Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2024-28122 (22).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 Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants Announcement Type Competitive Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2024-28122

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.463 Dates Applications will be accepted and considered on an annual basis, with due dates of October 28, 2024; September 5, 2025; and September 4, 2026. Applications for projects starting approximately October 1, 2025 must be received through www.Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 28, 2024. To be considered for funding in subsequent fiscal years, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m.on September 5, 2025 for projects starting on approximately October 1, 2026, and September 4, 2026 for projects starting approximately October 1, 2027. The earliest date for receipt of awards for this funding opportunity is anticipated to be October 1, 2025. Further application details are provided in the announcement.

NOTE: We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to begin required registrations as early as possible.

Completing the required registrations can take six weeks or longer. Submission due dates will not be extended because of registration delays. Submissions received after the due date will be considered late and will not be accepted.

Applicant organizations and individuals must register for three different Federal systems prior to submitting an application through Grants.gov (SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov). Applicant organizations and individuals 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.

http://www.grants.gov

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

Funding Opportunity Description

The principal objective of the NOAA Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants competition is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to habitat restoration projects that meet NOAA's mission to restore coastal habitats and support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) (https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/documents/glri-action-plan-3-201910-30pp.pdf) goal to protect and restore habitats to sustain healthy populations of native fish species in the eight U.S. Great Lakes states. Proposals submitted under this solicitation will be evaluated based on alignment with our program priorities, including: 1) contribution to GLRI Focus Area 1 (Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern) goals to implement management actions within Areas of Concern (AOC), and 2) contribution to GLRI Focus Area 4 (Habitats and Species) goals to restore habitat for native Great Lakes fish species whose populations have been impacted by habitat degradation.

Through this solicitation, we intend to address GLRI Focus Area 4 goals by prioritizing a subset of habitat restoration projects identified by the Lake Committees as Environmental Priorities to meet fish community objectives for Great Lakes fish species. Lake Committees are composed of senior officials from state, provincial, and U.S. intertribal fishery agencies, convened by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Together, they are responsible for managing the Lakes’ fisheries and developing plans and guidance to sustain healthy populations of Great Lakes commercial and recreational fish species.

Applicants are encouraged to propose one or more projects that are identified on 1) an AOC management list and/or

2) a Lake Committee Environmental Priorities list. (Please see section I.B of this funding opportunity to see the AOCs and Environmental Priorities that are prioritized in this competition). Proposed activities may include future project development and feasibility studies; engineering and design; permitting; on-the-ground restoration; pre- and post-removal implementation monitoring; stakeholder engagement, including in tribal, indigenous and underserved communities; building the capacity of new and existing restoration partners to manage multi-faceted project design and construction; and education and outreach. Applicants may therefore apply for funding to support all of these activities; however, priority will be given to applications that include on-the-ground construction likely to occur during the award period.

Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements. Multi-year awards are expected to be funded in annual increments for up to three years. Applicants with multi-year projects should propose estimated funding for the second and/or third years, which NOAA will consider when determining the final amounts that may be provided in future years, pending future federal appropriations and progress towards project milestones. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $500,000 to $6 million over one to three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $250,000 or more than $30 million total over three years. NOAA anticipates up to $12 million will be available under this announcement in Fiscal Year 2025 and that 5-10 awards will be made. Estimated funding in subsequent fiscal years has not been determined; this announcement may be amended if estimates for future fiscal years become available.

Funds will be administered by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation. Awards are dependent upon the amount of funds made available to NOAA for this purpose by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in FY25 - FY27 budgets.

NOAA reserves the right to fund some and not all the proposed projects based on program priorities and funding availability.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective

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The principal objective of the NOAA Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnerships Grants solicitation is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to habitat restoration projects that meet NOAA's mission to restore coastal habitats and support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) (https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/documents/glri-action-plan-3-201910-30pp.pdf) goal to protect and restore habitats to sustain healthy populations of native fish species in the eight U.S. Great Lakes states. This funding opportunity prioritizes habitat restoration projects identified in Section I.B. that aim to restore functional coastal wetland, nearshore, and/or riverine habitats that support native fish migration, reproduction, growth, and/or seasonal refuge for Great Lakes fish. Proposals submitted under this solicitation will be evaluated by how well they demonstrate that the proposed habitat restoration actions will lead to significant and sustainable benefits for Great Lakes native fish species.

B. Program Priorities

As stated above, the principal objective of the NOAA Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants solicitation is to support habitat restoration projects that contribute to NOAA and the GLRI priorities by restoring habitat for native Great Lakes fish species whose populations have been impacted by habitat degradation.

