FY 2020 Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants | NOAA NMFS HCPO 2020 2006306

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2020 2006306

The FY 2020 Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants opportunity is a NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) funding program designed to support coastal and marine habitat restoration projects that take an ecosystem-based approach and produce measurable benefits for species and fisheries under NOAA's jurisdiction. The program is centered on the idea that restoring the right habitats in the right places can remove bottlenecks that limit species recovery, strengthen fish populations, and improve the broader health and functioning of coastal and marine ecosystems. Awards are made through cooperative agreements, meaning applicants should expect meaningful federal involvement during the project period, such as coordination, technical input, or oversight consistent with NOAA's role.

Projects are primarily judged on how clearly they connect proposed restoration actions to outcomes for priority species and fisheries. In practical terms, the strongest proposals are those that show, with credible evidence and a logical chain of impact, how the work will (1) support recovery of threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), including NMFS "Species in the Spotlight," (2) sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and/or (3) contribute to sustaining saltwater recreational fisheries. Applicants are expected to move beyond general ecological benefits and directly tie habitat improvements to specific species or stock needs, such as spawning, nursery rearing, foraging, migration corridors, refuge from predation, or water quality conditions required for survival and reproduction.

A competitive application needs to do three things well. First, it should identify a specific habitat-based problem that is limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more target species, such as degraded wetlands, blocked fish passage, simplified estuarine structure, loss of submerged aquatic vegetation, impaired water quality, altered hydrology, or shoreline hardening that reduces habitat complexity. Second, it must clearly describe the restoration approach in enough detail to show feasibility and credibility, including what will be built or removed, where work will occur, what methods will be used, and how the project addresses the identified limiting factor. Third, it should define expected outcomes and measurable impacts, laying out how success will be tracked and how improvements will translate into benefits for target species and their ecosystems. The emphasis on "measurable impact" signals that monitoring and performance metrics are important, particularly metrics that reflect ecological function and species response rather than only construction outputs.

The solicitation allows a range of project phases. Proposals may focus on restoration feasibility work and/or design, on-the-ground implementation activities, or a combination of planning and implementation. This flexibility supports both communities that need resources to develop well-engineered, permittable restoration designs and those that are ready to implement construction and habitat improvements immediately. Regardless of phase, applicants need to demonstrate that the proposed work is positioned to lead to real restoration outcomes, whether that is producing a shovel-ready design package or delivering implemented habitat gains that can be quantified and linked to species recovery or fishery sustainability goals.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA NMFS. The opportunity number is NOAA NMFS HCPO 2020 2006306, and it is associated with CFDA 11.463. The funding activity category spans environment, natural resources, and science and technology and other research and development, reflecting that projects can include applied science and monitoring alongside restoration. The original closing date for applications was April 9, 2020, and the opportunity was created on November 8, 2019. NOAA anticipated making about 20 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $3,000,000 per award.

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility information. In practice, opportunities of this type often attract applications from partnerships that may include local and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, universities, and community-based groups working with state and federal resource managers, but applicants should rely on the specific eligibility language in the full announcement. Overall, the program is aimed at funding well-justified, outcomes-driven habitat restoration projects that can demonstrate a direct line from habitat action to species recovery, fish stock rebuilding, or improved recreational fisheries in coastal and marine environments.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2020 Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.463.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 09, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2020 2006306

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