FINAL-Round 3 Transformational-Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2025-29526.12.4.24.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Executive Summary Full Text of Announcement

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

Executive Summary Federal Agency Name Fisheries Habitat Conservation Program Office (HCPO) Funding Opportunity Title NOAA's Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Round 3 Announcement Type Competitive Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2025-29526

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.463 Dates The application deadline is April 16, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Applications must be received by www.Grants.gov.

NOTE: We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to begin required registrations as early as possible. Completing the required registrations can take four to six weeks, and possibly longer.

Submission due dates will not be extended because of registration delays. Applicant organizations must register for three different federal systems prior to submitting an application through Grants.gov (SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov).

Applicant organizations must first register with SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). After you obtain your UEI, you can complete your Grants.gov and eRA Commons registrations concurrently.

See Section IV(G) for detailed instructions on registration requirements. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts in Section VII for submission instructions.

http://www.grants.gov/

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Funding Opportunity Description

The principal objective of this solicitation is to support transformational habitat restoration projects that restore marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lakes ecosystems, using approaches that enhance community and ecosystem resilience to climate hazards. NOAA anticipates up to $100 million will be available under this opportunity, of which up to 15% will be specifically available as direct awards and subawards to Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. Section 5304(e)) and Native American organizations that represent Indian Tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g. tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives). The remaining funding will be available to all eligible applicants. Funding will prioritize habitat restoration actions that: demonstrate significant impacts; rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries; contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species; promote climate-resilient ecosystems, especially in tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities; and improve economic vitality, including local employment. This solicitation is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) (BIL, Public Law 117-58), 135 STAT.1356 (Nov. 15, 2021).

This funding opportunity seeks habitat restoration projects that enhance coastal resilience. Coastal areas support the nation’s largest and often fastest-growing population centers, as well as key natural assets.

Strengthening coastal resilience means preparing and adapting coastal communities to mitigate the impacts of, and more quickly recover after, extreme weather events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding, as well as longer-term climate hazards, such as sea level rise. Habitat restoration and natural and nature-based infrastructure are critical to doing so, by protecting lives and property;

sustaining commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing; recovering threatened and endangered species; and maintaining and fostering vibrant coastal economies. This funding opportunity – along with other opportunities through programs such as the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, Coastal Zone Management, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities – aims to fund projects that support the overarching goal of enhancing coastal resilience. This funding opportunity is also aligned with actions outlined in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Ocean Climate Action Plan, including nature-based solutions that support natural coastal and ocean systems while reducing the impacts of climate threats. This funding opportunity will prioritize high-value, transformative projects that advance resilience and support habitat restoration.

Applicants should address the following set of program priorities: 1) sustaining productive fisheries and strengthening ecosystem resilience; 2) enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits; 3) fostering regionally important habitat restoration; and 4) providing benefits to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities, including through partnerships. This solicitation will fund projects that demonstrate high priority and transformative potential within the geographic region where restoration actions are proposed.

Projects that are most responsive to the program priorities and are more transformative (i.e., have greater positive impact) will be more competitive. Proposals may include the following types of project phases:

planning and assessments; feasibility studies; engineering design and permitting; on-the-ground implementation; pre- and/or post-implementation monitoring. Proposals may also include capacity-building and community engagement to support the proposed restoration. Applicants proposing pre-implementation activities should demonstrate how these efforts will support or catalyze subsequent on-the-ground restoration.

Proposals that include on-the-ground implementation will be given priority compared to those that include only pre-implementation activities. Proposals that include multiple sites should demonstrate how projects collectively contribute to the priorities within the same geographic area or watershed, and applicants should demonstrate the capacity to manage concurrent habitat restoration projects over multiple years.

Priority will be given to activities with the highest certainty to occur within a 2-3 year award period.

NOAA is committed to the goals of advancing equity and support for underserved communities. NOAA

NOAA NOFO Page 3 of 34 encourages applicants to include and demonstrate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through proactive, meaningful, and equitable community engagement in the identification, design, and/or implementation of proposed projects. NOAA also encourages applicants to propose projects with benefits to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities, and projects that appropriately consider and elevate local or indigenous knowledge in project design, implementation, and evaluation. Applicants should identify if the project is located within tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities, and/or whether a portion of the resilience benefits from the proposed work will flow to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities. This program will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. Established by Executive Order 14008 on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” the Justice40 Initiative has established a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas will flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.

Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements.

NOAA encourages a period of performance of up to three years, with the potential for up to five years, if necessary. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $4 million to $6 million over three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $750,000 or more than $10 million total for the entire award. We only expect a small number of awards (between 3-5) that will be funded near or at the cap of $10 million. Funds will be administered by the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, as directed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The principal objective of this solicitation is to support transformational habitat restoration projects that restore marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lakes ecosystems, using approaches that enhance community and ecosystem resilience to climate hazards. Up to 15% of the available funding will go to Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. Section 5304 (e)) or Native American organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g., tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives) through direct awards or subawards. Funding will prioritize habitat restoration actions that: demonstrate significant impacts; rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries; contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species; promote resilient ecosystems, especially in tribal or underserved communities; and improve economic vitality, including local employment. This solicitation is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) (BIL, Public Law 117-58), 135 STAT.1356 (Nov. 15, 2021).

Extreme weather events and climate hazards can have significant impacts on coastal ecosystems and human communities. Strengthening ecosystem resilience in a changing climate is critical to promoting the recovery of threatened and endangered species, as well as enhancing the sustainability of commercial and recreational fisheries. Additionally, strengthening the resilience of coastal communities can reduce vulnerability and alleviate negative effects from extreme weather and climate hazards, such as flooding and coastal storms.

This funding opportunity will invest in transformational projects that have the greatest potential to provide holistic benefits, through habitat-based approaches that strengthen both ecosystem and community resilience. Examples of habitat restoration projects that are transformational at a regional or national scale include, but are not limited to: projects that provide significant benefits for ecosystems and community resilience; projects that catalyze broad initiatives or partnerships; large-scale projects; innovative projects, which may include new techniques for restoration; and projects that connect to or build upon other restoration or resilience work in a watershed. Projects that are most responsive to the program priorities and are more transformative will be more competitive, by providing important and lasting changes that make a difference for coastal communities and ecosystems.

NOAA also desires cost sharing to encourage partnerships among government, community, industry, and academia. Though not required, applicants are strongly encouraged to combine NOAA federal funding with formal matching contributions or informal leverage from a broad range of sources in the public and private sectors. Such cost sharing and leveraged funds are an element considered in the evaluation criteria.

Entire segments of our society have been marginalized, underserved, or underrepresented in efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and adapt to weather and climate impacts, despite being at greater risk due to lack of resources, accessibility constraints, and systemic institutional barriers. This includes tribes and indigenous people, who are disproportionately affected by climate change and face additional institutional barriers in order to adapt to the most severe impacts (Fourth National Climate Assessment).

Executive Order 14096 on “Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All” (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-ournations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all) and Executive Order 13985 on “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government” (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racialequity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government), emphasize the need for federal agencies to take actions to redress unfair disparities and remove barriers to government programs and services. E.O.

14096 places even greater urgency on the federal government to “. . . build upon and strengthen its commitment to deliver environmental justice to all communities across America.” This program will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. Established by Executive Order 14008 on “Tackling https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-ournations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-ournations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racialequity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racialequity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government

NOAA NOFO Page 5 of 34 the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” the Justice40 Initiative has established a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas will flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.

We anticipate that this will be the final round of funding available under the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law competition.

Consequently, NOAA will prioritize proposed activities that have a high certainty of completion within a 2- 3 year award period. NOAA is seeking both projects that are ready for implementation (“shovel ready”) and projects that are still in development.

The following definitions of key terms apply to this funding opportunity.

Ecosystem resilience. This term refers to the capacity of an ecosystem to absorb, withstand, respond to, and/or recover rapidly from disturbances linked to extreme weather events and climate hazards. Resilient ecosystems can resist damage from extreme weather events or climate hazards, while retaining or having the ability to recover their inherent structure and ecological function.

Community resilience. This term refers to the capacity of a human community to absorb, withstand, respond to, and/or recover rapidly from disturbances linked to extreme weather events and climate hazards.

Community resilience can also include the ability to plan and prepare for adverse effects of extreme weather events or climate hazards, and the capacity to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Tribes. For this funding opportunity, this term refers to Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C.

Section 5304 (e)) and Native American organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g., tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives).

