EPA-R3-CBP-24-01.pdf

OVERVIEW

FEDERAL AGENCY AND OFFICE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 3, Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: Landscape Characterization and Monitoring in the Chesapeake

Bay Watershed

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: EPA-R3-CBP-24-01

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 66.466

IMPORTANT DATES

July 19, 2024 Application Closing Date August 19, 2024 Anticipated Initial Award Selection October 1, 2024 Anticipated Start of Period of Performance

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

B. Scope of Work

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

D. Authorizing Statutes and Regulations

E. Minority Serving Institutions

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Amount, Number of Awards, and Project Period

B. Award Type and Substantial Involvement

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirements

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

B. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

C. Application Materials

D. Informational Webinar and Application Assistance

E. Other Application Information

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Evaluation Process

B. Evaluation Criteria

C. Review and Selection Process

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices and Instructions for Submission of Final Application

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

C. Reporting

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

APPENDIX A. PROJECT NARRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS, FORMAT, AND CONTENT

APPENDIX B. BUDGET GUIDANCE AND REQUIREMENTS

APPENDIX C. APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

APPENDIX D. ADDITIONAL RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

APPENDIX E. CHESAPEAKE BAY LULC MAPPING AREA

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 a unique regional, state, federal, and local partnership that has been directing and conducting the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. 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. 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. About the CBP Partnership 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 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. It also approves directives, agreements, and amendments that set goals and guide policy for Chesapeake Bay restoration. To ensure implementation of the Executive Council’s Chesapeake Bay Agreements, the CBP partnership has several committees, teams, and workgroups comprised of participating partners.

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.

The Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) provides scientific and technical guidance to the CBP on measures to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay. Since its creation in December 1984, STAC has worked to enhance scientific communication and outreach throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and beyond.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/maps http://www.chesapeakebay.net/maps https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what-guides-us/watershed-agreement https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/chesapeake-executive-council https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/how_we_are_organized 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 https://www.chesapeake.org/stac/

The Water Quality Goal Implementation Team (WQGIT) works to evaluate, focus, and accelerate the implementation of practices, policies, programs that will restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to conditions that support living resources and protect human health. The WQGIT reports to the Management Board and PSC.

The Land Use Workgroup (LUWG) will provide overall direction to the activities funded through this NOFO and is tasked with overseeing the development and review of high-resolution (i.e., 1-meter cells) LULC data with sufficient categorical detail to inform current and future versions of the watershed model and multiple outcomes outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement and any future agreements. The LUWG is composed mostly of land use planners focused on policy and implementation.

On technical remote sensing and mapping matters, the LUWG is advised by the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) CBP Land Data Team composed with expertise in remote sensing, land use mapping, and change detection. The LUWG Coordinator, with support from the USGS-CBP Land Data Team, are responsible for coordinating land use mapping activities with all other relevant workgroups (see below).

The LUWG reports to the WQGIT and defers to them on matters with watershed modeling implications.

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 located at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/. For general information on EPA and CBPO grants, please visit the EPA Grants website, the EPA Region 3 Grants website, and the CBPO Grant Guidance website.

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.

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/water-quality-goal-implementation-team https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/land-use-workgroup https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-chesapeake-bay-program-office http://www.chesapeakebay.net/ https://www.epa.gov/grants https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-your-region-information-specific-epa-region-3 https://www.epa.gov/grants/chesapeake-bay-program-grant-guidance https://www.epa.gov/grants/chesapeake-bay-program-grant-guidance https://www.epa.gov/chesapeake-bay-tmdl

4. High Resolution Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Data Accurate land use/land cover (LULC) data are critical for informing the CBP Watershed Model and changes in LULC are influencing factors for 20 of the 31 outcomes in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Prior to 2017, LULC data for the Chesapeake Bay watershed were derived mainly from 30-meter resolution satellite imagery. Inaccuracies in these data at local scales, related to their coarse spatial and categorical resolution, made it difficult for states to develop WIPs and to receive credit for all reported best management practices (BMPs). To help provide the CBP federal, state, and local partners with the level of detailed LULC data needed to support restoration and conservation decisions, the CBP partnership supported a basin-wide effort to acquire, interpret, and map high-resolution LULC across the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The result was the acquisition of a consistent and accurate LULC dataset for the 206 counties and incorporated cities within and/or adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay watershed (See Appendix E).

