NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2017-2005156 FFO Report.pdf

FY 2017 Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 5 C. Program Authority 6

II. Award Information 6 A. Funding Availability 6 B. Project/Award Period 7 C. Type of Funding Instrument 8

III. Eligibility Information 8 A. Eligible Applicants 8 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 8 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 9

IV. Application and Submission Information 10 A. Address to Request Application Package 10 B. Content and Form of Application 10 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 17 D. Submission Dates and Times 18 E. Intergovernmental Review 18 F. Funding Restrictions 18 G. Other Submission Requirements 19

V. Application Review Information 20 A. Evaluation Criteria 20 B. Review and Selection Process 24 C. Selection Factors 25 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 26

VI. Award Administration Information 27 A. Award Notices 27 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 27 C. Reporting 29

VII. Agency Contacts 30 VIII. Other Information 30

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 1 of 30

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2017 Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2017-2005156

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463, Habitat Conservation

Dates: Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by www.Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST on March 23, 2017. Use of a delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

Funding Opportunity Description: The principal objective of the NMFS Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration solicitation is to support fish habitat restoration projects that use an ecosystem-based approach to foster species recovery and increase fish populations. Proposals submitted under this solicitation will be primarily evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate how the proposed habitat restoration actions will help recover threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (hereafter, Listed Species), especially species identified by NMFS as “Species in the Spotlight” (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2015/05/05_14_15species_in_the_spotlight.html) and sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (hereafter, Managed Species). Successful proposals will 1) identify a habitat-based issue/concern limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more species targeted by the proposed restoration action; 2) describe in detail the actions and on-the-ground habitat restoration project(s) to be undertaken to resolve the issue/concern and; 3) describe the project(s)’ expected outcomes and measurable impact on the project’s target species and their ecosystem.

Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements. One year or multi-year awards up to three funding years will be considered, and additional releases of funds may be used to fund selected proposals through FY19 without further competition. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding awards will range from $300,000 to $1.5 million over one to three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $100,000 or more than $4 million over three years. NOAA anticipates up to

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$5 million will be available under this FFO in FY17. Funds will be administered by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA Restoration Center. Awards are dependent upon the amount of funds Congress makes available to NOAA for this purpose in the FY17-FY19 budgets.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The principal objective of the NMFS Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration solicitation is to support fish habitat restoration projects that use an ecosystem-based approach to foster species recovery and increase fish populations.

Proposals submitted under this solicitation will be primarily evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate how the proposed habitat restoration actions will:

- help recover threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (hereafter, Listed Species), especially species identified by NMFS as “Species in the Spotlight” (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2015/05/05_14_15species_in_the_spotlight.html), and

- sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (hereafter, Managed Species).

Healthy habitat is critical to the recovery of protected resources and sustainability of fisheries. Under this solicitation, NOAA seeks proposals to restore habitats critical to Listed or Managed Species or their prey. Proposals benefitting coastal and marine species with a nexus to NMFS fishery management through the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Coral Reef Conservation Act and Species of Concern under NMFS will also be considered. NOAA Fisheries promotes a holistic, landscape-scale approach to resource management in a changing climate. Proposed habitat restoration actions may also increase the resilience of coastal communities by providing important ecosystem services such as protection from coastal flooding, extreme weather events, and coastal erosion.

Successful proposals will: 1) identify a habitat-based issue/concern limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more species targeted by the proposed restoration action; 2) describe in detail the actions and on-the-ground habitat restoration project(s) to be undertaken to resolve the issue/concern and; 3) describe the project(s)’ expected outcomes and measurable impacts on the project’s target species and their ecosystem.

Applicants may request funds for an award period between one and three years. Applicants with multiple-year award requests should divide their funding request into logical allocations by consecutive years, based on their project implementation plan. For instance, a proposal

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 4 of 30 request might include design costs in year one and estimated construction costs needed in year two. Another example would be a proposal that requests construction costs for distinct sites in each of three years. If multiple restoration sites are included within one proposal, applicants are encouraged to develop a comprehensive approach for restoration, which links proposed sites and restoration activities by the habitat-based issue or concern or proposed target species and outcomes. Proposals that include multiple restoration sites should also fully describe the proposed restoration activity at each site within the project narrative section.