25 U.S.C. Section 5304 (e) states that “Indian tribe” or “Indian Tribe” means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C.

1601 et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.

Tribal Entities. For this funding opportunity, this term refers to any tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community, and any organization that self-identifies as an Indigenous or Native organization.

Underserved communities. This term refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. Underserved communities are defined in Executive Order 13985:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial- equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government

Meaningful engagement. This term refers to communities having an opportunity to be an integral part of the visioning, decision-making, and/or leadership for activities that may affect their environment and/or health and well-being. Meaningful engagement relies on the involvement of those potentially affected in a manner that builds trust and addresses barriers to community participation. This ensures that the scope of the activities is inclusive of the priorities and needs of communities, and that the benefits of the activities flow back to the communities.

Indigenous knowledge (including Tribal Knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge [TEK]): This term refers to the cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment. NOAA recognizes the importance of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge for understanding the environment, adapting to environmental change, and mitigating negative environmental impacts. Our definition is drawn from NOAA guidance and is consistent with the November 15, 2021 Executive Memo on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Federal Decisions Making, found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/111521-OSTP-CEQ-ITEK-Memo.pdf .

http://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/111521-OSTP-CEQ-ITEK-Memo.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/111521-OSTP-CEQ-ITEK-Memo.pdf

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Habitat restoration. This term applies to techniques or strategies that aim to directly improve the quality and function of habitats, for the purpose of supporting the recovery or sustainability of the target species or fisheries and/or improving community and ecosystem resilience. A variety of habitat types are eligible within this funding opportunity, ranging from marine, estuarine, and coastal ecosystems at the land-sea interface (including coastal rivers), to the freshwater coastal ecosystems of the Great Lakes. Example habitats include, but are not limited to: coral reefs; oyster reefs; coastal wetlands and marshes; freshwater or tidal rivers and streams; shoreline and near-shore ecosystems; seagrass beds; kelp forests and rocky reefs; and mangroves. Applicants with proposals focusing exclusively on fish passage techniques that remove in-stream barriers, such as dams or culverts, are encouraged to reach out to agency contacts (see Section VII) to discuss additional funding opportunities that could be applicable to the proposed work.

Co-benefits of restoration. This term refers to the multiple benefits of restoration that extend beyond biologically relevant benefits to target species. This may include: contributions to ecosystem and community resilience; increases in business opportunities; revitalization of public communities; improvements in access to recreational, subsistence, and/or culturally important fishing opportunities; reductions to safety hazards;

and/or reductions in operation and maintenance costs. Co-benefits are often measured through socioeconomic methods.

Nature-based solutions. This term refers to actions that protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use, and manage natural or modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. These solutions effectively and adaptively address social, economic, and environmental challenges, while simultaneously providing benefits for human well-being, ecosystem services, resilience, and biodiversity.

Coastal areas. This term refers to geographies within coastal shoreline counties (or parishes), or within coastal watershed counties (or parishes). Coastal shoreline counties are directly adjacent to the open ocean, estuaries, or the Great Lakes. Coastal watershed counties are located along inland rivers and streams with a significant impact on coastal and ocean resources.

B. Program Priorities

Successful proposals will be those that meet the evaluation criteria (Section V.A) most strongly, including those criteria related to the program priorities described here. Applicants should address the following set of program priorities: 1) sustaining productive fisheries and strengthening ecosystem resilience; 2) enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits; 3) fostering regionally important habitat restoration; and 4) providing benefit to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities, including through partnerships.

For more information on the program priorities outlined below, applicants should visit:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants

1) Sustaining Productive Fisheries and Strengthening Ecosystem Resilience.

Applicants should describe how the proposed habitat restoration actions align with relevant plans to recover and/or manage the target species or fisheries. Proposals should also address how restoration will strengthen resilience within the target habitat and the surrounding ecosystem. Potential benefits for fisheries habitat will be evaluated based on how the proposed restoration actions will:

(a) Contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that are under NOAA jurisdiction (hereafter, Listed Species);

(b) Sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (hereafter, Managed Species), which includes benefits to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for recreationally and commercially important species and their prey;

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(c) Enhance the sustainability of saltwater recreational fisheries by the restoration of habitat that supports the National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy and Implementation Plans; or

(d) Improve habitat to support native fish species of the Great Lakes.