Excluding the Bay itself, this region has a 95,000 mi2 land area. Using publicly available aerial imagery from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), and Light Detection And Ranging LiDAR imagery from states and the U.S. Geological Survey, a scalable and replicable methodology was used to generate 1-meter spatial resolution LULC data with 62 classes for the years 2013/14, 2017/18, and 2021/22 with class accuracies equal to or greater than 95% for critical classes (e.g., tree canopy and impervious surfaces). To support the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and the CBP partnership’s suite of modeling tools (e.g., Phase 7 watershed model and Main Bay Model), high-resolution LULC data need to be continually produced over the next decade.

Restoration and conservation efforts in the Bay watershed will continue into the foreseeable future as will the diverse array of LULC applications implemented by counties, municipalities, and other organizations that have become reliant on high-resolution LULC data. A continuous, longer-term, and more frequent land data record is required to better understand factors affecting land use and the relationships between land use, water quality, and climate change. At a minimum, the record of consistent and detailed LULC data needs to be continued through the next decade to: 1) ensure the production of LULC data based on 2025/26 aerial imagery; 2) ensure that the products continue to meet and adapt to the diverse and evolving needs of the CBP partnership; and 3) leverage new sources of imagery, computational capacities, and scientific techniques as they become available and applicable.

B. Scope of Work This NOFO is seeking insightful, expert, and cost-effective applications from eligible applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program’s non-federal partners with updated LULC data, enhanced river corridor data, and landscape metrics and communication products associated with these data to facilitate their application to CBP outcomes and the CBP’s Phase 7 suite of modeling tools.

EPA seeks to support one recipient for four Activities to: (1) produce high spatial-resolution (<= 1m2) land cover for the years 2025/26 ensuring consistent and accurate estimates of land cover change since 2013/14; (2) produce hyper-temporal spectral indices from 1985- 2028; (3) produce high spatial-resolution (<= 1m2) land use for the years 2025/26 ensuring consistent and accurate estimates of land use change since 2013/14 and improve BMP opportunity mapping and verification with LULC data; and

(4) characterize stream corridors to enhance the utility and application of hyper-resolution hydrography data.

While the CBP partnership is comprised of federal and non-federal organizations, any activities funded under this NOFO are not intended to and will not directly benefit the federal partners. The recipient of the cooperative agreement awarded under this NOFO may work directly with federal agencies, but the nature of that work will result only in direct, significant benefits to the non-federal agencies, partners, and general public. Any indirect and incidental benefits to EPA are not the purpose of the NOFO. The non-federal partners of the CBP will provide programmatic direction to the successful applicant through the LUWG and WQGIT.

EPA plans to award one five-year cooperative agreement under this NOFO. The total estimated funding under this solicitation is approximately $6,500,000 overall, with an estimated $1,300,000 available for the first year and each year thereafter. However, there is no guarantee of funding throughout this period or beyond. The table below summarizes the estimated funding available for each activity throughout the expected five-year project period.1

Activity Estimated

Funding Per Year Total Estimated

Funding for Five Years Activity 1: High-Resolution Land Cover Characterization and Monitoring

$500,000 $2,500,000

Activity 2: Hyper-Temporal Spectral Indices $100,000 $500,000 Activity 3: High-Resolution Land Use Characterization, Monitoring, and BMP verification

$500,000 $2,500,000

Activity 4: Stream Corridor Characterization $200,000 $1,000,000

TOTAL $1,300,000 $6,500,000

The above activities will support the CBP partnership’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and the CBP partnership’s continuing mission to evaluate the effectiveness of management actions taken to reduce nutrient and sediment pollutant loads and to improve Chesapeake Bay water quality through the seven watershed jurisdictions’ WIPs under current and future climate change and economic development that results in landscape changes. The CBP partnership mission includes enhancing and maintaining the accountability of systems dependent on tracking, verifying, reporting, and quantifying the estimated pollutant load reduction potential of practices, treatments, and technologies implemented throughout the watershed as well as assessing their collective influence on Chesapeake Bay tidal water quality. The activities outlined in this NOFO are particularly important for evaluating progress towards meeting the outcomes in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and for informing the development of future goals and outcomes.

