NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2022-2007193 NOFO Report.pdf

Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal under the IIJA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4 A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 6 C. Program Authority 7

II. Award Information 7 A. Funding Availability 8 B. Project/Award Period 8 C. Type of Funding Instrument 9

III. Eligibility Information 9 A. Eligible Applicants 9 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 10 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 10

IV. Application and Submission Information 11 A. Address to Request Application Package 11 B. Content and Form of Application 11 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 18 D. Submission Dates and Times 19 E. Intergovernmental Review 19 F. Funding Restrictions 19 G. Other Submission Requirements 19

V. Application Review Information 20 A. Evaluation Criteria 20 B. Review and Selection Process 23 C. Selection Factors 24 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 25

VI. Award Administration Information 25 A. Award Notices 25 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 26 C. Reporting 32

VII. Agency Contacts 33 VIII. Other Information 33

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NOTICE OF 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: Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal under the IIJA

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2022-2007193

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.463, Habitat Conservation

Dates: Applications must be received at www.Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern time on August 29, 2022. See Sections III.C. and IV.G. of this Announcement for further information.

Funding Opportunity Description: The principal objective of the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Funding Opportunity is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to Indian tribes and tribal commissions or consortia to remove barriers to fish passage for native migratory or sea-run fish. Funding will be used for fish passage that rebuilds productive and sustainable fisheries, contributes to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species, enhances watershed health, promotes resilient ecosystems and communities, and increases tribal capacity to participate in fish passage barrier removal efforts while improving tribal commercial, recreational, subsistence and cultural practice opportunities.

This funding opportunity announcement is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, Public Law 117-58), 135 STAT. 1356 (Nov. 15, 2021).

Applicants should address the following program priorities: (1) Achieving measurable and lasting benefits for migratory fish populations; (2) Fostering tribally important barrier removal efforts that benefit migratory fish; (3) Enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits; or (4) Increasing tribal organizational fish passage capacity to support tribes in their role as managers and stewards of tribal trust resources for cultural, spiritual, economic, subsistence, and recreational purposes.

Proposals submitted under this funding opportunity should describe how the proposed work will:

1. contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act; 2. sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; 3. improve passage to support native fish species of the

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Great Lakes; 4. enhance the sustainability of saltwater recreational fisheries; 5. enhance community resilience to climate hazards by removing or improving aging infrastructure and support other co-benefits; or 6. support hydroelectric license surrender to remove dams that are no longer economically viable or provide significant public benefits.

Proposed activities may include future project development and feasibility studies, engineering and design, permitting, on-the-ground fish passage restoration, pre- and post-removal implementation monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and outreach and education. This funding opportunity will also support building tribal organizational capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects. Applicants may apply for funding to support one or more of these activities. Proposals may include multiple locations and should demonstrate how multiple locations collectively contribute to priorities within a watershed or geographic area.

Proposals selected for funding through this funding opportunity will be funded through cooperative agreements. NOAA anticipates that the period of performance for most awards will be for three years. Awards may be structured as multi-year awards where the funding for the second and/or third year should be estimated in the proposal, with final amounts determined 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 $2 million over three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $300,000 or more than $5 million total for the entire award. Funds will be administered by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA Restoration Center, as directed in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The principal objective of the NOAA’s Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Funding Opportunity is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to Indian tribes and tribal commissions or consortia (see section III.A for specific Eligibility requirements) to remove barriers to fish passage. NOAA recognizes that healthy fish populations are integral to the living culture of tribes. Funding will be used for fish passage that rebuilds productive and sustainable fisheries, contributes to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species, enhances watershed health, promotes resilient ecosystems and communities, and increases tribal capacity to participate in fish passage barrier removal efforts while improving tribal commercial, recreational, subsistence and cultural practice opportunities. Proposed work may be located on tribal lands, throughout traditional use areas, or in coastal watersheds that support fish populations that are or have been integral to the living culture of tribes. This funding announcement is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), 135 STAT. 1356 (Nov. 15, 2021).

