EPA-R3-CBP-23-17_Stormwater Coordinator_20230911_FINAL.pdf

OVERVIEW

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 3

TITLE: Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications for:

Urban Stormwater Workgroup Coordination Support for the Chesapeake Bay Program

ACTION: Request for Applications (RFA)

RFA #: EPA-R3-CBP-23-17

ASSISTANCE LISTING #: 66.466

IMPORTANT DATES

September 11, 2023 Issuance of Request for Applications (RFA) October 26, 2023 Application submission deadline (see Section IV for more information) November 27, 2023 Approximate date for EPA to notify applicant(s) of results December 11, 2023 Approximate date for selected applicant to submit revised federal cooperative agreement application January 1, 2024 Approximate date of award/Project start date

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

II. AWARD INFORMATION

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX A. APPLICATION FORMAT

APPENDIX B. BUDGET GUIDANCE

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

1. About the Chesapeake Bay Program The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary. A resource of extraordinary productivity, it is worthy of the highest levels of protection and restoration. Authorized by Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 117, 33 USC Section 1267, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) is responsible for supporting the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council (Executive Council) through a number of actions, including the coordination of federal, state, and local efforts to restore and protect living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. CWA Section 117 also authorizes EPA to provide grants to support the goals of the program.

The CBP is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. Today, the CBP partners include the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission (a tri-state legislative body); and EPA, representing the federal government. The partnership’s work is guided by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which establishes the plan for collaboration across the Bay’s political boundaries and establishes goals and outcomes for the restoration of the Bay, its tributaries, and the lands that surround them.

2. Background on Partnership Structure The CBP partnership is guided at the direction of the Executive Council, which, through its leadership, establishes the policy direction for the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and exerts its leadership to rally public support for the Bay effort and approves directives, agreements, and amendments that set goals and guide policy for Chesapeake Bay restoration. The Executive Council is established by CWA Section 117. To ensure implementation of the Executive Council’s Chesapeake Bay Agreements, the CBP partnership has several committees, teams, workgroups comprised of participating partners.

The committees, teams, and workgroups that will be supported by the activities of this RFA include, but are not limited to:

• The Principals' Staff Committee (PSC) acts as the senior policy advisors to the Executive Council, accepting items for their consideration and approval and setting agendas for Executive Council meetings. The PSC translates the restoration vision by setting policy and implementing actions on behalf of the Executive Council. The PSC also provides policy and program direction to the Management Board.

• The Management Board provides strategic planning, priority setting, and operational guidance through implementation of a comprehensive, coordinated, accountable implementation strategy for the CBP. It directs and coordinates all of the goal teams and workgroups under it.

• The Goal Implementation Teams (GITs) include federal and non-federal experts from throughout the watershed. Thus, academic experts, advocacy organizations, and others become active members of the broad restoration partnership.

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what-guides-us/watershed-agreement https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/principals-staff-committee https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/management-board https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/how-we-are-organized

• The Water Quality GIT (WQGIT) is charged is to evaluate, focus, and accelerate the implementation of practices, policies, and programs that will restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to conditions that support living resources and protect human health.

• The Scientific, Technical Assessment and Reporting (STAR) Team works to increase collaboration among science providers to provide monitoring, modeling, and analysis needed to update, explain, and communicate ecosystem condition and change to support the GITs.

Pursuant to CWA Section 117(b)(2), 33 USC Section 1267(b)(2), the Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is the office within EPA charged with providing support to the Executive Council in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. The CBPO and the CBP, mentioned above, are two distinct entities.

For additional background information on the CBP structure, achievements, and commitments, see the CBP partnership’s website at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/.

3. The Chesapeake Bay TMDL and WIPs EPA has established the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), a historic and comprehensive “pollution diet” with rigorous accountability measures to initiate sweeping actions to restore clean water to the Chesapeake Bay and the watershed’s streams, creeks and rivers.

The Bay TMDL – the largest ever developed by EPA – identifies the necessary pollution reductions of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment across Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia and sets pollution limits necessary to meet applicable state water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay, its tidal tributaries and embayments. These pollution limits were further divided by jurisdiction and major river basin based on state-of-the-art modeling tools, extensive monitoring data, peer-reviewed science and close interaction with jurisdictional partners.

Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) are plans for how each of the seven Chesapeake Bay watershed jurisdictions (jurisdictions), in partnership with federal and local governments, will achieve their respective Bay TMDL allocations and planning targets. The Phase I WIPs were developed in 2010 by the jurisdictions to inform the 2010 Chesapeake Bay TMDL waste load and load allocations. The Phase II WIPs were developed by the jurisdictions in 2012 followed by Phase III in 2019 to meet nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment planning targets based on updated information generated through the Bay Program partnership’s Phase 6 Chesapeake Bay watershed model. The goal of the Bay TMDL and supporting jurisdictional WIP process is to implement by 2025 all nutrient and sediment pollutant load reduction and prevention measures needed to fully restore water quality in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers.

4. Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership’s Environmental Models Models of the Chesapeake Bay’s airshed, watershed, estuary, and living resources have been developed by the partners and linked together over the past 30 years. The CBP partnership’s suite of models assists in understanding the important processes affecting the health of the watershed and the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. These modeling tools provide the Chesapeake Bay watershed state and local jurisdictions with an understanding of the effect of various control strategies on pollutant levels and the level of nutrient and sediment load reductions needed to restore the Chesapeake Bay and achieve the https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/water-quality-goal-implementation-team https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/scientific-and-technical-analysis-and-reporting http://www.chesapeakebay.net/ states’ water quality standards for dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, underwater bay grasses and water clarity. By quantifying the management actions necessary to restore Chesapeake Bay habitats and the living resources dependent on those habitats, these integrated Bay Program partnership models provide guidance to environmental managers and citizens on where the most cost-effective reductions can be made so that controls are equitable and broadly supported.

Development and application of the next generation of Chesapeake Bay models will require an unprecedented level of direct involvement of a wide array of non-federal CBP partners and stakeholders in each step of the planning, development, calibration, verification, management application, and continued refinement/enhancement. Given that Bay restoration decision-making occurs at a very local scale as a result of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, the jurisdictions’ WIPs, and the greatly expanded level of accountability, the next generation of the partnership’s Chesapeake Bay models must reflect these shifts in scale and accountability. These models must be developed for direct application by state and local jurisdictional partners, academic partners, and stakeholders alike, feeding directly into their respective and unique decision-making processes and supporting adaptive management at all scales.

Through the application of airshed, watershed, estuarine, and living resource modeling activities, the Bay Program’s state and local jurisdictional partners gain access to information that is used directly in decision making for Chesapeake Bay environmental restoration efforts. Chesapeake Bay environmental models are developed, calibrated, verified, and applied through an expanding cooperative network of state, federal, regional and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutional partners. These partnership models help set the pace and direction of Chesapeake Bay restoration by providing information on water quality and biological resource responses to different management actions.

5. Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership’s Monitoring Networks Undergoing adaptive changes over the past three decades as the partnership’s management needs and requests have significantly evolved over time, the Chesapeake Bay tidal monitoring network now includes: tidal water quality monitoring for 26 parameters at over 150 stations distributed over the 92 Chesapeake Bay tidal segments across Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia;

shallow-water monitoring addressing a select set of segments on a rotational basis; benthic infaunal community monitoring at fixed and random stations across the tidal waters; annual aerial and ground surveys of underwater Bay grasses; decadal records of phytoplankton and zooplankton monitoring; and fisheries’ independent population monitoring programs and surveys.

Each component of the tidal monitoring network has been designed to support the four Bay jurisdictions’ tidal water Section 303(d) listings to address dissolved oxygen, water clarity, underwater bay grasses, and chlorophyll a criteria attainment assessments, and benthic infaunal community-based impairment decisions. The Chesapeake Bay tidal monitoring network is funded, operated, and maintained through a longstanding state-federal-university partnership that produced the fundamental monitoring data supporting Chesapeake Bay TMDL development. This data is also utilized in public reporting on the health of the Chesapeake Bay, its tidal tributaries and embayments, and supporting ecosystems; assessment of achieving the Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions’ Chesapeake Bay water quality https://www.epa.gov/tmdl standards regulations; evaluation of the effectiveness of actions to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution loadings from the surrounding watershed; development, calibration, verification, and application of models; and generation and reporting of water quality and biological indicators.

