Habitat Conservation (11.463)

Program

11.463 Habitat Conservation

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Commerce
Office: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Authorization

American Recovery and Reinvestmen Act of 2009, Title II, Public Law 111-5; Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Reauthorization Act of 2006, 16 U.S.C 1891a; Department of Commerce Appropriation Act of 1999; Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, 33 U.S.C 1951; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1956, 16 U.S.C 661; Coral Reef Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C 6401 et seq; Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 16 U.S.C 6403; Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C 1451; Department of Commerce Appropriation Act of 1999; Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, 16 U.S.C 3951 et seq; National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C 1431; Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C 1382; Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C 1535; Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, 16 U.S.C 1901 et seq.

Program Number

11.463

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide grants and cooperative agreements for habitat conservation activities including coastal and marine habitat restoration and protection. Projects are funded to carry out public policy pertaining to protection and restoration of the Nation's wetlands and other coastal habitats (including Great Lakes habitats), pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act as reauthorized in 2006, Endangered Species Act, Estuary Restoration Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987, Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA), Coral Reef Conservation Act, Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, and other legislation. In 2009, projects will also be funded pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Research and management includes determining the effects of habitat modifications and contaminants on populations of living marine resources, restoring depleted stocks that have been adversely impacted by habitat modifications, determining if artificial or restored habitat fulfills essential habitat needs of living marine resources, and quantifying contaminants and debris that pose a hazard to populations of these animals.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds can be used by recipients to support a wide variety of habitat restoration, coral reef conservation, construction, management, public education activities, and research for marine and estuarine habitats, especially for species currently under, or proposed for, Federal or inter-jurisdictional management. Restoration includes, but is not limited to, activities that contribute to the return of degraded or altered marine, estuarine, coastal, and freshwater (diadromous fish) habitats to a close approximation of their function prior to disturbance. Habitat restoration activities that produce significant ecological habitat features to create buffers or �green infrastructure� that serve to protect coastal communities from sea level rise, coastal storms and flooding, or that provide adaptation to climate change are also included. Projects funded under this CFDA primarily support NOAA�s �Ecosystems� mission support goal of �Protect, Restore, and Manage Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources through Ecosystem-Based Management.�.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible applicants for assistance include State and local governments, including their universities and colleges; U.S. territorial agencies; federally and State-recognized Indian Tribal governments; private universities and colleges; private profit and nonprofit research and conservation organizations, and/or individuals.

Beneficiary Eligibility

This program benefits Federal, State, and interstate marine resource conservation and management agencies; U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States; U.S. and foreign commercial and recreational fishing industries; conservation organizations, academic institutions; international and Indian Tribal treaties; private and public research groups; consumers; and the general public.

Credentials/Documentation

Applicants are required to satisfy all DOC/NOAA standards and regulations, including routine and special terms and conditions, for financial assistance programs application and conduct. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Proposals are submitted through Grants.Gov. Applicants will need to enter the Funding Opportunity Number and/or CFDA number to access the application package and instructions. Application package will then be submitted directly to the Office of Habitat Conservation, or NOAA Coral Conservation Program lead, as appropriate. Proposals are subject to the requirements of 15 CFR Parts 14 and 24, as applicable.

Award Procedure

Proposals are initially evaluated by the appropriate NMFS Office/Region/Science Center, or their component laboratories, and are subject to review for technical merit, soundness of design, competency of the applicant to perform the proposed work, potential contribution of the project to national or regional goals, and appropriateness and reasonableness of proposed costs. Projects approved for funding will be submitted to the NOAA Grants Management Division and the Department of Commerce's Office of Federal Assistance for review and approval.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Approval time is expected to range from 150-180 days, which includes processing of the award through NMFS and NOAA.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Grants and cooperative agreements are approved on an annual basis, but may be continued beyond the first segment, subject to approved time frame and scope of work, satisfactory progress, and availability of funds. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the sole discretion of the Department.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching Requirements: Statutory formulas, if any, are specific to programs that fall under this CFDA number. Project costs are funded at up to 100 percent. Grantee matching contributions vary by specific funding opportunity. CWPPRA projects require a 15 percent match by the State of Louisiana at this time. Under the Community-based Restoration Program guidelines, projects are encouraged to demonstrate a minimum nonfederal match of 50 percent of the total cost needed to complete the proposed project to be most competitive. A 1:1 match is required for the General and International Coral Reef Conservation Grant Programs and grants under the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, although the MDRPR Act allows the NOAA Administrator to waive all or part of the matching requirement in certain instances. The ARRA has no statutory matching requirement.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Awards are normally for 12-24 month periods, and vary by specific funding opportunity. Award funds must be spent in the indicated budget period and expended in accordance with DOC/NOAA finance and reporting procedures. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Funds are released as needed through the automated treasury process (ASAP) or by reimbursement, as indicated in the Standard Terms and Conditions document required for each grant.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program reports are not applicable. Cash reports are not applicable. Reports are due in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award. The Department's Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions may require that financial and performance reports be submitted semi-annually or on some other agreed upon schedule. For grants funded under the ARRA, recipients will be required to meet quarterly reporting requirements under Title XV Section 1512 of the ARRA. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), recipients that are States, Local Governments, Nonprofit Organizations (to include Hospitals), and Institutions of Higher Learning shall be subject to the audit requirements contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 U.S.C. 7501-7507). Commercial organizations shall be subject to the audit requirements as stipulated in the award document.