Definitions for this funding opportunity:

Fish Passage: Fish passage is the ability of fish to move freely between habitats they rely on for food, growth, reproduction, and other needs. Fish passage projects improve the movement of fish within and between their spawning, rearing, and adult habitats by modifying or removing dams, culverts, and other barriers that restrict their migration. For this opportunity, fish passage means native migratory or sea-run fish can move through the barrier site under their own power, at multiple life stages, without delay (also known as “volitional passage”). Fish passage projects include dam removal and/or modification;

culvert removal and/or replacement; nature-like fishways or bypass channels; and technical fish ladders.

Native Migratory or Sea-run Fish: Target fish species under this funding opportunity are those native species that spend a portion of their lives in rivers, floodplains and/or ponds and a portion in the ocean, estuaries or Great Lakes. Species of native migratory fish include salmon, steelhead trout, shad, river herring, American eel, and sturgeon, among others.

These species migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce and may be referred to as anadromous, sea-run, diadromous, catadromous, or potadromous, depending on where they begin and end their migration. Native migratory or sea-run fish will be

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 34 abbreviated as “migratory fish” in this document.

In-stream Barrier: An in-stream barrier is any blockage that prevents or reduces the ability of migratory fish to move where needed to survive and complete their life cycle. This funding opportunity focuses on physical barriers, such as dams and culverts. Environmental barriers, such as excess sediment, poor water quality, and temperature or flow variations may be addressed in concert with physical barriers. Barriers may be permanent or temporary, for one or more life stages of migratory fish.

Co-Benefits of Restoration: This term refers to the multiple benefits of restoration that extend beyond biologically-relevant benefits to target species. This includes contributions to ecosystem and community resilience, increased business opportunities, public community revitalization, recreational opportunities, support for cultural practices, reduced safety hazards, or reduced maintenance costs. Co-benefits are often measured through socioeconomic methods.

Community resilience: This term refers to the capacity of a human community to absorb, withstand, respond to, and/or recover rapidly from disturbances linked to extreme weather events and climate hazards. Community resilience can also include the ability to plan and prepare for adverse effects of extreme weather events or climate hazards, and the capacity to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

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.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge. This term refers to the cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment. NOAA recognizes the importance of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge for understanding the environment, adapting to environmental change, and mitigating negative environmental impacts.

Proposals submitted under this funding opportunity should describe how the proposed fish passage will:

1. Contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species listed under the

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Endangered Species Act (ESA) including species identified by NMFS as “Species in the Spotlight” (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/endangered-species-conservation#species-in-the-spotlight);

2. Sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. (hereafter, Managed Species), which includes benefits to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for recreationally and commercially important species and their prey;

3. Improve passage to support native fish species of the Great Lakes;

4. Enhance the sustainability of saltwater recreational fisheries by the restoration of habitat that supports the National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy and Implementation Plans (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/recreational-fishing/saltwater-recreational-fisheries-engagement-plans);

5. Enhance community resilience, including to climate hazards, by removing or improving aging infrastructure, and provide benefits to tribal communities. Projects that use natural channel design and low impact development often result in co-benefits such as protection from flooding and extreme weather events, reduced erosion, and creation of public spaces; or

6. Support hydroelectric license surrender to remove dams that are no longer economically viable or provide significant public benefits, yet remain in service or are abandoned due to cost and uncertainties regarding their decommissioning and removal.

Proposed activities may include future project development and feasibility studies, engineering and design, permitting, on-the-ground fish passage restoration, pre- and post-removal implementation monitoring, stakeholder engagement, building the capacity of new and existing restoration partners to manage multi-faceted project design and construction, and education and outreach. This funding opportunity will also support building tribal organizational capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects.

Applicants may apply for funding to support one or more of these activities. Proposals may include multiple locations throughout a watershed or other geographic area, and should demonstrate how multiple locations collectively contribute to priorities within the watershed or geographic area.