B. Program Priorities

Habitat restoration includes, but is not limited to activities that contribute to the return of degraded or altered marine, estuarine, coastal, and freshwater, diadromous fish habitats to functioning habitats or techniques that provide species access to their historic habitats.

Primary habitat restoration methods that the NOAA Restoration Center supports include, but are not limited to: removal of in-stream migration barriers for diadromous fish; hydrologic reconnection of wetlands; coral reef restoration; and bivalve shellfish habitat restoration that includes some form of protection from harvest. High priority will be given to habitat restoration proposals that fulfill the following NOAA programmatic and regional goals:

Programmatic Goals

--Have the greatest potential to contribute to the recovery of Listed Species under NOAA jurisdiction, especially those species designated by NOAA as Species in the Spotlight, through habitat restoration project(s) that are consistent with priority habitat restoration actions identified in Recovery Plans and 5-Year Action Plans for Species in the Spotlight, where habitat availability and quality is limiting the recovery of the species;

--Have the greatest potential to enhance or sustain populations of Managed Species or their prey, specifically through project(s) that restore or enhance Essential Fish Habitat or address actions supported by Fishery Management Plans;

-- Provide sustainable and lasting ecological benefits of regional or national significance for the species targeted by the project and its habitat. Projects that restore natural ecosystem function and processes such as dam removal projects will receive higher priority than projects that install structures that require maintenance, such as fish passage devices;

Regional Goals

-- Restore habitat within NOAA Blueprint Habitat Focus Areas, where habitat restoration is

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 5 of 30 a key strategy in achieving the goals of the Habitat Focus Area (http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/habitatblueprint/);

-- Restore delta, tidal, floodplain, and riparian ecosystem function to habitat within the Puget Sound through hydrologic reconnection, removal of in-stream migration barriers, and other restoration actions that are aligned with the Puget Sound Action Agenda (www.psp.wa.gov/action_agenda_center.php) and salmon Recovery Plans for ESA-listed species, and demonstrate leverage and coordinated investment across federal and state agencies;

-- Restore tidal, floodplain, and riverine habitat along the Oregon coast through hydrologic reconnection and removal of in-stream migration barriers to support the recovery of ESA-listed Oregon Coast coho salmon, including restoration actions aligned with applicable Oregon coast coho strategic action plans;

-- Increase the amount of habitat accessible to diadromous species through dam and culvert removal projects in high priority watersheds in the Northeast, as identified by the Restoration Center’s regional fish passage prioritization; more information on Northeast regional fish passage priority watersheds can be found here:

http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/applicantresources.html.

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;

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, 16 U.S.C. 1891a; and Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1535.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

One-year or multi-year awards up to three funding years will be considered, and additional releases of funds may be used to fund selected proposals through FY19 without further competition. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding awards will range from $300,000 to $1.5 million over one to three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $100,000 or more than $4 million over three years.

NOAA anticipates up to $5 million will be available under this FFO in FY17. Funds will be administered by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA Restoration

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Center.

Dependent on the level of funding made available by Congress, NOAA anticipates approximately $10 million may be available over the next two years (FY18-FY19) to maintain selected awards.

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 out-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).

In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for application preparation costs if programs fail to receive funding or are cancelled because of other agency priorities. 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 funds made available by Congress in FY17 and subsequent fiscal years.

B. Project/Award Period

Applications should cover a period of performance between 12 and 36 months. NOAA anticipates that the period of performance for most awards will be for 36 months, but may award a project where the period of performance extends up to 48 months. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be October 1, 2017. Pre-award costs are generally unallowable; however, pre-award costs may be considered during pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA. Incurring pre-award costs before the NOAA Grants Management Division provides an award document is at the applicant's own risk.

Once funds are awarded in FY17, recipients of multi-year awards will not need to compete for funding in subsequent years. NOAA expects, but is not obligated, to provide additional funding to multi-year awards in subsequent years. Adding funds to multi-year awards is at the discretion of NOAA.

Permission to extend the period of performance beyond that stated in award documentation should be requested in writing at least 30 days in advance of an award's expiration date, as per NOAA Award Conditions.

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C. Type of Funding Instrument

Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements, as described in 2 C.F.R. Sec. 200.24, 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, review of procurement materials to the extent authorized by 2 C.F.R. Sec. 200.324, and tracking the progress towards the successful completion of the project.