Records

Generally, a recipient is required to retain records relating to a particular grant for three years from the date of submission of the final financial report. In cases where litigation, claim or an audit is initiated prior to expiration of the three-year period, records must be retained until the action and resolution of any issues associated with it are complete or until the end of the three-year retention period; whichever is latest.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In fiscal year 2008, cooperative agreements for coastal restoration projects in Louisiana under the CWPPRA program resulted in funding engineering and design for the Bioengineered Oyster Reef Demonstration and the Bayou Dupont Ridge and Marsh Creation Project. The program continued to fund crevasse cuts through the Delta Wide Crevasses Project. Under the NOAA Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) and the Open Rivers Initiative, 9 awards were funded in FY 08 ranging from $40,000 to $240,000 for a total of $935,000. Over $7 million went to the continued support of 17 national and regional habitat restoration partnerships (funded between $100,000 and $1.6 million) that provide subawards for individual habitat restoration projects. These projects leverage between $3 and $5 for every NOAA dollar invested, have significant community support and hands-on participation, and typically have an associated outreach or informal education component. In 2008 the Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Project Grants funded 10 applications ranging from $40,000 to $175,000 for a total of 868,700. NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program launched a new international coral reef program in 2002, pursuant to the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. During Fiscal Year 2008, the International Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program invested $ 437,321 in 10 projects in 10 countries that leveraged $ $488,785 in matching funds. Funds were distributed among the following four themes: (1) Promote Watershed Management in the Wider Caribbean, Brazil, and Bermuda; (2) Regional Enhancement of Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness ; (3) Encourage the Development of National Networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Wider Caribbean, Bermuda, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific; and (4) Promote Regional Socio-Economic Training and Monitoring in Coral Reef Management in the Wider Caribbean, Brazil, Bermuda, the Western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the South Pacific, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the General Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program funded 12 applications ranging from $35,000 to $50,000 for a total of $503,024. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

13-1450-0-1-306.

Obligations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 08 $50,553,994; FY 09 est $218,291,552; FY 10 est $56,380,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$15,000 to $36,000,000. Typical award: $35,000 to $200,000; CWPPRA and ARRA awards are among the largest, typically in the millions. Awards made under the ARRA in FY09 are expected to be $1.5 million to $10 million per award.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-21 for institutions of higher education, with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments, and with OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit organizations. For grants management administrative requirements, see 15 CFR 24 (state and local governments) and 2 CFR 215 for other recipients. All recipients will adhere to Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions and NOAA Administrative Standard Award Conditions available at http://www.ago.noaa.gov/ago/grants/external_links.cfm. For awards under the ARRA, recipients will also follow regulations and guidelines stated in Title XV Sec. 1512 of the ARRA.

Related Programs

11.419 Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards; 11.426 Financial Assistance for National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science; 11.441 Regional Fishery Management Councils; 11.457 Chesapeake Bay Studies; 11.469 Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None. See Appendix IV.

Headquarters Office

n/a NOAA Fisheries, Office of Habitat Conservation,1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. CWPPRA: Ms. Cecelia Linder; Telephone (301)713-0174; Fax (301)713-0184; E-mail Cecelia.Linder@noaa.gov. Community-based Restoration Program (CRP): Ms. Robin Bruckner; Telephone (301)713-0174; Fax (301)713-0184; E-mail Robin.Bruckner@noaa.gov. General Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program: Ms. Jennifer Koss; Telephone (301) 713-4300; Fax (301) 713-1043; Email Jennifer.Koss@noaa.gov. International Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program: Scot Frew; 1315 East West Highway, 5th Floor, Room 5826, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Telephone (301) 713-3078; Fax 301-713-4263; E-mail Scot.Frew@noaa.gov., Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Phone: n/a

Web Site Address

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/ecosystem/index.htm.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: NOAA's restoration programs provide funding to implement a wide variety of on-the-ground habitat restoration projects to benefit marine, estuarine and riparian habitats, including but not limited to salt marshes, seagrass beds, coral reefs, mangrove forests, and freshwater habitat important to diadromous fisheries, predominantly in coastal areas around the United States. The Office of Habitat Conservation also provides funding for coral reef conservation activities. The General Coral Reef Coral Grant Program supports on-the-ground efforts that: (1) help preserve, sustain and restore the condition of coral reef ecosystems, (2) promote the wise management and sustainable use of coral reef resources, (3) increase public knowledge and awareness of coral reef ecosystems and issues regarding their conservation and (4) develop sound scientific information on the condition of coral reef ecosystems and the threats to such ecosystems. For the International Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program Examples of funded projects include: Initiating a Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness System in Indonesia; Development of a Network of MPAs Combining Community Based Management Initiatives for the Island Province of Kadavu, Fiji; Socioeconomic Monitoring for Coastal Resource Management Projects in Vietnam & Cambodia; and Promoting Management of the APA da Barra do Rio Mamanguape Watershed (NE Brazil). Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Applications are received and projects selected from several sources: Unsolicited proposals; responses to special solicitations in the Federal Register and Grants.gov; or congressionally directed projects. For CWPPRA, the projects to be funded are selected through an annual, publicly-vetted process and ultimately approved by a multi-agency Task Force. Applications submitted through competitions are reviewed based on NOAA's standard criteria which are weighted as announced in specific funding opportunities. These criteria include: Importance and Applicability; Technical/Scientific Merit; Overall Qualifications of Applicants; Project Costs; and Outreach and Education. Regardless of source, applications must undergo rigorous technical review and comply with all OMB, DOC, and NOAA grants policies and procedures. Any financial assistance announcements must be made in the Federal Register; announcement on Grants.gov only is not sufficient.