amendment to fund the remaining activities/phases of the project.

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

C. How many agreements will EPA award in this competition and what is the funding range?

It is anticipated that approximately 15 cooperative agreements, ranging from $75,000 to $350,000, will be made from this announcement subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations.

Applicants may apply under both this RFA and the Lower Columbia River Estuary RFA, which is issued separately, for basin-wide projects.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy and other applicable considerations, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selections.

In addition, EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement or to make fewer awards than anticipated.

D. What is the project period for awards resulting from this solicitation?

The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation is 24 months. The projects are expected to begin around September 2022, with an expected project completion date of 24 months after award.

E. Funding Type

The funding for selected projects will be in the form of a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer and the selected applicants in the performance of the work supported. Although EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial federal involvement for these projects may include:

Close monitoring of the successful applicant’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant;

Collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

In accordance with 2 C.F.R. 200.317 and 2 C.F.R. 200.318, review of proposed procurement;

Approving qualifications of key personnel (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient); and Review and comment on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient).

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities

Under this solicitation, only the following entities are eligible to apply for assistance, in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 16131 and CFDA 66.962:

State governments, tribal governments, regional water pollution control agencies and entities, local government entities, nongovernmental entities, or soil and water conservation districts.

For the purposes of this announcement, EPA has determined that nongovernmental entities must be nonprofit organizations to be eligible for funding. Non-profit organization, as defined by 2 C.F.R. 200.70, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that:

(1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations.

Note that 2 C.F.R. Part 200 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of “non-profit organization” because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education; and (ii) state, local and federally recognized Indian tribal governments. While not considered to be a “non-profit organization(s)” as defined by 2 C.F.R.

200.70, institutions of higher education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA to the extent they fall within the definition above. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 C.F.R. 200.70 are also eligible to apply. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are not eligible to apply.

For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.

For the purposes of this RFA, tribal government includes “intertribal consortium” which is defined as a partnership between two or more tribes that is authorized by the governing bodies of those tribes to apply for and receive assistance under this program. Intertribal consortia are eligible to receive assistance under this program only if the consortium demonstrates that all members of the consortium meet the eligibility requirements for the program and authorize the consortium to apply for and receive assistance by submitting to EPA documentation of (1) the existence of the partnership between Indian tribal governments, and (2) authorization of the consortium by all its members to apply for and receive the assistance.

B. Cost-Sharing

1. Mandatory Cost Share Requirement: Projects under this RFA are subject to the following funding limitations and mandatory cost share requirements provided in CWA § 123(d)(2):

a. For non-tribal applicants EPA will fund up to 75% of the cost of the overall project (i.e., applicants are responsible for cost-sharing at least 25% of the cost with non-federal funds).

b. For tribal applicants EPA will fund up to 75% of the cost of the overall projects (i.e., tribal applicants are responsible for cost-sharing at least 25% of the cost with either non-federal and/or federal funds).

2. Any form of cost share must be included in the Budget Detail portion of the Work Plan, and the application must describe how and when the applicant will obtain the cost share and how the cost share funding will be used. Applicants may use their own funds or other sources for cost share if the standards of 2 C.F.R. 200.306, are met. If the proposed cost share is to be provided by a named project partner, a letter of commitment is required. Only eligible and allowable costs may be used for cost share. Unless the applicant is a tribal government other federal grants may not be used as cost share under this RFA unless the statute authorizing the other federal funding provides that the federal funds may be used to meet a cost share requirement on a federal grant. Please note: CRBRP funds may not be used to meet mandatory cost-sharing requirements for projects funded with environmental mitigation funds. Further, environmental mitigation funds may not be used to meet non-federal mandatory cost share requirements of any CRBRP grant.