The Chesapeake Bay Program Nontidal Network is a network of 123 streamflow gauges and water-quality sampling sites operated across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The network is an essential component to reporting, tracking, and modeling stream flow as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment concentrations and loads across the Chesapeake Bay watershed as it provides the only consistent, coordinated monitoring effort across all seven Chesapeake Bay watershed jurisdictions.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed monitoring network is designed to measure the discharge of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads with routine samples collected monthly with additional storm-event samples to obtain a range of discharges and loadings. The seven jurisdictions, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) all use the same set of standardized CBP protocols that are based on USGS sampling methods and EPA-approved analytical methods.

6. Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership’s Monitoring Program The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement required additional monitoring, modeling, and analysis to help decision-makers effectively achieve goals and associated outcomes. CBP science activities are coordinated through the STAR Team. To address the needs of the Watershed Agreement, STAR is evolving to have more of an ecosystem-based science mission. In addition to modeling, the STAR Team serves the CBP as a science collaboration effort to include water quality monitoring functions.

STAR manages CBP-funded monitoring networks and coordinates with additional science providers to utilize networks to address the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. It ensures information quality, management, and access. The STAR Team updates and delivers the status and trends (indicators) of ecosystem conditions and explains ecosystem conditions and changes. Results of its work are synthesized and communicated to support the CBP decision framework employed by the goal teams to develop and implement management strategies for the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

The CBP monitoring programs include the nontidal nutrient and sediment network, tidal water-quality monitoring network, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), tidal benthic monitoring network, and Citizen Science monitoring. The Bay Program recognizes that monitoring is foundational to the CBP’s ability to assess progress toward its goals and outcomes and utilizing adaptive-management principles.

B. Scope of Work

This RFA is seeking one recipient to support the CBP’s mission of expanding and accelerating the implementation of nutrient and sediment load reduction practices and technologies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This will be accomplished through evaluation of programmatic gaps, institutional capacity, and implementation effectiveness leading to adaptive management. The four overarching objectives of this RFA include:

1. Building the capacity for targeting implementation of the most cost-effective and efficient pollution reduction practices and technologies, working directly with federal, state, regional, and local governmental and non-governmental implementation efforts;

2. Enhancing multiple-partner, consensus-based environmental decision-making throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed via the application of a suite of the CBP partnership’s airshed, watershed and estuarine models and other decision support tools, integrated with monitoring data and research findings;

3. Improving the understanding of the past, present, and future responses of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and its watershed to management actions through management, analysis, and interpretation of long-term monitoring network data; and

4. Expanding the acquisition, maintenance, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of geospatial data and information important to the CBP partners.

While the CBP partnership is comprised of federal and non-federal organizations, activities funded under this RFA are primarily for the support of the non-federal partners. The recipient of the cooperative agreement awarded under this RFA may work directly with federal agencies, but the nature of the work will result only in direct, significant benefits to the non-federal agencies, partners, and the public. Any indirect or incidental benefits to EPA are not the purpose of this RFA. The non-federal CBP partners will provide programmatic direction to the successful applicant through the CBP partnership’s WQGIT and its workgroups, the CBP partnership’s STAR Team and its workgroups, and other CBP partnership’s GITs.

Applications should address administrative, technical, and coordination support to the non-federal partners and the appropriate CBP technical workgroups for carrying out the stated missions of these committees, teams, and workgroups within the larger CBP management structure.

EPA plans to award one six-year cooperative agreement under this RFA. The total estimated funding under this solicitation is approximately $1,146,000 overall, with an estimated $191,000 available for the first year and each year thereafter. There is no guarantee of funding throughout this period or beyond.

If your organization has an interest in and the capacity to accomplish the tasks described in this Section and is eligible to receive a federal assistance agreement as described in Section III of this announcement, we encourage you to apply. Each eligible application will be evaluated using the criteria described in Section V. This is a multi-year project (up to six years), and the application should have a work plan and budget for the first year and a projected work plan and estimated budget details for each of the subsequent five years.

The successful applicant will supply staff who have significant, in-depth academic and/or professional experience in analysis and evaluation of stormwater data and technical program implementation in support of the most cost-effective, efficient, and targeted nutrient, sediment, and chemical contaminant reduction actions. Priority tasks for this activity are set by the WQGIT and its Urban Stormwater Workgroup (USWG).