B. Program Priorities

Successful proposals will be those that meet the evaluation criteria (Section V.A) most strongly, including those criteria related to the program priorities described here. Applicants should address at least one of the following program priorities:

1) Achieving measurable and lasting benefits for migratory fish populations. NOAA prioritizes proposed work that will achieve measurable, sustainable, and lasting benefits for migratory fish populations. Proposals that focus on removal of barriers will receive higher

Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 34 priority (e.g. dam removals will receive higher priority than installation of structures that require operations and maintenance, such as fish ladders).

2) Fostering tribally important barrier removal efforts that benefit migratory fish. This solicitation will fund restoration of habitats that improve migratory fish populations important to tribes, including usual and accustomed areas, habitat important for enhancing tribal treaty reserved fishing rights or native subsistence fishing, and tribal trust fishing opportunities. Applicants should refer to traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), watershed plans, resiliency plans, or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents to show the tribal importance of the proposed work.

3) Enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits.

Applicants should describe how the proposed fish passage 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).

4) Increasing tribal organization fish passage capacity to support tribes in their role as managers and stewards of tribal trust resources for cultural, spiritual, economic, subsistence, and recreational purposes. Proposals may include activities that build tribal capacity to participate in the fish passage project development process, including reviewing project locations, reviewing design plans, conducting field assessments, providing traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) for fish passage projects, and managing multi-faceted fish passage project design and construction.

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. The NOAA Administrator is authorized under the following statute to support formal and informal educational activities at all levels: the America COMPETES Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 893a. This funding opportunity announcement is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58).

II. Award Information

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A. Funding Availability

NOAA anticipates up to $12 million will be available under this opportunity in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding awards will range from $500,000 to $2 million over three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $300,000 or more than $5 million for the entire award. NOAA may choose to combine funding available in FY22 and FY23 for this opportunity. If combined, the total amount available will be up to $24 million. This decision will be solely at NOAA’s discretion, but will be based on the timing of the award process, and funding needs as expressed through the number of applications received and amount of funds requested.

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

B. Project/Award Period

NOAA encourages a period of performance of up to three years, with the potential for up to five years if necessary. NOAA anticipates that the period of performance for most awards will be three years. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be December 1, 2022.

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.

Once funds are awarded, recipients of multi-year awards will not need to compete for funding in subsequent years for the same award. NOAA expects, but is not obligated, to provide additional funding to multi-year awards in subsequent years. Adding funds to multi-year awards is contingent on the availability of funds and satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of NOAA. Award periods may be extended, at the discretion of NOAA and based on project needs, up to the extent legally allowable. This is typically a maximum award length of five years.

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C. Type of Funding Instrument

Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements, as described in 2 C.F.R. 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. 200.325.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. Section 5304 (e)) and tribal commissions or consortia.

Tribal commissions or consortia are required to provide supporting documentation in the application demonstrating support from the tribe(s) they represent for the specific work proposed. Supporting documentation should be from a senior tribal leader or their designee and must also include a description of how the tribe(s) will be involved in the proposed work. The documentation may be provided in the form of letters of support from one or more tribes for the specific work proposed, and is further described in this Announcement in Section IV.B., Content and Form of Application. Letters should be submitted as part of the grant application, but can also be submitted during award negotiations if a proposal is selected for funding.

An institution of higher education, non-profit organization, commercial (for profit) organization, U.S. territory, or state or local government, and organizations that identify as Indian tribes but do not meet the definition of “Indian tribe” above, which may include State recognized tribes, can partner with Indian tribes and tribal commissions or consortia on an application, but are not eligible to submit an application directly. A partnership may involve proposed subawards, contracts, informal collaboration, or other engagement. These partners may apply directly for separate NOAA Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding opportunities for restoring fish passage published at www.grants.gov.

Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered.

Federal agencies interested in this program are strongly encouraged to work with applicants who are eligible to apply.

Applicants must propose work in areas that benefit migratory fish as defined in the Program

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Objective (Section I.A). Eligible applicants for Great Lakes projects must propose work within one of the eight U.S. Great Lakes states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) within the Great Lakes watershed.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

There is no non-federal matching requirement for this funding. NOAA desires cost sharing to encourage partnerships among government, community, industry, and academia.