3. Applications that include projects to which these mandatory cost share requirements apply must demonstrate, by the application submission date, on the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance, on the SF-424A Budget Information, and in the Project Narrative how the applicant will be able to meet these minimum mandatory cost share requirements if they are selected for an award, or the application may be disqualified during the threshold eligibility review. Specifically, the mandatory cost share funds must be indicated in at least one of the following blocks in Section 18, Estimated Funding, on the SF-424: b. Applicant;

c. State; d. Local; or e. Other. The mandatory cost shared funds must also be indicated in Section A, Section B line 6.d, and Section C of the SF-424A.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

These are requirements that if not met by the time of application submission will result in elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications from eligible applicants (see Section III.A of this RFA) that meet these threshold eligibility criteria will be evaluated against the ranking criteria in Section V.A of this RFA. If necessary, EPA may contact applicants to clarify threshold eligibility questions prior to making an eligibility determination. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration because of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Application Submission

a. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and application content requirements set forth in Section IV and Appendix A of this RFA or else they will be rejected.

b. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV and Appendix A of this RFA with respect to the Project Narrative, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

c. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely and properly submitted.

Applications submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission.

2. Eligible projects must address at least one of the following project categories:

eliminating or reducing pollution; cleaning up contaminated sites; improving water quality; monitoring to evaluate trends; reducing runoff; protecting habitat;

or promoting citizen engagement or knowledge. (See Section 1.B.)

3. Applicants must request funding for activities that will be implemented in the Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin portion of the Basin. The Middle and Upper Columbia River

Basin is defined as the mainstem of the Columbia River from the Bonneville Dam to the Canadian Border and tributaries of the Columbia River in that region. (See Map in Appendix D).

4. Applications which request EPA assistance funds above or below the amounts specified in Section II.C of this RFA are not eligible and will not be reviewed.

5. Applicants can submit a total of three (3) applications overall under this solicitation. Each application must be for a different project and must be submitted separately. An applicant cannot submit two applications that both request funding for the same project in the same geographic area. If an applicant submits more than three (3) applications to EPA, the applicant will be contacted prior to EPA review of any of the applications to determine which application(s) the applicant will withdraw from the competition.

6. Applications that do not demonstrate compliance with the mandatory cost share requirements described in Section III.B.1 of this RFA are not eligible and will not be reviewed.

Ineligible activities: If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined here. Please note that your request must be received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Issues with submissions with respect to this opportunity only are addressed in section c. Technical Issues with Submission below.

B. Submission Instructions

The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information on the registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application through grants.gov, go to Grants.gov and click on "Applicants" on the top of the page and then go to the "Get Registered" link on the page. If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a DUNS number and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline. Registration on Grants.gov, SAM.gov, and DUNS number assignment is FREE. Please see RAIN-2021-G01 for information about EPA's implementation of the upcoming Government-wide transition from DUNS to Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

Applicants need to ensure that the AOR who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose DUNS is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application.

Additionally, the DUNS listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization's SAM account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to Grants.gov and click on "Applicants" on the top of the page and then "Apply for Grants" from the dropdown menu and then follow the instructions accordingly. Please note: To apply through Grants.gov, you must use Adobe Reader software and download the compatible Adobe Reader version. For more information about Adobe Reader, to verify compatibility, or to download the free software, please visit Adobe Reader Compatibility Information on Grants.gov

You may also be able to access the application package for this announcement by searching for the opportunity on Grants.gov. Go to Grants.gov and then click on "Search Grants" at the top of the page and enter the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-R10-OW-CRBRP-2022- 02, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.962), in the appropriate field and click the Search button.

Please Note: All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using the "Workspace" feature. Information on the Workspace feature can be found at the Grants.gov Workspace Overview Page.

Application Submission Deadline: Your organization's AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 11:59 PM ET. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described below using the Grants.gov application package accessed using the instructions above.

Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

Mandatory Documents:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

2. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

4. EPA Form 4700-4 Preaward Compliance Review Report

5. Narrative Proposal (Project Narrative Attachment Form) - prepared as described in

Appendix A of this announcement

Optional Documents:

6. Other Attachments (Other Attachments Form), if applicable, prepared as described in Appendix A of this announcement Cost Share Commitment Letters Partnership Letters Resumes Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Applications submitted through grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from grants.gov) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact Michelle Wilcox at (360) 753-9469. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

C. Technical Issues with Submission

1. Once the application package has been completed, the "Submit" button should be enabled.

If the "Submit" button is not active, please call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726.

Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. Applicants should save the completed application package with two different file names before providing it to the AOR to avoid having to re-create the package should submission problems be experienced or a revised application needs to be submitted.

2. Submitting the application. The application package must be transferred to Grants.gov by an AOR. The AOR should close all other software before attempting to submit the application package. Click the "submit" button of the application package. Your Internet browser will launch and a sign-in page will appear. Note: Minor problems are not uncommon with transfers to Grants.gov. It is essential to allow sufficient time to ensure that your application is submitted to Grants.gov BEFORE the due date identified in Section IV of the solicitation. The Grants.gov support desk operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except Federal Holidays.

A successful transfer will end with an on-screen acknowledgement. For documentation purposes, print or screen capture this acknowledgement. If a submission problem occurs, reboot the computer turning the power off may be necessary and re-attempt the submission.

Note: Grants.gov issues a "case number" upon a request for assistance.

3. Transmission Difficulties. If transmission difficulties that result in a late transmission, no transmission, or rejection of the transmitted application are experienced, and following the above instructions do not resolve the problem so that the application is submitted to Grants.gov by the deadline date and time, follow the guidance below. The Agency will make a decision concerning acceptance of each late submission on a case-by-case basis. All emails, as described below, are to be sent to Michelle Wilcox with the FON in the subject line. If you are unable to email, contact Michelle Wilcox at (360) 753-9469. Be aware that EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to transmit due to Grants.gov or relevant https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access. Failure of an applicant to submit timely because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of a late submittal.

If you are experiencing problems resulting in an inability to upload the application to Grants.gov, it is essential to call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 before the application deadline. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545- 5035. Be sure to obtain a case number from Grants.gov. If the problems stem from unforeseen exigent circumstances unrelated to Grants.gov, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access, contact Michelle Wilcox at (360) 753-9469.

4. Unsuccessful transfer of the application package: If a successful transfer of the application cannot be accomplished even with assistance from Grants.gov due to electronic submission system issues or unforeseen exigent circumstances, and you have already attempted to resolve the issue by contacting Grants.gov, send an email message to wilcox.michelle@epa.gov prior to the application deadline. The email message must document the problem and include the Grants.gov case number as well as the entire application in PDF format as an attachment.

5. Grants.gov rejection of the application package: If a notification is received from Grants.gov stating that the application has been rejected for reasons other than late submittal and it is too late to reapply, promptly send an email to Michelle Wilcox with the FON in the subject line within one business day of the closing date of this solicitation. The email should include any materials provided by Grants.gov and attach the entire application in PDF format.

Please note that successful submission through Grants.gov or via email does not necessarily mean your application is eligible for award.

D. Submission Date and Time

The closing date and time for submission of applications is Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time (ET). Applications submitted after the closing date and time will not be accepted.

E. Funding Restrictions

1. Federal Matching Funds: No funds awarded under this RFA shall be used for matching funds for other federal grants unless expressly authorized by statute. Likewise, a non-tribal government recipient may not use federal funds as cost share funds for projects under this

RFA.

2. Expenses Incurred Prior to the Project Period: Except for eligible pre-award costs as defined in 2 C.F.R. 200.458 and as authorized by 2 C.F.R. 200.309 and 2 C.F.R. 1500.8, no funds awarded under this RFA shall be used to cover expenses incurred prior to the project period set forth in any assistance agreement funded under this RFA. Additionally, except for eligible pre-award costs as defined above, expenses incurred prior to the project period set forth in any assistance agreement funded under this RFA are not eligible as a cost share.

F. Informational Webinar Sessions

EPA will host the same informational session regarding this Request for Application via teleconference/webinar on three different dates based on the schedule below. Potential applicants are encouraged to participate in one of these sessions to learn more about the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program and the grant application process. During the webinar, EPA will highlight any changes to the program, review eligibility criteria, funding limits and mandatory cost share requirements. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. Pre-registration is not required.

Webinar links and dial-in information for the individual session can be found at:

https://www.epa.gov/columbiariver/columbia-river-basin-restoration-funding-assistance-program

Session Dates and…