The application should include the planning and performance of stormwater-related cost-effective, pollutant-load-reduction-efficiencies, programmatic gap/capacity, and management effectiveness analyses and evaluations that are critical to ensuring successful implementation of local and state stormwater management programs. The successful applicant will be responsible for conducting these priority tasks at small- to large-watersheds, local to state jurisdictions, and basin-wide scales.

The following are priority tasks that the non-federal CBP partners have indicated they need based on the implementation of the jurisdictions’ Phase III WIPs and development and management application of the Partnership’s Phase 6 and Phase 7 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Models. Applicants should address how they will conduct these tasks or describe in detail alternative approaches to inform state, regional, and local decision-making on the implementation of the most cost-effective, pollutant-load–reduction-efficient and geographically targeted nutrient and sediment reduction actions.

Jurisdiction and Local Partner Implementation Support

• Provide technical assistance and training through workshops, conferences, webinars and development of resources to help state and local partners more effectively plan for, design, implement, maintain, inspect, verify and report stormwater management actions.

• Provide specific technical assistance and trainings on BMP verification that should follow “Strengthening Verification of Best Management Practices Implemented in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: A Basinwide Framework” as well as “Chesapeake Bay Program Urban Stormwater Workgroup’s BMP Verification Guidance” for verification of stream restoration practices built for pollutant crediting in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

• Work with EPA and state regulatory agencies to help the regulated community understand how to comply with regulatory and permit conditions.

• Support the seven watershed jurisdictions’ development and implementation of the Phase III WIPs and two-year milestone commitments for stormwater-related pollutant load reductions and programmatic capacity building. Priority focus of this support should be directed towards the development and implementation of commitments that target the unregulated developed sectors.

• Assist the CBP partnership’s state, regional, and local jurisdictions with modeling the nutrient and sediment loads resulting from alternative stormwater management scenarios in developing, tracking, and adjusting their WIPs and two-year milestones, including the development of contingencies.

• Provide technical assistance to the seven watershed jurisdictions for the development and implementation of local area planning targets in the urban stormwater sector for their respective Phase III and future WIPs. Technical assistance can include identifying and conducting outreach to targeted audiences for local area planning targets as well as the scale(s) at which the targets can be developed.

Stormwater Management Cost-effective and Efficiency Analyses

• Conduct cost-effective and pollutant-load–reduction-efficiency analyses of existing, proposed, and potential Partnership’s state, regional, and local agencies’ stormwater programs, regulations and policies directing implementation of nutrient and sediment load reduction practices and technologies with an emphasis on addressing nonpoint sources in the unregulated developed sector.

• Actively communicate the resultant findings and implications to the Partnership through the CBP management organization.

• Undertake necessary technology transfer steps to incorporate future capacity for conducting similar analyses in the Partnership’s state, regional, and local agencies and stakeholder organizations to support the practice of continual adaptive management.

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/documents/Complete%20CBP%20BMP%20Verification%20Framwork%20with%20appendices.pdf https://www.chesapeakebay.net/documents/Complete%20CBP%20BMP%20Verification%20Framwork%20with%20appendices.pdf https://d38c6ppuviqmfp.cloudfront.net/documents/Appendix%20B%20Urban%20Stormwater%20BMP%20verification%20guidance.pdf https://d38c6ppuviqmfp.cloudfront.net/documents/Appendix%20B%20Urban%20Stormwater%20BMP%20verification%20guidance.pdf

Stormwater Programmatic Gap and Capacity Analyses

• Work with Partnership’s state, regional, and local agencies and non-governmental organizations to carry out identification of regulatory, financial, and policy gaps and evaluation of capacity of existing state, regional, and local stormwater management program infrastructure necessary to support sustained implementation at the levels required within the respective jurisdictions’ WIPs and two-year milestones.

• Quantify the implementation and pollutant reduction potential of existing and alternative regulations, policies, legislation, and program funding levels.

• Directly assist the CBP partnership’s state and local jurisdictions with the development and assessment of their respective WIPs and watershed restoration strategies.

• Provide Bay pollutant reduction plans and Chesapeake Bay TMDL action plans detailing the management practices and implementation levels necessary to meet their assigned stormwater cap-loading targets.

Expanded Stormwater Practice Tracking, Reporting and Verification

• Assist the Partnership’s state, regional, and local agencies in expanding and enhancing their existing systems for tracking and reporting stormwater pollutant reduction practices and technologies to more comprehensively and accurately track and report practices and technologies implemented both within and outside the scope of regulatory or cost-shared programs.