NOAA encourages applicants whose proposed initiatives exceed the budgetary limits for this competition to apply to this competition and also for other, complementary federal funding for separate components of their larger initiatives. In these situations, NOAA will coordinate as necessary with other agencies to assure that funding is not duplicated and that the complementary components will support completion of the larger initiative.

Non-federal match funds may be optionally included within the application to demonstrate stakeholder support for the proposed work. Applicants should refer to 2 C.F.R. 200.306 for cost sharing or matching policies.

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 the award document is signed by the recipient. Successful applicants should be prepared to carefully document matching contributions.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Applications submitted through Grants.gov must be submitted by the due date and time provided in Section IV.D. Late applications will not be considered for funding. Paper applications received later than seven business days following the post-mark due date and time will not be accepted. Submission time will be documented 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 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. Failure to submit forms may result in disqualification from this competition. See Section IV.G for more details.

NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $300,000 over

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 34 three years or more than $5 million over three years.

The following information describes ineligible project proposal types and activities:

1. Activities that are required by a separate local, state, or federal consent decree, court order, 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.

2. Effectiveness monitoring and research are not eligible project types. The NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation values effectiveness monitoring and research, but funds are not included within this funding opportunity to support monitoring and research focused projects. Effectiveness monitoring is longer-term than implementation monitoring, and often requires detailed field investigations of multiple physical, biological, and geochemical processes. To find out more about effectiveness monitoring and regional contacts with which to discuss ideas, visit https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects. Proposals for effectiveness monitoring that do not qualify for other NOAA competitive funding may be eligible for NOAA’s Broad Agency Announcement, posted on Grants.gov.

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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html. If an applicant does not have internet access, application materials may be requested from Janine Harris, the competition manager, by phone at 301-427-8635 or email at infrastructure.tribal@noaa.gov. Information about the recommended format for applications is contained in Section IV.B.

B. Content and Form of Application

A complete, standard NOAA financial assistance application package should be submitted, as described below. Each proposal must include the following Federal application forms. The Standard Form (SF)-424 family may be downloaded from https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html.

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1) SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance

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

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

4) CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying

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

In addition to the Federal application forms, NOAA recommends the following components as part of a complete application package. Page limits assume an 11- or 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Components should be organized into a maximum of four (4) PDF files outlined below:

PDF 1. Project Summary and Project Narrative, (18 page limit) PDF 2. Budget Narrative (6 page limit) PDF 3. Project Designs (no page limit) PDF 4. Supplemental Materials (25 page limit recommendation)

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 you address the evaluation criteria.

PDF 1. PROJECT SUMMARY and PROJECT NARRATIVE (18 page limit)

PROJECT SUMMARY (2 page limit)

(1) Applicant Organization

(2) Project Title

(3) Site Location. Include the geographic coordinates and describe the tribal lands the project is on, and/or traditional use areas, or coastal water that support fish populations that are or have been integral to the living culture of tribes. If multiple sites are proposed, please include a map or description of all sites.

(4) Brief Project Description:

- Project Goals. Describe the expected measurable benefit to the project’s target species.

Include stream miles to be made accessible to migratory fish, number of in-stream barriers removed, and any other anticipated long-term benefits, so that reviewers can understand the scale and meaning of your proposed project in the context of the watershed. Describe the target fish populations and life stages that will benefit from the proposed fish passage projects, and their relative abundance in the proposal’s area of benefit, including whether they are Listed or Managed species, or species native to the Great Lakes.

- Regional and Watershed Context. Describe the watershed where the in-stream barriers are

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 34 located. Describe how the proposed work is important to tribes, including if the work will improve habitat important for enhancing tribal treaty fishing rights or native subsistence fishing. Describe any actions that will build tribal capacity to participate in the fish passage project development process.

- Timeline. Provide a timeline of all project activities to be supported through this proposal, including an indication of when activities will begin and end.

(5) Funding Request. Include the total request for NOAA funds for each year of the project period.

PROJECT NARRATIVE (16 page limit) Proposals are evaluated based on the criteria described in Section V.A, Evaluation Criteria.

