NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2023-2008074 NOFO Report.pdf

Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 8 C. Program Authority 9

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

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

IV. Application and Submission Information 13 A. Address to Request Application Package 13 B. Content and Form of Application 13 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 23 D. Submission Dates and Times 23 E. Intergovernmental Review 23 F. Funding Restrictions 23 G. Other Submission Requirements 24

V. Application Review Information 25 A. Evaluation Criteria 25 B. Review and Selection Process 29 C. Selection Factors 31 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 31

VI. Award Administration Information 31 A. Award Notices 31 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 32 C. Reporting 39

VII. Agency Contacts 40 VIII. Other Information 41

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 41

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 Notice of Funding Opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2023-2008074

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.463, Habitat Conservation

Dates: The application deadline is November 8, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Applications must be received at www.Grants.gov. 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 organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements 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 (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 extreme weather and climate hazards and providing other co-benefits; (3) Fostering tribally important barrier removal efforts that benefit migratory fish; or (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 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 41

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 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 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. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $500,000 to $5 million over three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $300,000 or more than $12 million total for the entire award. 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 41

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 organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g., tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives) (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 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Public Law 117-58), 135 STAT. 1356 (Nov. 15, 2021) 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 41 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 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 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.

Entire segments of our society have been marginalized, underserved, or underrepresented in efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and adapt to weather and climate impacts, despite being at greater risk due to lack of resources, accessibility constraints, and systemic institutional barriers. This includes Tribes and Indigenous People who are disproportionately affected by climate change and face additional institutional barriers in order to adapt to the most severe impacts (Fourth National Climate Assessment). Executive Order 14096 on Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-ournations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all) and Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racialequity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government), emphasize the need for federal agencies to take actions to redress unfair disparities and remove barriers to government programs and services. Executive Order 14096 places even

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 41 greater urgency on the federal government to “. . . build upon and strengthen its commitment to deliver environmental justice to all communities across America.” This program will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. Established by Executive Order 14008 on Tackling 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 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 41 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 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.

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.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 41

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 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 extreme weather and 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 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 tribal knowledge, watershed plans, resilience plans, or other fishery-related strategic planning, conservation, or management documents to show the tribal importance of the proposed work.

(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 (such as supporting tribal staff positions) to work on the fish passage project development process, including reviewing project locations, reviewing design plans, conducting field assessments, leading fish passage projects guided by tribal knowledge, and/or managing multi-faceted fish passage project design and construction.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 41

Additional resources for Program Priorities are available at:

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

C. Program Authority

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized under the following statutes to provide grants and cooperative agreements for habitat restoration and conservation: Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act 16 U.S.C. 661, as 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 (BIL) Public Law 117-58) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA, Public Law 117-169).

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

NOAA anticipates up to $85 million will be available under this opportunity. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $300,000 or more than $12 million for the entire award.

NOAA anticipates typical federal funding awards will range from $500,000 to $5 million.

NOAA expects that any single fish passage project that is awarded the maximum allowed requested (up to $12 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.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 41

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 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 Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. Section 5304 (e)) and organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g., tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives).

23.U.S.C. Section 5304 (e) states that ‘(e)“Indian tribe” or “Indian Tribe” means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.’

Organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements are encouraged to provide a clear description and supporting documentation (e.g., letters of support, Memoranda of Understandings) in the application, demonstrating a relationship between the tribe(s) and organization. The documentation is further described in this Announcement in Section IV.B., Content and Form of Application. Documentation should be submitted as part of the grant application.

An institution of higher education, non-profit organization, commercial (for profit)

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 41 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 organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements, 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 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 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.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

There is no non-federal matching requirement for this funding and it is not included in the evaluation criteria. 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 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 41 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 $300,000 over three years or more than $12 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, 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. Projects solely focused on effectiveness monitoring and research are not eligible project types for this competition. Effectiveness monitoring that contributes to tribal capacity building may be considered eligible for funding in this competition. 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 41 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 Janine Harris 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 is available in the Grants.gov application package but may be downloaded from https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html.

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)

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 41

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 describe the tribal lands the project is on (if applicable), 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 located. Describe how the proposed work is important to tribes, including if the work will improve habitat quality upstream of target barriers, status of fish runs in the watershed, and 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. Identify any federally owned or hydroelectric dams in the watershed.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 41

- 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 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. Include the total request for NOAA funds for each year of the project period. If other leveraged funds are necessary to complete the project, 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. Applicants should describe how the proposed actions will benefit 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. 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.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 41

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 weather and 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. 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 and potential metrics could include number of structures improved; number of structures protected from flooding or storm surge; or changes in flood heights. Community enhancement benefits may include recreational or economic improvements with potential metrics such as number of new recreational access points or avoided or reduced maintenance costs. For more information on developing socioeconomic performance metrics for restoration projects, applicants should

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 41 visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/priorities-habitat-restoration-grants.

(c) Tribal Priority: 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 tribal knowledge (including Traditional Ecological Knowledge) in planning the proposed work.

Applications from organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements should clearly show the prominent role of tribes in the proposed work.

(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. 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 how the process included tribal considerations and tribal knowledge;

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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 41

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

(b) Project Description and Milestones. 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 capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects. 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 41 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 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. Effectiveness monitoring that contributes to tribal capacity building may be considered eligible for funding in this competition. 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. Applicants should 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 and resilient to weather and climate hazards, such as fish passage devices, fishways, or tide gates. For capacity only awards, applicants should describe how the proposed tribal capacity building will contribute to self-sustaining fish passage projects to accomplish the tribe’s goals.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 41

(3) Overall Qualifications of Applicants. To address the evaluation criteria in Section V.A., proposals should fully describe the applicant and partners’ ability to develop and/or manage habitat restoration and fish passage projects. Applicants should include descriptions of past relevant 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: stakeholder collaboration, incorporating tribal knowledge in fish passage project planning, 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 applicant organization, partnering organizations, and/or subrecipients and subcontractors, as described under the Supplemental Information section below.

(4) Project Costs. 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. 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.

(a) Stakeholder Support. 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 Supplemental Materials and Project Designs (PDF 3) for evaluation under this criterion.

(b) Inclusive planning and engagement. Proposals should demonstrate meaningful engagement of the local community, including the tribal communities, and describe how any barriers to engaging in project planning or accessing the project benefits will be addressed.

Meaningful engagement concepts and examples of activities are described in the NOAA Restoration Center Meaningful Engagement of Tribes and Underserved…