2023 National Coastal Resilience Fund RFP Now Open
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Defense, Occidental, Shell, and TransRe is now soliciting Pre-Proposals for the 2023 National Coastal Resilience Fund. NFWF will award up to $140 million in grants to create and restore natural systems in order to increase protection for communities from coastal hazards, such as storms, sea- and lake-level changes, inundation, and coastal erosion, while improving habitats for fish and wildlife species. NFWF prioritizes projects that are community led or incorporate direct community engagement and benefit underserved communities facing disproportionate harm from climate impacts. Pre-proposals must be submitted through NFWF’s Easygrants system no later than Wednesday, April 12, 2023. An informational webinar has been scheduled for Thursday, March 2, 2023 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET to provide an overview the National Coastal Resilience funding opportunity. The Request for Proposals is available here. Applicants are strongly encouraged to participate and can register for the webinar here.
RAND Released New Study on Improvements to FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants
RAND has released a new study looking at how the BCA process under FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs could be simplified to be more inclusive of lower-resourced communities. Learn more and read the study here.
Winners of the 2023 New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup Rising Tides Photo Contest
After receiving 70 entries, the New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup is excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Rising Tides Photo Contest. This year, 29 photographers captured images in 11 coastal watershed communities. Members of the public were invited to vote online for the photos in each of the four contest categories that best showcase the changes caused by high tide flooding and the resilience of communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems in New Hampshire. See the winners here.
New Report on Restoring Wetlands and Floodplain Function
The Natural Floodplain Functions Alliance (NFFA) and the Wetland Mapping Consortium (WMC) are pleased to announce the release of their jointly developed report, Strategies and an Action Plan for Protecting and Restoring Wetland and Floodplain Functions. This report is the result of a multi-year initiative and a series of workshops that were developed to identify barriers to greater integration of wetland and floodplain management efforts and strategies for overcoming those barriers for nature-based solutions. The overall goal of the initiative was to support greater climate resiliency and, in turn, safer and healthier communities for all Americans. The strategies and recommendations included in the report are intended to provide a launching pad to reignite federal leadership and support for a unified national program and action plan for protecting and restoring the natural and beneficial functions of wetlands and floodplains. Read the report here.
BOEM Announces Proposed Rule to Increase Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources
In order to better protect shipwrecks and other cultural resources on the seabed from harm due to offshore energy activities, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is proposing regulatory changes to its marine archaeology reporting requirements for activities proposed on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). A notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment was published in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment period ending on April 17, 2023. Learn more and find instructions to comment here.
EPA Announced Availability of $100 Million through Inflation Reduction Act for Environmental Justice Grants
The EPA announced the availability of approximately $100 million for projects that advance environmental justice in underserved and overburdened communities across the country. EPA has published two Requests for Applications for this funding through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program and the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program. Applications for both are due April 10, 2023. Learn more about these programs here.
FEMA Announces NOFO for Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF Program
FEMA has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program. Applications are due April 28, 2023. Learn more here.
Request for Information: Framing the National Nature Assessment
The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is seeking input from the public to help inform the framing, development, and use of the National Nature Assessment. The USGCRP welcomes comments on the definition of nature, what questions the assessment can help answer, potential audiences and engagement processes, trends and projections, and relevant information sources. Comments are due March 31, 2023. More information on how to respond to this request, including guiding questions, can be found here.
|