Please review that section for a full description of topics to include in your project narrative.

The following information provides guidance for how to respond to the evaluation criteria.

For more information on program priorities and other goals outlined below, applicants should visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/priorities-habitat-restoration-grants.

(1) Importance and Applicability. As you address the evaluation criteria in Section V.A., describe the project’s importance and context within the natural and human environment.

(a) Applicants should describe how the proposed actions will benefit the target species.

This may include the number of stream miles to be made accessible for migratory fish, the distance to the next upstream blockage, and any downstream blockages or seasonal impediments to fish passage. For projects including or solely focused on organizational capacity building, applicants should describe how the proposed work will support tribes in their roles as managers and stewards of tribal trust resources, including how the proposed work will increase organizational capacity to provide direct habitat benefits. For example, applications can propose funding for tribes for staff for fish passage capacity building or training for existing and new tribal staff.

Applicants should refer to watershed plans or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents, as appropriate to the proposed work. Applicants should describe how the proposed actions support the recovery or sustainability of Listed Species, Managed Species, saltwater recreational fisheries, and/or native fish species of the Great Lakes. For proposals addressing Listed Species, proposed actions should align with ESA Recovery Plans for target species. For proposals targeting Managed Species, proposed actions should be consistent with Fishery Management Plans and should address benefits to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for recreationally and commercially important species and their prey. For proposals addressing saltwater recreational fisheries, applicants should identify how proposed actions align with one of the six guiding principles of the National Saltwater Recreational Angler Policy. The policy's goal of supporting sustainable saltwater

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 34 recreational fisheries resources, including healthy marine and estuarine habitats, is guided by the principle of supporting ecosystem conservation and enhancement through restoration and science-based enhancements and conservation of forage fish. For proposals targeting the Great Lakes, applicants should describe how the habitat restoration actions will benefit native fish species.

(b) Applicants should refer to watershed plans or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents, as appropriate, to show the barrier removal work is a tribal priority, and should describe how they considered traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in planning the proposed work. For the inclusion of TEK, the applicant should explain the general methods used (e.g. literature review, semi-structured interviews, oral history etc.). A brief description of potential methods can be found here:

https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/19-065933-Traditional-Knowledge-in- Decision-Making-Document-Signed.pdf. Applications from tribal commissions or consortia should clearly show the prominent role of tribes in the proposed work.

(c) Applicants should describe how the proposed restoration will benefit human populations within or near the project site(s), and how these 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. Projects that use natural channel design and low impact development often result in co-benefits including, but not limited to, protection from flooding and extreme weather events, reduced erosion, and creation of public spaces. Proposals should include descriptions of anticipated benefits and co-benefits within the spatial and temporal context of the proposed restoration. Co-benefits are defined in Section. I.A.

(2) Technical/Scientific Merit. In order to address the evaluation criteria in Section V.A., proposals should describe in detail the actions to be undertaken to remove in-stream barriers.

We anticipate some proposals may include multiple in-stream barriers to fish passage. If page limits are restrictive, focus the application on the technical aspects of those actions with highest priority funding needs.

(a) For each in-stream barrier, applicants should identify the project phase(s) proposed (e.g., feasibility study and stakeholder input, design, construction) and proposed fish passage techniques. For instance, if feasibility and design activities are proposed, the narrative should include the scope of services or tasks. If project implementation is proposed, the latest designs should be attached as described in PDF 3 Project Designs, below.

(b) The following are suggested technical details applicants can include about the proposed fish passage projects and their locations:

– The past and present conditions of the fish passage barrier, including information on the historic and anticipated fish passage at the site;

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– If there are any other barriers in the watershed upstream and downstream of the project site and their passage status (total barrier, partial barrier, temporal barrier, etc);

– how the preferred alternative for barrier removal was determined by the stakeholders and a description of how the process included tribal considerations and TEK;

– the in-stream barrier owners, land managers, and stakeholders, including permitting agencies, that have been identified for the proposed work;

– potential changes to hydrology and flooding regimes as a result of the restoration activities, both upstream and downstream;

– the amount and characterization of sediments behind the barrier and potential sources of sediment contamination within the watershed;

– the likelihood of historic and cultural resources in the area;

– safety considerations (e.g., structural integrity of the barrier, likelihood of failure, attractive nuisance conditions); and/or

– issues and potential control strategies regarding aquatic invasive species (e.g., sea lamprey in the Great Lakes).

