NOAA-NMFS-PRPO-2024-2007997 Full NOFO.pdf

John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 5 C. Program Authority 20

II. Award Information 20 A. Funding Availability 20 B. Project/Award Period 21 C. Type of Funding Instrument 21

III. Eligibility Information 22 A. Eligible Applicants 22 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 26 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 26

IV. Application and Submission Information 28 A. Address to Request Application Package 28 B. Content and Form of Application 28 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 35 D. Submission Dates and Times 35 E. Intergovernmental Review 37 F. Funding Restrictions 37 G. Other Submission Requirements 38

V. Application Review Information 39 A. Evaluation Criteria 39 B. Review and Selection Process 42 C. Selection Factors 45 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 46

VI. Award Administration Information 46 A. Award Notices 46 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 47 C. Reporting 55

VII. Agency Contacts 55 VIII. Other Information 55

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 56

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: John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-PRPO-2024-2007997

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.439, Marine Mammal Data Program

Dates:

Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, October 12, 2023. U.S. Postal mail and commercial delivery must be documented with a receipt. **Submission through Grants.gov is highly encouraged**.

**Please note: When developing your submission timeline, keep in mind that (1) the required free annual registration process in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM) may take two weeks and up to five weeks if requesting an EIN (see Section IV.C. of this FFO), and

(2) if you submit an application via Grants.gov you will receive a series of email notifications for up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received your application via a validation or rejection message.**

**NOAA strongly recommends that applicants begin the application process through Grants.gov well in advance of the deadline. Please read this announcement in its entirety, as some information has changed from the previous year.**

Funding Opportunity Description: NOAA NMFS' Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP) is directed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to facilitate collecting and disseminating reference data on stranded marine mammals and the health trends of marine mammal populations in the wild. The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program is administered by NOAA to provide Federal assistance to eligible members of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network and collaborators to provide for: (A) the recovery, care, or treatment of sick, injured, or entangled marine mammals;

(B) responses to marine mammal stranding events that require emergency assistance; (C) the collection of data and samples from living or dead stranded marine mammals for scientific research or assessments regarding marine mammal health; (D) facility operating costs that are

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 56 directly related to activities described in (A), (B), or (C); and (E) development of stranding network capacity, including training for emergency response, where facilities do not exist or are sparse. This document describes how to submit proposals for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2024 and how NMFS will determine which proposals are selected for funding.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 56

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (hereafter referred to as the Prescott Grant Program) was established under the Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1), an amendment to the MMPA. The Prescott Grant Program was amended by the the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, P. L. 117-263, Div. J, Title CIV. The Prescott Grant Program is administered by the MMHSRP of NOAA’s NMFS. The Prescott Grant Program provides federal assistance to eligible Marine Mammal Stranding Network participants and collaborators to provide for: (A) the recovery, care, or treatment of sick, injured, or entangled marine mammals; (B) responses to marine mammal stranding events that require emergency assistance; (C) the collection of data and samples from living or dead stranded marine mammals for scientific research or assessments regarding marine mammal health;

(D) facility operating costs that are directly related to activities described in (A), (B), or (C);

and (E) development of stranding network capacity, including training for emergency response, where facilities do not exist or are sparse.

A stranded marine mammal is a marine mammal in the wild that is (1) dead and on a beach, shore, or in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States or (2) is alive and on a beach or shore of the United States and unable to return to the water, is in apparent need of medical attention, or is in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States but is unable to return to its natural habitat under its own power or without assistance. The Prescott Grant Program also provides federal assistance to eligible Marine Mammal Entanglement Response Network Participants for the needs of organizations to respond to entangled marine mammals. An entangled marine mammal is a living or dead marine mammal in the wild that has gear, rope, line, net or other material wrapped around or attached to the marine, with or without associated materials (hooks, buoys, anchors, pots/traps, etc.), on land or in the waters under the jurisdiction of the United States.