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. Applicants must propose work in geographic areas that benefit species with a nexus to NOAA management, further detailed in Section III.C. 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.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

There is no statutory matching requirement for this funding. NOAA typically leverages its federal funding with matching contributions from a broad range of sources in the public and private sectors to implement coastal and marine habitat restoration. To this end, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate partnerships and some portion of non-federal match (suggested at 1:1) with NOAA funds requested to implement the proposed project.

Applications with less than 1:1 match will not be disqualified, however, applicants should note that cost sharing is an element considered in Evaluation Criterion #4 "Project Costs" (Section V.A.4.). Cost sharing will not be waived for Territories of the United States; the Omnibus Territories Act does not apply.

Federal sources cannot be considered for matching funds, but can be described in the budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage and collaboration. 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. Refer to 2 C.F.R. 200.306 for cost sharing or matching policies. 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. Applicants with approved indirect cost

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 8 of 30 rates 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.

Applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be bound by the percentage of cost sharing 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.

Letters of commitment for any secured resources that will be used as 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

NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $100,000 or more than $4 million over three years. Applications must be submitted by the due date and time provided in Section IV.D. Late applications will not be considered for funding.

Submission time will be documented by electronic submission to Grants.gov, a U.S. Postal Service postmark, or a delivery service receipt. Information regarding electronic submission through Grants.gov is contained in Section IV.G. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. Applications submitted via the U.S. Postal Service must have an official postmark; private metered postmarks are not acceptable. Applications received later than five business days following the closing date will not be accepted. All applications MUST contain ALL required forms; if these forms are not signed via the www.Grants.gov application process, they MUST be signed in ink (SF-424, SF-424b, CD-511). Failure to submit signed forms shall result in disqualification from this competition. Project design plans may be submitted on CD, DVD, or USB drive, if a proposal is submitted in hard copy.

The full proposal must arrive in one package, either through Grants.gov or hard copy.

Section III.A presents information distinguishing eligible versus ineligible organization types. 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 for funding consideration. Proposals that solely benefit freshwater fish species or Listed Species under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service are not eligible. Projects in the Great Lakes region are not eligible under this solicitation as there are separate funding opportunities available for restoration projects in

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 9 of 30 the Great Lakes. Projects that focus on marine debris prevention and removal or acquisition of real property are also not eligible.

NOAA recognizes that water quality issues can impact Listed Species recovery and Managed Species sustainability. However, this program is intended to fund on-the-ground habitat restoration resulting in physical habitat modifications and beneficial ecological impacts. Proposals addressing only water quality improvement measures 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 farm waste management plans.

Applicants should also note that the following activities will not be considered: (1) Activities that constitute legally required mitigation for the adverse effects of an activity regulated or otherwise governed by local, state or federal law; (2) activities that constitute restoration for natural resource damages under federal, state or local law; and (3) activities that are required by a separate consent decree, court order, statute or regulation.

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. Instructions for these forms are available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions.html.

B. Content and Form of Application

Applicants should apply through the www.Grants.gov website. A complete standard NOAA financial assistance application package should be submitted in accordance with the guidelines in this document. Each application must include the application forms from the SF-424 form family:

--Application for Federal Assistance: SF-424 (7/03 version or newer)

--Budget Information for Non-construction Programs: SF-424A (prior to award, an SF-424A for each year of funding will be required)

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

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--Certification Regarding Lobbying: CD-511

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

In addition, NOAA recommends the following as part of a complete application package:

--Project summary (described below, 2 page limit);

--Project narrative (described below, 15 page limit);

--A data management plan (described below, 2 page limit);

--A detailed budget justification (described below, 6 page limit);

--Project design plans for proposals requesting funds for project implementation and construction (schematic drawings, NOT feasibility studies or watershed plans)

--Other relevant supporting materials (15 page limit) such as:

--A site location map such as a USGS topographic quadrangle map or aerial photo with site location(s) highlighted

--Brief curriculum vitae or resume for up to three (3) key personnel (maximum of 1 page per person) and any examples of projects similar in scope and nature that have been successfully completed by the project team;

--A letter documenting private owner or public land manager support of the project proposed for the owned site(s); and

--Any other relevant supporting materials such as letters of support (including those from adjoining landowners and those documenting financial and in-kind support), federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements, monitoring plans, site photos, etc.