Note: please see sections III.C. for information about ineligible restoration activities and IV.B for examples of relevant habitat restoration projects that have been funded under this program.

Highest priority will be given to applications that address at least one of the following program priorities and substantially contribute to GLRI goals, which are the basis for the Importance and Applicability evaluation criteria:

1. GLRI Focus Area 1 - Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern Habitat restoration that contributes to implementing management actions in Areas of Concern.

2. GLRI Focus Area 4 - Habitat and Species

Through this competition we intend to address GLRI Focus Area 4 goals by prioritizing a subset of habitat restoration projects identified by the Lake Committees as Environmental Priorities to meet fish community objectives for Great Lakes fish species. Lake Committees are composed of senior officials from state, provincial, and U.S. intertribal fishery agencies, convened by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Together, they are responsible for managing the Lakes’ fisheries and developing plans and guidance to sustain healthy populations of Great Lakes commercial and recreational fish species.

The subset prioritized for this competition is listed below:

Subset of Lake Superior Committee Environmental Priorities

-Hydrologic modification of unregulated tributary flows within the basin to provide minimum flows to meet reproductive and early life-history requirements for brook trout. Specific focal areas to address hydrological modifications that impact fish production include tributaries along the south shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin and on the Bayfield Peninsula.

-Habitat restoration in the St. Louis River and Bay area including restoration of connected coastal wetlands and floodplains and enhancement of spawning habitat for additional lake sturgeon and walleye production.

-Protection of Buffalo Reef and nearshore areas in Traverse Bay from further encroachment of stamp sands, and long-term mitigation.

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Subset of Lake Michigan Committee Environmental Priorities

-Reef restoration of degraded reef habitats, which provide critical spawning and nursery areas for multiple species of common concern across Lake Michigan including lake trout, lake whitefish, and cisco. Specific focal areas to implement reef restoration actions in Lake Michigan are in the Charlevoix/Harbor Springs, Michigan area. Reef restoration projects that focus on restoring historic conditions using natural substrates are prioritized.

-Coastal wetland reconnection/restoration, softening of shorelines, and increasing submerged aquatic vegetation, which provide critical spawning and/or nursery habitats for multiple species of common concern across Lake Michigan, including lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, yellow perch, esocids, and centrarchids. Priority locations include the western and eastern shorelines of Green Bay and the southern basin nearshore of Lake Michigan.

-Tributary connectivity/fish passage restoration is critical for providing access of adult species of common concern, including lake sturgeon and lake whitefish, to reproductive and nursery habitat across the Lake Michigan Basin.

Consideration of sea lamprey control remains paramount for all tributary connectivity/fish passage restoration projects. Specific locations where connectivity is limiting production of priority species includes: the Peshtigo River and the Oconto River.

-In-stream habitat restoration is critical for providing suitable reproductive habitat for multiple species of common concern, particularly lake sturgeon. Specific focal areas for in-stream habitat restoration include locations in the Grand River, Michigan, particularly below the Sixth Street Dam.

Subset of Lake Huron Committee Environmental Priorities

-Reef restoration of degraded reef habitats, including mitigating impacts of sedimentation on reefs, which provide critical spawning and nursery areas for multiple species of common concern across Lake Huron, are necessary for the achievement and maintenance of self-sustaining populations of lake whitefish, cisco, lake trout, and walleye.

Reef restoration projects that focus on restoring historic conditions using natural substrates are prioritized. Specific focal areas to implement reef restoration actions in Lake Huron include:

• The Thunder Bay Reefs, MI

• The Saginaw Bay Reefs, MI

• The Northern Main Basin region, MI

• Implementation of actions to address spawning habitat augmentation, sedimentation, and connected nursery habitat restoration is critical to restore functional habitat and enhance fish production.

-Coastal wetland habitat restoration/reconnection, which will provide critical spawning and nursery habitats for multiple species of common concern across Lake Huron, including esocids and walleye. Specific focal areas for coastal wetland reconnection and restoration include locations in Saginaw Bay.

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-In-stream habitat restoration and enhancement that is critical for providing suitable reproductive habitat for multiple species of common concern, particularly lake sturgeon and walleye.

Subset of Lake Erie Committee Environmental Priorities

-Regional nutrient reduction strategies to reduce phosphorus loading and achieve mesotrophic conditions in the western, central, and nearshore waters of the eastern basins and embayments. The Maumee River watershed is a focal area for nutrient reduction strategies. Projects that improve water quality through the creation or enhancement of fish habitat, such as coastal wetland restoration and floodplain reconnection, are eligible. See section III.C. for examples of ineligible activities.