2) Enhancing Community Resilience to Climate Hazards and Providing Other Co-benefits.

Applicants should describe how the proposed restoration will benefit human populations within or near the project site(s), and how these actions will increase resilience to extreme weather and climate hazards (e.g., storms, flooding, erosion) that are most threatening to the local communities. Applicants may also describe how the proposed work will enhance the ability to plan and prepare for adverse effects of extreme weather events or climate hazards, or provide additional co-benefits to the community (e.g., economic vitality, increased access to natural resources). Co-benefits are defined in Section I.A.

3) Fostering Regionally Important Habitat Restoration, including sites and species prioritized by tribal communities.

This solicitation will prioritize restoration actions that demonstrate high priority and transformative potential within a defined geographic region. This solicitation also prioritizes restoration of habitats that improve fish populations that are important to tribes, including usual and accustomed areas, habitat important for enhancing tribal treaty reserved fishing rights or native subsistence fishing, and tribal trust fishing opportunities. Applicants should describe the context of the proposed work within the landscape, watershed, or other geographically defined boundary. As relevant, applicants should also refer to tribal knowledge, watershed plans, resilience plans, or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents to show the tribal importance of the proposed work. Descriptions should explain how the work may complement other current or proposed restoration efforts, including projects that will help to build climate resilience through other funding opportunities supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (e.g., National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, Coastal Zone Management, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities) or the Inflation Reduction Act (e.g., Climate Resilience Regional Challenge).

Applicants should refer to watershed plans, resiliency plans, or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents, as appropriate, to support the proposed work. Comprehensive planning documents may range in scale and scope from the level of a local watershed plan, to a state- or basin-wide plan. Proposals should identify how the habitat restoration aligns with such comprehensive planning documents or other relevant resources, and if the proposed actions demonstrate high priority and transformative potential within the defined geographic area. Proposals that include multiple sites should demonstrate how projects collectively contribute to the priorities within the same geographic area or watershed.

4) Meaningfully engage Tribal, Indigenous, and/or Underserved Communities and augment capacity, as needed, to support their role as stewards of natural resources for cultural, spiritual, economic, subsistence, and recreational purposes.

This solicitation will prioritize restoration actions that demonstrate that Tribal, Indigenous, and/or Underserved Communities have an opportunity to be an integral part of the visioning, decision-making, or leadership for activities that may affect their environment and/or health and wellbeing in a manner that builds trust and addresses barriers to community participation. Furthermore, this program aims to ensure that the benefits of funded activities flow back to the community where the project is located.

NOAA is committed to the goals of advancing equity and support for tribal, indigenous, and underserved communities. Applicants should identify if the project is to be carried out in full or in part by a tribal government; if the project is located within tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities; and/or whether a portion of the resilience benefits from the proposed work will flow to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities. This is a Justice40 covered program, and applicants should review Section IV.B.

“Project Narrative” for information pertaining to the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) to assist in identifying disadvantaged communities.

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Additional resources for Program Priorities are available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants

C. Program Authority

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized under the following statutes to provide grants and cooperative agreements for habitat restoration and conservation: Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act 16 U.S.C. 661, as implemented by the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970; Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, 16 U.S.C. 1891a; and Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1535.

The NOAA Administrator is authorized under the America COMPETES Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 893a, to support formal and informal educational activities at all levels. This solicitation is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) (BIL, Public Law 117-58), 135 STAT.1356 (Nov. 15, 2021).

I. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

NOAA anticipates up to $100 million will be available under this funding opportunity. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $750,000 or more than $10 million over the entire award period. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $4 million to $6 million.

Up to 15% of available funds will be specifically available to Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. Section 5304 (e)) and Native American organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g. tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives), as direct awards or subawards. The remaining $85 million will be available to all eligible applicants (see Section III.A). NOAA expects that only a few habitat restoration projects with significant ecological impacts, credible and detailed cost estimates, and construction readiness will be awarded the maximum allowable request ($10 million).

Funds will be administered by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA. Any funds provided to successful applicants for subsequent-year funding requests will be based on progress towards stated milestones and availability of funding. This determination is at the discretion of the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation and the NOAA Grants Management Division (GMD).

Neither NOAA nor the Department of Commerce are responsible for direct costs of application preparation.

Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. The number of awards to be made as a result of this solicitation will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested for habitat restoration, and the merit and ranking of the applications.