The MMHSRP, through close coordination with Regional Stranding and Entanglement Response Networks, has the following goals and objectives:

1) improve the rescue, care, and treatment of stranded or entangled marine mammals;

2) reduce the health risk to animals, humans, and the ocean environment during the response to, and rehabilitation and release of, stranded or entangled marine mammals;

3) collect life history, biological, and biomedical data from living and dead stranded or

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 56 entangled marine mammals;

4) develop baseline reference data on the health of wild marine mammal populations, normal stranding, and entanglement rates, and causes of morbidity and mortality;

5) improve the rapid detection of morbidity and mortality events;

6) collect samples for archival and retrospective studies on causes of mortality or illness, including material samples such as entangled or ingested gear, and biological samples, for archival placement in the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/national-marine-mammal-tissue-bank) and other properly curated, professionally accredited facilities;

7) refine and/or utilize comprehensive and consistent guidance for the rescue and rehabilitation of stranded or entangled marine mammals, collection of specimens, quality assurance, analysis of tissue samples; and

8) broaden participation of historically underrepresented groups (including, but not limited to, age, race, national, cultural, and socio-economic background, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and physical ability) in marine mammal conservation; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by actively encouraging, promoting, and supporting diversity and inclusion in the marine mammal health and stranding and entanglement response community.

B. Program Priorities

For this solicitation, all applications must fall within one of the two categories described below. The applicant must select only one category to apply under. Since some projects may meet priorities in more than one category, you should determine which one category best fits the goals of your proposed project and apply under that one. For each of the categories, the MMHSRP has identified multiple national and regional funding priorities. Organizations that incorrectly identify the Category of their proposal may be moved to the correct corresponding category before Technical and Program Reviews. These program priorities pertain only to marine mammal species under the jurisdiction of the DOC (cetaceans and pinnipeds excluding walrus). International travel to conferences, workshops, and meetings is not eligible to be funded under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Priority will be given to applications focusing on marine mammal strandings, but not to the exclusion of proposals focusing on entanglement response.

Category A – Support scientific objectives related to marine mammal health, stranding

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 56 response, entanglement response, and rehabilitation.

**Data or samples may be collected from stranded or entangled animals as well as bycaught, subsistence hunted, or “free-swimming” wild animals, if those animals serve as controls or for comparisons in specific scientific study designs. If proposals under Category A are using wild animals such as from subsistence use, by-caught, or field research on free-swimming animals, the proposal must link the use of these animals/samples from these wild animals to known or suspected health issues of stranded marine mammals, to the health status of the population, or to the development and validation of new tools and techniques to assess such health conditions. Projects involving non-ESA-listed or non-MMPA depleted species should provide data/information on how the project objective will address conservation management needs.**

NOTE: All organizations applying under Category A must be authorized as of October 12, 2023, to conduct:

• Stranding Network activities either through a Stranding Agreement (SA), official designee status under a SA granted by the applicable NMFS Region, or as a federal, state, or local government employee under Section 109(h) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1379(h));

• Entanglement response activities either through an MMPA/ESA Permit no. 24359 (as amended) Co-Investigator Letter, SA, official designee status under a SA granted by the applicable NMFS Region, or as a federal, state, or local government employee under Section 109(h) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1379(h));

• Holders of researcher authorization letters issued by a NMFS Regional Administrator; or

• As a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator of an MMPA(/ESA if applicable) scientific research or enhancement permit, which may include authorization as a Co-Investigator under MMPA/ESA Permit no. 24359 (as amended) issued to the MMHSRP or a permit issued to the applicant, or as a Co-Investigator on a permit issued to a third party.

Category A1. The development of scientific research objectives designed to test hypotheses about marine mammal strandings, entanglements, health, or rehabilitation techniques utilizing data from living and dead stranded and/or wild marine mammals. Multi organization, multi-regional or cross-regional proposals are encouraged.

1) National Funding Priorities

a) Improve understanding of health and health trends in populations of cetaceans and/or pinnipeds to improve response to distressed animals. Improving our understanding of marine mammal health, may include, but is not limited to, the development of new treatments, tools, sedation or drug regimens. Investigation of health trends may evaluate topics including, but not limited to, environmental parameters (e.g., environmental changes, distribution of prey, Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 56 freshwater exposure, or harmful algal blooms), climate change, types and frequency of anthropogenic interactions, or infectious (i.e., zoonotic, epidemic, or emerging) agents and diseases, including those driven by climate change. For investigations of pathogen impacts on population health or strandings, you may want to refer to the infectious disease priority list developed by the Working Group for Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events (WGMMUME), available on the Prescott Grant Program website (https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/dam-migration/high-priority-marine-mammal-pathogens- 2011-prescott-grants-pr.pdf)

Some examples of ways to address health research priorities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing, testing, and evaluating new tools and/or treatments (to determine whether these are safe, effective, able to be operationalized, and translatable to multiple organizations) for stranded, entangled, or injured/distressed marine mammals;

• Validating new or modifying existing tools (e.g., point of care diagnostics, tag designs, refloating aids, specialized knives) and/or treatments; or

• Investigating emerging diseases, emerging issues (such as extreme flood events), or climate change effects that may impact marine mammal health, strandings, or entanglements.

b) Conduct analyses and interpretations of baseline information, trends, and correlations between population demographics, diet, health, environmental parameters (e.g., environmental changes, distribution of prey, freshwater exposure, or harmful algal blooms), climate change, or types and frequency of anthropogenic interactions or other stressors and potential stressor interactions, as they relate to strandings, entanglements, and overall marine mammal population health.