The successful applicant will supply staff who have significant, in-depth academic and/or professional experience in analysis and evaluation of LULC data. Priority tasks for each activity are set by the WQGIT and the LUWG. The CBPO’s Data Center will be involved in any data, code, technologies, applications, and products developed under this NOFO.

If your organization has an interest and the experience to accomplish the activities described below and is eligible to receive a federal assistance agreement as described in Section III of this NOFO, we

1 The funding levels detailed in the chart are intended as estimates only based on the scope of work for each activity. Recipients may propose different funding levels for each activity so long as the application addresses each activity, and the overall funding request does not exceed the maximum limit of $6,500,000.

encourage you to apply. Each eligible application will be evaluated using the criteria described in Section V. Applicants must address each activity below in their application to be considered eligible.

Activity 1: High-Resolution Land Cover Characterization and Monitoring Estimated Funding: $2,500,000 ($500,000 per year for 5 years)

This activity involves the development of a high spatial-resolution (<= 1m2) land cover dataset for the Chesapeake Bay region (i.e., 206 counties intersecting and adjacent to the watershed) for the years 2025/26 and land cover change from 2021/22 to 2025/26 that is consistent with existing land cover change data produced for the years 2013/14 to 2017/18, and 2017/18 to 2021/22. Differences in image registration, sun angle, and phenology should be considered when estimating change. The best available existing imagery should be leveraged to the extent practicable including NAIP imagery, LiDAR imagery and derivatives (e.g., Digital Surface Models, Digital Elevation Models), and digital ortho-imagery. Other freely available or competitively priced image sources may be considered. Retrospective updates to the static 2013/14, 2017/18, and 2021/22 land cover data will be required to ensure consistency through time. The land cover data should have a minimum of nine classes (i.e., water, barren, herbaceous, shrubland, tree canopy, roads, structures, other impervious surfaces, and tree canopy over impervious).

Class accuracies for tree canopy and total impervious cover should equal or exceed 95% and equal or exceed 90% for change. All other individual class accuracies should equal or exceed 85% for static and change data.

Innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods should be evaluated and applied to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the land cover data including a finer categorization of herbaceous lands that may represent one of the highest polluting land uses (e.g., cropland) or one of the lowest (e.g., lands undergoing natural succession). This activity needs to be closely coordinated with Activities 2 and 3.

Within the first six months of the initiation of Activity 1, the recipient will provide a detailed action plan for review by the LUWG, CBPO project manager (PM), and EPA project officer (PO) describing how High- Resolution Land Cover Characterization and Monitoring will be developed and how the modeling, analysis, documentation, and technical transfer will be communicated to stakeholders. Over the course of the project, the recipient will develop a state-stratified accuracy assessment of land cover change from 2021/22 to 2025/26 for all change class combinations composing up to 95% of observed change.

This will be shared with the LUWG as the work progresses.

The resultant land cover data will be used in Activity 3 to create the LULC data. The recipient will coordinate with CBPO’s Data Center to ensure that any data, code, technologies, applications, and products developed under this activity are transferable.

Activity 2: Hyper-Temporal Spectral Indices Estimated Funding: $500,000 ($100,000 per year for 5 years)

This activity is focused on developing a spatially- and temporally-referenced database of hyper-temporal spectral indices derived from Landsat and Sentinel 1 & 2 imagery, and imagery from NASA’s upcoming Side-Aperture Radar mission (NISAR) imagery (when available) for the years 1985–2028 representing vegetation condition and surface moisture/water estimates at 30-meter and 10-meter resolution and produced at monthly, bimonthly, seasonal, and annual intervals. The hyper-temporal spectral indices should include, but not be limited to, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized

Difference Moisture Index, Tasseled Cap Wetness, and Radar backscatter. Deliverables include open-source algorithms that can be applied to the database to detect and filter noise both across space and through time and for characterizing spatial and temporal patterns, trends, and change in spectral indices. The capability to update the database, discern trends, and detect changes should be transferred to the CBPO in coordination with the CBPO Data Center staff to ensure the continued and consistent interpretation of these data beyond the termination of the project. These data will inform the timing, frequency, and duration of land disturbances such as new construction and timber harvests, enable the continued monitoring of marsh migration and dissolution, enable improved wetland mapping (NISAR), allow for the identification of healthy vs. disturbed pasture, improve the accuracy of the overall LULC classification, and inform multiple indicators on Chesapeake Progress.

