NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2023-2008056 NOFO Report.pdf

NOAA's Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants Under the BIL and IRA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 7 C. Program Authority 8

II. Award Information 9 A. Funding Availability 9 B. Project/Award Period 9 C. Type of Funding Instrument 10

III. Eligibility Information 10 A. Eligible Applicants 10 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 10 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 11

IV. Application and Submission Information 12 A. Address to Request Application Package 12 B. Content and Form of Application 12 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 23 D. Submission Dates and Times 24 E. Intergovernmental Review 24 F. Funding Restrictions 24 G. Other Submission Requirements 25

V. Application Review Information 26 A. Evaluation Criteria 26 B. Review and Selection Process 30 C. Selection Factors 32 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 33

VI. Award Administration Information 33 A. Award Notices 33 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 33 C. Reporting 41

VII. Agency Contacts 42 VIII. Other Information 42

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 42

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: NOAA's Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants Under the BIL and IRA

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2023-2008056

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.463, Habitat Conservation

Dates: The application deadline is October 16, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Applications must be received by www.Grants.gov. See Sections III.C. and IV.G. of this Announcement for further information.

Funding Opportunity Description: The principal objective of NOAA’s Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to fish passage through the removal of dams and other in-stream barriers 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, especially in underserved communities, and improves economic vitality, including local employment. This funding opportunity announcement is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Public Law 117-58) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA, Public Law 117-169).

Applicants should address the following program priorities: (1) achieving measurable and lasting benefits for migratory fish populations; (2) enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits; 3) fostering regionally important habitat restoration; and 4) providing benefit to and engaging with underserved communities, including through partnerships with Indian tribes and other indigenous communities.

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 Endangered Species Act; (2) sustain or help rebuild fish stocks and their prey managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; (3) improve passage to support native fish species of the Great Lakes; (4) enhance the sustainability of saltwater recreational

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 42 fisheries; (5) enhance community resilience, especially in tribal, indigenous and underserved communities, to climate hazards by removing or improving aging infrastructure and supporting 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, including in tribal, indigenous and underserved communities; building the capacity of new and existing restoration partners to manage multi-faceted project design and construction; and education and outreach. Applicants may therefore apply for funding to support all of these activities; however, priority will be given to applications that include on-the-ground construction likely to occur during the award period.

Proposals that focus on the removal of barriers will score highly in the evaluation criteria.

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.

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

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

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. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $3 million to $6 million over three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $1 million or more than $20 million total. Funds will be administered by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, as directed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 42

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The principal objective of the NOAA’s Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to locally led fish passage through removals of dams and other in-stream barriers 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, especially for underserved communities; and improves economic vitality, including local employment. This funding announcement is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Public Law 117-58) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA, Public Law 117-169).

Proposals submitted under this funding opportunity should describe how the proposed fish passage will meet one or more of the following objectives:

1. Contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (hereafter, Listed Species), 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 (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants);

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

4. Enhance the sustainability of saltwater recreational fisheries by restoring 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 extreme weather and climate hazards, by removing or improving aging infrastructure, and meaningfully engage with or provide

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 42 benefits to tribal, indigenous or underserved 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, including in underserved communities; building the capacity of new and existing restoration partners to manage multi-faceted project design and construction; and education and outreach. Applicants may therefore apply for funding to support all of these activities; however, priority will be given to applications that include on-the-ground construction activities likely to occur during the award period. Proposals that focus on the removal of barriers will score highly in the evaluation criteria. 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.

Entire segments of our society have been marginalized, underserved, or underrepresented in efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and adapt to weather and climate impacts, despite being at greater risk due to lack of resources, accessibility constraints, and systemic institutional barriers. This includes Tribes and Indigenous People, who are disproportionately affected by climate change and face additional institutional barriers in order to adapt to the most severe impacts (Fourth National Climate Assessment). Executive Order (E.O.) 14096 on “Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All" (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-ournations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all) and E.O.13985 on “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government” (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racialequity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government), emphasize the need for federal agencies to take actions to redress unfair disparities and remove barriers to government programs and services. E.O. 14096 places even greater urgency on the federal government to “. . . build upon and strengthen its commitment to deliver environmental justice to all communities across America.” This program will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. Established by E.O. 14008 on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” the Justice40 Initiative sets the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments, such as climate, clean

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 42 energy, and other areas, flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.