(c) The project narrative should include a timeline with key milestones, including interim milestones per funding year, identified and detailing how the project(s) will be completed within the specified time period. If tribal capacity is a component of the proposals, timelines and milestones should also show efforts to build tribal organizational capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects. For projects with permits or 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, and contact information for the lead agency person. See also Section VI.B.4 of this announcement.

(d) Fish Passage Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation. Proposals should include a discrete Implementation Monitoring Plan, or describe the process for developing and implementing a Monitoring Plan. This may be included either within the body of the narrative or as part of the Supplemental Materials. Monitoring plans should address all proposed fish passage barriers in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, focused on implementation monitoring. All projects, regardless of their place in the project development lifecycle should be included. Applicants should be willing to work with NOAA to adjust the plan, if necessary, to ensure that the proposed parameters are meaningful and meet the requirements below.

Implementation monitoring for fish passage projects is described in the NOAA Restoration Center Implementation Monitoring (Tier 1) Guidance available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects#more-information. This document provides an overview of the Restoration Center's preferred monitoring plan structure, and describes fish passage implementation metrics for dam removals and culvert removal/replacement. For project

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 34 types not described, such as fish ladders, monitoring metrics should propose sufficient, cost-effective monitoring metrics that will assess whether the restoration actions were carried out as designed. Proposals should: 1) include parameters that evaluate short-term structural changes at the project site(s) (e.g., as-built surveys), and may also include a basic measure of success (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 after project implementation.

While the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation values effectiveness monitoring and research, funds are not included within this solicitation to support these efforts. Effectiveness monitoring is longer-term than implementation monitoring, and often requires detailed field investigations of multiple physical, biological, and geochemical processes. Proposals for effectiveness monitoring that do not qualify for other NOAA competitive funding may be eligible for NOAA’s Broad Agency Announcement, posted on Grants.gov.

(3) Overall Qualifications of Applicants. In order to address the evaluation criteria in Section V.A., proposals should fully describe the tribal applicant or tribal commission or consortia’s experience and capacity to successfully complete the proposed work. Training and experience should be described in both fish passage qualifications and management capacity.

Examples of prior efforts that demonstrate qualifications include: collaboration with tribes and incorporation of TEK on fish passage projects, design, construction, and monitoring;

environmental compliance; and effective fiscal management of grant awards, especially those similar in size to the current request. Include brief resumes or curriculum vitae (CV) for up to five (5) key staff from the tribe or partner organization, and/or subrecipients and subcontractors, as described under the Supplemental Information section below.

(4) Project Costs. In order to address the evaluation criteria in Section V.A., proposals should follow the guidance under PDF 2. Budget Narrative, as fully described below.

(5) Outreach and Education. In order to address the evaluation criteria in Section V.A., proposals should describe how the proposed activities will include tribes and meet the holistic needs of the tribal community. Proposals should include an outreach and education strategy that describes how information about fish passage barrier removal goals and results will be shared with the local community, including tribal members. Proposals should describe any completed, in-progress, or planned outreach to in-stream barrier owners. Letters of support should be provided to show broad support for the project, including documentation of approval from fish passage barrier owners for implementation projects.

Applicants may demonstrate stakeholder support through optional non-federal match or cost sharing, as described in support letters. Letters of support should be included in

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Supplemental Materials (PDF 4) for evaluation under this criterion.

PDF 2. BUDGET NARRATIVE (6 pages) Reviewers will evaluate project costs by reviewing your budget narrative. Your budget narrative should describe project costs in the following categories, also referred to as SF- 424A Object Classes: Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, and Other. The sum of funds requested under these Object Classes should be described as Total Direct Costs. The costs required for organizational operation that cannot be easily associated with an individual project or program should be described as Indirect Costs.

