Puget Sound Action Agenda - Strategic Implementation Leads

The Environmental Protection Agency seeks qualified Strategic Implementation Leads (SILs) to manage ecosystem recovery efforts and implement the EPA-approved Puget Sound Action Agenda across three designated focus areas: Habitat/Marine, Shellfish, and Stormwater. Applicants must be Washington State and local governments, institutions of higher education, federally recognized Indian Tribes, nonprofit organizations, special purpose districts, or watershed planning units located within the greater Puget Sound basin, and each organization may submit only one application addressing a single focus area. Key requirements include establishing Quality Assurance Project Plans for environmental data collection, maintaining Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams for investment decision-making, demonstrating coordination with the Puget Sound Partnership and Tribal partners, and showing measurable progress toward established Vital Sign Targets and Progress Measures. The EPA will evaluate applications based on application quality, management systems capability, financial integrity, past performance, and adaptive program management with resilience considerations. The application submission deadline is May 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET, with anticipated selection notifications in May 2026 and award notifications in June 2026.

Total available funding across all three focus areas is up to $120 million, with individual allocations of $48 million maximum for Habitat/Marine, $30 million maximum for Shellfish, and $42 million maximum for Stormwater. Awards will span up to seven years with incremental funding distributed over five years, subject to future appropriations and satisfactory performance. A 50% non-federal cost share is required, meaning the EPA will fund a maximum of 50% of total project costs. All work will be performed within the greater Puget Sound basin region in Washington State.