The notes from the Fall Member Meeting breakout sessions have been added to the Meeting Materials page on CSO's website (login required). The sessions covered: Acquisition, Restoration, Managed Retreat, and Resilience.

The newest funding opportunity is a NOFO for the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Programs from the EPA. The grant program offers $2 billion to benefit disadvantaged communities through “projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges.” States are not directly eligible, but any underserved community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs) and/or community is likely eligible. EPA is specifically interested in funding Territories! It's a rolling application for a year (closing on Thursday November 21, 2024) and allows for the potential resubmission of initially unsuccessful applications.

More detailed info about the grant program here: https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants-program.

On-going opportunities:

All information available at https://www.coastalstates.org/members-only/cso-work-groups/2023-funding-work-group/

The next big resilience funding opportunity is from FEMA, with $1.8 billion available through BRIC and Flood Mitigation Assistance. These need to be submitted through whatever your state’s process is – so be sure to coordinate with you state hazard mitigation or emergency management office. Both opportunities can fund coastal resilience and nature-based solutions projects (and more traditional grey infrastructure), they just need to demonstrate reduction in hazard/flood risk. Applications are due to FEMA Thursday February 29, 2024, but states will have earlier deadlines.

NOAA Habitat (Fisheries) announced the BIL/IRA funded Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities. $45 million to support capacity building, science and restoration projects. Applications are due December 19, 2023.

Full Applications:

Congratulations to all the programs invited to submit a full proposal to the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge! Full applications are due Tuesday February 13, 2024. 

Congratulations also to all of you invited submit a full proposal for CZM BIL year 2 (and IRA funds) Competitive Funding! Full applications are due Wednesday January 10, 2024.

See here for the 2023 Fall regulatory summary. More information on rulemaking developments is available on the Regulatory Resources page.

[NEW] EPA Environmental Justice Technical Guidance – Deadline Jan. 15

EPA has issued a draft revision to its Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis, first published in 2016. The purpose of this guidance is to outline analytic expectations and discuss technical approaches and methods that can be used by agency analysts to evaluate EJ concerns for regulatory actions. Comments may be submitted via Regulations.gov through Monday January 15, 2024.

[NEW] CEQ Environmental Justice Scorecard RFI – Deadline Jan. 19

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued a request for feedback on Phase One of the Environmental Justice Scorecard, including improved or additional metrics. Comments may be submitted via Reglations.gov through Friday January 19, 2024.

[NEW] EPA Issues Guidance on NPDES Requirements for Groundwater Discharges – Deadline Dec. 27

On Nov. 20, EPA released new Draft Guidance Regarding NPDES Permitting of Certain Discharges through Groundwater to Surface Waters. The guidance, replacing an earlier version issued in 2021, applies seven factors set out in the SCOTUS decision in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, 140 S. Ct. 1462 (2020) for determining whether a discharge into groundwater constitutes a “functional equivalent of a direct discharge” requiring a NPDES permit under the Clean Water Act. Comments may be submitted via Regulations.gov through Wednesday December 27, 2023.

OMB Issues Grant Requirements Proposed Rule – Deadline Dec. 4

On October 5, 2023, the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) issued a proposed rule updating its Guidance for Grants and Agreements at title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Changes under proposed rule increase monetary thresholds and provide greater flexibility for administrative, cost accounting, and audit requirements. Comments may be submitted via Regulations.gov through Monday December 4, 2023. A draft CSO comment is available for review and will be submitted on deadline.

VIDA Supplemental Notice Coordination Call Dec. 6

CSO will host a second member coordination call on Wednesday December 6, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. CT, 12:00 p.m. PT, 9:00 a.m. HT) to discuss EPA’s ongoing Vessel Incidental Discharge Act rulemaking. Please submit agenda items (questions for coastal program colleagues, questions for EPA, issues for a potential CSO comment letter) by tomorrow, Friday December 1, 2023.

A high-level summary of the supplemental notice is provided in the October regulatory update. EPA has requested comments on the new material (and not the proposed rule as a whole). Comments may be submitted via Regulations.gov through Monday December 18, 2023.

Request for Information Issued for New National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy – Deadline Feb. 28

On Nov. 9, 2023, the National Science Foundation requested input on development of a new National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy covering the genetic lineages, species, habitats, and ecosystems of U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters. The plan will set out actions federal agencies should take to collect, coordinate, and deliver information for policy, investment, development, and management, to better align ocean biodiversity investments and policy with societal needs. Comments may be submitted by email to rfi-marinebiodiversity@nsf.gov by Wednesday February 28, 2024.

