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Alerts
[NEW] Funding Opportunity: Great Lakes Restoration Community Grant Program
The Great Lakes Restoration Community Grant Program application is now open! The program's primary goal is to fund restoration projects in Great Lakes communities with environmental concerns in support of GLRI objectives and offer technical assistance and minimize administrative challenges associated with applying for and managing federal grant funds. Cities, states, Tribes and nonprofit organizations representing Great Lakes communities can apply directly to the Great Lakes Restoration Community Grant Program. The submission deadline for Letters of Intent is January 16, 2026. Learn more here.
[NEW] Partnership Efforts and New Resources to Support BUDM
Through its Coastal Zone Initiative to increase coastal habitat restoration and Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM) for habitat restoration and resource protection in the US, Manomet Conservation Sciences has worked with the Coastal States Organization and numerous partners to advance BUDM project planning in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Southeast states, develop case studies on coastal restoration projects, and deliver a series of technical webinars. Deliverables, recordings, and more information are available on the Coastal Zone Initiative webpage.
[NEW] Coastal Accelerator Cohort Application Now Open
The goal of this program is to build coastal climate resilience and meet coastal 30x30 goals in the Pacific region of the United States. Coastal Quest is looking to fund mid-stage nature-based solutions, such as coastal restoration or protection projects, that have already begun scoping, planning, and feasibility analysis--and to assist in moving those projects through planning to implementation as members of a Coastal Accelerator Cohort. In addition to funding, Coastal Quest is offering technical support to Coastal Accelerator Cohort members. This could include fundraising and long-term financing, project planning and permitting, building community support, developing key partnerships, refining communications tools, and other support as needed. If you are a community-based or non-profit organization, Tribe, tribal or indigenous group, or public agency working on multi-benefit coastal projects in the Pacific Region, this opportunity may be for you! The deadline to apply is Friday, November 21st, 2025. Learn more here.
[NEW] Serious Games for Coastal and Marine Conservation, Management, and Adaptation
So-called “serious games” are designed for purposes beyond just entertainment, and they can be a powerful tool for teaching, engaging stakeholders, conducting research, and evaluating public policy. OCTO’s The Skimmer newsletter has compiled information about role-playing/simulation games that allow players to experiment with coastal and marine conservation, management, and adaptation actions (or inaction) to improve understanding of how coastal and marine ecosystems – particularly resource users and human communities – work. This compilation of games is continually updated. If you have additional games for us to consider, please send relevant information to sarah@octogroup.org. We are specifically looking for games with a management or conservation component (i.e., not solely focused on species identification or ecology.) Thank you for your assistance!
2025 State of the Beach Report
The Surfrider Foundation has released the 2025 State of the Beach Report. The report features nine case studies from beaches and coastal areas across the country, including successful coastal restoration in Queens, New York, community-driven planning to identify solutions on beaches experiencing some of the worst erosion rates along the North Shore of O’ahu, comprehensive policy changes to protect Oregon’s iconic beaches, and Surfrider’s gold standard managed retreat and coastal restoration project at Surfers’ Point in Ventura, California. Learn more here.
Study: Bulkheads Lead to Salt Marsh Erosion
Researchers found in a recent study that, over the long term, bulkhead structures have a “significant negative effect” on marsh habitat size. Using high-resolution imagery from 1981 of Carteret County’s Bogue and Back sounds and Newport and North rivers, the team measured the marsh extent, or total marsh area, at 45 sites with bulkheads and 45 natural sites, or those without the type of hardened structure. The 1981 measurements were then compared to the data from images collected in 1992, 2006 and 2013 of the same 90 sites. The study found that all 45 bulkhead sites experienced marsh shoreline erosion during the 32-year study period, with complete marsh loss at 11% of the sites with bulkheads. More than 80% of the 45 natural marsh control sites experienced shoreline erosion, but at seven sites, around 15%, the marsh shoreline accreted waterward. None of the control sites experienced complete marsh loss. Learn more here.
Funding Opportunity: $1.45 Billion in Supplemental Economic Funding Available for Disaster Recovery
The United States Economic Development Administration has announced the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program. This program makes approximately $1.45 billion available to areas that received major disaster declarations in the calendar years 2023 and 2024 for economic recovery activities. Funds can support both construction and non-construction projects. State and local governments, Native tribes, higher education institutions, public or private non-profit organizations that work with local government, economic development organizations, and public-private partnerships for public infrastructure are eligible. The EDA will fund up to 80% of the project with higher percentages available for severely distressed applications and Tribal organizations. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are spent for Readiness and Implementation path projects, while Industry Transformation grants will be due March 3, 2026. For more information, contact Rania Campbell-Bussiere.
Funding Opportunity: Fiscal Year 25 Community Assistance Program
The Community Assistance Program - State Support Services Element (CAP-SSSE) program provides funding to states to provide technical assistance to communities in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and to evaluate community performance in implementing NFIP floodplain management activities. Designation, duties and responsibilities of State Coordinating Agencies are found in 44 CFR 60.25. These regulations identify the states commitment to the minimum floodplain management criteria and to demonstrate the capability and responsibility to implement the program. In this way, CAP-SSSE helps to; ensure that the flood loss reduction goals of the NFIP are met, build state and community floodplain management expertise and capability, and leverage state knowledge and expertise in working with their communities. Learn more here.
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