DEFINITIONS:

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, but are not limited to, dam removal and/or modification; culvert removal and/or replacement; nature-like fishways or bypass channels; and technical fish ladders.

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.

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 abbreviated as “migratory fish” in this document.

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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 42 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.

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

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

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

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

B. Program Priorities

Successful proposals will be those that meet the evaluation criteria (Section V.A) most strongly. Applicants should address at least one of the following program priorities, which are the basis for the Importance and Applicability evaluation criteria:

1) Achieving measurable and lasting benefits for migratory fish populations. NOAA

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 42 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 priority (e.g., dam removals will receive higher priority than installation of structures that require operations and maintenance, such as fish ladders).

2) Enhancing community resilience to extreme weather and 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). Co-benefits are defined in Section I.A.

3) Fostering regionally important habitat restoration. This funding opportunity will fund restoration actions that demonstrate high priority within a defined geographic region.

Applicants should refer to watershed plans, resilience plans, or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents to support the importance of the proposed work. Proposals should identify how the fish passage aligns with relevant planning documents, and if the proposed actions are ranked highly within a prioritized list of restoration needs within the defined geographic area.

4) Providing benefit to and engaging with underserved communities, including through partnerships with Indian tribes and/or other indigenous communities. NOAA is committed to the goals of advancing equity and support for tribal, indigenous and underserved communities. Applicants should identify if they are a tribe, indigenous or an underserved community or if the project is located within underserved communities and how those communities have, and will continue to, meaningfully engage in the project. Applicants should indicate whether a portion of the resilience benefits or other co-benefits from the proposed work will flow to underserved communities and how those benefits will be measured. This is a Justice40 covered program and applicants should review Section IV.B.

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

Additional resources for Program Priorities are available at:

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

C. Program Authority

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 42

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 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Public Law 117-58) and the Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117-169).

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

NOAA anticipates up to $175 million will be available under this opportunity. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $1 million or more than $20 million for the entire award.

NOAA anticipates that typical federal funding awards will range from $3 million to $6 million. NOAA expects that any single fish passage project that is awarded the maximum allowed request ($20 million) will have significant ecological impact, detailed and credible cost estimates and clear justifications, and construction readiness.

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 and anticipates a period of performance for most awards of up to three years, with the potential for up to five years if necessary. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be July 1, 2024. Both federal and non-federal match pre-award costs

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 42 will be considered during pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA.

Incurring pre-award costs before NOAA GMD offers a grant is at the applicant's own risk.

Award periods may be extended, at the discretion of NOAA and based on project needs, up to the extent legally allowable. This is typically a maximum award length of five years.

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 institutions of higher education, non-profits, commercial (for profit) organizations, U.S. territories, and state, local, and Native American and Alaska Native tribal governments. Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Federal agencies are strongly encouraged to work with applicants who are eligible to apply.

Applicants must propose work in areas that benefit United States migratory fish as defined in the Program 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 basin.

Eligible applicants that propose projects in the Commonwealth and Territories of the United States must propose work in American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S.

Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.

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.

To this end, applicants should note that cost sharing or leverage is an element considered in the evaluation criterion entitled "Project Costs" (see Section V.A). NOAA encourages applicants whose proposed initiatives exceed the budgetary limits for this competition to apply to this competition and also for other, complementary federal funding for separate components of their larger initiatives. In these situations, NOAA will coordinate as

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 42 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 with approved indirect cost rates, and who are planning to provide cost sharing, may find it convenient to propose a portion or all of their indirect costs as match, since the valuation of such costs has already been federally approved and documentation is readily available. Refer to Section IV.F "Funding Restrictions" for information on indirect costs. Refer to Section II.B “Project/Award Period” and Section VI.A “Pre-Award Costs” for information on pre-award costs.

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 may 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 $1 million or more than $20 million over the entire award.

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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 42 order, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exemption or license condition, statute, or regulation are not eligible. Applicants planning to combine grant or matching funds with mitigation should review the Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources Final Rule at 73 Fed. Reg. 19594 (April 10, 2008). NOAA plans to follow the approach adopted by some other federal agencies on Page 19636 that describes scenarios where mitigation credits may or may not be obtained in association with federal financial incentives.