-Increase connectivity of select tributaries where connectivity is limiting production of fish community objective species including: Black River, MI – Wingford Dam and Huron River, MI – Flat Rock Dam/Huroc Dam.

-Increase shoreline/nearshore complexity through softening of shorelines, rehabilitation of connected coastal wetlands, and increases in submerged aquatic vegetation. Specific locations where shoreline alterations (hardening, diking, etc.) are limiting production of fish community objective species include:

• Sandusky Bay

• Huron-Erie Corridor

• Grand River, OH

• St. Clair River Delta

Subset of Lake Ontario Committee Fish Habitat Priorities

-Enhance or restore effective upstream passage for adult Atlantic Salmon to allow access to spawning and juvenile rearing habitat.

-Restore nearshore open coast, cold-water spawning and nursery habitat for Lake Trout, Whitefish and Cisco.

-Restore degraded stream habitat to improve reproductive capacity in streams that are managed for wild fish production. Priority activities include:

• Install riverbank stabilization/fish habitat improvement structures and instream flow enhancement features for Atlantic Salmon on the Salmon River (system-wide) including Trout and Orwell brooks.

• Add spawning substrate (gravel) for Walleye and Lake Sturgeon downstream of Dexter Dam on the Black River.

-Restore the ecological function of coastal wetlands to enhance Northern Pike, Muskellunge and other members of the wetland-dependent fish community. Priority actions include:

• Complete level ditching and potholing to increase fish spawning and nursery habitat in coastal wetlands, including Lakeview Wildlife Management Area, Port Bay, and Sodus Bay.

• Promote restoration and rehabilitation of lost coastal wetlands.

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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NOAA is also committed to enhancing community resilience to extreme weather and climate hazards and providing other co-benefits. Applicants should describe how the proposed work will benefit human populations within or near the project site(s), and how these actions will reduce vulnerability 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 or provide additional co-benefits to the community (e.g., economic vitality, increased access to natural resources).

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 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.

• 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-racialequity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government.

• 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.

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 amended by the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970.

Under 33 U.S.C. § 893a(a), the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is authorized to conduct and support formal and informal educational activities at all levels to enhance public awareness and understanding of ocean and coastal science and stewardship by the general public and other coastal stakeholders, including underrepresented groups in ocean science careers. In conducting those activities, the Administrator shall build upon the educational programs and activities of the agency with consideration given to the goal of promoting the participation of minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability

NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $500,000 to $5 million over one to three years.

NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $250,000 or more than $30 million total over three years. NOAA anticipates up to $12 million will be available under this Announcement in Fiscal Year 2025 and that 5-10 awards will be made. Awards are dependent upon the amount of funds made available to NOAA for this purpose by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in FY25 - FY27 budgets. Estimated funding in subsequent fiscal years has not been determined; this announcement may be amended if estimates for future fiscal years become available.

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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 determined by progress towards stated milestones and availability of funding at the discretion of the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation and the NOAA Grants Management Division (GMD).

NOAA or the Department of Commerce are not responsible for direct costs of application preparation if programs fail to receive funding or are canceled because of other agency priorities, or for any other reason. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all top-ranked applications. 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, the merit and ranking of the applications, and the amount of federal appropriations made available in FY25 and subsequent fiscal years. NOAA reserves the right to fund some and not all the proposed projects based on program priorities and funding availability.

B. Project/Award Period

NOAA anticipates that the period of performance for most awards will be for up to 3 years. 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. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be October 1, 2025. Both federal and non-federal match pre-award costs 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.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements, as defined in 2 C.F.R. Sec 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, collaboration on the scope of work, providing assistance with technical aspects of the habitat restoration project, review and comment on design plans, and review of procurement materials to the extent authorized by 2 C.F.R. Sec. 200.323.

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 Native American tribal governments. Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Federal agencies are strongly encouraged to work with states, non- governmental organizations, municipal and county governments, and others that are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants may be located anywhere but must propose work within the Great Lakes basin and within one of the eight U.S. Great Lakes states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota).

NOTE: We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to begin required registrations as early as possible.

Completing the required registrations can take six weeks or longer. Submission due dates will not be extended because of registration delays. Submissions received after the due date will be considered late and will not be accepted.

Applicant organizations and individuals must register for three different Federal systems prior to submitting an application through Grants.gov (SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov).

