If you've already registered, click here to login.

It is recommended that you complete and save a draft of your application in Word or another word processing software before beginning the application process online, and that you copy-and-paste text into the appropriate fields in the online grant application.

JavaScript and cookies both must be enabled in your web browser to use the online grant application. The application should work with most modern web browser software, but we do recommend Internet Explorer 6 for Windows or better, Firefox (any platform), or Safari for Mac OS X.

Introduction

This grant offering is a multi-year partnership between the US Association of Delegates to the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (the Council) and the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Community-based Restoration Program. This grant program is being managed by the US Gulf of Maine Association on behalf of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment. The purpose of this Partnership is to further the Council’s goal of habitat restoration and to support a strategic approach to marine, coastal and riverine habitat restoration within the Gulf of Maine. The Partnership is inviting eligible organizations to compete for funding made available through this grant.

Who is eligible to apply?

Non-governmental organizations (e.g., community associations, cooperatives, civic groups), municipalities, schools, and tribal and state governments are eligible to apply. The proposed project must be located within the Gulf of Maine watershed. The Gulf of Maine watershed extends from the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, and includes all lands which are part of coastal watersheds. Projects beyond this geographic range may be considered if it is shown that the proposed project will provide direct benefits to the GOM ecosystem.

What types of projects are eligible?

In general, the Council and NMFS are interested in funding projects that will result in on-the-ground restoration of habitat to benefit living marine resources, including anadromous fish species. Restoration is defined here as activities that contribute to the return of degraded or altered marine, estuarine, coastal, and freshwater anadromous fish habitats to a close approximation of their condition prior to disturbance. Habitat restoration is a two-phase process, both of which are necessary for a successful outcome. This grant program will consider funding projects that address both of these phases—project design, planning, and project implementation (including pre- and post-restoration monitoring for Partnership funded projects). The Council requests proposals for projects that will address habitat restoration including but not limited to the following:

• Diadromous fish restoration and stewardship – Fishway, culvert, and dam removal projects are priorities for this type of restoration. Project design and planning may involve characterization of impounded sediments, dam safety evaluation, surveying, hydrologic evaluations, engineering design, pre- and post-restoration monitoring.
• Coastal wetland restoration and stewardship - Increasing the flow of water to tidally restricted areas, restoring altered hydrology and drainage, intercepting and dealing with excessive runoff to coastal wetlands, removing historic fill, and controlling invasive plant species. Project design and planning may involve hydrologic evaluations, surveying, botanical analyses, engineering design, and pre- and post-restoration monitoring.
• Riverine restoration and stewardship - Restoration of riverine systems that containanadromous fishhabitat from impacts of altered hydrology and reduction of riparian corridors which have led to a loss of instream aquatic habitat and increased bank instabilities. Project design and planning may include physical habitat and/or stream stability assessments, sediment transport analyses, natural channel design and planning and bioengineered approaches to alternatives of riverbank armoring.
• Restoration of other habitat types including submerged aquatic vegetation, shellfish beds, and other subtidal and intertidal habitats are also eligible for funding. This includes pre- and post-restoration monitoring of biological and physical parameters for GOMC/NOAA Partnership funded projects.

Proposal Review and Selection Criteria

A proposal review team composed of members representing Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, NMFS, and the Council will evaluate proposals using the following criteria. In applying these criteria to project proposals, the review team will take into consideration the amount of information reasonably available for a project in the planning/design phase (including inventory) versus the implementation/monitoring phase.

30% Potential for the project to restore degraded habitat to a self-sustaining, pre-degraded condition:

• To what extent will the project restore degraded habitat function(s) as compared to current function(s) and benefit living resources?
• Fit within the habitat needs for species of regional significance.
• Will the area, once restored, be protected from future degradation and persist over the long-term?
• Does the project build upon previously undertaken restoration work?
• Is the project part of a larger restoration plan?
• Does the project involve structures that require ongoing maintenance and/or management? If so, who will be responsible and how will these costs be paid?
  
  

• Is the project feasible from biological and engineering perspectives?
• Are the restoration efforts likely to deliver tangible, specific benefits and results?
• Does the applicant and their associated partners display the ability to undertake and successfully complete this project?
• Are there any potential adverse impacts (such as flooding or habitat loss) associated with the project? If so, how will they be addressed?
• Does the pre- and post-monitoring plan measure adequate parameters for a long-term analysis?
  
  

• Does the project reflect strong community support and involvement?
• Does the project show the support of other relevant agencies and organizations?
  
