NOAA's Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Round 3

The principal objective of this solicitation is to support transformational habitat restoration projects that restore marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lakes ecosystems, using approaches that enhance community and ecosystem resilience to climate hazards. NOAA anticipates up to $100 million will be available under this opportunity, of which up to 15% will be specifically available as direct awards and subawards to Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. Section 5304(e)) and Native American organizations that represent Indian Tribes through formal legal agreements (e.g. tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives). The remaining funding will be available to all eligible applicants. Funding will prioritize habitat restoration actions that: demonstrate significant impacts; rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries; contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species; promote climate-resilient ecosystems, especially in tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities; and improve economic vitality, including local employment. This solicitation is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) (BIL, Public Law 117-58), 135 STAT.1356 (Nov. 15, 2021). This funding opportunity seeks habitat restoration projects that enhance coastal resilience. Coastal areas support the nation’s largest and often fastest-growing population centers, as well as key natural assets. Strengthening coastal resilience means preparing and adapting coastal communities to mitigate the impacts of, and more quickly recover after, extreme weather events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding, as well as longer-term climate hazards, such as sea level rise. Habitat restoration and natural and nature-based infrastructure are critical to doing so, by protecting lives and property; sustaining commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing; recovering threatened and endangered species; and maintaining and fostering vibrant coastal economies. This funding opportunity – along with other opportunities through programs such as the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, Coastal Zone Management, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities – aims to fund projects that support the overarching goal of enhancing coastal resilience. This funding opportunity is also aligned with actions outlined in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Ocean Climate Action Plan, including nature-based solutions that support natural coastal and ocean systems while reducing the impacts of climate threats. This funding opportunity will prioritize high-value, transformative projects that advance resilience and support habitat restoration. Applicants should address the following set of program priorities: 1) sustaining productive fisheries and strengthening ecosystem resilience; 2) enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits; 3) fostering regionally important habitat restoration; and 4) providing benefits to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities, including through partnerships. This solicitation will fund projects that demonstrate high priority and transformative potential within the geographic region where restoration actions are proposed. Projects that are most responsive to the program priorities and are more transformative (i.e., have greater positive impact) will be more competitive. Proposals may include the following types of project phases: planning and assessments; feasibility studies; engineering design and permitting; on-the-ground implementation; pre- and/or post-implementation monitoring. Proposals may also include capacitybuilding and community engagement to support the proposed restoration. Applicants proposing preimplementation activities should demonstrate how these efforts will support or catalyze subsequent onthe-ground restoration. Proposals that include on-the-ground implementation will be given priority compared to those that include only pre-implementation activities. Proposals that include multiple sites should demonstrate how projects collectively contribute to the priorities within the same geographic area or watershed, and applicants should demonstrate the capacity to manage concurrent habitat restoration projects over multiple years. Priority will be given to activities with the highest certainty to occur within a 2-3 year award period. NOAA is committed to the goals of advancing equity and support for underserved communities. NOAA encourages applicants to include and demonstrate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through proactive, meaningful, and equitable community engagement in the identification, design, and/or implementation of proposed projects. NOAA also encourages applicants to propose projects with benefits to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities, and projects that appropriately consider and elevate local or indigenous knowledge in project design, implementation, and evaluation. Applicants should identify if the project is located within tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities, and/or whether a portion of the resilience benefits from the proposed work will flow to tribal, indigenous, and/or underserved communities. This program will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. Established by Executive Order 14008 on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” the Justice40 Initiative has established a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas will flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment. Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements. NOAA encourages a period of performance of up to three years, with the potential for up to five years, if necessary. NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $4 million to $6 million over three years. NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $750,000 or more than $10 million total for the entire award. We only expect a small number of awards (between 3-5) that will be funded near or at the cap of $10 million. Funds will be administered by the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, as directed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.