[NEW] NFWF and NOAA Announce $144 Million in Grants to Support Coastal Resilience Projects

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA announced $144 million in new grants to support natural infrastructure projects in 31 coastal states and U.S. territories. These grants will support design and implementation of projects to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and improve habitat for fish and wildlife across the U.S. The 109 grants will generate more than $97 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $242 million. The NCRF supports capacity building and larger-scale planning, design, and implementation projects to help improve community and coastal habitat resilience and reduce risks and devastating impacts of rising seas, coastal flooding, and more intense storms. The natural infrastructure projects supported by the NCRF not only buffer communities from more intense storms, they also provide vital habitat for fish and wildlife species. The projects supported by the 109 grants announced today will restore and create important coastal habitats, including salt marshes in New England and restored tidal wetlands in California, and will help Alaskan coastal communities prepare for a changing climate. Read the full announcement here and the full list of projects here.

[NEW] The Capitol Beach Releases New Episode on FEMA's BRIC Program.

“How does $1 Billion for resilience sound? Derek Brockbank has a new podcast on FEMA's "Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)" grant program. BRIC is growing and evolving, and currently has a $1 Bil funding opportunity due to FEMA on Feb. 29^th (and due your state’s Hazard Mitigation office sooner). The podcast guest is the incredibly eloquent Camille Crain, BRIC section chief. Find it here or subscribe to "American Shoreline Podcast Network" on your podcast platform of choice.

[NEW] Fifth National Climate Assessment Released, Coastal Effects Chapter

US Global Change Research Program delivered it's fifth National Climate Assessment to Congress. The assessment includes a "Coasts" chapter. Key messages from the chapter are coastal hazards are increasing due to accelerating sea level rise and changing storm patterns; coastal impacts on people and ecosystems are increasing due to climate change; and, adaptation reduces risk and provides additional benefits for coastal communities. Read the full chapter as well as explore the rest of the report here.

[NEW] Urban Ocean Lab Publishes Key Findings from Fifth National Climate Assessment

To help coastal cities ground their climate plans in the most up-to-date science, Urban Ocean Lab has released a new resource with key findings from the recently published Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). NCA5 shows that climate impacts to coastal cities are intensifying, but there are many opportunities to accelerate mitigation and adaptation efforts. The memo summarizes key findings and puts forward actionable policy recommendations to help coastal cities rapidly shift to transformative adaptation, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and prioritize equity-centered approaches to climate action. Read the memo here.

Virginia Sea Grant, USDA, and NOAA Launch Aquaculture Information Exchange Online Community Platform

The Aquaculture Information Exchange (AIE) online community platform website is now live and open for new user registrations. Launched Oct. 26, the AIE is an online community involving individuals from both the public and private sectors with interests in U.S. aquaculture and related topics. The AIE will serve as a communications platform, actively being moderated to facilitate discussions about current issues facing the industry, the latest research and developments in aquaculture, and will be a space where users from across the nation can connect with other members of the aquaculture community.

National Ocean Service Releases New Five Year Strategic Plan

NOS is stepping into a larger role relative to filling our nation’s needs for data, products, and services that protect our ecosystems and enhance climate and economic resilience. The newly released NOS Strategic Plan focuses on four overarching goals: increase U.S. coastal resilience, make equity central to our mission, accelerate growth of the Ocean Enterprise and the Blue Economy, and conserve, restore, and connect healthy coastal and marine ecosystems. Read the plan here.

BOEM Studies Plan Solicitation – Deadline Dec. 7

BOEM is beginning to formulate its Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Studies Development Plan covering all BOEM energy and minerals activities. BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program (ESP) develops annual two-year studies plans compiling brief project descriptions and evaluations. BOEM has solicited study ideas for consideration in Alaska, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific OCS areas. Study idea submissions may be submitted by email to BOEMEnviroStudies@BOEM.GOV until Thursday December 7, 2023.

NOAA Calls for Nominations to the Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee

NOAA is soliciting applications for membership on the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee. The Committee provides advice on the planning, integrated design, operation, maintenance, enhancement, and expansion of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS). U.S. IOOS promotes research to develop, test, and deploy innovations and improvements in coastal and ocean observation technologies and modeling systems, addresses regional and national needs for ocean information, gathers data on key coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes variables and ensures timely and sustained dissemination and availability of these data for societal benefits. Nominations should be submitted by Tuesday January 2, 2024 via email. Read the full call for nominations here.