Congratulations to all the programs invited to submit a full proposal to CZM BIL year 2 (and IRA funds) Competitive Funding! Applications are due January 10, 2024. NOAA OCM received about 65 LOIs, totalinCongratulations to all the programs invited to submit a full proposal to CZM BIL Year 2 Competitive Funding! Applications are due January 10, 2024. NOAA OCM received about 65 LOIs, totaling ~$175 Million (both similar to last year). Just under $60 million will be awarded this year; and the final application is still significantly competitive with ~$100 million in projects invited to apply for that $60mil. g ~$175 Million (both similar to last year). Just under $60 million will be awarded this year; and the final application is still significantly competitive with ~$100 million in project vying for that $60mil.

NOAA is still on track to invite back full applications for the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) next week, with applications then due Feb 13, 2024. The number of LoIs was, according to NOAA, “overwhelming!” CSO has heard unofficial tallies of nearly 900 proposals totaling almost $15 billion! This is nearly 30 times the $575 million available. Good luck to everyone who applied, but don’t be too disappointed if you are not invited back, many good projects will not be selected. 

On-going opportunities:

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

NOAA Fisheries announced the BIL/IRA funded fish passage NOFO. $175 million to support projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish around the country. Applications are due Thursday October 16, 2023.

NOAA National Ocean Service announced the BIL funded Marine Debris Removal & Interception Technology NOFOs. $24 million to support removing and preventing marine debris from getting in coastal waters. LOIs are due Friday October 27, 2023 (Removal); and Wednesday November 15, 2023 (Interception Technology).

The application for CZM (and NERRS) non-competitive funds from IRA was just published. $20 million is available to state CZM programs, with amounts based on formula. The application deadline of Wednesday November 1, 2023. (See here for NERRS)

NOAA’s Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience NOFO is now available for a $240 million fund from NOAA Fisheries transformational projects that restore coastal habitat and strengthen community resilience. NOAA will accept proposals between $1 million and $25 million total over the award period. Applications are due by Tuesday November 17, 2023. For more information, view the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants funding opportunity.

Sea Grant is administering the Climate Ready Workforce opportunity to establish programs aimed at at placing people across the country into good jobs that advance climate resilience. LOIs are due Thursday November 30, 2023.

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.

Closed – awaiting invitations:

The Climate Resilience Regional Challenge had, according to NOAA, “overwhelming” response. NOAA is still on Track to invite back some LOI submissions for a full proposal by October 11.

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

[NEW] BOEM Rulemaking – Offshore Wind in the Territories

On Oct. 4, BOEM issued a direct final rule amending its Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act renewable energy regulations to incorporate submerged lands within the exclusive economic zone adjacent to all U.S. territories. Implementing amendments made in the Inflation Reduction Act, the rulemaking extends OCSLA section 8(p) leasing and planning authorities for offshore renewable energy projects to waters of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Barring adverse feedback, the direct final rule will become effective on Dec. 4, 2023. BOEM intends to issue an initial call for information and nominations for wind development off the territories no later than Sep. 30, 2025.

[NEW] NEPA Phase 2 Rule Comment Submitted

On Sep. 29, CSO submitted comments on the Council on Environmental Quality’s National Environmental Policy Act “Phase 2” rulemaking. The rule makes significant changes to the NEPA process to incorporate greater consideration of long-term, cumulative, environmental justice-related, and climate change-related impacts in federal decision-making. A staff summary of key provisions is available here; a CEQ redline is available here. The CSO comment is narrowly focused on CZMA federal consistency issues.

[NEW] FEMA Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Rulemaking – deadline Dec. 1, 2023

On Monday October 2, 2023, FEMA released a proposed rule, draft policy, and draft programmatic/general authorizations to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard in its funding programs. The new rule replaces FEMA’s interim implementation procedures and will apply to federally funded actions involving new construction, substantial improvement, or repairs to substantial damage, as well as to hazard mitigation projects involving structure elevation, dry floodproofing, and mitigation reconstruction. The rule establishes the “Climate-Informed Science Approach” (CISA) as the preferred standard for projects funded under Public Assistance (PA), Individual Assistance (IA), and Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs, and would require the use, where possible, of natural systems, ecosystem processes, and nature-based approaches in the development of alternatives for all actions proposed in a floodplain. (The National Climate Task Force recently released a CISA State of the Science report setting out guidelines for meeting the CISA standard.) Comments may be submitted via Regulations.gov. Comments on the proposed rule and draft policy are due Friday December 1, 2023. Comments on the programmatic procedures (akin to a general permit) are due Friday November 3, 2023.

[NEW] BOEM Issues Draft Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Plan

On Friday September 29, 2023, the Interior Department issued the Proposed Final 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program and programmatic EIS. The proposed plan calls for a maximum of three offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico in 2025, 2027, and 2029, with no lease sales scheduled for the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans or off Alaska. DOI stated that the proposed plan included the minimum number of offshore oil and gas lease sale needed to enable BOEM "to continue to expand its offshore wind leasing program through 2030." The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) requires the Interior Department to hold at least one offshore oil and gas sale within a year of any offshore wind lease sale. The proposed plan is not open for public comment or subject to federal consistency review. It is scheduled to go into effect after a 60-day congressional review period.