• Assist the Partnership’s state, regional, and local agencies in building systems and structures for ensuring the necessary level of verification of the tracked and reported stormwater practices and technologies across all source sectors and jurisdictions.

• Develop trainings for the use of these tracking, reporting and verification systems adopted by the Partnership’s state, regional and local agencies.

Team and Workgroup Support

• Coordinate the agenda, activities, deliverables, and recommendations of the USWG.

• Provide technical support in preparation for, and participate in, the meetings of the STAR Team and its workgroups, specifically the Modeling Workgroup, as requested.

• Provide technical support in preparation for, and participate in, the meetings of the WQGIT and its technical and source workgroups, most notably the Land Use, Watershed Technical, Toxics and Federal Facilities Workgroups, and other Goal Implementation Teams and workgroups as requested.

• Provide support to the CBP partners through the synthesis of relevant published literature, reports, and program materials.

• Disseminate information through presentations at GIT and workgroup meetings, technical/scientific conferences, and other appropriate venues.

Best Management Practice Review, Approval and Crediting

• Work regularly with the full array of partners and stakeholders in identifying new practices, anticipate new technologies and approaches, and help partners and stakeholders follow the partnership-approved BMP protocol to gain partnership approval for how these new practices and technologies will be applied and credited within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, airshed and estuarine models.

• Convene panels of experts to draft new stormwater practices and development approaches as part of the BMP protocol for partnership approval.

• Ensure the full set of Partnership-approved practices and efficiencies incorporate the latest scientific findings and on-the-ground data in how they are simulated and credited within the Partnership’s Chesapeake Bay watershed models.

• Provide training and technical assistance to state, local, and other partners so that they understand the definitions and pollutant-reduction effectiveness associated with CBP-approved BMPs and also know how to select, design, maintain, inspect and report these BMPs.

Development, Enhancement and Application of the Chesapeake Assessment Scenario Tool (CAST)

• Ensure full consideration of stormwater BMPs, technologies, and development approaches as they are directly factored into the continued development, documentation, and enhancement of CAST.

• Help incorporate new and/or refined stormwater-related BMPs, technologies, and development approaches and their efficiencies upon approval by the CBP partnership.

• Assist in running the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s CAST tools in support of generation of input decks for running management scenarios through the suite of the Partnership’s models.

Advise in the development of more user-friendly tools that replicate CAST Watershed Model Application and Analysis

• Assist in the development, adaptation, and operation of the Partnership’s watershed models and work to continually improve their simulation of stormwater and the full array of practices, technologies, and development approaches designed to reduce stormwater runoff.

• Assist in the analysis of nutrient and sediment loads in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the application of these loads into the Partnership’s estuarine models, and interpretation of the model scenario output from the stormwater perspective.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage & Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

1. Linkage to EPA’s Strategic Plan The activities to be funded under this solicitation support the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan. Awards made under this solicitation will support Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities, Objective 5.2 Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds of the Strategic Plan.

EPA Order 5700.7A1 also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements. Applicants must 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 accomplish the activities described above in Section I.B.

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 during an assistance agreement funding period. Examples of potential outputs under the Scope of Work of this announcement may include but are not limited to the following:

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf

• Support the WQGIT, USWG and other technical and management/policy CBP groups as needed.

• Effective and targeted dissemination of the model documentation and findings tailored to the

Chesapeake Bay Program partners and stakeholders.

• Analysis of the relative cost-effectiveness of BMPs under varying conditions.

• Web-based access to a wide array of nonpoint-source-interpretative products and geo-spatial map and interpretative products at a multitude of scales relevant to the users.

• Partnership and public access to tidal and watershed water quality data, programmatic information and interpretative products at a multitude of scales relevant to the users.

• Develop and maintain databases related to urban fertilizer and its management in urbanized watersheds.

• Communicate findings to stakeholders, including stormwater practitioners, policymakers, and the public, through reports, presentations, and other channels. Collaborate with other data scientists, engineers, and researchers to develop and implement data-driven solutions to improve urban/suburban best management practices.

Progress reports and a final report will also be required outputs for all activities, as specified in Section VI.C., Reporting, of this announcement.

