Geographic Programs - Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration Program

 

To develop and support the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) for coastal watershed restoration. SNEP is a geographically-based program intended to serve as a collaborative framework for advancing ecosystem resiliency, protecting and restoring water quality, habitat, and ecosystem function, and developing and applying innovative policy, science, and technology to environmental management in southeast coastal New England (eligibility map is available at https://www.epa.gov/snep/background-information-southeast-new-england-program and will be included in competitive funding announcements). A critical aspect of this framework is the integration of physical processes, water quality, and critical habitat at a regional, watershed, and/or landscape scale. SNEP's Strategic Plan under this framework includes goals for achieving, 1. a resilient ecosystem of safe and healthy waters, 2. thriving watersheds and natural lands, and 3. sustainable communities. Additional background information on SNEP can be found at the following website: www.epa.gov/snep. EPA intends to fund projects, either directly or via a pass-through organization, that address SNEP priorities and spur investments in regionally significant and landscape scale restoration projects through projects, networks, and/or partnerships among governmental and community resource managers, technology, scientific, and policy organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), tribes, and other groups. A major focus is to build regional capacity for environmental management, including developing and establishing robust institutional, monitoring, information, and technology frameworks that can offer more effective, transferable, and sustainable paths to restoring and protecting the southeast New England coastal watersheds. Through competitive funding announcements, EPA will outline specific program priorities and eligible activities in areas such as environmental, ecological, and/or habitat restoration planning and construction; ordinance adoption and implementation; technology and policy development, testing, and adoption; financing; monitoring, including methods, equipment, data analysis and interpretation; public understanding and engagement; technical training in new approaches; information sharing; implementation of nature-based solutions; and targeted/applied research. EPA may seek to fund this work directly or through an eligible pass-through organization and will provide project examples and expectations in specific Request for Applications (RFAs). Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2023: This program seeks to restore improve water quality, habitat health and resilience in the SNEP region by building capacity of local communities, tribes and organizations and by providing grants to support planning, demonstration, design and implementation of best management practices, monitoring and evaluation of innovative approaches and development of new technologies. SNEP funding is provided to support technical assistance and implementation grants through direct EPA awards, the SNEP Network, Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants and/or a SNEP Pilot Watersheds Initiative. Additional SNEP funding under the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will support existing SNEP priorities and will begin to focus on climate resiliency and underserved communities.

Active 66.129 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Not applicable. Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3)
EPA's Annual Appropriations Acts Assistance under SNEP is available to state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments; institutions of higher education; nonprofit institutions and organizations; intertribal consortia; and interstate agencies. Private businesses, federal agencies, and individuals are not eligible to be grant recipients; however, they are encouraged to work in partnership with eligible applicants on projects. Applicants are not limited to the geographic area of southeastern coastal New England, however, those applying from outside the specified region must carry out their projects and have at least one local partner from within the geographic area specified in the competitive funding announcement. Organizations must be capable of undertaking and managing activities that advance SNEP priorities, including managing potentially complex fiscal and administrative requirements. Non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply; the term interstate agency is defined in Clean Water Act Section 502 as an agency of two or more States established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more States, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator. Intertribal consortia must meet the requirements of 40 CFR Section 35.504. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Not applicable. Nonprofit applicants may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the definition of a nonprofit organization in 2 CFR Section 200.70. Interstate organizations may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority, which establishes their status. Intertribal consortia may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504. Tribes may be asked to demonstrate that they are federally recognized. Applicants who have an IRS 501(c)(4) designation are not eligible for grants if they engage in lobbying, no matter what the source of funding for the lobbying activities. For-profit enterprises are not eligible to receive sub-grants from eligible recipients, although they may receive contracts, subject to the procurement regulations found at 2 CFR Part 200. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that are subject to review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372-and-section-204-demonstration. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that are not subject to State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c). Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as the "Agency Contact(s)" the competitive announcement. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. EPA awards grants and cooperative agreements based on the competitive applications submitted in response to EPA solicitations, considering relevance and likelihood of the success of the projects. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies and federal regulations for competing assistance agreements. Deadline information is provided in the competitive announcement. Up to seven (7) months from the closing date of the competitive announcement. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR Part 1500, Subpart E, as applicable. Not applicable. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. Cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs in approved scopes of work plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. The funds will support projects that prevent, reduce, and eliminate water pollution through partnership and innovation; that promote watershed solutions; and that encourage resilience to the impacts of climate change. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Geospatial information is information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the earth, or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, GPS, remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). Performance Reports: Reporting requirements are identified in the award. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports as required by 2 CFR 200.334. If questions, such as those raised because of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. While there is no statutory or regulatory cost sharing requirement for this program, as a matter of policy, the Agency may impose a cost sharing requirement in specific competitions. If the Agency decides to do this, the cost sharing terms will be stated in Section III of the competitive announcement.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The terms of the grant shall be determined at time of grant award. The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award. None/Not specified. Ian Dombroski
U.S. EPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109 US
dombroski.ian@epa.gov
Phone: 617-918-1342; Toll Free: 888-372-7341
Fax: TTY: 617-918-2028 https://www.epa.gov/snep 68-0108-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$7,734,535.00; FY 23 est $8,025,614.00; FY 24 Estimate Not Available FY 21$4,433,588.00; FY 20$4,300,000.00; FY 19$4,061,208.00; FY 18$4,316,189.00; FY 17$4,510,000.00; FY 16$4,637,000.00; - Competitive Requests for Applications (RFAs) are released as needed and typically include a 3-7 year timeline with total funding ranging from $50,000 to $15,000,000 over the project period. Annual incremental awards typically range from $150,000 to $3,250,000. 2 CFR 200 and 1500 (EPA Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); 40 CFR Part 33 (Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in United States Environmental Protection Agency Programs); 40 CFR Part 35 SubPart A (Environmental Program Grants) or SubPart B (Environmental Program Grants for Tribes). Fiscal Year 2017 Pass through entity was funded at $3,945,172 to solicit and fund projects under this program.
Fiscal Year 2018 Through a subaward program, this program awarded >$4M in 14 subawards throughout SNEP region that address municipal capacity, habitat restoration, monitoring capability, and development of data management systems.
Fiscal Year 2021 EPA’s SNEP program supported eight awards that together improve municipal capacity, water quality and habitat restoration, and monitoring capability. SNEP continues to support a technical assistance network that is coordinating and managing a program to build the capacity of local communities, tribes, and organizations to increase use of available financial and technical resources to support best management practices and financing for coastal watershed restoration efforts. SNEP also continues to support a Watershed Grant program to support local implementation projects, and is also providing funds to the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program and the Narragansett Estuary Program to implement their management plans including support of subawards within their study areas to support coastal watershed restoration efforts. New in 2021, SNEP funded four awards under a Pilot Watershed Initiative to demonstrate coordinated replicable solutions to common environmental problems.