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Geographic Programs - Puget Sound Action Agenda: Technical Investigations and Implementation Assistance Program

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Opportunity #: 66.123

Award Ceiling
$6.0M
Award Floor
N/A
Close Date
N/A
Total Funding
$6.0M
Cost Sharing Required
No
Grants.gov ID
usa-66.123

Description

Puget Sound has been designated as one of 28 estuaries of National Significance under section 320 of the Clean Water Act. The goal of the National Estuary Program is to attain and maintain water quality in designated estuaries that will assure protection of public water supplies and the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife and allows recreational activities in and on the water. The Puget Sound National Estuary Program's approved Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), the Action Agenda, has a goal to restore and maintain the Puget Sound Estuary's environment by meeting 2022-2026 ecosystem targets. The Action Agenda for Puget Sound charts the course to recovery of our nation's largest estuary�it complements and incorporates the work of many partners from around Puget Sound to describe regional strategies and specific actions needed to recover Puget Sound. These strategies and actions provide opportunities for federal, state, local, tribal, and private entities to better invest resources and coordinate actions. The EPA is committed to protecting and improving water quality and minimizing the adverse impacts of rapid development in the Puget Sound Basin. These commitments include protecting the watersheds and waters of Puget Sound by protecting the fundamental watershed processes that provide and create aquatic habitats and by reducing the generation and release of toxic, nutrient and pathogen pollution. This program has the following main objectives: First, implementing the approved CCMP, the Action Agenda for Puget Sound, is the primary objective of this program. Funds are directed to the highest priority work as articulated in every four-year updates to the Action Agenda work plan. The updated work plan identifies implementation strategies to achieve reductions in the harmful impacts on Puget Sound and restore previously damaged aquatic ecosystem functions. A central component of the approved CCMP for Puget Sound is its Science Work Plan which identifies some of the core scientific work that must be completed in order for Action Agenda implementation efforts to succeed. This program is to support implementation of priority near term actions and to support the technical studies and investigations that are needed to help direct implementation priorities and help support the tracking systems and evaluation approaches for implementation activities. Together with projects aimed at achievement of specific environmental outcomes, the science studies and technical investigations inform adaptive management of the program significantly contributing to the restoration and protection of Puget Sound. The program has considered relevant approaches to achieving the intended goals and objectives of the program consistent with statutory requirements, including priorities in Executive Order 14052 (Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), to invest public dollars equitably, create jobs and high labor stands, ensure goods and services are made in America, and build infrastructure that is resilient and helps combat the climate crisis using IIJA funds. Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2021-2026 : Funding will be continued for the three strategic initiative leads (SILs) which will focus on: Award and manage subawards to support the implementation of the Action Agenda with a focus on Implementation Strategies; maintain Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams (SIATs) to advise in investment-related decision-making; serve as Implementation Strategy Leads for Vital Signs related to the Strategic Initiative and form technical (e.g., Interdisciplinary Teams) and/or policy workgroups to develop, refine, adaptively manage, and operationalize Implementation Strategies; participate in the Puget Sound Partnership and National Estuary Program (NEP) Management Conference processes and work groups; and proactively coordinate with tribal partners and Local Integrating Organizations (LIOs) in order to accomplish SIL work. New lead programs have been created with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding. In FY23 two new Request for Applications were issued for one lead organization for Climate Resilient Riparian Systems and the other for Ensuring Environmental Justice, Human Wellbeing and Ecosystem Recovery in Puget Sound.

Types of Assistance: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

Eligible Applicants

Federal government agencies and Washington State government agencies are eligible to apply under this program. Public and private institutions of higher education located in the United States are eligible to apply under this program. Units of local government organized under Washington State law and located within the Greater Puget Sound basin are eligible to apply. Also eligible to apply are special purpose districts, as defined by Washington State law at R.C.W. 36.93.020, including but not limited to, irrigation districts, and water and sewer districts that are located in or govern land and water resources within the greater Puget Sound basin. Conservation districts located in or governing land and water resources within the greater Puget Sound Basin are also eligible to apply for assistance under this program. Watershed planning units formed under RCW 90.82.040 and RCW 90.82.060, local management boards organized under RCW 90.88.030, salmon recovery lead entities organized pursuant to RCW 77.85.050, regional fisheries enhancement groups organized pursuant to RCW 77.95.060 and Marine Resource Committees organized pursuant to RCW 36.125.010 and RCW 36.125.020 are eligible to apply if they are located within or their jurisdictions include waters and/or lands within the Greater Puget Sound basin. Intrastate organizations such as associations of cities, counties or conservation districts in the Greater Puget Sound basin are also eligible to apply. Nonprofit nongovernmental entities are also eligible to apply. Federally recognized Indian Tribes located within the greater Puget Sound basin and any consortium of these eligible tribes are also 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. For profit business entities, private individuals and families are not eligible to apply. However, all of these types of entities could partner with an eligible applicant as a sub-awardee. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.

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