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Alliance Releases 2017 Gulf Star RFP
GOMA's 2017 Gulf Star Program Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open. Applications will be accepted from June 30 through September 1, 2017. Teams and cross-team initiatives addressed in this request include: Coastal Resilience, Data and Monitoring, Ecosystem Services, Education and Engagement, Water Resources, and Wildlife and Fisheries.
Earlier this year, Gulf Star welcomed Anadarko to the funding partnership. The program launched in 2016 and awarded nearly $670,000 to 19 recipients around the Gulf of Mexico region.
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Legislation Will Strengthen Coordination in the Gulf Region
On June 15
th, two bills were introduced in the United States Congress to designate GOMA as a regional coordination entity. Senators Wicker, Cochran, and Cassidy introduced Senate Bill S. 1373 and Congressmen Graves, Palazzo, and Richmond introduced House Bill H.R. 2923. The authorization would make it easier to facilitate regional coordination and collaboration of Gulf of Mexico ecological issues.
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New Partnership Finds Experts for Gulf Restoration Project Science Reviews
In March, the GOMA and the Gulf of Mexico University Research Collaborative (GOMURC) partnered on a successful proposal to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council). GOMA and GOMURC will administer the Best Available Science review process for RESTORE Act funding Bucket 2 and 3 projects for the next three years. This partnership allows for both organizations to bring their expertise to the table to ensure high-quality external science reviews are conducted in a timely manner.
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Gulf Coast Resilience Updates
Long Beach Harbor Latest to Earn "Clean and Resilient Marina" Status
The sun was shining overhead as representatives from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and Long Beach Harbor gathered on June 13 to raise the new "Clean and Resilient Marina" flag to signify the harbor's successful efforts in over three years of hard work to earn the designation. Long Beach Harbor now looks forward to attracting more visiting boaters to port and connecting them to the larger onshore business community. Long Beach Harbor is the fourth marina in Mississippi to earn the designation "Clean and Resilient."
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Coastal Resilience Team Attends Sustainable Communities Leadership Academy
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From left to right: Coen Perrott, Daphne Viverette, Hank Hodde, Kristen Kapiotis, and Craig Davis
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GOMA Coastal Resilience Team members participated this week in the Sustainable Communities Leadership Academy: Innovations in Building Resilient Communities in Denver, Colorado. They represented the Gulf of Mexico to discuss regional successes and share what steps GOMA has taken to work with coastal communities.
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Get Engaged
Photo Competition
GOMA is holding a
photo competition. Submissions are being accepted from all ages through August 31, 2017.
Single Use Plastics Survey
MSU is conducting a study to identify consumer habits and willingness to pay for environmentally friendly products (such as cups, plates, straws, etc) in restaurants. Take this
brief survey.
BLUE Gulf Film Competition
The Harte Research Institute is holding a Gulf of Mexico
short film competition. The deadline is October 14, 2017.
Sea Turtle Carcass and Effigy Drift Study
The NOAA Fisheries Mississippi Lab is conducting a sea turtle stranding study through December 2017.
Learn more about this northern Gulf effort.
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 Restoration
Activities related to Deepwater Horizon oil spill research and restoration are updated monthly.
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) released this week an updated
Timeline of Major Events in Gulf Recovery.
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) - Find up to date information on
RestoreTheGulf.gov.
In the States
Florida -
Each impacted county engages directly through the
Gulf Consortium
and the Florida Association of Counties. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) maintains a comprehensive website.
Alabama -
Follow Alabama restoration on the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council AGCRC website.
Mississippi - On June 28th, Governor Bryant announced the U.S. Department of the Treasury awarded six Mississippi RESTORE projects. The awards totaling $43.2 million will address: the Mississippi Aquarium, Stennis Hangar, Off-Bottom Oyster Aquaculture, Fiber Optic Infrastructure Planning, Port Bienville Trans-Loading Terminal Facility Completion, and the Jackson County Corridor Connector Road - Phase I. The funding comes from the RESTORE Act Direct Component Funding for Mississippi.
To read about these and other Mississippi restoration activities visit Making Mississippi Whole.
Louisiana - The State of Louisiana is represented by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) on state and RESTORE Council activities. On June 2nd, the Louisiana State Legislature approved the
2017 Coastal Master Plan. The plan spans 50 years and is the overarching directive for all state agencies with vested functions related to the plan.
CPRA has a Parish RESTORE Act Matching Opportunities program open. The program helps coastal parishes receive RESTORE funds and enhance project effectiveness through integrated parish-state partnerships. The solicitation closes July 3, 2017.