Within the first six months of the initiation of Activity 2, the recipient will provide a detailed action plan for review by the LUWG, CBPO PM, and EPA PO describing how Hyper-Temporal Spectral Indices will be developed and how the modeling, analysis, documentation, and technical transfer communicated to stakeholders.

This activity must be coordinated with Activities 1 and 3. The recipient will coordinate with CBPO’s Data Center to ensure that any data, code, technologies, applications, and products developed under this activity are transferable.

Activity 3: High-Resolution Land Use Characterization, Monitoring, and BMP verification Estimated Funding: $2,500,000 ($500,000 per year for 5 years)

This activity involves the collection and curation of ancillary spatial data (e.g., tax parcels, road and utility centerlines, quarries, solar, harvesting) and the use of these data, in combination with land cover and spectral indices, to map the CBP’s 62 land use/land cover classes at high-resolution (<= 1m2) for the years 2025/26 with retrospective updates to the 2021/22, 2017/18, and 2013/14 LULC datasets to ensure temporal and categorical consistency. Innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods should be evaluated and applied to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the LULC data including the mapping of new and emergent land uses to meet the needs of the CBP Partners.

This activity will provide public access to the LULC data and the ability to visualize the source imagery, LULC, and LULC change data. It will facilitate the updating of existing tools that utilize the LULC data. In addition, it will produce land use and hydrography derivative products and analyses such as community-level fact sheets on impervious surfaces and riparian tree cover, geomorphic stream health indicators, Brook Trout habitat indicators, and refined assessments of urban tree canopy dynamics to inform tree planting and conservation goals.

This activity will establish formal and open communication channels between local users of the land use, land condition, and hydrography data and the CBP’s Land Use Workgroup. These communication channels will help the CBP to identify common interests between local uses of the data and CBP outcomes. The communication channels will also serve to identify strategic opportunities to inform local and state policies and regulations to support CBP restoration and conservation outcomes. Finally, this effort will generate information needed to continually improve the relevance of the LULC to a diverse array of restoration and conservation decisions.

The final part of Activity 3 is to leverage machine learning coupled with manual interpretation to identify the presence/absence of structural and land cover Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as https://www.chesapeakeprogress.com/ detention ponds, manure storage areas, grass buffers, forest buffers, cover crops, ditch management, and stream restoration. This approach can be used to improve accounting of implemented BMPs and for opportunity mapping where BMPs are needed, leveraging the enhanced hydrography data produced in Activity 4.

Within the first six months of the initiation of Activity 3, the recipient will provide a detailed action plan for review by the LUWG, CBPO PM, and EPA PO describing how High-Resolution Land Use Characterization, Monitoring, and BMP verification will be developed and how the modeling, analysis, documentation, and technical transfer communicated to stakeholders.

Coordination with Activities 1, 2, and 4 are required. This activity will also coordinate with CBPO’s Data Center to ensure technologies are transferable.

Activity 4: Stream Corridor Characterization Estimated Funding: $1,000,000 ($200,000 per year for 5 years)

This activity increases the utility of hyper-resolution (1:2000 scale) hydrography data developed for the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership by assigning the stream features with attributes on streamflow permanence/periodicity, channel dimensions, culverts, and floodplain/valley characteristics. Streamflow permanence attributes include classifying streams as to their seasonal probability of flow, which can be used to designate them as ephemeral, intermittent, or perennial and to help determine which features should be buffered with trees. Floodplain and valley characteristics include measures of stream confinement and connectivity with adjacent floodplains and spatial data on the flooded extent of the floodplain under a range of storm recurrence intervals, e.g., 2-year, 10-year, 50-year, and 100-year flood events. USGS is currently developing methods to map the floodplain across a range of storm events in a few pilot locations. This activity will be conducted in close coordination with the CBP’s Land Data Team.

This activity should include a component for crowd-sourcing stream flow data by engaging citizens and stakeholders in the monitoring and reporting on stream flow conditions at different times of year.

Within the first six months of the initiation of Activity 4, the recipient will provide a detailed action plan for review by the LUWG, Stream Health Workgroup, CBPO PM, and EPA PO describing how Stream Corridor Characterization will be developed and how the modeling, analysis, documentation, and technical transfer communicated to stakeholders.