2) Regional Funding Priorities - There are no additional regional funding priorities.

Category A2. Support collaborative, multi-organizational scientific and response services provided to the Stranding Network to enhance data collection, analyses, and improve understanding of marine mammal health, strandings, entanglements, and rehabilitation.

Multi organization, multi-regional or cross-regional proposals are encouraged.

1) National Funding Priorities

a) Increase Stranding Network diagnostic capabilities (see definitions in Section VIII of this NOFO announcement) by providing diagnostics, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, or histopathology services.

b) Performance and interpretation of additional services to improve understanding of marine mammal health and strandings or entanglements. Examples of services include, but are not

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 56 limited to: hearing testing, imaging, gas analyses, tooth aging, genetics, stomach content analysis, parasites, stable isotopes, gear analyses, sample archiving/preservation, epidemiology, etc.

c) Provide tags, post-release monitoring, analysis, and interpretation of telemetry data from stranded, out-of-habitat, entangled, or rehabilitated and released cetaceans and pinnipeds.

d) Increase Stranding Network incident management and coordination capabilities for major events such as Unusual Mortality Events (UME), natural disasters, disease outbreaks, mass strandings, and oil spills to enhance data collection and analyses.

e) Enhance regional and trans-regional logistical support, data collection, and analyses for response to living and dead large whale stranding or entanglement events by:

• Obtaining additional applicable training (e.g., Incident Command System (ICS), large whale necropsy, entanglement response training, etc.);

• Acquiring and maintaining supplies and equipment, including necessary and appropriate emergency communication systems (e.g., satellite phones for offshore rescue operations);

• Developing and testing tools for more efficient responses to strandings or entanglements;

• Developing cooperative plans with local, tribal, state, or federal agencies to identify carcass landing/necropsy sites;

• Identifying and securing towing/transport and disposal services by promoting partnerships with local businesses/contractors; or

• Supporting costs of large whale stranding or entanglement responses (including telemetry, tools, etc.) as appropriate.

f) Enhance regional and trans-regional logistical support, data collection, and analyses for response to living pinniped and small cetacean entanglement events by:

• Obtaining or providing additional applicable training (e.g., Incident Command System (ICS), entanglement response training, remote sedation training, etc.) especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health);

• Developing and testing tools for more efficient responses to entanglements including but not limited to: development and caching of remote entanglement response tools for small cetaceans; development of remote sedation tools and techniques for small cetaceans;

improvement in remote sedation tools and techniques for pinnipeds; or

• Supporting costs of entanglement responses (including telemetry, tools, etc.) as appropriate.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 56

g) Development and/or provision of support tools and trainings for compassion fatigue for stranding and/or entanglement response network members.

2) Regional Funding Priorities - There are no additional regional funding priorities.

Category B - Support basic and enhancement needs of organizations for the response, treatment, rehabilitation, and data collection and/or synthesis from living and dead stranded or entangled marine mammals. Support needed modifications and/or upgrades to rehabilitation facilities to meet or exceed the NMFS' Policies and Best Practices - Rehabilitation Facility Standards (https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/48555).

Support needed modifications and/or improvements to support provision of Level B and C data to regional and national database systems (e.g., Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform – HealthMAP. In December 2022, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, P. L. 117-263, was enacted. This law includes many additional requirements for data collection from stranded animals, as well as the creation by NMFS of a centralized database dubbed HealthMAP to store the additional data and visualize it for the public. This database is in development, and the timing of its completion and release is not known at this time.

**Organizations should apply under Category A1 if the budget request for scientific research is more than 50% of the total Federal budget. If research objectives are included in Category B proposals, the research objectives must be designed with testable hypotheses.

Organizations that incorrectly identify either A or B categories may be moved to the correct corresponding category before Technical and Program Reviews by Prescott program staff.**

NOTE: All organizations applying under Category B must be authorized as of October 12, 2023, to conduct:

• Stranding Network activities either through a SA, official designee status under a SA granted by the applicable NMFS Region, or as a federal, state, or local government employee under Section 109(h) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1379(h)); or

• Entanglement response activities either through a MMPA/ESA Permit no. 24359 (as amended) Co-Investigator Letter, SA, official designee status under a SA granted by the applicable NMFS Region, or as a federal, state, or local government employee under Section 109(h) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1379(h)).

