Deadline: 28-May-21
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a call for proposals for the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Pilot Watersheds Initiative
2021 to demonstrate the effectiveness of concentrated, collaborative efforts and holistic (watershed scale) planning to address common environmental challenges in the SNEP geographic boundary, and ultimately to support SNEP’s goals and priorities as set forth in SNEP’s Five-Year Strategic Plan.
Southeast New England Program: The objective of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) is to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.” Despite continuing progress in achieving these goals, coastal ecosystems are recognized as particularly vulnerable to upstream pollution sources, fragmented management, and the impacts of climate change. The coastal watersheds of southeast New England are prime examples of this vulnerability.
Pilot Watershed Initiative Grant Program: SNEP’s Five-Year Strategic Plan specifically includes a priority action to demonstrate ways to address common challenges. Under this RFA, EPA intends to award cooperative agreements to eligible entities to plan and execute collaborative restoration efforts on a small “Pilot Watershed” scale in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of concentrated, collaborative efforts and holistic (watershed scale) planning to address common environmental challenges in the SNEP geographic boundary
Pilot Watersheds that demonstrate solutions to the following priority challenges:
- nutrient pollution leading to impairment of surface water;
- harmful algal blooms, including both excessive nuisance algae and toxin producing algal blooms;
- restoration of an impaired urban watershed by incorporating solutions that offer social and economic benefits as well as protect and improve water quality and/or habitat; and
- restoration and/or protection of natural system function, including efforts to increase habitat connectivity, or prevent the potential loss of saltmarsh predicted from climate change.
Applicants should also demonstrate how their Pilot Watershed plan addresses the goals and priority actions set forth in the SNEP Five-Year Strategic Plan. These include:
- increase local capacity to complete projects and adopt new policies;
- increase available solutions;
- ensure diverse representation;
- demonstrate ways to address common challenges; and
- increase community leaders’ understanding of the benefit of restoration projects.
Taking these actions will enable progress toward the desired outcomes of:
- waters that support native seagrasses and aquatic life, plentiful native fish and shellfish, and a variety of water-based recreation opportunities;
- watersheds that provide essential ecological functions, species diversity, and protection from both human-based and naturally occurring environmental stressors, and healthy, connected natural lands support a variety and range of native plant and wildlife communities; and
- communities that share robust water-based economies, strive to foster equity in environmental health and economic outcomes, protect and provide access to natural lands, open spaces and parks, encourage local food sources, and are adapting for resilience to expected impacts of climate change.
Funding Information
- EPA expects to award up to four (4) cooperative agreements for activities under this RFA. The total estimated funding available for awards under this competitive opportunity is up to $150,000 per award per year for up to five years. Funding for each agreement is not to exceed $750,000 total over five years through FY2025. The total amount of funding competed under this opportunity is $3,000,000.
- The expected project period for these assistance agreements is up to seven (7) years, with funding provided on an annual basis for up to five (5) years. No commitment of funding can be made beyond the first year. The expected start date for the awards resulting from this RFA is October 1, 2021.
Eligibility Criteria
- In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.129, assistance under this SNEP RFA is available to state, local, and Tribal governments; institutions of higher education; nonprofit institutions and organizations; and interstate agencies. Private businesses, federal agencies, and individuals are not eligible to apply; however, they may work in partnership with eligible applicants on these projects.
- For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, 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.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332504