Registration Requirements: Applicant organizations and individuals 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.

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See Section IV(G) for detailed instructions on required registrations. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in this NOFO for submission instructions.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement

There is no statutory matching requirement for this funding. 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. Non-federal match funds may be optionally included within the application to demonstrate stakeholder support for the proposed work. NOAA also desires cost sharing or leverage to encourage partnerships among government, community, industry, and academia. To this end, applicants should note that cost sharing or leverage is an element considered in the Evaluation Criteria under "Project Costs" (Section V.A.4).

Match is entered on federal forms, recorded on award documents, and becomes a legally binding component of the award. Leverage refers to all other funding support that contributes to completion of the project(s). Leverage can include funds expended toward the project(s) either before or during the award period. Federal sources cannot be considered for formal matching funds, but can be described in the budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage and collaboration. Formal match to NOAA funds can come from a variety of public and private sources and can include third party in-kind goods and services and volunteer labor. Applicants should refer to 2 C.F.R. § 200.306 for explanations of match funds, which must be used during the award period, generally.

Applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be bound by the percentage of match reflected in the award document signed by NOAA's Grants Management Division, unless amended based on extenuating circumstances.

NOAA is under no obligation to amend the matching contributions once agreed to by the recipient. Successful applicants should be prepared to carefully document matching contributions, including the overall number of volunteers and third party in-kind participation hours devoted to habitat restoration projects. Applicants are permitted to combine contributions from non-federal partners, as long as such contributions are not used to match any other federal funds and are available within the project period stated in the application. Letters of commitment for any secured resources that will be used as non-federal match for an award under this solicitation should be submitted as an attachment to the application (see Section IV.B).

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Application submission 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 application due dates. Applicants should be aware that localized hazardous weather, monthly scheduled Grants.gov weekend maintenance, or other situations that impact the ability to submit application packages may not result in changes to the recommended application deadline. Information regarding electronic submission through Grants.gov and regarding submitting paper applications is contained in Section IV.G. All 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. See Section IV.G for more details.

The following information describes ineligible project proposal types and activities:

Activities that are required by a separate local, state, or federal consent decree, court order, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exemption or license condition, 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.

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Effectiveness monitoring and research are not eligible project types. See Section IV.B and V.A.2 for more information on eligible monitoring.

Ineligible activities related to water quality improvements include, but are not limited to, proposals addressing hard infrastructure only for water quality improvement, 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 fish habitat, such as coastal wetlands, are eligible.

Proposals that focus only on marine debris prevention and removal are not eligible.

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

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

Projects seeking funds only for invasive species removal and management will also not be considered under this solicitation. However, NOAA may fund invasive species removal as a component of an overall habitat restoration project proposal.

Reef restoration projects that propose the use of molluscicides only are not eligible.

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. If an applicant does not have internet access, application materials may be requested from Rina Studds by e-mail at rina.studds@noaa.gov or phone (301) 427-8651 and Julie Simmons by email at julie.simmons@noaa.gov or by phone (734) 680-5671.

B. Content and Form of Application

A complete, standard NOAA financial assistance application package should be submitted, as described below. See section IV.A. for submission information.

Each proposal must include the following Federal application forms:

- Standard Form (SF)-424: Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 form family may be downloaded from https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family.

- SF-424A: Budget Information for Non-construction Programs. (An SF-424A for each year of requested funding will be required prior to an award offer, but is not required as part of the initial application.)

- Project Abstract Summary form

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

- CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying

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

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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 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

- Project Summary, Project Narrative, and Data Management Plan (20 page limit)

- Budget Justification (10 page limit)

- Supplemental Materials and project design (45 page limit)

Reviewers will only evaluate the first 75 pages of the submitted materials. 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.

Proposals that include multiple restoration sites should fully describe the proposed restoration activities at each site.

If all project(s) details cannot be described within the recommended page limits, applicants should consider submitting more than one application.

Project summary (2 page limit):

We recommend you provide a summary with the following components:

-Applicant Organization

-Project Title

-Site Location: Include the geographic coordinates and the nearest town or watershed. If multiple sites are proposed, please include the geographic coordinates for all sites.

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.

Timeline: Provide a timeline of all project activities to be supported with federal and/or non-federal matching funds, including an indication of when activities will begin.

Landowner(s): Include name and address (if privately owned) or public agency contact for each proposed project.

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.

