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NOAA delivers funding and technical expertise to restore Great Lakes coastal habitats. These habitats support valuable fisheries and protected resources; improve the quality of our water; provide recreational opportunities for the public's use and enjoyment; and buffer our coastal communities from the impacts of changing lake levels. Projects funded through NOAA have strong on-the-ground habitat restoration components that provide social and economic benefits for people and their communities in addition to long-term ecological habitat improvements. Through this solicitation, NOAA seeks to openly compete funding available for habitat restoration in U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/) under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as anticipated in the President's FY2014 Budget. Applications should be submitted for any project that is to be considered for this funding, even for those projects already submitted as applications to other NOAA competitions. Competition will ensure that the most beneficial restoration projects are selected to realize significant ecological gains. Applications selected for funding through this solicitation will be implemented through a grant or cooperative agreement, with awards dependent upon the amount of funds made available to NOAA for this purpose by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. NOAA anticipates up to $4 million may be available for Great Lakes coastal habitat restoration; typical awards for on the ground implementation are expected to range between $500,000 and $2 million. NOAA will also accept proposals for engineering and design of habitat restoration projects; typical awards are expected to range between $75,000 and $350,000. Funds will be administered by the Great Lakes Region of NOAA's Restoration Center (RC).

The principal objective of the NMFS Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration solicitation is to support habitat restoration projects that use an ecosystem-based approach to foster species recovery and increase populations under NOAA's jurisdiction. Proposals submitted under this solicitation will be primarily evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate how the proposed habitat restoration actions will help recover threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (hereafter, Listed Species), including species identified by NMFS as "Species in the Spotlight" (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/endangered-species-conservation#species-in-the-spotlight), sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (hereafter, Managed Species), and contribute to the sustainability of saltwater recreational fisheries. Successful proposals will: 1) identify a habitat-based issue/concern limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more species targeted by the proposed restoration action; 2) describe in detail the actions and on-the-ground habitat restoration project(s) to be undertaken to resolve the issue/concern and; 3) describe the project(s)' expected outcomes and measurable impact on the project's target species and their ecosystem. Proposals may include: restoration feasibility and/or design; implementation; or a combination.

. Support habitat management efforts to restore keystone wildlife and game species habitats and increase on-the-ground project work to reduce the threats to sage grouse, mule deer, and other sensitive species in high priority habitats. 2. Work with growers to continue to develop genetically appropriate native plant material for use in habitat restoration and reclamation. 3. Support studies to improve the effectiveness of conservation restoration efforts to include, but not be limited to, plant ecological and ecophysiological studies, seed bank persistence, plant propagation and development of agronomic production practices, and trait and/or seed source evaluations as well as seeding treatment and tool development via partners, State Offices and Eco-regional Plant Conservation and Restoration Programs. 4. Support pollinator studies and projects that increase the knowledge and nexus to the importance of native plant communities and pollinators to restoration durability and ecological function. 5. Monitor, protect, increase understanding and restore habitat that supports more than 1,700 rare plant species, more than 400 of which are found exclusively on BLM lands. These plants are integral ecological components of wildlife habitat often providing important forage and habitat structure. 6. Work with partners to implement priority species conservation actions. 7. Assist BLM programs such as Fuels and Emergency Stabilization & Restoration in restoring public lands and integrating more wide spread use of native plant materials. The BLM manages these resources and other vegetation managem

NOAA delivers funding and technical expertise to restore Great Lakes coastal habitats. These habitats support valuable fisheries and protected resources; improve the quality of our water; provide recreational opportunities for the public's use and enjoyment; and buffer our coastal communities from the impacts of changing lake levels. Projects funded through NOAA have strong on-the-ground habitat restoration components that provide social and economic benefits for people and their communities in addition to long-term ecological habitat improvements. Through this solicitation, NOAA seeks to openly compete funding available for habitat restoration in U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/) under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as anticipated in the President's FY2015 Budget. Applications should be submitted for any project that is to be considered for this funding, even for those projects already submitted as applications to other NOAA competitions. Competition will ensure that the most beneficial restoration projects are selected to realize significant ecological gains. Applications selected for funding through this solicitation will be implemented through a grant or cooperative agreement. Funds will be administered by the NOAA Restoration Center (RC). Multi-year cooperative agreement awards will be considered, and additional releases of funds may be used to fund selected proposals through FY17 without further competition. Awards are dependent upon the amount of funds made available to NOAA for this purpose by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. NOAA anticipates approximately $15 million may be available over the next three years to maintain selected awards, dependent upon the level of funding made available by Congress. One, two, or three year proposals will be accepted. Award funding options will include: * For one year requests for habitat implementation proposals, NOAA will not accept applications requesting less than $500,

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requests interested entities to submit research, restoration, and Regional Project proposals for the restoration of the Great Lakes Basin fish and wildlife resources, as authorized under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (16 USC 941c). The purpose of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (GLFWRA) is to provide assistance to States, Indian Tribes, and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of the fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Supported in part by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, we expect approximately $1.2 million to support projects this fiscal year. Available funding and project awards are subject to final Congressional appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018. Up to 33 and one-third percent of the total Congressional appropriation to the GLFWRA is eligible to fund Regional Projects. Successful restoration and research projects have ranged from $2,300 to $2,000,000 with the average project at $124,975.

