Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States

Treasury administers the Direct Component program and Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program. The primary objective of the Direct Component program is to provide funds to eligible entities for the ecological and economic restoration of the Gul

The Office of Gulf Coast Restoration (OGCR), which is part of the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Capital Access, administers the Direct Component program and Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program, which are designed to rebuild the economy and ecosystems of the U.S. Gulf Coast. These programs are two of the five grant programs authorized by the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act), which was signed into law on July 6, 2012. The Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund created by the RESTORE Act provides funding for the five grant programs established by the RESTORE Act and derives its funding from civil and administrative penalties obtained from the parties responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Direct Component program funds planning and implementation projects designed to promote the economic and ecological recovery of the U.S. Gulf Coast. To be eligible for Direct Component grants, projects must be for one of the 11 eligible purposes listed in the RESTORE Act and Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.201 and be selected via a public engagement process. Only the 47 entities named in the RESTORE Act are eligible to apply for Direct Component grants. These eligible entities are the state governments of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, as well as 23 Florida Gulf Coast counties, and 20 southern Louisiana parishes. Examples of Direct Component- funded projects include improvements to levees and other flood protection structures; construction of and improvement to water treatment facilities; beach, dune, and marsh nourishment; workforce development facilities and programs; construction of and improvements to infrastructure including roads, bridges, port facilities, and other facilities; and development of programs to promote tourism and the region's fishing and aquaculture industries. The Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program provides grants to the five eligible Gulf Coast States named in the RESTORE Act and Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.702, to establish centers of excellence to conduct research on the Gulf Coast Region. The Gulf Coast State recipients make competitive subawards with their grants to nongovernmental entities and consortia in the region, including institutions of higher education, to establish of centers of excellence that focus on science, technology, and monitoring in at least one of the eligible disciplines outlined in the RESTORE Act and Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.704(b). Generally, the scientific research is focused on the health and sustainability of the Gulf, its ecosystems, and wildlife.

The RESTORE Act identifies the entities that are eligible to apply for grants under the Direct Component program. Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.302 list the eligible states, counties, and parishes under the Direct Component as follows: in Alabama, the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council or such administrative agent as it may designate; in Florida, the Florida counties of Bay, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Taylor, Wakulla, and Walton; in Louisiana, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board of Louisiana through the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana; in Louisiana, the Louisiana parishes of Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Vermilion; in Mississippi, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; and in Texas, the Office of the Governor or an appointee of the Office of the Governor. The RESTORE Act and Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.702 also identifies the entities that are eligible to apply for grants under the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program. The Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program eligible entities are as follows: in Alabama, the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council or such administrative agent as it may designate; in Florida, the Florida Institute of Oceanography; in Louisiana, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board of Louisiana through the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana; in Mississippi, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; and in Texas, the Office of the Governor or an appointee of the Office of the Governor.

See Applicant Eligibility above.

For the Direct Component, the RESTORE Act specifies the types of eligible programs, projects, and activities which includes the following: (1) Restoration and protection of the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches and coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast Region; (2) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife and natural resources; (3) Implementation of a Federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plan, including fisheries monitoring; (4) Workforce development and job creation; (5) Improvements to or on state parks located in coastal areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; (6) Infrastructure projects benefitting the economy or ecological resources, including port infrastructure; (7) Coastal flood protection and related infrastructure; (8) Planning assistance; (9) Promotion of tourism in the Gulf Coast Region, including promotion of recreational fishing; (10) Promotion of the consumption of seafood harvested from the Gulf Coast Region; and (11) Administrative costs. Not more than 3 percent of the amounts received by the eligible entity may be used for administrative costs, as defined in Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.204(a)(1). For the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program, the Act provides funds to establish Centers of Excellence that focus on science, technology and monitoring in at least one of five disciplines which includes the following: (1) Coastal and deltaic sustainability, restoration, and protection, including solutions and technology that allow citizens to live in a safe and sustainable manner in a coastal delta in the Gulf Coast Region; (2) Coastal fisheries and wildlife ecosystem research and monitoring in the Gulf Coast Region; (3) Offshore energy development, including research and technology to improve the sustainable and safe development of energy resources in the Gulf of Mexico; (4) Sustainable and resilient growth, economic and commercial development in the Gulf Coast Region; and (5) Comprehensive observation, monitoring, and mapping of the Gulf of Mexico. Direct Component Assistance may only be used to acquire land or interests in land by purchase, exchange, or donation from a willing seller in accordance with 31 CFR 34.803(f).

Funds may only be used for eligible programs, projects, and programs as specified in the RESTORE Act.

Funds must be spent within the grant performance period.

This is a noncompetitive grant opportunity. Each application will be evaluated for completeness and conformance with the applicable requirements of the RESTORE Act, Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR Part 34, the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR Part 200, and Treasury's policies. Treasury will also evaluate each applicant's ability to administer an award successfully, using information sources such as, the Operational Self-Assessment, audits per the Single Audit requirements set forth at 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, and OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information.

"Treasury will perform an initial eligibility review of applications as they are submitted. Treasury also will assess each application for completeness and compliance with the requirements of the RESTORE Act, Treasury's implementing regulations, 31 CFR Part 34, applicable federal statutes, regulations, and Treasury's program policies. If the application is for a project designed to restore or protect natural resources, Treasury will assess whether the applicant reasonably demonstrated that the project is based on the best available science as defined in the RESTORE Act and Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR §34.2. Treasury may seek the assistance of governmental and nongovernmental subject matter experts to provide technical input to its best available science review and environmental compliance review. Applications will be selected for funding if they fulfill all application requirements and funding is available in the applicant's Trust Fund allocation. Successful applicants will be announced and awarded a grant on a rolling basis as their applications are reviewed and approved. All awards are approved by Treasury's Deputy Chief Program Officer."

Treasury makes every effort to approve or disapprove applications within 120 days from receipt of a complete and compliant application. Treasury will perform an initial eligibility review of applications as they are submitted. Treasury will also assess each application for completeness and compliance with the requirements of the applicable Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the RESTORE Act, Treasury's implementing regulations, 31 CFR Part 34, other applicable federal statutes, regulations, and grant policies. If the application is for a project designed to restore or protect natural resources, Treasury will assess whether the applicant reasonably demonstrated that the project is based on the best available science as defined in the RESTORE Act and Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.2. Treasury may seek the assistance of governmental and nongovernmental subject-matter experts to provide technical input to its best available science review and environmental compliance review. Applications will be selected for funding if they fulfill all application requirements and funding is available in the applicant's Trust Fund allocation.

If Office of Gulf Coast Restoration staff identify any deficiencies with the application, staff will return the application and allow the applicant to revise and resubmit the application to correct these deficiencies. If the Deputy Chief Program Officer denies an application, the applicant is informed of the denial and given the opportunity to appeal to the Deputy Chief Program Officer within 45 business days and provide its rationale for why the application meets the requirements of the applicable Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), RESTORE Act, Treasury's regulations at 31 CFR Part 34, the Uniform Guidance, and other applicable laws and policies. Alternatively, the applicant may choose to withdraw its application. If the applicant does not seek an appeal within 45 business days, or request an extension, the disapproval is final. If the Deputy Chief Program Officer denies the appeal, the letter will inform the applicant of its right to seek expedited judicial review within 90 days after that decision in a district court of the United States located within the State seeking the review pursuant to section 311(t)(1)(M) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(t)(1)(M)). Under no circumstances will Treasury fund an application that does not meet program requirements.