Geographic Programs - Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration Program

To develop and support the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) for coastal watershed restoration. SNEP is a geographically-based program intended to serve as a collaborative framework for advancing ecosystem resiliency, protecting and restoring water quality, habitat, and ecosystem function, and developing and applying innovative policy, science, and technology to environmental management in southeast coastal New England (eligibility map is available at https://www.epa.gov/snep/background-information-southeast-new-england-program and will be included in competitive funding announcements). A critical aspect of this framework is the integration of physical processes, water quality, and critical habitat at a regional, watershed, and/or landscape scale. SNEP's Strategic Plan under this framework includes goals for achieving, 1. a resilient ecosystem of safe and healthy waters, 2. thriving watersheds and natural lands, and 3. sustainable communities. Additional background information on SNEP can be found at the following website: www.epa.gov/snep. EPA intends to fund projects, either directly or via a pass-through organization, that address SNEP priorities and spur investments in regionally significant and landscape scale restoration projects through projects, networks, and/or partnerships among governmental and community resource managers, technology, scientific, and policy organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), tribes, and other groups. A major focus is to build regional capacity for environmental management, including developing and establishing robust institutional, monitoring, information, and technology frameworks that can offer more effective, transferable, and sustainable paths to restoring and protecting the southeast New England coastal watersheds. Through competitive funding announcements, EPA will outline specific program priorities and eligible activities in areas such as environmental, ecological, and/or habitat restoration planning and construction; ordinance adoption and implementation; technology and policy development, testing, and adoption; financing; monitoring, including methods, equipment, data analysis and interpretation; public understanding and engagement; technical training in new approaches; information sharing; implementation of nature-based solutions; and targeted/applied research. EPA may seek to fund this work directly or through an eligible pass-through organization and will provide project examples and expectations in specific Request for Applications (RFAs). Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2023: This program seeks to restore improve water quality, habitat health and resilience in the SNEP region by building capacity of local communities, tribes and organizations and by providing grants to support planning, demonstration, design and implementation of best management practices, monitoring and evaluation of innovative approaches and development of new technologies. SNEP funding is provided to support technical assistance and implementation grants through direct EPA awards, the SNEP Network, Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants and/or a SNEP Pilot Watersheds Initiative. Additional SNEP funding under the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will support existing SNEP priorities and will begin to focus on climate resiliency and underserved communities.

Types of Assistance: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS