FY 2024 Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants | NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 25198

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 25198

The FY 2024 Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants opportunity is a NOAA program designed to accelerate recovery of the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic salmon. The focus is practical, habitat-based work that directly improves the species ability to move between the ocean and the freshwater habitats it needs for spawning and rearing, particularly within designated Critical Habitat in Maine. The program is run through NOAA's Office of Habitat Conservation under the Community-based Restoration Program, and it uses cooperative agreements, which typically means NOAA may remain actively involved during project delivery (for example, through coordination, technical input, or shared monitoring expectations).

Project proposals are judged mainly on how well they match NOAA's stated restoration priorities. A strong application is expected to align with the key actions laid out in two guiding documents: the 2019 Recovery Plan for the Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic salmon and the Species in the Spotlight Priority Actions 2021-2025 five-year action plan. Beyond general alignment, NOAA places special emphasis on projects that measurably improve fish passage and river connectivity between the Gulf of Maine and freshwater spawning and rearing areas. Preference is directed to work occurring where there are river-specific stocks, or in rivers that support a wild or naturally reared run of Atlantic salmon. Another major evaluation point is the use of proven restoration methods, with barrier removal highlighted as the top priority approach, reflecting the idea that fully removing obstructions often provides larger and longer-lasting ecological gains than partial fixes.

The solicitation supports a range of project phases, as long as they are tied to real restoration outcomes. Eligible activities can include feasibility studies and other pre-project assessments, planning tasks that clearly lead to implementation, engineering design and permitting, on-the-ground construction or removal work, and monitoring before and after implementation to document results. Stakeholder engagement is also an allowable component, which can be important for coordinating among landowners, towns, watershed groups, and regulators. Applicants can propose a single phase or combine multiple phases into one integrated project, but the overall narrative needs to show a clear line of sight from proposed actions to restored access, improved habitat function, and salmon recovery benefits.

Funding is structured to support multi-year efforts. NOAA expects typical federal award amounts to fall between $100,000 and $700,000 across a three-year period, although proposals can request up to $1.5 million total over three years. Requests below $100,000 or above the $1.5 million ceiling will not be accepted. For FY 2024 specifically, NOAA anticipates up to $700,000 will be available to cover the first year of selected projects, with continued funding for years two and three dependent on congressional appropriations for FY24 through FY26. In other words, project selection can be for multi-year cooperative agreements, but the government is explicit that later-year funding depends on future budget availability.

Eligibility is fairly broad among non-federal entities. Applicants may include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits), commercial for-profit organizations, and state, local, and federally recognized tribal governments, as well as other eligible tribal organizations. Work must take place within one or more Salmon Habitat Recovery Units (SHRUs) in Maine, but the applicant organization does not need to be physically located within the SHRU boundaries. The three SHRUs cover the full Gulf of Maine DPS range in Maine: Merrymeeting Bay (including the Androscoggin and Kennebec and extending east to the Sheepscot, Pemaquid, Medomak, and St. George watersheds), Penobscot Bay (the full Penobscot basin plus westward to include the Ducktrap watershed), and the Downeast Coastal unit (all coastal watersheds from the Union River east to the Dennys River).

Federal agencies and federal employees cannot apply under this solicitation. However, NOAA explicitly encourages federal partners to participate by teaming with eligible applicants such as state agencies, municipalities, tribes, and nongovernmental organizations, which can be a practical route for bringing federal expertise or complementary resources into an eligible proposal without violating the applicant restrictions.

Key administrative details from the source listing include the opportunity number NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 25198, the assistance listing/CFDA number 11.463, and the funding instrument type listed as a cooperative agreement. The posting indicates an original closing date of 2026-03-31, and the maximum award ceiling is $1,500,000. The overarching takeaway is that NOAA is seeking Maine-based, salmon-focused restoration projects that restore or substantially improve connectivity, prioritize barrier removal where feasible, and are clearly grounded in the priority actions identified in existing recovery planning for the Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon population.

• The DOC NOAA - ERA Production in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2024 Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.463.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-03-31. (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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 25198

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