Applications submitted through the www.Grants.gov website should include a maximum of four (4) files (PDF files only) in addition to the Federal application forms:

1) Summary, narrative, and data management plan (not to exceed 19 pages total, as outlined above);

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2) Budget Justification;

3) Project designs; and

4) Supplemental Information - all other attachments combined into one indexed file, such as maps, curriculum vitae, and support letters, not to exceed 15 pages. Page limits assume a 12-point font and 1-inch margins.

1. Project Summary (2 page limit):

--Applicant Organization

--Project Title

--Site Location - nearest town or watershed, and geographic coordinates

--Brief Project Description/Executive Summary: Briefly describe the activities to be accomplished with the requested funds including: 1) a habitat-based issue/concern limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more species targeted by the proposed restoration action; 2) detailed actions and on-the-ground habitat restoration project(s) to be undertaken to resolve the issue/concern and; 3) the expected outcome of the project and measurable impact on the project’s target species and ecosystem, including proposed evaluation techniques.

--Project Performance Measures and Outcomes -Number of acres to be restored or stream miles to be made accessible to diadromous fish through the proposed activities and any other anticipated long-term ecological and socioeconomic outcomes

--Project Time Line, including an Implementation Start Date, if applicable (not proposed award start date)

--Permits and Approvals - identify and list all consultations, permits, and regulatory approvals necessary for the proposed project(s) and their status (e.g. not applied for, pending, secured)

--Land Owner - name and address (if privately owned) or public agency contact

--Amount of Funding Requested per year (if requesting a multi-year award)

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--Total Federal Funds Requested & Non-Federal Match Anticipated – including the amount of Non-Federal Match that has been confirmed or secured.

--Overall Project Cost, including any leveraged funds beyond proposed match and federal funding request

2. Project Narrative (15 page limit):

The project narrative should closely follow the organization of the evaluation criteria (see Section V. A. Evaluation Criteria) for the application to receive a consistent review against competing applications. In general, proposals should 1) identify a habitat-based issue/concern limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more species targeted by the proposed restoration action; 2) describe in detail the actions and on-the-ground habitat restoration project(s) to be undertaken to resolve the issue/concern and; 3) describe the project(s)’ expected outcomes and measurable impact on the project’s target species and ecosystem, including proposed evaluation techniques.

Applications for multi-year awards should identify annual/interim milestones that correspond to funding increments. As described in Section II.A, NOAA will consider progress towards identified milestones when making funding decisions for multi-year awards in subsequent years. Furthermore, if multiple restoration sites are included within one proposal, the habitat issue or target species should be linked across all proposed sites to achieve the overall proposal's expected outcome Proposals that include multiple restoration sites should also fully describe the proposed restoration activity at each site within the project narrative section. If page limits are restrictive, focus the application on the technical aspects of the proposed actions and on those actions with highest priority funding needs. If you cannot describe all aspects of a multi-year or multi-project award within the recommended page limits, applicants should consider submitting more than one application.

The narrative should:

--succinctly describe the historic condition of the restoration site(s) and the habitat-based issue/concern 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;

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-- identify one or more species targeted by the proposed habitat restoration and their historic and current status or population estimates;

-- highlight how the proposed habitat restoration actions are consistent with, or linked to, ESA Recovery Plans, Species in the Spotlight 5-year Action Plans, Fishery Management Plans, or other fishery-related strategic planning or management documents;

-- define the project’s context within the ecosystem and how project planning and design incorporates an ecosystem-based approach;

-- describe the extent to which the proposed project aligns with the stated Program Priorities (Section I.B);

--indicate any additional societal benefits, such as increased community or ecosystem resiliency, business opportunities, recreational opportunities, decreased safety hazards, or reduced maintenance costs that may result from the proposed habitat restoration; and

--describe the level of stakeholder and community support for the proposed habitat restoration effort as demonstrated by a diversity of partners and sponsorship, and whether or not the project has been put forward by common agreement or through a public planning process;

Additionally, detailed, technical information about the proposed restoration activities and site(s) should be included in the project narrative. For each restoration site, applicants should clearly identify the project phase(s) proposed (e.g. feasibility study, design, construction) and detail the implementation plan and proposed restoration techniques.