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. Examples of outcomes under the Scope of Work of this announcement will include but are not limited to the following:

• Reduced nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment delivered to tidal Bay waters to appropriately respond to water quality challenges to achieve Bay water quality standards.

• Increased knowledge and strategies to improve local economic and human health and environmental goals through a restored Chesapeake Bay.

• Improved knowledge about Chesapeake Bay critical load of nutrients for improved ecosystem health and future climate change scenarios through achievement of water quality standards in all Chesapeake tributaries.

• Improved CBP decision-making and leadership in responding to future water quality challenges.

• Enhanced multi-partner, consensus-based environmental decision making in the Chesapeake

Bay Watershed through the integrated analysis of stormwater data – both monitored and modeled – used for planning more cost-effective restoration strategies as well as measuring progress toward achieving Chesapeake Bay Program goals.

D. Authorizing Statutes and Regulations

This grant is made pursuant to CWA Section 117(d), 33 U.S.C. Section 1267(d), which authorizes EPA to issue grants and cooperative agreements for the purposes of protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem. This project is subject to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Uniform Grants Guidance (2 C.F.R. Part 200) and EPA-specific provisions of the Uniform Grants Guidance (2 C.F.R.

Part 1500).

E. Minority Serving Institutions:

EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in Section III, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity. For purposes of this solicitation, the following are considered MSIs:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. §

1061(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities;

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. §

1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities;

3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)).

A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions;

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; and

5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20 U.S.C.

1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Amount and Expected Number of Awards

The total estimated federal funding under this solicitation is approximately $1,146,000 for one cooperative agreement. Funding will be awarded incrementally in the amount of $191,000 per year for six years depending on funding availability, satisfactory performance, Agency priorities, and other applicable considerations.

EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no award under this announcement or award less than the estimated funding amounts above. Funding for the activity depends on funding availability, satisfactory performance, Agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. EPA makes no commitment of annual funding amounts for any fiscal year(s), as funds may be limited based on these applicable considerations.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selection is made. Any additional selection for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decision.

https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187275%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187275%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4

B. Award Type

EPA intends to award one cooperative agreement under this solicitation. Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer and the selected applicant 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, but not be limited to:

• Close monitoring of the grantee’s performance to verify the results reported by the grantee;

• Collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

• A review of proposed procurement in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318;

• 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).

EPA does not have the authority to select recipient or recommend employees, contractors, or subrecipients, and the final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient.

For this project, federal involvement would typically be in the form of participation with other CBP partners and stakeholders in an advisory capacity to the recipient. The participation is expected to include involvement through various CBP GITs and related committees and workgroups (on which EPA also participates to ensure that all the recommendations for technical work support the CBP partners).

All work conducted is to support the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

C. Partial Funding

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 a project, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice the applicant 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.

D. Expected Project Period

The expected project period for the cooperative agreement is six years, with funding provided on an annual basis. No commitment of funding can be made beyond the first year. The expected start date for the award resulting from this RFA is January 1, 2024.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.

A. Eligible Applicants

Consistent with Assistance Listing 66.466 and CWA Section 117(d), competition under this solicitation is available for technical and general assistance grants to nonprofit organizations, state, tribal (federally-https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what-guides-us/watershed-agreement https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://sam.gov/fal/7b740f783ed040c590a00bb61252dfd9/view recognized) and local governments, colleges, universities, and interstate agencies. For-profit organizations are not eligible to submit applications in response to this RFA.

Consistent with the definition of ”nonprofit organization” at 2 CFR 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that 2 CFR 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a non-profit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR 200.1 are also eligible to apply as nonprofits or as instrumentalities of the unit of government depending on the applicable law. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status; such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611.

B. Cost-Share or Matching Requirements

Pursuant to CWA Section 117(d)(2)(A), 33 USC Section 1267(d)(2)(A), the agency shall determine the cost-share requirements for awards. Assistance Listing 66.466, states that assistance agreement applicants must commit to a cost-share ranging from 5 percent to 50 percent of eligible project costs as determined at the sole discretion of EPA. For this RFA, EPA has determined that an applicant must provide a minimum of 5 percent of the total cost of the project as the non-federal cost-share.