This program will support implementation of the Island Lake Fire Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) Plan. This BAR plan describes activities and treatments for lands and wildlife habitats burned during the Island Lake Fire. The fire burned wetland, riparian and upland vegetation composed of a mix of native and exotic species. The primary fire carrier was common reed (Phragmites australis), which allowed the fire to spread quickly throughout the river corridor. Dense stands of exotic saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and areas with sparse and healthy stands of native mesquite, cottonwood, and willow were also consumed. Potential restoration sites were initially evaluated based on vegetation, site conditions, soils, water table depth, and fire severity. Sites were then prioritized based on the probability for restoration success. Strategic restoration efforts will be focused in areas encompassing about 6 percent (ca 200 acres) of the overall 3,304 acre fire. The identified restoration areas will be further refined through on the ground evaluation of desirable site characteristics listed above. The primary rehabilitation concern is re establishment of native wildlife habitats including riparian cottonwood and willow forest and mesquite woodlands. These habitats are increasingly rare and very productive for a diversity of wildlife species. This rehabilitation effort will focus on facilitated recovery of native species through integrated removal and herbicide treatment of exotics, cottonwood and willow pole planting, mesquite seeding, and flood irrigation. Activities under this funding opportunity will include, but are not limited to:Preparing restoration site boat accessAssistance with restoration site assessmentsRemoval of non-native saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and common reed (Phragmites australis) through manual removal or herbicide treatmentsSite preparation activities such as raking, irrigating, and soil preparationMesquite seed collectionCottonwood and willow pole harvestingPol

The objective of the Fiscal Year 2018 NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Grants solicitation is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to habitat restoration projects that both meet NOAA's mission to restore coastal habitats and support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) (https://www.glri.us/actionplan/pdfs/glri-action-plan-2.pdf) goal to protect and restore habitats to sustain healthy populations of native fish species in the eight U.S. Great Lakes states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota). NOAA delivers funding and technical expertise to restore Great Lakes coastal habitats. These habitats support valuable fisheries and important coastal resources, improve the quality of our water, provide recreational opportunities for the public's use and enjoyment, and increase the resilience of our coastal communities to the effects of changing climatic conditions.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative targets the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem by funding and implementing federal projects that address these problems. One goal is to improve habitat and wildlife protection and restoration. Using funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program anticipates funding wetland and associated upland habitat restoration and enhancement projects for conservation of native Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory birds. Restoration projects will be completed on privately owned (nonfederal/nonstate) lands. Emphasis will be placed on, but not limited to, completing projects within the watersheds of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program is a voluntary, incentive-based program that provides direct technical assistance and financial assistance in the form of cooperative agreements to private landowners to restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat for the benefit of federal trust resources. In the Great Lakes, PFW biologists from eight states coordinate with project partners, stakeholders, and other Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) programs to identify geographic focus areas and develop habitat conservation priorities within these focus areas. 

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative targets the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem by funding and implementing federal projects that address these problems. One goal is to improve habitat and wildlife protection and restoration. Using appropriations from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program anticipates funding wetland and associated upland habitat restoration and enhancement projects for conservation of native Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory birds. Restoration projects will be completed on privately owned (non-federal/non-state) lands. Emphasis will be placed on, but not limited to, completing projects within the watersheds of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The PFW Program is not a traditional grants program; it is a direct federal assistance program. The PFW Program does not solicit projects through a request for proposals. Instead, projects are developed in collaboration and with substantial involvement from PFW field biologists. PFW biologists from eight Great Lakes states work directly with landowners to plan and implement projects based on priorities and geographic focus areas identified in a regional strategic plan. Substantial involvement on the part of the Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the activities to be funded. In particular, the Service will be responsible for the following: PFW biologists provide direct technical assistance to landowners to identify, design and implement voluntary habitat improvement projects, such as wetland restoration, or grassland establishment, on private lands. For more information, contact the local PFW Program office. For office contact information please visit: http://www.fws.gov/partners/contactUs.html.

This is an announcement for issuing a single source financial assistance award to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game ¿ Division of Ecological Restoration (MADER). This announcement is for notification purposes only. The intent of the award to be implemented in Falmouth, Massachusetts is to remove two small dams, restore a former commercial cranberry bog to natural wetland and riverine habitats, and replace an undersized and failing stream crossing (culverts) on a heavily traveled road with a larger, safer structure. The proposed project complements the first dam removal on the Coonamessett River that was completed in 2017, and includes the removal of the second dam from the ocean, replacement of the failing John Parker Road/Coonamessett River crossing, and restoration of floodplain wetlands. The existing road crossing consists of three two-foot diameter culverts, two of which have collapsed and no longer function. When complete, the entire project will provide improved public safety and enhanced infrastructure resiliency, while concurrently providing flood protection for the road, improved water quality, and restored fish passage. The dam removal and the replaced stream crossing will provide full access for migratory (alewife, blueback herring, American eel) and resident fish to 2.2 miles of free-flowing river, provide fish access to 158 acres of pond habitat for spawning under a range of flow conditions, restore 4,600 feet of stream channel, and restore 56 acres of wetlands.

The Sport Fish Restoration Act and the Wildlife Restoration Act, as amended by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-408) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make up to $6,000,000 ($3,000,000 each from the Sport Fish Restoration and Wildlife Restoration Program trust funds) available annually under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program for the purpose of funding multistate conservation project grants. The program is a discretionary grant program which awards grants based on a nationally competitive process that is administered jointly between the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Valles Caldera National Preserve (VALL) is currently undergoing a landscape restoration project, funded under the DOI Resilient Landscapes program, to restore natural fire regimes to the forest and grassland watersheds on the Preserve. Large-scale restoration efforts involve forest thinning to reduce fuel loads, and prescribed and managed fires to further eliminate fuels and allow for natural fire regimes to return to the landscape. Fires can have varying impacts on watershed function, particularly with respect to water quality and discharge amounts and timing. Post-fire flash floods can result if watersheds are burned severely. VALL has been subjected to two recent large-scale uncharacteristic wildfires (the 2011 Las Conchas fire, and the 2013 Thompson Ridge fire), which led to multiple post-fire flash floods and subsequent damage to fisheries and aquatic macro-invertebrate communities on severely-burned watersheds. While fish and invertebrate communities are currently recovering, ongoing restoration efforts using prescribed fires may continue to impact these biological resources. The goal of the proposed work will be to monitor and characterize response and rate of recovery of the aquatic systems subjected to wildfire and restoration activities throughout the VALL.

The purpose of this project is to protect and restore 59 acres of lowland wet forest in the Lower Limahuli Preserve (LLP) and to conduct rare plant restoration in the ungulate-free Upper Limahuli Preserve (ULP) on the island of Kauai to benefit native plants, birds, and forest invertebrate resources. In the LLP, the restoration effort will entail the installation of approximately 4,100 feet of strategic lineal fencing that will restrict feral pigs from accessing the forest and restoration project area. In the ULP, the restoration effort will involve the establishment and protection of reproducing populations of three PEP species that are declining and considered species at high risk of imminent extinction (HRIE) on approximately 100 acres. The project area is owned by the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) and they will be providing $13,600 in in-kind contributions for the project. NTBG, a 501(c) (3) institution, is the most appropriate organization to implement this agreement as they own the land and have been a key and leading organization for the collection of endemic Hawaiian propagules and growing endemic Hawaiian plants for the past 20 years. The USFWS will provide Recovery Program funds for this project. This project will benefit the public by maintaining trust resources and Kauai¿s native biodiversity.

OVERVIEW When approved, this Award of $235,250 will fund the second phase of investigation for the Hemlock Forest Restoration Project Study (aka Hemlock Project). This Project is the first of-its-kind comprehensive, quantitative assessment of the water-cycle consequences (both positive and negative) of forest restoration in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest. The 12,000-acre landscape-restoration project site known as the Hemlock Project is located in the Stanislaus National Forest and Mokelumne River basin, which is an area that Congress has authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to investigate for water storage and improved water-management reliability in the Mokelumne River basin. The Hemlock Project is being managed with the involvement and cooperation of the Stanislaus National Forest who expects that the Hemlock Project's forest modifications will restore watershed functions by creating different forest-stand structures and densities. These modifications have multiple benefits including reducing the forest's susceptibility to insect, disease, and drought-related mortality; reducing surface fuels, increasing the height to canopy, and decreasing crown density; retaining large, fire-resistant trees; maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat; enhancing the extent and connectivity of aspen stands; and improving resource and watershed conditions. These actions will also enhance water-supply reliability by restoring the fraction of precipitation that leaves the basin as runoff versus evapotranspiration; guard against erosion, water-quality problems and snowpack losses associated with wildfire; and maintain water and forest health as the climate warms and evaporative demand increases. This application is for the second phase of funding, generally representing years 3 through 4 of the proposed 10 year period of investigation for the Hemlock Project Study

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD TO A SINGLE SOURCE AND THERE IS NO FULL ANNOUCEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOTICE. This is a notice of intent to award a Cooperative Agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Upper Tennessee River Roundtable (UTRR) for the purpose of establishing riparian buffers and performing stream enhancement activities within the Clinch River watershed. These activities are being carried out as required by the consent decree that was entered with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on April 7, 2003, to address natural resource damages resulting from a 1998 chemical spill. The restoration activities are described within the publicly reviewed Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment for the Certus Chemical Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment (Plan). The Plan specifically identifies habitat protection, restoration, and the use of best management practices as measures to improve water quality and overall health of the aquatic ecosystem. The activities funded via the cooperative agreement will supplement existing restoration activities in the Clinch River watershed.

The goal of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem by funding and implementing federal projects that address these problems. As part of this initiative, the two bird habitat joint ventures that are in the Great Lakes watershed the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture and the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture will be working with the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration programs in the Midwest and Northeast Regions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to competitively fund state and other partner projects for long term habitat restoration, enhancement or protection, for conservation of native Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory birds. Preference will be given to activities that help meet the habitat goals of the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture Implementation Plan or the Lower Great Lakes St. Lawrence Plain (BCR 13) Bird Conservation Region Plan, other relevant bird conservation plans, and State Wildlife Action Plans.

Background: The National Native Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration 2015-2020 outlines a coordinated approach to establish a national network of native seed collectors, growers, and nurseries to supply adequate quantities of appropriate seed. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Montana/Dakotas has partnered in the past with non-governmental organizations to help in the development of locally adapted plant materials. Objectives: Develop locally adapted native plant materials including seed and seedling resources for public land restoration or lands adjacent to public lands. Tasks under this project include but are not limited to: 1. Providing seed and seedlings 2. Cleaning of small wild collected lots of seed Public Benefit: The public will benefit because the project provides locally adapted seed and seedlings for habitat restoration, which in turn creates more habitat for hunting, fishing, and recreation opportunities. These plant materials will be available to partners for use in restoration on public, private, and tribal lands.

Background: The National Native Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration 2015-2020 outlines a coordinated approach to establish a national network of native seed collectors, growers, and nurseries to supply adequate quantities of appropriate seed, and a network of restoration ecologists. The Montana State Office is seeking to partner with Colleges or Universities across Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota to help develop native plant materials that would include species important for sage-grouse habitat restoration, stabilization and rehabilitation projects, culturally significant species, increase pollinator habitat, and research needs for these species. The partnership is also seeking to build conservation science into new or existing curriculum, develop interest in restoration efforts, and foster better communication and understanding of culturally significant and tribally important plants. Objectives: To develop native plant programs by collecting and germinating native plant seed. This project will build unique relationships with recipients who are interested in natural conservation work and keeping their own culture connected to the public lands. Public Benefit: This project provides long-term benefits to the public by providing native plant and conservation projects on public lands. In addition, this project will provide education and awareness about the importance of native plants and their impact on environmental factors such as sage-grouse habitat.

The Sport Fish Restoration Act and the Wildlife Restoration Act, as amended by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-408) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make up to $6,000,000 available annually under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) for the purpose of funding multistate conservation project grants. The primary goal of the MSCGP is to provide grant funds to address regional or national priority needs (National Conservation Needs or NCNs) of the State fish and wildlife agencies (States) and their partners that are beyond the scope and capabilities of a single State. Projects awarded funding are published annually in the Federal Register.

Hundreds of watersheds across Alaska have been mined in the past or are currently being mined or proposed for future mining. Stream reclamation restoration in Alaska is complex and has often failed to achieve stability goals within 10 years post construction. The protracted recovery periods and limited success are due in large part to the absence of baseline data needed for channel design and an over reliance on natural processes to facilitate recovery of disturbed streams. To enhance the probability of restoration success, baseline data on stream function and stream functional lift potential need to be gathered. In addition, regional hydraulic geometry curves need to be developed for Alaskaÿfds mining districts. Coupled with site specific baseline geomorphic data, this information can greatly enhance stream restoration success and the rehabilitation of fish and wildlife habitat. The testing and adoption of proven stream design techniques, such as Rosgenÿfds Natural Channel Design, in Alaska is also essential to developing an effective approach to improving conditions with watersheds degraded by historic or ongoing placer mining.