FY 2019 Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants

The principal objective of the NMFS Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration solicitation is to support habitat restoration projects that use an ecosystem-based approach to foster species recovery and increase populations under NOAA's jurisdiction. Proposals submitted under this solicitation will be primarily evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate how the proposed habitat restoration actions will help recover 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), sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (hereafter, Managed Species), and contribute to the sustainability of saltwater recreational fisheries. Successful proposals will: 1) identify a habitat-based issue/concern limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more species targeted by the proposed restoration action; 2) describe in detail the actions and on-the-ground habitat restoration project(s) to be undertaken to resolve the issue/concern and; 3) describe the project(s)' expected outcomes and measurable impact on the project's target species and their ecosystem. Proposals may include: restoration feasibility and/or design; implementation; or a combination.

Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements. One-year or multi-year awards up to three funding years will be considered. Multi-year awards are awards that are funded for up to three years. The funding for the second and/or third year (FY20 and/or FY21) will not be determined in FY19, but will instead be determined in future years, pending future federal appropriations, and progress towards project milestones. Proposals for multi-year funding should outline the costs expected for year two and/or year three in detail in this proposal (see Section IV.B for more details about the budget narrative for multi-year awards). NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $300,000 to $1.5 million over one to three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $75,000 or more than $3 million total over three years. NOAA anticipates up to $6 million will be available under this FFO in FY19. Funds will be administered by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA Restoration Center. Awards are dependent upon the amount of funds Congress makes available to NOAA in the FY19 - FY21 budgets.