Round 3_Tribal Fish Passage _10_29 NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2025-29044.pdf

NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2025-29044

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Executive Summary

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Award Administration Information

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

Executive Summary Federal Agency Name Fisheries Habitat Conservation Program Office (HCPO)

Funding Opportunity Title Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Round 3

Announcement Type Competitive

Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2025-29044

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.463

Dates The application deadline is February 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Applications must be received at www.Grants.gov.

NOTE: We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to begin required registrations as early as possible. Completing the required registrations can take four to six weeks, and possibly longer.

Submission due dates will not be extended because of registration delays. Applicant organizations must register for three different federal systems prior to submitting an application. Applicants must register through (1) SAM.gov, (2) Grants.gov, and (3) eRA Commons (https://www.era.nih.gov/).

Applicant organizations must first register with SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). After you obtain your UEI, you can complete your Grants.gov and eRA Commons registrations concurrently.

See Section IV(G) for detailed instructions on registration requirements. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts in Section VII for submission instructions.

https://www.grants.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://grants.gov/ https://www.era.nih.gov/

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).

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 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, community 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. Priority will be given to activities with the highest certainty to occur within a 2-3 year award period. Proposals may include multiple locations and should demonstrate how multiple locations collectively contribute to priorities within a watershed or geographic area. Proposals that focus on the removal of barriers will score higher than proposals that install structures that require operations and maintenance.

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 $4 million over three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $300,000 or more than $6 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.

Full Text of Announcement

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).

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

1. Contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (hereafter, Listed Species), including species identified by NMFS as “Species in the Spotlight” (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/endangered-species-conservation#species-in-the-spotlight);

2. Sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. (hereafter, Managed Species), which includes benefits to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for recreationally and commercially important species and their prey (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants);

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

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

5. Enhance community resilience, including to extreme weather and climate hazards, by removing or improving aging infrastructure, and meaningfully engage with or provide 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.

This is the final round of funding available under the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage Through Barrier Removal Grants under the BIL competition. Consequently, NOAA will prioritize proposed activities that have a high certainty of completion within a 2-3 year award period. NOAA is seeking both projects that are ready for implementation (‘shovel ready’) and projects that are still in development or focused on capacity building.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/endangered-species-conservation#species-in-the-spotlight https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/endangered-species-conservation#species-in-the-spotlight https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/recreational-fishing/saltwater-recreational-fisheries-engagement-plans https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/recreational-fishing/saltwater-recreational-fisheries-engagement-plans https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/recreational-fishing/saltwater-recreational-fisheries-engagement-plans)

Proposed project development activities may include feasibility studies, engineering and design, landowner buy-in and permitting. Proposed project implementation activities may include final design, permitting, on-the-ground fish passage restoration, and pre- and post-removal implementation monitoring.

Both types of projects may include community 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, either alone or in combination with project development or project implementation activities. Applicants may apply for funding to support any of these activities.

Complex barrier removal projects (e.g. dam removal projects, bypasses, culvert replacements on heavily trafficked roads) that include both project development and implementation activities within the same award period will not be competitive. 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. Proposals that focus on removal of barriers will score higher than proposals that install structures that require operations and maintenance.

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 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.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-ournations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-ournations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racialequity-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

Native Migratory or Sea-run Fish: Target fish species under this funding opportunity are those native species that spend a portion of their lives in rivers, floodplains and/or ponds and a portion in the ocean, estuaries, or Great Lakes. Species of native migratory fish include salmon, steelhead trout, shad, river herring, American eel, and sturgeon, among others. These species migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce and may be referred to as anadromous, sea-run, diadromous, catadromous, or potadromous, depending on where they begin and end their migration. Native migratory or sea-run fish will be abbreviated as “migratory fish” in this document.

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

Community Resilience: This term refers to the capacity of a human community to 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-equity-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. Our definition is drawn from NOAA guidance and is consistent with the November 15, 2021 Executive Memo on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Federal Decisions Making, found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/111521-OSTP-CEQ-ITEK-Memo.pdf.