B. Project/Award Period

NOAA requests a period of performance of two to three years. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be January 1, 2026. Both federal and non-federal match pre-award costs, incurred up to 90 days prior to the award start date, may be requested and will be considered during pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA. Incurring pre-award costs before NOAA GMD offers a grant is at the applicant's own risk. Award periods may be extended, at the discretion of NOAA and based on project needs, up to the extent legally allowable. This is typically a maximum award length of five years.

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C. Type of Funding Instrument

Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements, as described in 2 C.F.R. §200.1, meaning that NOAA expects to be substantially involved in many aspects of the awards. Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, collaborating on the scope of work, providing assistance with technical aspects of the habitat restoration, reviewing and commenting on design plans, and reviewing procurement materials to the extent authorized by 2 C.F.R. § 200.325.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, non-profits, commercial (for profit) organizations, U.S. territories, and state, local, and tribal governments. Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Federal agencies and employees are not allowed to receive funds under this solicitation, but may serve as collaborative project partners. Foreign entities can participate as partners (contractors, sub-recipients, or informal collaborators) of a prime recipient based in the U.S.

This opportunity includes up to 15% of funds available to Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. Section 5304 (e)) and Native American organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g. tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives). Funding to Indian tribes and Native American organizations may be direct awards or subawards. 25 U.S.C. Section 5304 (e) states that “Indian tribe” or “Indian Tribe” means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. Applicants demonstrating a connection to a tribe, tribal entity and/or an underserved community may do this through proposed subawards, contracts, informal collaboration, or other engagement with, or approval of, one or more tribes, tribal entities, and/or underserved communities. The application will be evaluated based on the strength of the partnership with the underserved community or communities. The partner submitting the application is required to provide supporting documentation in the application demonstrating that they have been endorsed by one or more tribes, tribal entities, and/or underserved communities for the specific work proposed. The documentation may be provided in the form of letters of support from one or more tribes, tribal entities, and/or underserved communities for the specific work proposed, and should be attached with other Supplemental Materials.

Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. However, federal agencies or employees may serve as unfunded collaborative project partners. Foreign entities should participate as partners (contractors, sub-recipients, or informal collaborators) of a prime recipient based in the U.S.

Applicants must propose work in coastal, marine, or estuarine areas that benefit species or fisheries outlined within the program priorities (Section I.B). See Section I.A. for a definition of coastal areas. Eligible applicants for Great Lakes projects must propose work within the Great Lakes basin within one of the eight U.S. Great Lakes states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota). Applications that propose projects in the Commonwealth and Territories of the United States, for this solicitation defined as American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, are eligible, but those in the Freely Associated States are not eligible to submit an application.

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B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement

There is no non-federal matching requirement for this funding. NOAA desires cost sharing to encourage partnerships among government, community, industry, and academia. To this end, applicants should note that cost sharing is an element considered within the evaluation criterion entitled "Project Costs" (see Section V.A). NOAA encourages applicants whose proposed initiatives exceed the budgetary limits for this competition to apply to this competition and also for other, complementary federal funding for separate components of their larger initiatives. In these situations, NOAA will coordinate as necessary with other agencies to assure that funding is not duplicated and that the complementary components will support completion of the larger initiative.

Applicants should refer to 2 C.F.R. § 200.306 for cost sharing or matching policies. Applicants with approved indirect cost rates, and who are planning to provide cost sharing, may find it convenient to propose a portion or all of their indirect costs as match, since the valuation of such costs has already been federally approved and documentation is readily available. Refer to Section IV.F "Funding Restrictions" for information on indirect costs. Refer to Section II.B “Project/Award Period” and Section VI.A. “Pre-Award Costs” for information on pre-award costs.

For applications including non-federal match funds within the proposed budget, the ratio of approved NOAA funds to non-federal match funds will be legally binding within the award document signed by NOAA's GMD, if the application is selected for funding. NOAA is under no obligation to amend the match contributions once the award document is signed by the recipient, but the amount may be amended based on extenuating circumstances. Successful applicants should be prepared to carefully document matching contributions.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

All applications must be submitted by the due date and time provided in Section IV.D. Application submission date and time should be documented by the applicant by electronic submission to Grants.gov, a U.S. Postal Service postmark, or a delivery service receipt. Applicants should consider the possibility of unforeseen impacts from natural hazards that could affect Internet access and use of Grants.gov on or before the application due date. Applicants should be aware that localized hazardous weather or other situations that impact the ability to submit application packages may not result in changes to the application deadline. Information regarding electronic submission through Grants.gov is contained in Section IV.G. Applications must contain all required forms and proposals will be reviewed for eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness to this funding announcement. Failure to submit forms may result in disqualification from this competition. Information regarding electronic submission through Grants.gov is contained in Section IV.G. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $750,000 or more than $10 million over the entire award.

