Species Recovery Grants to States (Section 6 Program) | NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005313

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005313

The Species Recovery Grants to States (Section 6 Program) is a federal grant opportunity run by the Department of Commerce through NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Its purpose is to help states carry out conservation and recovery work for species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), particularly marine and anadromous species that fall under NMFS jurisdiction and spend all or part of their life cycle in state waters. The basic idea behind the program is that long-term recovery of these species depends heavily on practical, on-the-ground actions led by state agencies, and NMFS uses Section 6 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1535) to provide financial assistance so states can build and implement strong conservation programs in cooperation with the federal government.

Funding can support a wide range of recovery-focused efforts. The solicitation emphasizes activities such as developing and implementing management measures, conducting scientific research that supports recovery, and carrying out public education and outreach that improves compliance, awareness, and stewardship. While the program primarily targets ESA-listed endangered or threatened species, it also allows funding for monitoring work on species that are candidates for listing, species proposed for listing, and species that have been recently delisted. In other words, the scope is not limited strictly to currently listed species, as long as the work supports conservation outcomes tied to ESA purposes and NMFS-managed species.

NMFS also encourages proposals that directly support recovery of specific "Species in the Spotlight" that NMFS has identified as critically endangered and in urgent need of focused action. For this particular opportunity, the highlighted species include Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon, white abalone, Cook Inlet beluga whales, Hawaiian monk seals, Pacific leatherback sea turtles, and southern resident killer whales. Projects aimed at these species are not described as mandatory, but the notice makes clear that NMFS is especially interested in proposals that can move the needle for these high-priority populations.

Eligibility is tightly defined. Applicants must be state agencies that have entered into a formal cooperative agreement with NMFS under ESA Section 6(c), or that will enter into such an agreement within 30 days of the application deadline. The terms "state" and "state agency" follow the definitions in Section 3 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1532), and NMFS maintains a list of currently eligible state agencies on its website. Federal agencies and federal institutions are not eligible to apply for or receive funding under this notice, reinforcing that this program is designed specifically as state-focused assistance rather than an internal federal funding mechanism.

There are also clear boundaries on what NMFS will and will not fund. Proposals focused on Pacific salmonids are explicitly excluded from consideration under this program; applicants with Pacific salmonid projects are directed instead to the NMFS Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund as the more appropriate funding source. The notice also includes ethics and fairness provisions: NOAA and NMFS employees are not allowed to help write applications, write letters of support that advocate for a particular application, or otherwise give an applicant an unfair advantage. That said, collaboration with NMFS programs is allowed, and NMFS staff may provide letters that simply verify they would collaborate on a project if it is funded, which can be useful for demonstrating coordination without crossing into advocacy.

From the administrative details provided, this opportunity is a discretionary grant under CFDA 11.472 (now commonly referenced through assistance listing systems), categorized under environment, natural resources, science and technology, and research and development. The funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005313, with an original closing date of November 1, 2017, for fiscal year 2018 funding. The listed award ceiling is $250,000 per award, indicating that individual projects are expected to be scoped to fit within that upper limit. The solicitation indicates that it explains how to submit proposals for FY 2018 and how NMFS will evaluate and select applications, and it notes that some information changed from the previous year, signaling that applicants needed to follow the current year instructions closely rather than relying on older templates or past guidance.

In practical terms, this program is best suited for state wildlife, fisheries, or natural resource agencies that are already operating (or are prepared to quickly establish) a Section 6 cooperative relationship with NMFS, and that can propose concrete, measurable actions tied to recovery needs for NMFS-managed listed species in their waters. Projects that combine sound science, implementable management actions, and meaningful stakeholder outreach tend to align well with what the notice describes as eligible and fundable activity.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Species Recovery Grants to States (Section 6 Program)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.472.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005313

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