Organizations with a federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) should include a copy of the approved NICRA in Supplemental Materials (PDF 4). Organizations without a NICRA may claim the 10% de minimis rate for calculating indirect charges on the Modified Total Direct Costs (see 2 C.F.R. 200.1 for definitions). These totals should also be recorded on the SF-424A. Award costs should be divided into annual funding requests for up to three years in duration. If NOAA funding will be used to complete part of a larger project, a budget overview for the entire project should be provided to demonstrate how the NOAA request relates to the overall project budget and is needed for successful project implementation. NOAA staff will review budget information in recommended applications to determine if costs are allowable, allocable, reasonable, necessary, and realistic.

If a project has been submitted for funding consideration elsewhere, the amount(s) requested or secured from other funding sources, and whether the funds requested/secured are federal or non-federal, should be included. Please indicate if you are using federal funds, non-federal funds or a combination of both as match or leverage.

The NOAA Restoration Center has provided guidance regarding the level of detail required to determine if costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable in the “Supplemental Instructions” at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/resources-noaa-restoration-center-applicants#restoration-budget-guidance.

PDF 3. PROJECT DESIGNS (no page limit) If available, project designs and basis of design reports should be included in the application in order for reviewers to comprehensively assess the technical merit of the proposed fish passage action(s). Construction specifications, scopes of work for services, and cost estimates may also be provided. Please do not attach feasibility studies or watershed plans--the critical components of those documents should be summarized in the Project Narrative.

Designs should be uploaded under the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov.

PDF 4. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS (25 page limit recommendation)

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All supplemental attachments should be combined into one file which includes a cover page that lists the documents and associated page numbers. This should be uploaded under the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov.

(1) Include a map or aerial photo with nearby towns and/or roads labeled and with the site location(s) highlighted.

(2) Include resumes or descriptions of past project management experience for up to five (5) key personnel (approximately 5 pages) including examples of similar scale projects as applicable.

(3) Include letters of support as described under Outreach and Education. For applications from tribal commissions or consortia, include letters to show supporting documentation from senior tribal leaders or their designees that describes how the tribe(s) will be involved in the proposed work. The page limit for PDF 4 can be expanded to ensure all tribal letters of support are included. If a tribal applicant proposes subrecipients, contractors, or collaborators known at the time of award, letters of support from these parties may be included. Letters of support should demonstrate consultation with invasive species management programs, as relevant to the project site. (For example, if a project is proposing fish passage in the Great Lakes, include appropriate documentation demonstrating consultation with and support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Lamprey Control Program.)

(4) If applicable, and not included in the Project Narrative, include an Implementation Monitoring Plan (2 page limit), as described above in this section.

(5) Include any other relevant supporting materials.

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

To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, to the extent applicable, any proposal awarded in response to this announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM), which may be accessed online at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

Applicants should: (1) Be registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov) before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) 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. NOAA may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready to make a federal award, NOAA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a

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Applicants should allow a minimum of two weeks to complete the SAM registration;

registration is required only once but must be periodically renewed. On April 4, 2022, the federal government began using a new Unique Entity Identifier number provided by SAM.

Your organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) will be needed to receive a UEI, which is provided by SAM. If your entity is already registered in SAM.gov, your new UEI has already been assigned and is viewable in SAM.gov. This includes inactive registrations.

D. Submission Dates and Times

The application deadline is August 29, 2022 at 11:59 PM Eastern time. See Section III.C for more information.

E. Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this Program are not subject to Executive Order 12372.

F. Funding Restrictions

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. § 200.1, 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 benefited, 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 does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) 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 their cognizant agency for indirect costs as defined under 2 C.F.R. § 200.1. Please also refer to Section VI.B. for additional information.

G. Other Submission Requirements

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications electronically through www.Grants.gov. Users of Grants.gov will be able to create an online application workspace to submit the application. If an applicant has problems accessing the online workspace at Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@Grants.gov.

Applications must be submitted by the due date and time provided in Section IV.D. Late

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