• Activities as a Marine Mammal Parts Research Authorization Letter or Permit Holder

• Activities as a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator authorized through MMPA/ESA Permit no. 24359 (as amended) or other applicable MMPA/ESA permit.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 56

Category B1. Further the development of organizations for the response, treatment, rehabilitation, and data collection from living and dead stranded or entangled marine mammals. Organizations may only apply under Category B1 if they have never had a Prescott application accepted and reviewed during the technical review process of a previous annual Prescott competition.

1) National Funding Priorities

a) Build capacity and infrastructure for basic stranding response or marine mammal rehabilitation activities in areas of low, intermittent, or no coverage. This may include the collection of Level A data (with or without samples for analyses) from a majority of stranded animals and outreach/education to raise community awareness for reporting stranded animals.

b) Train new responders to improve consistency and quality of clinical care and treatment, assessments, necropsies, documentation, and data management for live and/or dead stranded marine mammals, including training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health). Enhance participation in Regional Stranding and Entanglement Network Meetings and additional appropriate domestic meetings or conferences.

c) Enhance, repair, or upgrade rehabilitation facilities to address non-compliance issues and deficiencies identified during NMFS rehabilitation facility inspections.

d) Enhance or upgrade rehabilitation facilities to exceed NMFS' Policies and Best Practices - Standards for Rehabilitation Facilities (https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/48555).

e) Enhance entanglement response, training, tagging, and post-release monitoring for:

• large whales by authorized Level 3, 4, or Level 5 entanglement response Co-Investigators (especially in Alaska, Greater Atlantic, Pacific Islands, and West Coast regions);

• pinnipeds (especially in Alaska, Greater Atlantic, and West Coast regions, primarily in Washington and Oregon); and

• small cetaceans (especially in the Southeast region). This may also include preparing for entanglement response by purchasing supplies, tools, and equipment, receiving or providing training for entanglement responders, especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health), and enhanced participation in Regional Entanglement Response Network

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 56

Meetings as well as additional appropriate domestic meetings or conferences. Collaborative proposals are encouraged.

2) Regional Funding Priorities - In addition to the above national priorities, each region has identified the following priorities of particular interest:

a) Alaska Region

i) Develop or expand capacity for effective collection of Level A data in areas of Alaska where response capacity is currently lacking, intermittent, or low. Much of Alaska is considered rural or remote, and as such, much of the state has limited or low response capacity or is completely lacking coverage. Given this, the highest priority areas (due to the presence of UMEs, Species in the Spotlight species, or endangered species) include locations in the following regions of Alaska: western Alaska; northern Alaska; Cook Inlet; and Kodiak.

ii) Increase capacity to collect, archive, and analyze data from stranded marine mammals to investigate overall health parameters, prey types, diseases, and immune and reproductive functions.

iii) Enhance the quality and consistency of data collected and reported from stranded marine mammals (e.g., standardized necropsy examinations and reports, standardized sample analyses, increased supply of gear caches).

iv) Address underlying causes of pinniped entanglement in Alaska to reduce injury and mortality due to fishery gear and marine debris interactions.

v) Analyze and publish data related to Alaska marine mammal strandings and health.

vi) Enhance collaboration, data sharing, and training throughout the Alaska Regional Network (e.g., by organizing and hosting regional and statewide meetings, training, etc.), especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health.

vii) Investigate the effects of warming ocean conditions on marine mammals in Alaska, including increased prevalence of harmful algal bloom toxins or novel disease agents.

viii) In collaboration with NMFS, provide conservation messaging outreach support to educate the public on marine mammal behavior, wildlife viewing, entanglements, or feeding issues. An emphasis on education and outreach, addressing and managing public expectations for stranding responses, and developing informational materials (e.g., handouts, permanent signage, online tools, public service announcements, etc.) for public outreach is extremely important.

ix) In collaboration with NMFS, enhance large whale entanglement response, tagging, and post-release monitoring in Alaska by authorized Level 4 or 5 entanglement response Co- Investigators. This may also include preparing for entanglement response by purchasing

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 56 equipment, providing first responder training, enhancing communication, or otherwise building capacity for large whale entanglement response.