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. Implementation monitoring, as discussed in Section IV.B and V.A.2(c), is an eligible activity, as is the tracking of performance measures and metrics. To find out more about effectiveness monitoring and regional contacts with which to discuss ideas, visit https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects. 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. If an applicant does not have internet access, application materials may be requested from Melanie Gange, the competition manager, by phone at 301-427-8664 or email at fish.passage.grants@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 and form instructions are available in the Grants.gov application package, but may be downloaded from https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 42

1) SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance

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

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

4) CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying

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

In addition to the federal application forms, NOAA recommends the following components as part of a complete application package. Page limits assume an 11- or 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Components should be organized into a maximum of three (3) PDF files outlined below, with a maximum of 75 combined pages. Per the Grants.gov FAQs, please limit all attachments to a total of 200MB to reduce potential for submission errors (https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs.html).

PDF 1. Project Summary and Project Narrative, (20 page limit) PDF 2. Budget Narrative (10 page limit) PDF 3. Supplemental Materials and Project Designs (up to 45 pages)

Reviewers will only review 75 pages of material. 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 (20 page limit)

PROJECT SUMMARY (2 page limit)

(1) Applicant Organization

(2) Project Title

(3) Site Location. Include the geographic coordinates and the nearest population center or watershed. If multiple sites are proposed, please include a map that includes all sites and outlines the watershed or impacted area.

(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 ecological and socioeconomic benefits, so that reviewers can understand the scale and meaning of your proposed project in the context of

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 42 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 located, including the habitat quality upstream of target barriers, status of fish runs in the watershed, and the total number and passage status of barriers above and below the project site in the watershed. Identify any federally owned or hydroelectric dams in the watershed.

- Timeline. Provide a timeline of all project activities to be supported through this proposal, including an indication of when activities will begin and end. Include the status of any project designs in progress.

(5) Landowner and Stakeholder Outreach. Describe your progress in conducting outreach to in-stream barrier owners, land managers, and stakeholders, including permitting agencies.

Include the status of access agreements necessary to complete the project.

(6) Funding Request. Outline the total request for NOAA funds for each year of the project period. If optional non-federal match funding or other leveraged funds are proposed, include the status of the funds (e.g., not applied for, pending, secured) and outline the sources and amounts. If you anticipate addressing multiple in-stream barriers, provide the estimated NOAA request for each barrier. If space is limited, provide a summary here and include a full description in the Project Narrative, Budget Narrative, or Supplemental Materials.

PROJECT NARRATIVE (18 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) Priority for Migratory Fish. Describe the project’s expected benefits for the target species. This may include the number of stream miles and quality of spawning and rearing habitat to be made accessible for migratory fish, the distance to the next upstream blockage, and any downstream blockages or seasonal impediments to fish passage. Indicate how the anticipated benefits and quantitative performance measures have been determined (e.g., Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 42 ground-truthing, desktop assessment).

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 and Managed Species and their prey resources, 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 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) Enhancing community resilience to extreme weather and climate hazards and providing other co-benefits. Applicants should describe how the proposed restoration will benefit human populations within or near the project site(s), and how these actions will 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 socioeconomic 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 and how tribal or indigenous knowledge has been considered as appropriate. Co-benefits are defined in Section. I.A.

Proposals may include specific metrics within the Project Narrative to capture the impact or scale of the proposed work on community resilience and other expected co-benefits, such as public safety or community enhancement. Public safety benefits may include infrastructure improvements, removal of physical hazards, or flood risk reduction, with potential metrics such as the number of structures improved; number of structures protected from flooding or storm surge; or changes in flood heights. Community enhancement benefits may include recreational or economic improvements with potential metrics such as number of new

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 42 recreational access points or avoided or reduced maintenance costs. For more information on developing socioeconomic performance metrics for restoration projects, applicants should visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/priorities-habitat-restoration-grants.