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

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Project Narrative (18 page limit): Provide sufficient background and contextual information for reviewers to independently assess the significance of the proposed project(s). The application should generally follow the organization of the Evaluation Criteria (see Section V.A) to receive a consistent review against competing applications. The information provided below is intended to help applicants address the evaluation criteria.

Relevance to Program Priorities: Describe how the proposed projects will deliver meaningful results that are relevant to GLRI Action Plan III Focus Area 1 and/or 4 goals to restore habitat for native Great Lakes fish species whose populations have been impacted by habitat degradation. As described in Section I.B, through this solicitation we intend to address GLRI Focus Area 1 and 4 goals by prioritizing habitat restoration projects in a subset of priority Areas of Concern and/or projects identified by the Lake Committees to meet fish community objectives for native Great Lakes species. The narrative should explicitly describe how the proposed project(s) addresses the Priorities. For full points, a letter of endorsement from the relevant Lake Committee representative or AOC Public Advisory Council (PAC), as appropriate, should be submitted for all proposed projects.

The narrative should succinctly describe the historic and current condition of the restoration site(s) and the habitat-based issue(s) that is the primary focus of the proposal. Describe any processes that have resulted in degradation of the habitat and how these processes have been abated to allow for successful restoration. Identify one or more species targeted by the proposed habitat restoration, their historic and current status or population estimates, and the project(s)’ expected benefits on the target species and ecosystems. The narrative should describe the project’s context within the ecosystem, including how it complements other nearby restoration efforts, as appropriate.

Applicants may also explain why the proposed work is meaningful within the selected geographic region.

Applicants should refer to watershed plans or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents, as appropriate to the proposed work. Proposals 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 defined geographic area. Proposals that include multiple sites should demonstrate how projects collectively contribute to the priorities within the same geographic area or watershed.

Applicants should also include the number of acres to be restored and/or stream miles to be made accessible to fish through the proposed activities and any other anticipated long-term ecological benefits, so that reviewers can understand the scale and meaning of your proposed project in the context of the watershed. Please indicate how the anticipated benefits and quantitative performance measures have been determined (e.g., ground-truthing, desktop assessment).

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.B.

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Proposals may include specific metrics within the Project Narrative to capture the impact or scale of the proposed work on community resilience and other expected co-benefits such as public safety or community enhancement.

Public safety benefits may include infrastructure improvements, removal of physical hazards, or flood risk reduction, with potential metrics such as: number of structures improved; number of structures protected from flooding or storm surge; or changes in flood heights. Community enhancement benefits may include recreational or economic improvements, with potential metrics such as number of new recreational access points or avoided or reduced maintenance costs. For more information on developing socioeconomic performance metrics for restoration projects, applicants should visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants.

Providing Benefit to Tribal, Indigenous, and/or Underserved Communities, Including Through Partnerships:

Applicants should identify if the proposed work is to be carried out in full or in part by a tribal government or if the project is located within a tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved community. Applicants should indicate whether a portion of the resilience benefits from the proposed work will flow to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities and how those benefits will be measured.

As needed, to assist with identifying and assessing the marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities that are connected to their proposed restoration actions, NOAA encourages the use of the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) (at https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5) as the primary mapping tool. Applicants are encouraged to use the information available through CEJST, other relevant tools, and direct engagement of tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities to assist in assessing how the benefits of a project will reverse or mitigate the burdens of disadvantage.

Technical/Scientific Merit: As noted above, this funding opportunity prioritizes habitat restoration projects identified in Section I.B. Proposals should describe in detail the actions to be undertaken.

Project Feasibility and Methodology: Applicants should provide evidence to support the feasibility of the techniques, and address whether the methods are technically sound and safe for the public. Proposals that include multiple sites should describe the restoration methods for each location. For each restoration site, applicants should clearly identify the project phase(s) (e.g., feasibility study, engineering and design, on-the-ground implementation) and the proposed restoration techniques.

Project Detail: The project narrative should include a timeline with key milestones and deliverables identified and detail how the actions will be completed within the specified time period (a gantt chart or other chart is helpful to include). If multiple restoration sites are included within one proposal, the proposed actions should be fully described for each site. Applicants should identify interim milestones that correspond to funding year increments.

This includes identifying all consultation and permitting requirements and the current document status (e.g. not applied for, pending, secured), and incorporating the likely award start date and species-specific work windows. For projects with permits or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents completed or under development, please indicate the status and level of NEPA review (Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, or Environmental Impact Statement), lead federal agency, contact information for the lead agency person, and where public copies of the document are available. See also Section VI.B. of this announcement.