For applicants proposing feasibility and design activities, a detailed scope of services or tasks should be included in the proposal. Applicants should describe the overall habitat restoration goals of the feasibility and design activities, and how support for the proposed activity would catalyze subsequent on-the-ground restoration for species recovery and increased fish populations.

For applicants proposing construction, design plans, specifications, scope of work for services, and engineering opinions of cost or cost estimates (if available) should be included in the proposal. Project design plans should be included in the application in order for reviewers to comprehensively assess the technical merit of the proposed restoration action(s). Applicants should also describe how the proposed restoration design, methodology, and techniques account for, or provide for, resilience to extreme weather

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 30 events or adaptation to potential climate change impacts at the project site.

To protect the federal investment, 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 their habitat into the future. Proposed habitat restoration action(s) that are sustainable and provide lasting benefits for the species targeted by the project and its habitat are preferred and considered in Evaluation Criteria #2.d (see Section V.A). In particular, applicants proposing to install structures such as fish passage devices or tide gates as a component of the project 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 proposing new or modified tide gates should also describe measures that will be put in place to prevent filling of the flood storage area upstream of the proposed tide gate.

Applicants proposing to alter tidal exchange should also provide a hydrograph and/or other information explaining any tidal restriction(s) and projected conditions with restoration.

Applicants proposing to enhance existing tidal wetlands, including beneficial re-use of dredged material to increase substrate elevation to keep pace with sea level rise and subsidence effects, should provide information on the source of the dredge materials, the site-specific rate of sea-level rise and subsidence, target substrate elevation(s), and how the restored site is expected to keep pace with the rate of sea level rise and subsidence.

Applicants proposing to place plants or release animals into the environment should include the origin/source and regional genetic stock of the plant or animal, and describe the proximity to any existing or remnant sources of similar type in the area.

The project narrative should include a timeline with key milestones identified and detail how the project(s) will be completed within the specified time period. This includes identifying all consultation and permitting requirements and their status (e.g. not applied for, pending, secured), as well as a commitment to quickly provide information needed by NOAA to analyze project impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, see Section VI.B.2). For projects with NEPA documents completed or under development, please indicate the status and level of NEPA review (CE, EA, or EIS), lead Federal agency, contact information for the lead agency person, and where public copies of the document are available.

Proposals requesting funding for restoration implementation/construction activities should include a discrete monitoring plan and applicants should be willing to work with NOAA to adjust the monitoring plan, if necessary, to ensure that the proposed parameters are adequate and meaningful. All monitoring plans should propose sufficient, cost-effective

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 15 of 30 implementation monitoring. Implementation monitoring assesses whether the restoration action was carried out as designed and provides a basic level of effectiveness.

Implementation monitoring plans should: 1) include parameters that evaluate short-term structural changes at the project site(s) (e.g. as-built surveys), but may also include basic measures of effectiveness (e.g. presence/absence of target species); 2) propose pre-implementation data collection, when applicable; 3) include parameters with quantitative or clearly defined targets; and 4) include parameters with targets that can be evaluated within approximately one year post-implementation. Guidance on implementation monitoring for selected restoration types is available at http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/applicantresources.html.

NOAA will also consider proposals that include more in-depth, longer-term monitoring that addresses ecological effectiveness or restoration technique effectiveness of the Restoration Center’s primary restoration methods: removal of in-stream migration barriers for diadromous fish; hydrologic reconnection of wetlands; coral reef restoration, and bivalve shellfish habitat restoration. NOAA may choose to provide additional funds to an award or increase the award period for successful applicants whose awards are identified as suitable for effectiveness monitoring.

3. Data Management Plan (2 pages)

Proposals submitted in response to this FFO should include a Data Management Plan of up to two pages. NOAA’s Data and Publication Sharing Directive for NOAA Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts is available at https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/PD.DSP.php The Data Management Plan should be aligned with the examples provided by NOAA at:

http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/applicantresources.html. A typical plan should include descriptions of the types of environmental data and information expected to be created during the course of the project; the tentative date by which data will be shared; the standards to be used for data/metadata format and content; methods for providing data access; approximate total volume of data to be collected; and prior experience in making such data accessible. The costs of data preparation, accessibility, or archiving may be included in the proposal budget unless otherwise stated in the Guidance. Accepted submission of data to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is one way to satisfy data sharing requirements; however, NCEI is not obligated to accept all submissions and may charge a fee, particularly for large or unusual datasets. Final Data Management Plans may be developed in coordination with NOAA as part of NOAA’s substantial involvement, as described in Section II.C.

