Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration

 

To develop and support the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) for coastal watershed restoration. SNEP is a geographically-based program intended to serve as a collaborative framework for advancing ecosystem resiliency, protecting and restoring water quality, habitat, and ecosystem function, and developing and applying innovative policy, science, and technology to environmental management in southeast coastal New England (eligibility map is available at www.epa.gov/region1/snecwrp and will be included in competitive funding announcements). A critical aspect of this framework is the integration of physical processes, water quality, and critical habitat at a regional, watershed, and/or landscape scale. Additional background information on SNEP can be found at the following website: www.epa.gov/region1/snecwrp. EPA intends to fund projects, either directly or via a pass-through organization, that address SNEP priorities through projects, networks, and/or partnerships among governmental and community resource managers, technology, scientific, and policy organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), tribes, and other groups. A major focus is to build program capacity for environmental management, including developing and establishing robust institutional, monitoring, information, and technology frameworks that can offer more effective, transferable, and sustainable paths to restoring and protecting the southeast New England coastal watersheds. Through competitive funding announcements, EPA will outline specific program priorities and eligible activities in areas such as environmental, ecological, and/or habitat restoration planning and construction; ordinance adoption and implementation; technology and policy development, testing, and adoption; financing; monitoring, including methods, equipment, data analysis and interpretation; public understanding and engagement; technical training in new approaches; information sharing; and targeted/applied research. EPA may seek to fund this work directly or through an eligible pass-through organization and will provide project examples and expectations in specific Request for Applications (RFAs). Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2019 - This program seeks to build capacity of local communities, tribes and organizations to address environmental issues and promote and increased understanding and use of available financial and technical resources, best practices, and innovative approaches, particularly in the areas of stormwater management and financing for coastal watershed restoration efforts. Other priorities include: advancing ecosystem resiliency; protecting and restoring water quality, habitat and ecosystem function; and, developing and applying innovative policy, science and technology to environmental management.

Active 66.129 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 In FY16 SNEP anticipates 8 awards totaling $4,637,000 as a result of EPA's RFIP (EPA-R1-SNEP-2016). In FY16 SNEP awarded 8 assistance agreements totaling $4,637,000 as a result of EPA's RFIP (EPA-R1-SNEP-2016).
Fiscal Year 2017 In FY17, SNEP awarded one assistance agreement totaling $3,945,172 as a result of EPA’s Request for Applications (EPA-R1-SNEP-2017)
Fiscal Year 2018 Through RAE, awarded >$4M in 14 subawards throughout SNEP region; worked with RAE to develop subaward RFP for FY2019 funds; Worked with SNEP Steering, Policy, and Monitoring and Ecosystem Services Subcommittees to identify key environmental management needs throughout the SNEP region.
Fiscal Year 2019 Issued RFA and selected Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) as pass-through grants manager for SNEP; Worked with SNEP Steering, Policy, and Monitoring and Ecosystem Services Subcommittees to identify key environmental management needs throughout the SNEP region EPA's Annual Appropriation Acts
Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3) and 320 Assistance under SNEP is available to state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments; institutions of higher education; nonprofit institutions and organizations; intertribal consortia; and interstate agencies. Private businesses, federal agencies, and individuals are not eligible to be grant recipients; however, they are encouraged to work in partnership with eligible applicants on projects. Applicants are not limited to the geographic area of southeastern coastal New England, however, those applying from outside the specified region must carry out their projects and have at least one local partner from within the geographic area specified in the competitive funding announcement. Organizations must be capable of undertaking and managing activities that advance SNEP priorities, including managing potentially complex fiscal and administrative requirements. Non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply; the term interstate agency is defined in Clean Water Act Section 502 as an agency of two or more States established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more States, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator. Intertribal consortia must meet the requirements of 40 CFR Section 35.504. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA assistance listing description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Eligible beneficiaries who may benefit from this assistance are the same as those listed under "Applicant Eligibility". Nonprofit applicants may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the definition of a nonprofit organization in 2 CFR Section 200.70. Interstate organizations may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority, which establishes their status. Intertribal consortia may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504. 2 CFR Part 200 applies to this program. Tribes may be asked to demonstrate that they are federally recognized. Applicants who have an IRS 501(c)(4) designation are not eligible for grants if they engage in lobbying, no matter what the source of funding for the lobbying activities. For-profit enterprises are not eligible to receive sub-grants from eligible recipients, although they may receive contracts, subject to the procurement regulations found at 2 CFR Part 200. 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. Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the competitive announcement. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through https://www.grants.gov. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals, and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies and federal regulations for competing assistance agreements. Deadline information is provided in the competitive announcement. Up to 7 months Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as Information Contacts. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR Part 1500, Subpart E, as applicable Not applicable. Evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs in approved scopes of work plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Funding awarded for research does not include research within the purview of EPA's Office of Research and Development. The funds will support projects that prevent, reduce, and eliminate water pollution through partnership and innovation; that promote watershed solutions; and that encourage resilience to the impacts of climate change. Specific uses and restrictions on funds will be described in detail in the competitive announcements. Performance Reports: Performance monitoring is required in accordance with 2 CFR Section 200.301. EPA includes reporting requirements for grants and cooperative agreements in the terms and conditions of the agreements. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes to each grant, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained until expiration of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. EPA has discretion to determine the match requirements for awards made under these authorities and will do so within each announcement. Any other matching requirements will be described in the competitive announcement. In addition to matching requirements, the applicant must demonstrate how they will leverage resources during grant performance.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The terms of the grant shall be determined at time of grant award. The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award. Karen Simpson Baird, U.S. EPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Boston, MA 02109, Phone 617-918-1672, Toll Free: 888-372-7341, TTY: 617-918-2028. Email: simpson.karen@epa.gov. Karen Simpson Baird
U.S. EPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109 US
simpson.karen@epa.gov
Phone: 617-918-1672
Fax: 617-918-0672 https://www.epa.gov/snecwrp 68-0108-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 18$4,316,189.00; FY 19 est $4,035,000.00; FY 20 est $0.00; FY 17$4,510,000.00; FY 16$4,637,000.00; - Range: $3,500,000 - $4,500,000/fiscal year Average: $4,000,000/year (estimated) Uniform Grants Guidance 2 CFR Part 200, 2 CFR Part 1500, and 40 CFR Section 35.610, as applicable. Fiscal Year 2017 Pass through entity was funded at $3,945,172 to solicit and fund projects under this program.
Fiscal Year 2018 Through a subaward program, this program awarded >$4M in 14 subawards throughout SNEP region that address municipal capacity, habitat restoration, monitoring capability, and development of data management systems.
Fiscal Year 2019 The program plans to award one cooperative agreement to a single entity that will coordinate and manage a technical assistance network to build the capacity of local communities, tribes, and organizations to address environmental issues and promote increased understanding and use of available financial and technical resources, best practices, and innovative approaches, particularly in the areas of stormwater management and financing for coastal watershed restoration efforts.