Cost-share may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Involvement from foundations, watershed groups, private sector, eligible governmental, as well as non-conventional partners can help with the match. The match must be met by eligible and allowable costs and is subject to the match provisions in grant regulations. Applications that do not demonstrate how the minimum 5 percent match will be met will be rejected. Selected recipients must comply with 2 CFR 200.306 when meeting a cost share. For instruction on calculating the cost share/match requirement and calculating in-kind assistance (if requesting), please see Appendix A of this announcement.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and must meet the eligibility requirements described in Sections III.A., B., and C. to be considered eligible. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this solicitation or else they will be rejected. However, https://sam.gov/fal/7b740f783ed040c590a00bb61252dfd9/view https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D#200.306 where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the application, or parts thereof, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

2. In addition, initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this solicitation (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 solicitation. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this solicitation to ensure that their application is timely submitted. Please note that applicants experiencing technical issues with submission through Grants.gov should follow the instructions provided in Section IV, which include both the requirement to contact Grants.gov and email a full application to EPA prior to the deadline.

3. Applications submitted outside of Grants.gov will be deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was due to EPA mishandling or technical problems associated with Grants.gov or SAM.gov. 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 submission outside of Grants.gov.

4. Applications must be for projects linked to the strategic goal outlined in Section I.C.1.

5. For an application to be considered eligible for funding, all project-related activities included in the application must directly support the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which includes portions of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and all of the District of Columbia.

6. Applications must show how they will meet the 5 percent cost-share requirement of Section III.B. Applications that fail to meet the minimum 5 percent cost-share requirement will be rejected. (See Appendix A for additional information regarding the budget narrative and formula for calculating cost share.)

7. Applications requesting funding for more than the maximum funding available ($1,146,000) will be rejected.

8. 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.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.

A. How to Obtain an Application Package

Applicants can download individual grant application forms from the application package available in the Workspace associated with this opportunity on Grants.gov.

B. Submission Process

1. 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 3. Technical Issues with Submission below.

2. Submission Instructions

a. SAM.gov (System for Award Management) Registration Instructions

Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active SAM.gov registration. If you have never done business with the Federal Government, you will need to register your organization in SAM.gov. If you do not have a SAM.gov account, then you will create an account using login.gov (1) to complete your SAM.gov registration. SAM.gov registration is FREE. The process for entity registrations includes obtaining Unique Entity ID (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned an entity by SAM.gov, and requires assertions, representations and certifications, and other information about your organization. Please review the Entity Registration Checklist for details on this process.

If you have done business with the Federal Government previously, you can check your entity status using your government issued UEI to determine if your registration is active. SAM.gov requires you renew your registration every 365 days to keep it active.

Please note that SAM.gov registration is different than obtaining a UEI only. Obtaining an UEI only validates your organization's legal business name and address. Please review the Frequently Asked Question on the difference for additional details.

Organizations should ensure that their SAM.gov registration includes a current e-Business (EBiz) point of contact name and email address. The EBiz point of contact is critical for Grants.gov Registration and system functionality.

Contact the Federal Service Desk for help with your SAM.gov account, to resolve technical issues or chat with a help desk agent: (866) 606-8220. The Federal Service desk hours of operation are Monday — Friday 8am — 8pm ET.

b. Grants.gov Registration Instructions

Once your SAM.gov account is active, you must register in Grants.gov. Grants.gov will electronically receive your organization information, such as e-Business (EBiz) point of contact email address and UEI.

Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active Grants.gov registration.

Grants.gov registration is FREE. If you have never applied for a federal grant before, please review the Grants.gov Applicant Registration instructions. As part of the Grants.gov registration process, the EBiz point of contact is the only person that can affiliate and assign applicant roles to members of an https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement https://login.gov/ https://intranet.epa.gov/ogd/competition/compet/grants_gov_instructions_open_or_simplified_on_after_june_2022.htm#1 https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=51a2fa061b0bcd500ca4a97ae54bcb18 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0051214&sys_kb_id=dd40f4ef1b9641d0937fa64ce54bcb7a&spa=1 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0051214&sys_kb_id=dd40f4ef1b9641d0937fa64ce54bcb7a&spa=1 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html organization. In addition, at least one person must be assigned as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Only person(s) with the AOR role can submit applications in Grants.gov. Please review the Intro to Grants.gov-Understanding User Roles and Learning Workspace - User Roles and Workspace Actions for details on this important process.

Please note that this process can take a month or more for new registrants. 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…