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4. Budget Justification (6 pages):

The budget justification narrative must include a detailed breakdown by category of cost (object class) separated into federal and non-federal shares as they relate to specific aspects of the award, with a detailed narrative justification for both the federal and non-federal (if applicable) shares. The object classes should match those found in the SF-424A. If requesting funds for a multi-year proposal, award costs should be broken into annual/interim funding requests up to three years in duration, based on logical milestones in the implementation plan. For instance, a proposal request might include a request for a project's design costs in year one, estimated construction costs needed in year two, and estimated post-project monitoring costs in year three. Another example would be a project that requests construction costs for discrete sites in each year of a multi-year award. One, two, or three-year project proposals will be accepted.

If funding will be used to complete part of a larger project, a budget overview for the entire project to demonstrate how the NOAA request relates to the overall project budget and outcomes should be provided. If the project has been submitted for funding consideration elsewhere, the amount(s) requested or secured from other sources, and whether the funds requested/secured are federal or non-federal should be included. If the proposed project includes a monitoring component, the applicant should provide an estimate of all monitoring-related costs within the proposed budget.

Additional budget development guidance, including a budget narrative template, is available at http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/applicantresources.html in the “Supplemental Instructions.” The NOAA Restoration Center and GMD staff will review budget information in recommended applications to determine if costs are allowable, allocable, reasonable, and realistic. The narrative budget justification should be sufficiently detailed to enable a clear understanding of the cost breakdown and calculations used to derive the line item subtotals in each object class of the SF-424A budget form. An SF-424A for each year of requested funding will be required prior to award, but not as part of the initial application.

C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

Applicants should: (1) Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number on an application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. The federal awarding agency may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 17 of 30 the requirements by the time the federal awarding agency is ready to make a federal award, the federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

Applicants should allow a minimum of five days to complete the SAM registration;

registration is required only once but must be periodically renewed. Applicants can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1- 866-705-5711 or online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Your organization's Employer Identification Number (EIN) will be needed on the application form.

D. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by www.Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on March 23, 2017. The time the application was provided to a delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. See Section III.C for more information.

E. Intergovernmental Review

Applications submitted under the FFO are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Any applicant submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 19 on SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC). To find out about and comply with a State's process under Executive Order 12372, the names, addresses and phone numbers of participating SPOC's are listed on the Office of Management and Budget's home page at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.

F. Funding Restrictions

Pre-award costs are generally unallowable in this program, however pre-award costs may be considered and discussed during pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Incurring pre-award costs before the NOAA GMD provides an award document (generally via NOAA Grants Online on Form CD-450) is at the applicant's own risk. The earliest date for receipt of awards for this funding opportunity is anticipated to be October 1, 2017.

The budget may include indirect (facilities & administrative [F&A]) costs if the applicant has an established indirect cost rate with the federal government. As defined at 2 C.F.R. § 200.56, indirect (F&A) costs are incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 18 of 30 benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved (e.g., lights, rent, water, and insurance). A copy of the current, approved negotiated indirect (F&A) cost agreement with the federal government should be included with the application. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), an applicant that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC), describe all costs as direct costs in the budget narrative, or establish a new rate through the Department of Commerce by contacting Lamar Revis, Grants Officer at NOAA Grants Management Division, 1325 East-West Highway, 9th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or lamar.revis@noaa.gov. Applicants may elect to propose all or part of indirect costs as cost sharing.

G. Other Submission Requirements

Applicants should submit applications electronically through www.Grants.gov. Users of Grants.gov will be able to create an online application workspace, or download a copy of the application package, complete it off line, and then submit the application via the Grants.gov site. If an applicant has problems accessing the online workspace or downloading the application forms from Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@Grants.gov.

We highly recommend that applicants do not wait until the application deadline to begin the application process through Grants.gov, as registration with SAM and DUNS are required, as described in Section IV.C.

After electronic submission of the application, applicants will receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be accompanied by THREE automated responses (the first confirms receipt; the second confirms that the submission is acceptable and timely; and the third validates that the application has been forwarded to NOAA for further processing).

If all notifications are not received, applicants should follow up with both the Grants.gov help desk and the NOAA Restoration Center to confirm NOAA receipt of the complete submission.