[NEW] EPA Proposes VIDA Consent Decree Requiring Final Action by Sep. 23, 2024

On Sep. 8, 2023, EPA issued notice of a proposed consent decree in Center for Biological Diversity, et al., v. Regan, et al., No. 3:23–cv–535 (N.D. Cal. 2023), litigation seeking to compel EPA to issue final national standards under the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA). VIDA directs EPA to integrate Clean Water Act water pollutant discharge requirements from most commercial vessels. EPA issued draft national standards and a national consistency determination in late 2020 and has been revising those standards with additional state engagement. EPA has previously announced that it intends to issue a supplemental notice regarding VIDA national standards in fall 2023. Under the consent decree, EPA would be obligated to sign a decision taking final action by Thursday September 23, 2024. Staff is considering submitting a letter to EPA calling for a revised national consistency determination, based on CSO’s comment on the 2020 proposed rule, by the consent decree notice deadline of Tuesday October 10, 2023.

EPA Releases Text of § 401 Water Quality Certification Final Rule

In Sep. 2023, EPA issued a prepublication edition for a final rule modifying Clean Water Act § 401 state water quality certification regulations. The final rule repeals certain 2020 regulatory changes, defines the scope of review as the water quality-related impacts from the entire activity subject to the federal permit, including construction and operation, and set a default six-month review time limit. An EPA summary fact sheet is available. The final rule is largely consistent with the feedback CSO (and allies) provided on the June 2022 proposed rule; a crosswalk of CSO’s comment and the final rule is available here.

EPA Clean Water Act 404 Assumption Rule Proposed – Comment deadline Oct. 13, 2023

On Aug. 14, 2023, EPA formally issued a proposed rule to revise the process for states and Tribes to administer Clean Water Act Section 404 dredge and fill permitting programs, after releasing a July prepublication copy. Elements of the proposed rule include clarification of retained waters, compensatory mitigation requirements (allowing banks and permittee mitigation but not in-lieu fees), and five-year permit limits. Public comment may be submitted via Regulations.gov through Friday October 13, 2023.

[NEW] NOAA Releases FY2024 Federal Opportunity for Effects of Sea Level Rise Program

For this opportunity, the ESLR Program is soliciting proposals to improve adaptation and planning in response to regional and local effects of sea level rise (SLR) and coastal inundation (storm surge, nuisance flooding, and/or wave actions) through targeted research on nature-based solutions (NBS), modeling of physical and biological processes, and testing mitigation strategies for implementation. The overall goal of the ESLR Program is to facilitate informed adaptation planning and coastal management decisions through funding multidisciplinary research that results in integrated models capable of evaluating vulnerability and resilience under multiple SLR, inundation, and management scenarios. The opportunity has two focal areas; General Coastal Resilience and Alaska Regional Coastal Resilience. A more detailed summary of the two focal areas can be found below. A letter of intent is required to submit a full proposal. The letter of intent (LOI) is due by Monday November 13, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET, while full proposals will be due by Wednesday January 24, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. The LOI is for guidance purposes only, and all teams that submit a LOI may submit a full proposal. Please see the funding announcement for information on the requirements and process for submitting a LOI and full proposal. There will be an informational webinar at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on Friday, October 6. See registration link below. If you are not able to make the webinar, a recording will be available on the ESLR website after the event.

[NEW] 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.

[NEW] NOAA Announces $12.7 Million in Funding to Advance Climate Smart Communities

The Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $12.7 million in funding to advance the Climate-Smart Communities Initiative. This funding, which is available as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda under the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate investment in history — will bring climate adaptation expertise to communities across the U.S. over the next four years. Read more here.

POSTPONED Registration Now Open for FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Partners Workshop

The Hazard Mitigation Partners Virtual Workshop has been postponed to 2024. Once FEMA has finalized the new Workshop dates, they will reopen registrations and promote through various communications channels, including their HMA Mitigation Minute newsletter. You can subscribe to receive the latest updates; you may also unregister previous workshop registrations.

NOAA Brennan Ocean Mapping Matching Fund

NOAA invites non-Federal entities to partner with NOAA National Ocean Service’s ocean and coastal mapping programs on jointly funded projects of mutual interest. NOAA would receive and match partner funds and rely on its existing contract arrangements to conduct the surveying and mapping activities in FY2025. Cost share is 70% federal / 30% non-federal up to $1M total. Proposals must be submitted via email to iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov. Proposals, including any optional GIS files of the proposed project areas, must be received via email by 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday October 10, 2023. If an entity is unable to apply but has an interest in participating in similar future opportunities, NOAA requests a one-page statement of interest, also by October 10, 2023. Virtual office hours will be held Sep. 14, 2023; register by email.

Request for Proposals on Including Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Decision-Making for Ocean and Coastal Management

The Lenfest Ocean Program has released an RFP for projects that elevate Indigenous Peoples in sharing their traditions, culture, knowledge, and wisdom to improve evidence-based decision-making for the management, conservation, and restoration of coastal marine species, habitats, and ecosystems. The RFP is intended to support identification, analysis, and/or communication of Indigenous Knowledge and wisdom (where it is culturally appropriate); and engagement approaches that facilitate the inclusion of this knowledge into ocean and coastal management decisions. The deadline to apply is Monday October 16, 2023.