Metadata and the spatial data created for this project should be structured to meet federal standards to the extent practicable. The recipient will coordinate with CBPO’s Data Center to ensure transferability and with Activity 3 to pursue ways to engage the public and local organizations in data collection activities.

Coordination and Communication The activities described above support multiple outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and will therefore require coordination and communication with a variety of CBP GITs, workgroups, and teams. In coordination with the CBPO PM and EPA PO, the selected recipient will provide progress briefings and report findings to the relevant CBP groups. Additionally, the successful applicant will host webinars and training sessions and post and promote materials online for users of the data developed under this cooperative agreement. Users will include state/local flood managers, hazard mitigation planners, land use and urban planners, residential community leaders, state/local water agencies, emergency response agencies, etc.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

1. Strategic Plan Linkage 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.

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.

2. Environmental Results: Outputs and Outcomes 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 contribute to accomplishment of the Activities described above in Section I.B.

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 or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the assistance agreement funding period.

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 environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within the assistance agreement funding period.

The following questions may be useful to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

• What measurable short- and longer-term results will the grant achieve?

• How will progress be measured in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes), and how will the approach to measuring progress use resources effectively and efficiently?

• Are the projected outputs and outcomes specific and detailed? Are specific target measures included where possible? Are target measures reasonable and achievable within the project period and for the funding amount?

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

Below are examples of potential outputs and outcomes for activities funded under this NOFO.

Applicants are encouraged to identify additional outputs and outcomes as relevant to their specific project plan.

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

Example Outputs

Outputs may include but are not limited to the following:

Activity 1: High-Resolution Land Cover Characterization and Monitoring

• Develop nine-class, 1-meter spatial resolution land cover raster data in cloud-optimized format for the year 2025/26 coordinated with the CBPO Data Center.

• Develop land cover change from 2021/22 to 2025/26 with consistent bias compared to land cover changes mapped for 2013/14 to 2017/18 to 2021/22. Important Note: This may require remapping 2013/14 and 2017/18.

• Develop a state-stratified accuracy assessment of land cover change from 2021/22 to 2025/26 for all change class combinations composing up to 95% of observed change.

Activity 2: Hyper-Temporal Spectral Indices

• Generate cloud-optimized raster datasets representing computed monthly, bimonthly, seasonal, and annual spectral indices (e.g., NDVI, NDMI, and others) at 30-meter (Landsat) and 10-meter (Sentinel) resolution coordinated with the CBPO Land Data Team and Data Center.

• Prepare a complete computation of and algorithms for filtering noise and for assessing spatial temporal trends and detecting changes in spectral indices over time (e.g., code base, environment files, documentation).

• Utilize code and workflows to update the spectral indices (e.g., Python or R code for use with Google Earth Engine, environment files, documentation, etc.).

Activity 3: High-Resolution Land Use Characterization, Monitoring, and BMP verification

• Generate a sixty-two class, 1-meter spatial resolution LULC raster data in cloud-optimized format for the year 2025/26 coordinated with the CBPO Data Center. (Exact classification will be decided by the CBPO Land Use Workgroup and Land Data Team.)

• Assess and document LULC change from 2021/22 to 2025/26. If changes are recommended to the classification schema or improvements to the mapping rules and/or ancillary data are instituted, LULC may have to be remapped for the years 2013/14 and 2017/18 to ensure consistency.

• Generate a comparison of bias in land cover change detection between the data for 2013/14 to 2017/18 to 2021/22 with the 2021/22 to 2025/26 change data.

Activity 4: Stream Corridor Characterization

• Assign flow regime, channel, and floodplain attributes associated with each reach in the CBP

Hyper-resolution Hydrography dataset.

• Integrate the hyper-resolution hydrography data into Phase 7 and stream health, brook trout, and watershed health outcomes.

• Prepare and deliver communication products for hydrography data (web-based data exploration and download tools) and the development of derivative data products to inform various CBP outcomes.

All Activities:

• Develop analysis tools, research, literature syntheses, and other materials to support

Chesapeake protection and restoration efforts and address the needs and requirements of CBP decision-makers and managers for responding to climate change, growth, and other challenges in the Chesapeake watershed and tidal Bay.