x) In collaboration with NMFS, provide support for disentanglement and post-release survival monitoring of free-swimming pinnipeds. This may include capture resources and tools and methods for land and boat-based disentanglement, or preparing for entanglement response by purchasing equipment, providing first responder training, enhancing communication, or otherwise building capacity for pinniped entanglement response.

b) Greater Atlantic Region

i) Provide stranding response coverage for Level A data collection, timely data submission to NMFS, and increase capability to conduct live animal response and post mortem examinations following established protocols in the following areas: Massachusetts' coverage areas Rockport to North Weymouth.

ii) Increase collaboration with state and local government organizations (e.g., law enforcement, fire departments, lifeguards, environmental management agencies) to respond to stranding events more effectively.

iii) Increase capacity to respond to stranded and floating endangered large whales species (priority focus for North Atlantic right whales) in areas with limited coverage.

iv) Develop Level 3, 4, or 5 large whale entanglement response capabilities in the New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Long Island, New York areas.

c) Pacific Islands Region

i) Support of outreach and training for Hawaiian monk seal response and readiness in the Main Hawaiian Islands.

ii) Engage local and native communities to build stronger partnerships and information sharing, and educate the public about cetacean and Hawaiian monk seal response in the Pacific Islands region.

iii) Develop and enhance live and dead stranded cetacean response in Guam, American Samoa, and/or the Commonwealth of the Marianas Islands.

d) Southeast Region

i) Establish capabilities to collect Level A data and perform necropsies on dead-stranded marine mammals and/or respond quickly and humanely to live-stranded marine mammals.

ii) Establish permanent and/or mobile necropsy facilities.

iii) Establish capabilities to perform diagnostics on live or dead-stranded marine mammals.

iv) Establish capabilities to humanely euthanize live stranded marine mammals.

v) Increase collaboration with state and local government organizations (e.g., law enforcement, fire departments, lifeguards, environmental management agencies) to respond to stranding events more effectively.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 56

e) West Coast Region

i) Provide coverage for Level A data collection in areas where coverage is sporadic or unknown, by building volunteer or collaborative partnerships to establish response and investigation capability of marine mammal stranding events on all accessible beaches in the participant’s authorized response area. Examples include: building an additional volunteer base or negotiating collaborative partnerships; opening or enhancing communication and working relationships with local governments. An emphasis on education and outreach, addressing and managing public expectations, and distributing informational materials (e.g., handouts, permanent signage, promotion of Share the Shore, etc.) for public outreach is extremely important.

Category B2. Support basic and enhancement needs of organizations that have previously applied for or received Prescott funding for the response, treatment, rehabilitation, data collection, and data analysis/synthesis from living and dead stranded or entangled marine mammals. Collaborative proposals are encouraged.

1) National Funding Priorities

a) Enhance the quality, consistency, quantity, reporting, and sharing of Level A, B, and C data collected from stranded and entangled marine mammals by completing diagnostic screening, collecting and analyzing samples and scientific data, detecting and reporting emerging diseases, new lesions, or uncommon findings, and providing information into regional and national databases (e.g., National Stranding Database and HealthMAP once operational). This is a high priority for NOAA Fisheries' Species in the Spotlight (Cook Inlet beluga whales, Hawaiian monk seals, North Atlantic right whales, Southern Resident killer whales (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/endangered-species-conservation/species-spotlight), ongoing UME and post-UME monitoring and analyses, and for other endangered species.

Projects involving non-ESA-listed or non-MMPA depleted species should provide data/information for conservation management needs such as establishing or maintaining baseline information; or identifying human interactions, fisheries interactions, habitat threats, or other threats to co-occurring species.

b) Support directed outreach and education to raise awareness for stranding and entanglement response, promote rapid real-time reporting, engage local communities to build stronger partnerships, and inform public expectations about marine mammal stranding and entanglement response. Projects are strongly encouraged to develop meaningful partnerships with community-based organizations, particularly those from underserved communities. In

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 56 successful partnerships, organizations have shared goals and work together to share resources, communicate effectively, collaborate on decision-making, and competently engage members of diverse cultures and expertise. Adequate compensation should be provided for community-based organization partners and community members for the effort they are contributing to the project. Applicants may refer to the NAAEE’s Community Engagement Guidelines for Excellence (NAAEE 2017) in developing their project plans for engagement of target audiences (https://eepro.naaee.org/community/blog/community-engagement-guidelines-excellence and https://eepro.naaee.org/sites/default/files/eepro-post-files/community_engagement_guidelines_pdf.pdf).