PLEASE NOTE: It may take Grants.gov up to two business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline. Applicants should allow themselves sufficient time to submit their application to Grants.gov in advance of the deadline to ensure applications have been submitted successfully, as waivers of the submission deadline will not be granted. Late applications will not be accepted.

If an applicant is unable to use the preferred submission method (Grants.gov) or is unsure

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 19 of 30 about the success of their submission to Grants.gov, a signed hard copy application must be postmarked, or provided to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, by the deadline under "Submission Dates and Times" in Section IV.D and sent to: NOAA Restoration Center, NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East West Highway, Rm. 14853, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

ATTN: FY 2017 Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants. Mandatory requirements regarding signatures and the format of hard copy applications are described in Section III.C.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers will assign scores to applications ranging from 0 to 100 points based on the following five standard NOAA evaluation criteria and respective weights specified below.

Applications that best address these criteria will be most competitive.

1. Importance and Applicability (32 points): This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional, state or local activities. For this competition, applications will be evaluated based on the following:

(a) Benefits to NOAA Resources- How great is the potential of the proposed actions to restore or enhance habitat for the benefit of: 1) species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) under NOAA jurisdiction, especially those designated by NOAA as “Species in the Spotlight”; or 2) species managed by NOAA under the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act? This includes projects benefitting Critical Habitat, Essential Fish Habitat, and projects that benefit ESA or MSA species through ecosystem improvements such as restoring habitat for forage fish. (10 points)

(b) Program Priorities- To what extent do the proposed restoration actions align with the priorities described in Section I.B. Program Priorities? (6 points)

(c) Issue Identification- To what extent does the proposal describe the habitat issue limiting recovery or sustainability of the species targeted by the restoration project, the state of the species' habitat/populations within the watershed/affected area, and propose restoration actions that will have an impact on the species (e.g. contribute to the recovery or sustainability of fish populations)? (6 points)

(d) Tangible Results- To what extent does the proposed project(s) contribute to NOAA's mission to protect and restore marine and coastal habitats by delivering tangible, specific results that are measurable and relevant to NOAA performance measures such as 1) acres restored, 2) stream miles opened for fish passage, or 3) similar outputs (e.g. number of corals

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 20 of 30 transplanted) that directly result from the project(s)? (5 points)

(e) Multiple Benefits- To what extent will the proposed project(s) increase ecosystem and community resiliency, and yield environmentally compatible socio-economic benefits, such as increased business opportunities, public community revitalization, recreational opportunities, reduced safety hazards, or reduced maintenance costs? (5 points)

2. Technical/Scientific Merit (30 points): This criterion assesses whether the restoration activity or approach is technically sound, if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear goals and objectives. For this competition, applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which the applicant has described a realistic and thorough implementation plan that includes:

(a) Project Feasibility and Methodology - To what extent is the proposed project(s) feasible from a biological and engineering perspective, including whether the proposed approach is technically sound, safe for the public, and uses appropriate methods and personnel? To what extent does the proposal describe the susceptibility of the project site to climate change impacts and how the proposed restoration methodology and design provides for resilience to extreme weather events and adaptation to potential climate change impacts anticipated at the project site? (8 points)

(b) Project Timeline- To what extent does the proposal completely describe the restoration actions, the current status of the project (e.g. 60% design plans complete), permitting and environmental compliance status, key milestones throughout the course of the project(s), and a realistic time frame (within the 1-3 year award period) to reach those milestones? A complete project description should include all phases of the restoration from initial feasibility study through design, permitting, construction, performance monitoring, operation and/or maintenance. If the proposal is a feasibility study or design project only, to what extent does the proposal completely describe the feasibility or design actions, key milestones, and a realistic timeframe? (8 points)

(c) Measurable Goals- To what extent will the project be able to report progress towards broad goals and measure near-term implementation success, including implementation (NOAA RC Tier 1) monitoring for applicable project types? Does the proposal also offer an opportunity for insightful ecological and technical effectiveness monitoring (NOAA RC Tier 2)? Further guidance is provided in “Restoration Center Implementation Monitoring” at http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/applicantresources.html. (5 points)

(d) Sustainability- How great is the potential of the restoration effort to be sustainable and

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 21 of 30 provide lasting benefits of regional or national significance for the species targeted by the project and its habitat?