The following information describes ineligible project proposal types and activities:

1) Proposals that focus solely on marine debris prevention and removal are not eligible. To find out about funding opportunities related to marine debris, please check with the NOAA Marine Debris Program and the National Sea Grant College Program at https://www.marinedebris.noaa.gov and https://seagrant.noaa.gov/funding

2) Proposals that focus solely on acquisition of real property are not eligible.

3) Proposals that focus solely on beach renourishment for recreational purposes are not eligible.

4) Proposals addressing hard infrastructure only for water quality improvement are not eligible. Ineligible activities include, but are not limited to, wastewater treatment plant upgrades, elimination of combined sewer outfalls, replacement of failing septic systems, and implementation of agricultural animal waste management plans. However, projects that improve water quality through the creation or enhancement of https://www.marinedebris.noaa.gov/ https://seagrant.noaa.gov/funding

NOAA NOFO Page 11 of 34 fisheries habitat are eligible, as are projects that increase the amount of streamflow (i.e., water storage projects).

5) Activities that are required by a separate local, state, or federal consent decree, court order, statute, or regulation are not eligible. Applicants planning to combine grant or matching funds with mitigation should review the Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources; Final Rule at 73 Fed. Reg. 19594 (April 10, 2008). NOAA plans to follow the approach adopted by some other federal agencies on Page 19636 that describes scenarios where mitigation credits may or may not be obtained in association with federal financial incentives.

6) Effectiveness monitoring and research are not eligible project types. The NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation values effectiveness monitoring and research, but funds are not included within this solicitation to support monitoring and research-focused projects. Effectiveness monitoring examines how well the project performs, is longer-term than implementation monitoring, and often requires detailed field investigations of multiple physical, biological, and geochemical processes. Implementation monitoring, as discussed in Section IV.B and V.A.2(c), is an eligible activity, as is the tracking of performance measures and metrics. To find out more about effectiveness monitoring and regional contacts with which to discuss ideas, visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package Complete application packages, including required federal forms and instructions, can be found on www.Grants.gov. If a prospective applicant is having difficulty downloading the application forms from www.Grants.gov, contact www.Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@Grants.gov.

Information about the recommended format for applications is contained in Section IV.B. The instructions for these forms are available at: https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-individual-family

B. Content and Form of Application

A complete, standard NOAA financial assistance application package should be submitted, as described below. Each proposal must include the following federal application forms. The Standard Form (SF)-424 family and form instructions are available in the Grants.gov application package, but may be downloaded from:

https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/

1) SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance

2) SF-424A: Budget Information for Non-construction Programs

3) SF-424B: Assurances for Non-construction Programs

4) CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying

5) SF-LLL (if applicable): Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

In addition to the federal application forms, NOAA recommends the following components as part of a complete application package. Page limits assume an 11- or 12-point font and 1- inch margins.

Components should be organized into a maximum of three (3) flattened PDF files outlined below, with a maximum length of 75 combined pages. It is recommended that file sizes not exceed 100MB in order to preserve the applicant’s formatting. Additional information on formatting attachments can be found here:

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm

PDF 1. Project Summary and Project Narrative (20 page limit) PDF 2. Budget Narrative (10 page limit) PDF 3. Supplemental Materials and Project Designs (45 page limit) https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-individual-family https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/ https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm

NOAA NOFO Page 12 of 34

Reviewers will only evaluate the first 75 pages of the submitted materials (in addition to required forms).

The application should follow the organization of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A) to receive a consistent review against competing applications. The information provided below may help to address the evaluation criteria.

PDF 1. Project Summary and Project Narrative (20 page limit).

Project Summary (2 page limit).

1) Applicant Organization

2) Project Title

3) Site Location. Include the geographic coordinates and the nearest town or watershed. If multiple sites are proposed, please include geographic coordinates for each site.