c) Enhance attendance and participation by professional staff and facility volunteers in training. Particularly in: Regional Stranding and Entanglement Network Conferences or additional appropriate domestic meetings or conferences; improving preparedness for large-scale events including oil spill response, mass strandings, and natural disasters involving marine mammals (e.g., Incident Command System, HAZWOPER); public health concerning marine mammals; marine mammal disease and treatment issues; veterinary care; and training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health).

d) Improve capacity for responses such as mass strandings, hazardous material spills, UMEs, natural disasters, out-of-habitat situations, and disease outbreaks. Responses may include necropsy and sample analyses, live animal triage, treatment, short- and long-term rehabilitation (including temporary facilities), and tagging to assess, monitor, and analyze the post-release success of rehabilitated animals.

e) Enhance, repair, or upgrade rehabilitation facilities to address non-compliance issues and deficiencies identified during NMFS rehabilitation facility inspections.

f) Enhance or upgrade rehabilitation facilities to exceed NMFS' Policies and Best Practices - Standards for Rehabilitation Facilities (https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/48555)

g) Enhance entanglement response, training, tagging, and post-release monitoring for:

• large whales by authorized Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 entanglement response Co- Investigators (especially in Alaska, Greater Atlantic, Pacific Islands, and West Coast regions);

• pinnipeds (especially in Alaska, Greater Atlantic, Pacific Islands, and West Coast regions);

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 56 and

• small cetaceans (especially in the Southeast region).

This may also include preparing for entanglement response by purchasing supplies, tools, and equipment, receiving or providing training for entanglement responders as deemed appropriate by the Regional Entanglement Coordinator and especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health), and enhanced participation in Regional Entanglement Response Network Meetings as well as additional appropriate domestic meetings or conferences. Collaborative proposals are encouraged.

h) Development and/or provision of support tools and trainings for compassion fatigue for the stranding and/or entanglement response networks.

i) Enhance internal organizational processes for: data management, data processing, quality assurance/quality control, and to support provision of Level A, B and C data to regional and national database systems (e.g. e.g., National Stranding Database and HealthMAP once operational)

2) Regional Funding Priorities - In addition to the above national priorities, each region has identified the following priorities of particular interest:

a) Alaska Region

i) Develop or expand capacity for effective collection of Level A data in areas of Alaska where response capacity is currently lacking, intermittent, or low. Much of Alaska is considered rural or remote, and as such, much of the state has limited or low response capacity or is completely lacking coverage. Given this, the highest priority areas (due to the presence of UMEs, Species in the Spotlight species, or endangered species) include locations in the following regions of Alaska: western Alaska; northern Alaska; Cook Inlet; and Kodiak.

ii) Increase capacity to collect, archive, and analyze data from stranded marine mammals to investigate overall health parameters, prey types, diseases, and immune and reproductive functions.

iii) Enhance the quality and consistency of data collected and reported from stranded marine mammals (e.g., standardized necropsy examinations and reports, standardized sample analyses, increase the supply of gear caches).

iv) Address underlying causes of pinniped entanglement in Alaska to reduce injury and mortality due to fishery gear and marine debris interactions.

v) Analyze and publish data related to Alaska marine mammal strandings and health.

vi) Enhance collaboration, data sharing, and training throughout the Alaska Regional

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Network (e.g., by organizing and hosting regional and statewide meetings, training, etc.)

especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health).

vii) Investigate the effects of warming ocean conditions on marine mammals in Alaska, including increased prevalence of harmful algal bloom toxins or novel disease agents.

viii) In collaboration with NMFS, provide conservation messaging outreach support to educate the public on marine mammal behavior, wildlife viewing, entanglements, or feeding issues. An emphasis on education and outreach, addressing and managing public expectations for stranding responses, and developing informational materials (e.g., handouts, permanent signage, online tools, public service announcements, etc.) for public outreach is extremely important.

ix) In collaboration with NMFS, enhance large whale entanglement response, tagging, and post-release monitoring in Alaska by authorized Level 4 or 5 entanglement response Co- Investigators. This may also include preparing for entanglement response by purchasing equipment, providing first responder training, enhancing communication, or otherwise building capacity for large whale entanglement response.

x) In collaboration with NMFS, provide support for disentanglement and post-release survival monitoring of free-swimming pinnipeds. This may include capture resources and tools and methods for land and boat-based disentanglement or preparing for entanglement response by purchasing equipment, providing first responder training, enhancing communication, or otherwise building capacity for pinniped entanglement response.

