BIL NOAA Grants Available

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced the opening of four funding opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

1. Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants

 This funding will support transformational projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish around the country. In collaboration with NOAA, selected Indian tribes and tribal commission or consortia partners will use these funds to implement barrier removal efforts that benefit tribally-important migratory fish, and to build tribal organizational capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects. Funding will support fisheries and protected resources, while also enhancing community resilience to climate hazards by removing or improving aging infrastructure.

• Up to $65 million available
• Federal funding requests: between $1 million and $15 million 
• The application deadline: August 15, 2022
• How to Apply:  NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2022-2007209
• For more information click here

2. Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants

This funding will support Indian tribes, tribal commissions, and tribal consortia in implementing tribal priority fish passage projects, including organizational capacity building, that benefit migratory fish in coastal ecosystems, including the Great Lakes. In collaboration with NOAA, selected partners will use these funds to implement locally-led removals of dams and other in-stream barriers to rebuild sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species, enhance watershed health, and improve economic vitality.

• Up to $12 million available
• Federal funding requests: between $300,000 and $5 million
• The application deadline: August 29, 2022
• How to Apply:  NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2022-2007193
• For more information click here

3. Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants:

In collaboration with NOAA, selected partners will use these funds to implement locally led habitat restoration actions that restore marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lakes ecosystems, using approaches that enhance the resilience of communities to climate hazards. Funding will prioritize habitat restoration actions that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species, use natural infrastructure to reduce damage from flooding and storms, promote resilient ecosystems and communities, and yield socioeconomic benefits. The funding priorities and selection process of this opportunity emphasize support for underserved communities. Proposals may include: planning and assessments; feasibility studies; engineering design and permitting; on-the-ground implementation; pre- and/or post-implementation monitoring; or any combination of phases. Proposals may also include capacity-building and stakeholder engagement to support the proposed restoration. Cost sharing and partnerships are encouraged and are considered within the evaluation criterion for selecting projects.

• Up to $85 million is available
• Federal funding requests: between $1 million and $15 million over the award period. 
• Award periods up to 3 years (potential of up to 5 years if necessary) 
• Application deadline: September 6, 2022 
• How to Apply: Opportunity #: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2022-2007195
• For more information click here.

4. Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Underserved Communities:

The opportunity is focused on building organizational capacity and/or supporting restoration activities that benefit underserved communities and enhance their resilience to climate hazards. Meaningful engagement of underserved communities is intended to ensure that communities are integral to the visioning, decision-making, and leadership for coastal habitat restoration projects; to ensure that the scope of such projects are inclusive of the priorities and needs of communities; and/or to ensure that the benefits of such projects flow back to underserved communities. Potential activities can include: 1) Capacity building, which may include participation in municipal or regional-scale resilience planning, project planning and feasibility studies, stakeholder engagement, proposal development for future funding, and outreach and education; and/or 2) Restoration project activities, including demonstration projects, which may include engineering and design, permitting, on-the-ground restoration, and pre- and post-project implementation monitoring. There is no non-federal matching requirement for this funding. 

• Up to $10 million available
• Federal funding requests: between $75,000 and $1 million
• Award periods up to 3 years (potential of up to 5 years if necessary) 
• Application Deadline: September 30, 2022  
• How to Apply:Opportunity #: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2022-2007354
• For more information click here