4) Brief Project Description. Describe the extent to which the proposed work aligns with the stated program objective (Section I.A) and program priorities (Section I.B). The description should outline the expected benefits for the target species or fisheries, and how ecosystem resilience will be strengthened.

Explain how your proposed work will enhance community resilience to climate hazards. Describe the proposed work within the context of the landscape, watershed, or other geographically defined boundary.

The description should identify how the restoration aligns with comprehensive planning documents or other relevant resources, and if the proposed actions demonstrate high priority and transformative potential within the geographic area. Identify if the project is located within tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities and/or whether a portion of the resilience benefits from the proposed work will flow to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities.

5) Timeline. Provide a timeline of all project activities. This includes all work to be supported with requested NOAA funds, and any non-federal formal matching contributions or informal leverage.

6) Funding Request. Outline the total request for NOAA funds for each year of the project period. If non-federal matching contributions are proposed, include the status of the funds (e.g., not applied for;

pending; secured). If other financial support beyond NOAA federal funds and non-federal match funds will be used to complete the proposed work, outline the sources and amount of these leveraged funds. If you have submitted (or plan to submit) your proposal to other relevant funding opportunities, please identify the funding source and/or title(s) of the competition(s), amount of funds requested, and approximate decision date(s) for anticipated award selection. If space is limited, provide a summary here and include a full description in the Supplemental Materials.

Project Narrative (18 page limit).

Proposals are evaluated based on the criteria described in Section V.A. Please review the evaluation criteria for a full description of topics to include in the project narrative. The following information provides guidance for how to respond to the evaluation criteria in context, which may or may not apply to the project type you are proposing. For more information on program priorities and other goals outlined below, applicants should visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants

1. Importance / Relevance and Applicability of Proposal to the Program Goals.

(a) Sustaining Productive Fisheries and Strengthening Ecosystem Resilience. Applicants should identify one or more species targeted by the proposed habitat restoration, and describe the general historic and current status of the population(s). Applicants should describe how the proposed actions support the recovery or sustainability of Listed Species, Managed Species, saltwater recreational fisheries, or native fish species of the Great Lakes. For proposals addressing Listed Species, proposed actions should align with ESA Recovery Plans. For proposals targeting Managed Species, proposed actions should be https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants

NOAA NOFO Page 13 of 34 consistent with Fishery Management Plans and should address benefits to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for recreationally and commercially important species and their prey. For proposals addressing saltwater recreational fisheries, applicants should identify how proposed actions align with one of the six guiding principles of the National Saltwater Recreational Angler Policy. The policy's goal of supporting sustainable saltwater recreational fisheries resources, including healthy marine and estuarine habitats, is guided by the principle of supporting ecosystem conservation and enhancement through restoration and science-based enhancements and conservation of forage fish. For proposals targeting the Great Lakes, applicants should describe how the habitat restoration actions will benefit native fish species.

Applicants should describe and quantify a measurable effect that the restoration actions will have on the ecosystem (e.g., acres of habitat restored, stream miles opened for fish passage). Descriptions should provide context for the current condition of the habitat, and outline the issues that are limiting recovery or sustainability of the target species or fisheries. Proposals should also address how restoration will strengthen resilience to climate change within the target habitat and the surrounding ecosystem.

Proposals can describe the disturbance or stressors that will be minimized or prevented, or how restoration actions will strengthen capacity for adaptation to environmental changes.

(b) Enhancing Community Resilience to Climate Hazards and Providing Other Co-benefits. Applicants should describe how the proposed habitat restoration will benefit human populations within or near the project site(s), and how habitat restoration actions will promote resilience to the climate hazards that are most threatening to the local communities. Applicants may also describe how the proposed work will enhance the ability to plan and prepare for adverse effects of extreme weather events or climate hazards.

Examples of co-benefits include, but are not limited to: protection from flooding and extreme weather events; reduction in erosion impacts; increases in job opportunities; improvements in access to recreational, subsistence, and cultural fishing opportunities; and creation of public spaces. Proposals should include descriptions of anticipated resilience benefits and other co-benefits that will result from habitat restoration within the spatial and temporal context of the proposed activities. Co-benefits are defined in Section I.A.

Proposals may include specific metrics within the Project…