Example Outcomes

Outcomes may include but are not limited to the following:

• Reduced nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment delivered to tidal Bay waters sufficient enough to respond to 2035 and future climate change to achieve Bay water quality standards.

• Increased ability by the CBP partnership to make collaborative decisions needed to implement the requirements to meet 20 of 31 outcomes of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, particularly those related to stormwater runoff, urban tree canopy, riparian forest buffers, non-point source pollution, and toxics.

• Increased knowledge and strategies to improve local economies and human health and meet environmental goals through a restored Chesapeake Bay despite future challenges of climate.

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 Tribal 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;

https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmsiexchange.nasa.gov%2Finstitutions%3Fqp%255B0%255D%3Dcategories__name%26qo%255B0%255D%3Dis%26qv%255B0%255D%3DTribal%2520College%2520or%2520University&data=05%7C02%7CChapman.Erin%40epa.gov%7C7f1b3e4d791244fd18cc08dc6897a40a%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C638500247703224911%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ye0Thtl4eyPE4qbpiRASa7r%2FDHjTdrTCgl%2F93%2BSQpnM%3D&reserved=0 https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/

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, Number of Awards, and Project Period

The total estimated federal funding under this solicitation is approximately $6,500,000 for one cooperative agreement. Funding will be awarded incrementally in the amount of $1,300,000 per year for five years depending on funding availability, satisfactory performance, Agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. No commitment of funding can be made beyond the first year. The expected start date for the award resulting from this NOFO is October 1, 2024.

EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no award under this announcement or award less than the estimated funding amounts above. EPA makes no commitment of annual funding amounts for any fiscal year(s), as funds may be limited based on funding availability and the other factors listed above.

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 selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decision.

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.

B. Award Type and Substantial Involvement

EPA intends to award one cooperative agreement under this solicitation. Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between EPA and the recipient in the performance of the work supported.

The work involved in this cooperative agreement will be performed by the recipient in consultation with the CBP partnership’s GITs and workgroups, in which EPA also substantially participates as a CBP partner, to ensure that the efforts of all members are coordinated and there is consistency of recommendations and decisions for all CBP partners. While EPA will negotiate the precise terms and conditions relating to its substantial involvement as part of the award process, EPA anticipates that the substantial involvement will include:

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

• Regular GIT and/or workgroup meeting attendance and participation.

• Reviewing and commenting on the recipient’s programmatic progress reports.

• Semi-annual meetings between the recipient and the EPA PO or their delegate.

• Ad hoc progress meetings, as requested by EPA.

• Reviewing and commenting on any documents, web content, or other materials developed under this agreement. (The recipient will make final decisions on these matters.)

• Consultation and/or coordination between EPA, the recipient, and monitoring and modeling stakeholders.

• Joint operational involvement, participation, and/or collaboration between EPA and the recipient.

• Consultation with EPA regarding the selection of key personnel. EPA’s involvement is limited to reviewing the technical qualifications of key personnel. The recipient will make the final decisions on selection. EPA will not suggest, recommend, or direct the recipient to select any individual.

EPA does not have the authority to select or recommend for selection employees, contractors, or subrecipients of the recipient. Likewise, the final content of reports developed under this agreement is the decision of the recipient.

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-recognized) and local governments, colleges, universities, and interstate agencies. For-profit organizations are not eligible to submit applications in response to this NOFO.

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 NOFO. 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 https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://sam.gov/fal/7b740f783ed040c590a00bb61252dfd9/view 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 NOFO, 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 instructions on calculating the cost share/match requirement, please see Appendix B of this announcement.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

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

https://sam.gov/fal/7b740f783ed040c590a00bb61252dfd9/view https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D#200.306

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. (Please note that applicants physically located outside the Chesapeake Bay region are eligible to apply provided all proposed activities directly support the Chesapeake Bay.)

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. (Applicants should review Appendix B for instructions on calculating cost share.)

7. Applications requesting funding for more than the maximum available funding ($6,500,000) 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 for funding.

9. Applications must address Activities 1-4 described in Section I.B. to be considered eligible.

Applications that do not address each Activity will be considered ineligible.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

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 Appendix C. under Technical Issues with Submission.

B. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

Your organization's authorized official representative (AOR) must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than July 19, 2024, 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.

See Appendix C for full Grants.gov submission instructions.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement

C. Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required…