Deadline: 11-Mar-22
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting for applications from eligible applicants to act, in coordination with Puget Sound federally recognized tribes, the Puget Sound Partnership (“Partnership” or PSP) and Management Conference, EPA, and other relevant parties, as the Tribal Implementation Lead (TIL) for the 2018-2022 Puget Sound Action Agenda, and subsequent updates of the Action Agenda.
EPA, Washington State, Tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and academia have partnered for over 30 years to protect and restore Puget Sound through the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 320 National Estuary Program (NEP).
CWA requires each NEP to establish a “Management Conference” to include representatives of each State and foreign nation located in part or whole in the estuarine zone of the estuary for which the conference is convened, Tribes, regional agencies, appropriate federal agencies, local governments, affected industries, academic institutions, and the public.
Goals
The overall goal of the TIL 2.0 program is to support implementation of tribal priorities in the Puget Sound Action Agenda, and to coordinate and integrate this program with Funding Model and Management Conference partners who also support Action Agenda implementation. The TIL 2.0 is expected to establish and implement processes and mechanisms that promote communication, coordination, and integration of the activities funded under the TIL program with other Action Agenda implementation efforts, particularly those led by PSP and the Strategic Initiative Leads. In developing its program, the TIL 2.0 must also consider and address climate resilience and environmental justice consideration.
EPA anticipates that the following three objectives are needed to achieve the TIL 2.0 program goals:
- Make and Manage Subawards. Develop and carry out a system for making subawards to federally-recognized Tribes in the Puget Sound basin and authorized consortia of these Tribes;
- Management Conference Participation and Partner Engagement. Develop and implement mechanisms for engaging with Management Conference and Funding Model partners; and
- Manage the Cooperative Agreement. Adaptively manage the TIL 2.0 cooperative agreement with EPA.
Funding Information
- Funding for the award is expected to be provided incrementally over a five-year period with an initial amount of approximately $7,000,000 to $10,000,000 for the first year and subsequent incremental funding through year five.
- The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is up to approximately $50,000,000 for the five-year period.
- The successful applicant should plan for projects to begin on or after July 1, 2022.
Eligibility Criteria
- All federally recognized Indian Tribes located within the greater Puget Sound basin and any consortium of these eligible Tribes are eligible to apply. The greater Puget Sound basin is defined as all watersheds draining to the U.S. waters of Puget Sound, southern Georgia Basin, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
- An eligible Intertribal consortium is one that demonstrates that:
- a majority of its members meet the eligibility requirements for this program;
- all members that meet the eligibility requirements authorize the consortium to apply for and receive the grant; and
- only members that meet the eligibility requirements will benefit directly from the grant project and the consortium agrees to a grant condition to that effect.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=337451