(c) Regional and Watershed Context. Applicants should describe why the scale of the work is meaningful in the context of your selected geographic region or watershed and demonstrate that the project(s) are of high priority within the geographic region. NOAA expects applicants to have a strong understanding of the watershed in which they propose to implement fish passage projects. This may include migratory fish presence and abundance, how the project complements other nearby restoration efforts and builds resilience in the watershed, and the quality of upstream migratory fish habitat and anticipated usage of that habitat.

(d) Providing benefit to underserved communities, including through partnerships with federally recognized tribes or other indigenous communities. Applicants should identify if they are or represent a tribe, indigenous or underserved community or if the project is located within underserved communities, how the community was identified as underserved, and how the communities are meaningfully engaged in the project. Applicants should indicate whether a portion of the resilience or other co-benefits from the proposed work will flow to underserved communities. Describe the potential nexus of the community to the project site, activities, and/or service flows. Applicants should propose metrics that capture the flow of benefits to underserved communities and how communities were involved in the determination of these metrics. These may include whether public safety improvements or community enhancements will benefit underserved communities. Examples of potential metrics include number of structures protected or improved in tribal, indigenous or underserved communities; increased equity in access to recreational resources; and/or reduced exposure to environmental risks. For more information on developing socioeconomic performance metrics for restoration projects or on meaningful engagement of underserved communities, tribes, or other indigenous communities, applicants should visit:

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

As needed, to assist with identifying and assessing the marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities that are connected to their proposed restoration actions, NOAA encourages the use of the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) (at https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5) as the primary mapping tool.

Applicants are encouraged to use the information available through CEJST, other relevant tools and direct engagement of tribes and underserved communities to assist in assessing

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 42 how the benefits of a project will reverse or mitigate the burdens of disadvantage.

(2) Technical and Scientific Merit. 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, described as part of a watershed approach to fish passage. If page limits are restrictive, focus the application on the technical aspects of those actions with highest priority funding needs.

(a) Project Site Characteristics and Methods. 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 Supplemental Materials and Project Designs, below.

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 the barrier dimensions (e.g., height, width), impoundment size, and its age and purpose;

– Information on the historic and anticipated fish passage at the site;

– 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 the process that was or will be used to achieve common agreement;

– 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;

– How tribal or indigenous knowledge has been considered in project design, implementation, and evaluation, as appropriate;

– 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., in the Great Lakes (see additional requirements below in Supplemental Materials section)).

(b) Project Description and Milestones. The project narrative should include a timeline

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 42 with key milestones identified and detail how the project(s) will be completed within the specified time period. A complete project description should include all relevant phases of the planned work including stakeholder input, initial feasibility studies, design, permitting, construction, project implementation monitoring, and operation and/or maintenance, if applicable. Proposals that include multiple sites should describe the proposed activities for each site within the project narrative, with greater levels of specific detail provided for projects nearer to implementation or requesting larger funding amounts. This includes identifying consultation and permitting requirements and their status (e.g., not applied for, pending, secured), and incorporating the likely award start date (e.g., July 1, 2024) and species-specific work windows.

For projects with permits or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents completed or under development, please indicate the status and level of NEPA review (i.e., Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, or Environmental Impact Statement), lead federal agency, and contact information for the lead agency person. See also Section VI.B. of this announcement.

(c) 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 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 42 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.

(d) Sustainability. The narrative should describe future management, beyond the award period, including mechanisms to protect, maintain, or sustain the restoration site(s) so the effects of the funded project(s) can benefit the target species and their habitat into the future.

A copy of (or description of) the landowner agreement may contribute to this element. For new or replacement structures, the estimated design life of a project should be noted, including any factors (such as changing weather patterns) that may shorten the expected functional life of the project. Applicants should also describe how the proposed restoration design, methodology, and techniques provide for ecosystem resilience to extreme weather events or adaptation to potential climate change impacts at the project site. An operations and maintenance plan should be considered when applicants are proposing to install structures that require ongoing operation and maintenance to be effective, such as fish passage devices, fishways, or tide gates. The proposal 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.

(e) Data Management Plan. Applicants should include a Data Management Plan under PDF 3. Supplemental Materials. See Section VI.B. of this announcement, regarding NOAA's Data Sharing Policy.

(3) Overall Qualifications of Applicants.