Habitat Conservation

 

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. 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.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
11.463
Federal Agency/Office
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Not applicable.
Authorization
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1956, 16 U.S.C. 661
National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C. 1431
Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. 1382
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. 1451
Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 16 U.S.C. 6403
Department of Commerce Appropriation Act of 1999
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, 16 U.S.C. 1891a
Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, 16 U.S.C. 1901 et seq
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, 16 U.S.C. 3951 et seq
Department of Commerce Appropriation Act of 1999
Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, 33 U.S.C. 1951
Coral Reef Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1535
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
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.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. 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. Refer to program guidelines
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 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 location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision 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.
How are proposals selected?
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.
How may assistance be used?
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.”
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Not applicable.
Auditing
Not applicable.
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.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. 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.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
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. 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.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
See Appendix IV.
Headquarters Office
Jeffrey Kulnis
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, MD 20910 US
jeffrey.kulnis@noaa.gov
Phone: 301-427-8771
Website Address
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/ecosystem/index.htm.
Financial Information
Account Identification
13-1450-0-1-306
Obligations
(Cooperative Agreements) FY 18 Estimate Not Available FY 17 est $75,194,939.00; FY 16$75,194,939.00;
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.
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.