Coastal Louisiana restoration updates are available on the
CPRA website.
Texas - On May 16th, Texas issued an update on the Draft Multiyear Implementation Plan (MIP) for Bucket 1 Funding. The update includes four matrix revisions and a detailed Treasury narrative. Public comment on this revision concludes on June 30, 2017. All Texas restoration activities can be found on
www.restorethetexascoast.org.
NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program -
Information related to this program and others is on their dedicated website.
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Gulf Research Program - In May, NAS announced the award of $3.2 million in capacity-building grants to coastal communities nationwide. NAS and the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative also announced recipients of 21 interdisciplinary seed grants, totaling $1.55 million. NAS announcements and activities related to Gulf of Mexico research and restoration can be found on the Gulf Research Program
website.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) -
All Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) activity and
comprehensive Gulf NRDA information is available on
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
- On June 20th, the Louisiana TIG is beginning to draft a restoration plan for lost recreational opportunities. The TIG received project ideas and then took public comment through June 16th. A draft plan will be released later this year and available for public input.
- On June 27th, the Region-wide TIG released four strategic frameworks to assist restoration planning. They were developed for restoration types that are allocated across multiple restoration areas. The four are birds, marine mammals, oysters, and sea turtles.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund
The NFWF
website has information on all funded projects with a map of all their programs worldwide.
North American Conservation Wetlands Act fund (NAWCA) - 2017 grant deadlines and other information are available on the
NAWCA website. A meta-database is available to
search for previous awards.
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) - The 2018 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference will be February 5-8, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Abstract submission will close September 10, 2017. Get comprehensive information on GoMRI at
gulfresearchinitiative.org.
Visit our Deepwater Horizon Project Tracker Story Map.
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Funding
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance maintains a Funding Opportunities web page of current opportunities. Below are selected opportunities from that page.
Link to Funding Opportunities page
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wetland Restoration Projects Standard Grants (NAWCA)- Public-private matching grants support long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated upland habitats. United States initiated applications are due July 14, 2017.
EPA RESTORE
Northwest Florida Estuary Program RFP - This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals to develop and stand-up a place-based estuary program encompassing one or more of the following bays in Florida's northwest panhandle region: Perdido Bay, Pensacola Bay, Escambia Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, St. Andrews Bay and Apalachicola Bay. The deadline is August 1, 2017.
EPA Gulf of Mexico Program
2017 Gulf of Mexico Program Request for Proposals - This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals that address water quality improvement; coastal habitat and ecosystems enhancement, restoration and/or protection; environmental education and outreach; and community resilience in the Gulf of Mexico region and its watersheds. The deadline is August 4, 2017.
National Endowment for the Arts
Our Town Grants - The grant program supports creative placemaking projects that help to transform communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. Creative placemaking is when artists, arts organizations, and community development practitioners deliberately integrate arts and culture into community revitalization work - placing arts at the table with land-use, transportation, economic development, education, housing, infrastructure, and public safety strategies. The deadline is September 11, 2017.
DOI FWS Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
Boating Infrastructure Grant Program Tier I - Applications from states will relate to boating infrastructure which means the structures, equipment, accessories, and services that are necessary or desirable for a facility to accommodate eligible vessels. Search grants.gov for F17AS00214. The deadline is September 11, 2017.
DOI FWS Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
Boating Infrastructure Grant Program Tier II - Applications from states will relate to boating infrastructure which means the structures, equipment, accessories, and services that are necessary or desirable for a facility to accommodate eligible vessels. Search grants.gov for F17AS00215. The deadline is September 11, 2017.
NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program
Funding Calendar
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Comment Periods
Click here to request a comment period to be shared in our next newsletter.
The DOI has issued, Review of Certain National Monuments Established Since 1996; Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment (DOI-2017-0002-0001) and the deadline is July 10, 2017.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has an updated website. Improvements make finding fish regulations, amendments, and meetings much easier. Check their
Amendments Under Development for updates on Red Snapper, Greater Amberjack, fishing quota, and other pertinent fishery management issues.
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Events
June 26 - August 31: GOMA Photo Competition
July 13: MS DEQ
workshop on restoration contracting
July 19: TX Workshop Teachers on the Estuary
September 7-8: Alabama Water Resources Conference
September 16: 30th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup
September 27 - 29: Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation Annual Meeting
November 15 - 17: GOMA Coastal Resilience Team Fall Meeting
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