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

B. Program Priorities

Successful proposals will be those that meet the evaluation criteria (Section V.A) most strongly.

Applicants should address at least one of the following program priorities, which are the basis for the Importance and Applicability evaluation criteria:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/111521-OSTP-CEQ-ITEK-Memo.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/111521-OSTP-CEQ-ITEK-Memo.pdf

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.

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).

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability NOAA anticipates up to $20 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 $6 million for the entire award.

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

NOAA anticipates typical federal funding awards will range from $500,000 to $4 million. NOAA expects that any single fish passage project that is awarded the maximum allowed requested (up to $6 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. NOAA or the Department of Commerce are not responsible for direct costs of application preparation. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. The number of awards to be made as a result of this funding opportunity announcement will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested, and the merit and ranking of the applications.

B. Project/Award Period NOAA requests a period of performance for most awards of two to three years.. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be January 1, 2026. 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) 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 the Great Lakes basin within one of the eight U.S. Great Lakes states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota).

B. Cost Share 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 community 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 All applications must be submitted by the due date and time provided in Section IV.D. Application submission date and time should be documented by the applicant 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 and proposals will be reviewed for eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness to this funding announcement. 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 or more than $6 million for the entire award.

The following information describes ineligible project proposal types and activities:

1. Activities that are required by a separate local, state, or federal consent decree, court 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 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/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family.

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 flattened (3) PDF files outlined below, with a maximum of 75 combined pages. It is recommended that file sizes not exceed 100MB in order to preserve the applicant’s formatting. Additional information on formatting attachments can be found here:

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm

PDF 1. Project Summary and Project Narrative (20 page limit)

PDF 2. Budget Narrative (10 page limit)

PDF 3. Supplemental Materials and Project Designs (up to 45 pages)

Reviewers will only review 75 pages of material (in addition to required forms). 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.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects http://grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@Grants.gov mailto:infrastructure.tribal@noaa.gov https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm

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.

- 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 Community Outreach. Describe progress in conducting outreach to in-stream barrier owners, land managers, and a diverse set of community members, 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.

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 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 visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants#how-do-i-demonstrate-that-a-project-enhances-community-and-tribal-resilience.

(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.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants#how-do-i-demonstrate-that-a-project-enhances-community-and-tribal-resilience https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants#how-do-i-demonstrate-that-a-project-enhances-community-and-tribal-resilience https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/program-priorities-habitat-restoration-grants#how-do-i-demonstrate-that-a-project-enhances-community-and-tribal-resilience

(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 diverse community engagement, 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 community and a description of how the process included tribal considerations and tribal knowledge;

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

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

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

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

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

– Issues and potential control strategies regarding aquatic invasive species (e.g., in the Great Lakes (see additional requirements below in Supplemental Materials section)).

(b) Project Description and Milestones. A strong project narrative will include a timeline with key milestones identified and will detail how the project(s) will be completed within the 2-3 year award 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 community input from a diverse range of sources, 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. All proposed activities should be accompanied by detailed timelines. 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., January 1, 2026) and species-specific work windows. As stated in the Program Objective, complex barrier removal projects (e.g. dam removal projects, bypasses, complex culvert replacements) that include both project development and implementation activities within the same 2-3 year award period will not be competitive.

Project timelines should include necessary time to address common delays such as acquiring diverse partner and community support, permitting, cost increases, and weather events. For projects with permits or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents completed or under development, please indicate the status and level of NEPA review (i.e., Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, or Environmental Impact Statement), lead federal agency, and contact information for the lead agency person. See also Section VI.B. of this announcement.

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

Implementation monitoring for fish passage projects is described in the NOAA Restoration Center Implementation Monitoring (Tier 1) Guidance available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/monitoring-and-evaluation-restoration-projects#more-information. This document provides an overview of the Restoration Center's preferred monitoring plan structure and describes fish passage implementation metrics for dam removals and culvert removal/replacement. For project types not described, such as fish ladders, monitoring metrics should propose sufficient, cost-effective monitoring metrics that will assess whether the restoration actions were carried out as designed.