b) Greater Atlantic Region

i) Increase capacity to collect, provide timely reports to NMFS, archive, and analyze data from stranded marine mammals to investigate overall health parameters, prey types, diseases, and immune and reproductive functions.

ii) Enhance the quality and consistency of data collected and reported from stranded marine mammals (e.g., standardized necropsy examinations and reports, standardized sample analyses, increase the supply of gear caches, findings of human interaction, and timely data submission to NMFS).

iii) Increase collaboration with state and local government organizations (e.g., law enforcement, fire departments, lifeguards, environmental management agencies) to respond to stranding events more effectively.

iv) Increase the quality of dead cetacean disease and cause of death surveillance (focusing on cetacean morbillivirus, brucellosis, and other diseases of concern within the region). This includes enhancing: veterinary participation, data collection, and necropsies during stranding events.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 56

v) In collaboration with NMFS, inventory regional equipment caches for large whale stranding response, and increase or enhance gear, equipment, medical supplies, and response planning for dead and live large whale response.

vi) Develop Level 3, 4, or 5 large whale entanglement response capabilities in the New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Long Island, New York areas.

vii) Enhance collaboration, data sharing, and training throughout the Greater Atlantic Regional Network (e.g., by conducting regional and statewide meetings, training, etc.)

especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health).

viii) Analyze and publish data related to historical regional marine mammal strandings and health.

c) Pacific Islands Region

i) Increase the quality of dead cetacean disease and cause of death surveillance (focusing on cetacean morbillivirus, brucellosis, and other diseases of concern within the region) in the main Hawaiian Islands and U.S. Pacific Islands (e.g., Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands). Develop sample retention priorities and best practices, and incorporate new technologies (e.g., CT scanning) into sample retention plans.

ii) Organize training and stranding response readiness for both live and dead-stranded cetaceans in the Hawaiian Islands and U.S. Pacific Islands (e.g., Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands), especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health).

iii) Improve access to veterinary care for stranded marine mammals including facility improvements and instruments for treatment monitoring for existing pinniped rehabilitation facilities, as well as on-site (laboratory or field) equipment and instruments for more rapid medical assessments for live stranded cetaceans and pinnipeds.

iv) Enhance, repair, or upgrade existing cetacean necropsy or monk seal rehabilitation facilities in Hawaii.

v) Engage and support participation by local and native communities to build stronger partnerships and exchange information on cetacean and monk seal response in the Pacific Islands Region.

d) Southeast Region

i) Southeast Region high priority areas are: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, South Carolina, southern Texas, areas where there are ongoing UMEs, repeated UMEs, or areas that may

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 56 need to conduct post-UME monitoring, and areas where stranding/human interaction data are utilized by a Take Reduction Team.

ii) Enhance capabilities to rapidly perform thorough necropsies on dead-stranded marine mammals in good condition before carcass degradation - particularly during large whale stranding events, mass strandings, human interaction events (e.g., potential gunshot or entangled animals), and UMEs.

iii) Enhance local logistical support for response to stranding events, including single and mass strandings and large whales, by:

• Developing cooperative plans with local, state, or federal agencies to identify carcass landing/necropsy sites; or

• Identifying and securing towing/transport, heavy equipment, disposal services, and other resources by promoting partnerships with local, state, or federal agencies and/or local businesses/contractors.

iv) Enhance capabilities to perform diagnostic tests on dead-stranded marine mammals. This may include funding to analyze previously collected tissue samples that are currently archived.

v) Enhance capabilities to synthesize and publish existing stranding data, especially health, cause of illness, and cause of death data.

vi) Enhance capabilities to triage live stranded marine mammals, including performing thorough diagnostics, such as hematology, histopathology and cytology, and providing euthanasia/euthanasia drugs.

vii) Enhance capabilities to rapidly and effectively respond to mass strandings. This may include equipment caches, herding capabilities, triage, euthanasia, thorough necropsy, carcass disposal, and resources for potential release (immediate release or post-rehabilitation). Collaborative proposals to enhance response and partnerships among stranding networks for mass strandings are encouraged.

viii) Provide support for disentanglement of free-swimming small cetaceans and/or rescue of out-of-habitat dolphins. This may include monitoring and capture resources, capture technique training especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health), and development of tools and methods for boat-based disentanglement.

ix) Increase collaboration with state and local government organizations (e.g., law enforcement, fire departments, lifeguards, environmental management agencies) through training and outreach to respond to stranding events more effectively.

x) Enhance capabilities to monitor animals reported in freshwater and rapidly perform thorough necropsies on dead-stranded animals with reported freshwater exposure.

e) West Coast Region

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i) Provide coverage for Level A data collection in areas where coverage is sporadic or unknown, by building volunteer or collaborative partnerships to establish response and investigation capability of marine mammal stranding events on all accessible beaches in the participant’s authorized response area. Examples include, building an additional volunteer base or negotiating collaborative partnerships; opening or enhancing communication and working relationships with local governments. An emphasis on education and outreach, addressing and managing public expectations, and distributing informational materials (e.g., handouts, permanent signage, promotion of Share the Shore, etc.) for public outreach is extremely important. Dead pinniped response in Los Angeles County, San Diego County, and San Luis Obispo is a priority for the West Coast Region.

ii) Enhance reporting and documentation of live entangled pinnipeds throughout your geographic response area. Data collected must be provided to NOAA as requested.

iii) Establish capabilities to humanely euthanize live stranded marine mammals including large whales, small cetaceans, and moribund pinnipeds throughout the West Coast Region.

This would also include tool development and techniques for assisting large whales off the beach if in good overall health condition (as well as post-release marking or monitoring) and if they are not considered candidates for euthanasia.

iv) Provide conservation messaging and outreach support to educate the public on stranded marine mammals throughout the West Coast Region. An emphasis on education and outreach, addressing and managing public expectations, and developing informational materials (e.g., handouts, permanent signage, promotion of Share the Shore, etc.) for public outreach is extremely important.

v) Increase capability to conduct postmortem examinations using an appropriate protocol for the collection and submission of fluid samples and tissues for analysis by a qualified veterinary pathology laboratory and report the results for inclusion in the national MMHSRP database (e.g., National Stranding Database and HealthMAP once operational).

vi) Develop a plan to enhance large whale response and necropsies, provide funds for carcass disposal costs, and network travel in your geographic response area. This would include developing cooperative plans with local, tribal, state, or federal agencies to identify carcass landing/necropsy sites, identifying and securing towing/transport, heavy equipment, disposal services, and other resources by promoting partnerships with local, tribal, state, or federal agencies and/or local businesses/contractors.

vii) Enhance, improve, repair, or upgrade existing and new facilities to meet (or exceed) NMFS’ Policies and Best Practices - Standards for Rehabilitation Facilities (https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/48555).

viii) Enhance facilities, equipment, and staff to increase rehabilitation and holding capabilities (short-term and long-term) in Oregon and Washington for ESA-listed species or human interaction cases.

ix) Contribute to the new database that stores standardized data for tagging and marking

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 56 resight data of rehabilitated pinnipeds throughout the West Coast Region. We encourage all West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network participants to provide data to NOAA for the West Coast Region Tag Database and to the Flipper Tags Database overseen by the California Wildlife Center to support this effort.

x) Increase collaboration with state and local government organizations (e.g., law enforcement, fire departments, lifeguards, environmental management agencies, tribal governments) through training and outreach to respond and coordinate for response to stranding events more effectively.

xi) Organize and host a West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network regional meeting in 2024 or early 2025 in coordination with NOAA Fisheries Regional Stranding Coordinators.

xii) Provide large whale entanglement response training especially training based upon NMFS MMHSRP Best Practices (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#stranding-response-and-marine-mammal-health) throughout the Pacific Northwest to authorized groups and responders. This organization would provide training by their Level 3 or 4 responders. This application may include purchase of response tools and safety gear, cover vessel costs and fuel, purchase education and outreach materials, and would provide quarterly updates on the Pacific Northwest Entanglement call.

xiii) Respond to confirmed large whale entanglement reports as requested by the NOAA Entanglement Coordinator. This application may include vessel and fuel costs, salary for Level 3 or 4 responders, monitoring and survey costs in areas of high whale density, and purchase of response tools and safety gear.

C. Program Authority

Authority 16 U.S.C. 1421 f-1

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Awards are dependent upon the availability of federal funding as provided by Congress.

The fiscal year 2024 budget has not been finalized by Congress and could result in unknown funding scenarios. Applicants are not guaranteed any level of funding. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined during pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Funds have not yet been appropriated for this program, and there is no guarantee that funds will be appropriated or that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects or any projects. Publication of this notice does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If an application for a financial assistance award is selected for funding, NOAA has no

Notice of Federal Funding Page 20 of 56 obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award…