Note: Federally funded projects are subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

Applicants are advised to include a sufficient budget request to provide NOAA with required information to meet NHPA requirements and consultations with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Refer to your state's SHPO office for more details on SHPO review requirements.

Suggested details to include in your proposal, by restoration activity:

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.

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-Hydrologic restoration (modification) reverses the negative impacts to habitat function created by restricting or changing surface water flow. Examples include restoring water elevations and flow through fill removal, culvert removal/replacement to allow natural flooding of wetlands, complete removal of levees and dikes or other impediments to historic/natural flow or hydrology, floodplain reconnection, or creation/restoration of off-channel habitats. Priority will be given to projects that restore habitat that previously existed. Applicants proposing to install structures such as fish passage devices or water control structures should include discussion of an operation and management plan that specifies the entity responsible for the operation and maintenance of the structure(s) and how they will be operated and maintained throughout the life of the structure(s) to ensure lasting habitat benefits.

Applicants should also describe measures that will be put in place to prevent filling of the flood storage area upstream of new or modified water control structures.

-Fish passage projects remove barriers that prevent native Great Lakes fish from accessing spawning habitats and create or improve habitat to support the growth of juvenile fish. Priority will be given to fish passage/barrier removal projects that directly benefit native Great Lakes migratory fisheries by providing free and open passage from spawning grounds to the open lake environment. These projects include, but are not limited to, dam removals and/or culvert removals and replacement with bottomless arch culverts or bridges, fish ladders, by-pass channels, and/or nature-like fishways. Fish passage project applications should describe the significance of the project to historical fish populations in the river, identify the river length that will be restored, the distance to the next upstream blockage, any downstream blockages or seasonal impediments to fish passage, and whether the target barrier is a partial or complete barrier. Applications should state how the project will meet fish passage guidelines for the area, and identify and provide documentation of support for the project from the landowner/dam owner.

Applications should highlight any synergies with other fish passage efforts in the watershed, including fish passage improvements at hydropower dams. Fish passage projects proposing to install fish passage devices or movable control structures should submit a summary management plan that specifies the entity responsible for the operation and maintenance of the structure(s) and how they will be operated and maintained throughout the life of the structure(s) to ensure lasting habitat benefits. All types of fish passage projects should address issues and potential control strategies regarding aquatic invasive species (e.g., sea lamprey). If a project is proposing fish passage, include appropriate documentation demonstrating consultation with and support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Lamprey Control Program.

-Shoreline/nearshore restoration may include removing fill and debris, removing hardened structures, stabilizing the shoreline with natural materials and vegetation, installing nearshore rock reefs, and/or restoring spawning beds.

Applications should describe the significance of the fish habitat in the area including desired function (e.g., shallow water nursery habitat), historic conditions and materials to be used. Proposals should highlight synergies with other fish habitat efforts in the watershed. NOAA prioritizes reef restoration projects that restore historic conditions and/or complement previous or planned habitat restoration efforts and that use natural substrates (e.g., gravel, cobble, woody debris, plant material). Reef restoration projects that propose the use of molluscicides only are not eligible.

As noted above, proposals that include multiple restoration sites should fully describe the proposed restoration activities at each site within the project narrative section. If all aspects of a multi-year and/or multi-project award cannot be described within the recommended page limits, applicants should consider submitting more than one application.

For feasibility or design projects, applicants should: describe the overall habitat restoration need and goals of the feasibility and design activities; provide justification for potential design alternatives, if known (e.g., technique is appropriate and proven as demonstrated by similar successful projects, approach is comprehensive); discuss expected outcomes; list members of the planning team including NOAA staff and provide the decision framework;

and discuss how support for the proposed activity would catalyze subsequent on-the-ground restoration.

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Sustainability: The narrative should describe future management, beyond the award period, including mechanisms to protect, maintain, or sustain the restoration site(s) so the effects of the funded project(s) can benefit the target species and habitat into the future. If applicable, a description of a landowner agreement may contribute to this element. For new or replacement structures, the estimated design life of a project should be noted, including any factors (such as changing weather patterns) that may shorten the expected functional life of the project. Applicants should also describe how the proposed restoration design, methodology, and techniques provide for ecosystem resilience to extreme weather events, self-sustaining habitats, or adaptation to potential climate change impacts at the project site. An operations and maintenance plan should be considered when applicants are proposing to install structures that require ongoing operation and maintenance in order to be effective, such as fish passage devices, fishways, or tide gates.