  

• Is there sufficient detail in the budget?
• Is match, targeted at least at a 1:1 level, identified?
• Does the project appear to be cost effective?

Pre- and Post-Monitoring

Proposals are expected to have a written monitoring plan in order to provide pre- and post-restoration habitat conditions. Monitoring activities should include a detailed description of the physical and biological parameters used to assess expected restoration success. Guidance for salt marsh restoration monitoring in the Gulf of Maine is available in the Gulf of Maine Salt Marsh Monitoring Protocol available at www.gulfofmaine.org/habitatmonitoring, or check with your state / provincial contact for additional guidance with project monitoring. Multi-year monitoring plans are encouraged in order to ensure sufficient data for measuring success. The Gulf of Maine Council’s Habitat Restoration Subcommittee is currently working on final barrier removal monitoring protocols for dam removals and culvert enhancements in the Gulf of Maine, which will be available on the above website upon completion.

Ineligible costs

Funds may not be used to support permanent staffing costs (however, a reasonable level of overhead during the grant period is acceptable), scholarships to individuals, deficit reduction activities, or projects that have already been completed, or for those activities that constitute legally required mitigation for the adverse effects of an activity regulated or otherwise governed by state, provincial or federal law.

How much is available, match requirements, project duration?

• Funds Available: Approximately $400,000 will be available for the 2007-2008 grant round. Awards will typically range between $25,000 to $75,000, with a cap of $100,000. Funding may include feasibility, engineering and design, implementation, monitoring, or some combination thereof.
• Matching Requirements: All grants should target at least a 1:1 non-federal match. Match may be in cash, time, goods, or services.
• Project Duration: Work conducted for the project is to be complete within 18-24 months of contract approval, unless a longer contract period is negotiated. Eligible costs will be paid for work done no earlier than contract approval.
• Payment will be made on a reimbursement basis with 15% of the grant award allowed up-front. The first up-front payment requires an invoice to the Council and the completion of the NOAA Data Form, which is available at http://restoration.gulfofmaine.org/grants.
• The final payment of 10% requires completion of a project fact sheet using the template found at http://restoration.gulfofmaine.org.

Submission Deadline/Completed Application

Applications must be submitted online via the Web-based grant proposal forms at the Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration Portal (http://restoration.gulfofmaine.org). No hard-copy submissions will be accepted. No hard-copy submissions will be accepted. To access the grant proposal forms, go to http://restoration.gulfofmaine.org and follow the links for GOMC-NOAA Habitat Restoration Grant Program proposal submission. The Web site will begin accepting online application submissions after September 1, 2007.

To be considered in this funding round, applications must be submitted by 5:00PM EST on October 26, 2007. A completed application must include the following, all of which must be submitted via the web-based grant proposal forms:

• Project Overview outlining the applicant’s experience and general approach as to how the project will be completed
• Project Description and Scope
• Tasks and Products
• Budget
• Map and photos of the proposed project site

To avoid excess administration, the number of payments should be limited to no more than three: the upfront payment of 15% (NOAA Data Form required); a second payment of 75%; and a final payment of 10% (project fact sheet required) of the grant award which is paid upon successful completion of the project and fulfillment of reporting requirements. Applicants should propose a modified schedule of payments if the suggested schedule is problematic. After the initial upfront payment, additional payments will be made as corresponding match is demonstrated and invoices are sent. All invoices must be submitted electronically to Jon Kachmar at jon.kachmar@maine.gov.

State/Provincial Contacts

We strongly urge applicants to confer with federal and state/provincial agency personnel during the development of their proposals. Initial contacts should be made through the following:

Contracts, Reports and Data Forms

It is anticipated that awards will be made for accelerated applications by September 30 and the remainder of the awards by January 1. Successful applicants will enter into contracts with the US Gulf of Maine Association that specify work tasks, work products, and reporting requirements. Work conducted for the project is to be complete within 18-24 months of contract approval. Eligible costs will be paid for work done no earlier than contract approval.

Progress reports must be submitted online at http://restoration.gulfofmaine.org every six months. Progress report submission will be available beginning September 15, 2007. Reports should not exceed 2-3 pages and will describe progress to date including photos of the site. A final report including both documentation of the completed project and a financial report will be submitted online within 30 days of the end of the grant period.

NOAA Data Forms are designed to be completed at the onset of the project and updated, as needed, in conjunction with the 6-month progress report. It is expected that the majority of time required for completion of the form will be the initial submission with minor updates as the project progresses. The data forms will be used to supply information to a national database that is measuring monitoring efforts. The data forms must be submitted online at http://restoration.gulfofmaine.org.