For more information, please follow this link: https://www.nfwf.org/programs/emergency-coastal-resilience-fund/emergency-coastal-resilience-fund-2021-request-proposals

FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND MATCH

The ECRF will award approximately $24 million in grants in 2022. While there is no minimum or maximum expected award amount, funding request amounts should be appropriate relative to the overall scale and impact of the project, and in accordance with the guidance provided under the Program Priorities section above. Please contact Suzanne Sessine at Suzanne.Sessine@nfwf.org with any questions about funding request amounts.

Match Requirement: Due to the emergency nature of these funds, a non-federal match in cash and/or in-kind services is not required. If the request includes match, it can be any combination of cash and/or in-kind goods and services. A description of acceptable sources of matching funds, is available at http://www.nfwf.org/whatwedo/grants/applicants/Pages/faqs.aspx. Acquisition of land and conservation easements related to a project may be eligible as match (see OMB Uniform Guidance for more information). Applicants who have questions regarding match beyond this guidance may contact Suzanne Sessine at Suzanne.Sessine@nfwf.org. This may include inquiries regarding inclusion of matching contributions raised and spent for the project prior to the Period of Performance.

Federal leverage:  Applicants are encouraged to describe federal partner contributions as well in the proposal narrative. These contributions will not count toward any non-federal match described above but will help in understanding the amount of resources

OVERVIEW

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is announcing the 2021 Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund (ECRF) to support projects that increase the resilience of coastal communities impacted by hurricanes and wildfires in 2020 or 2021. Funding for this program was appropriated under the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, 2022 (PL 117-43).

NFWF will award approximately $24 million in grants to create and restore natural systems to help protect coastal communities from the impacts of coastal storms, floods, sea-level rise, inundation, coastal erosion, wildfires and associated landslides/debris flows, and enable communities to recover more quickly from these events, all while improving habitats for fish and wildlife species.

PROGRAM PRIORITIES

The ECRF will focus on increasing recovery from storms and wildfires and building resilience of coastal communities within the above-described geographies. This program will prioritize nature-based restoration projects that provide dual benefits – both benefits for human community resilience and benefits for fish and wildlife. The program hopes to build upon existing state, federal, regional, and local resilience and/or wildlife plans, and/or disaster mitigation plans.

Natural habitat such as coastal marshes and wetlands, forests, rivers, lakes, streams, dune and beach systems, and oyster and coral reefs – maintained at a significant size for the habitat type and natural hazard being addressed – can provide communities with enhanced protection and buffering from the growing impacts of sea-level rise, changing flood patterns, increased frequency and intensity of storms, wildfires, and other environmental stressors.

At a minimum, all proposals must clearly describe how projects will support achieving the dual goals of the ECRF:

• Relative benefit to coastal communities from reducing the impact of future storms and other natural hazards (e.g., coastal storm surge, sea-level rise, wave velocity, flooding, debris flow/landslides as result of wildfires, stormwater run-off) to properties, community infrastructure (such as schools and municipal buildings), assets of economic importance, and health and safety assets (such as hospitals, evacuation routes, utilities and fire and rescue response); and
• Anticipated enhancement of the ecological integrity and functionality of ecosystems to enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats.

All proposals should provide a clear timeline for proposed project activities and major milestones.

NFWF has a regional coastal resilience assessment tool that helps identify areas where natural resource restoration efforts will have the greatest impact for human community resilience, as well as for fish and wildlife. The tool identifies these natural areas that have the greatest ability to protect communities and wildlife as Resilience Hubs⁴. Projects need not be located in an area identified by NFWF as a Resilience Hub to be eligible, but it is a useful guide and applicants should use it to assess how a project might address the benefits to habitats and human communities. Applicants may explore Resilience Hubs on the Coastal Resilience and Evaluation Siting Tool (CREST).

Further, proposals will be considered that support the following two categories:

1) Restoration and Monitoring  

The primary focus of the ECRF is to help with implementation of restoration projects. There is no maximum limit on the award amount for “Restoration and Monitoring” grants. Grant requests should be appropriate to the scope and scale of the project. NFWF expects most awards for this project category to range from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 and anticipates awards will vary significantly in amount based on the scope of the project and the work proposed. Proposals for larger, more comprehensive projects that are designed for greater impact are likely to be most competitive.

Eligible projects include ecosystem restoration projects and the construction of natural and nature-based features, where tangible community resilience and conservation outcomes can be measured. Restoration projects should advance resilience goals (e.g., reduction of storm-surge impacts), community goals (e.g., protecting critical assets), and conservation goals (e.g., creation of habitat for native species). Projects may include, but are not limited to: marsh, beach and dune restoration; living shorelines; stream restoration, including aquatic connectivity projects that reduce flood risk; innovative stormwater management; hazardous fuel reduction to prevent wildfire and revegetation to prevent debris flow.   Acquisition of land and conservation easements are not eligible activities. Projects that only conduct monitoring are not eligible.

Projects proposed are expected to address a specific threat and location that has been prioritized, ideally through a planning process that addresses coastal resilience or based on damage experienced due to consequences of the 2020 and 2021 hurricanes or wildfires. Priority will be given to projects that have completed all necessary designs and engineering planning for implementation, and/or demonstrate an understanding of the permits and other approvals necessary for implementation. Projects that have secured all necessary permits will receive higher priority for funding. Proposals should clearly state the month and year in which the project’s preliminary design and final design was, or will be, completed.

Projects may be conducted on state, tribal, or local government lands, or on private lands where there is a demonstrated commitment to the protection of those lands for conservation and community protection purposes. Projects on federal lands are not eligible, but if federal lands are essential to any project’s success, proponents are encouraged to contact NFWF staff to discuss the need and other potential funding leverage or opportunities. Given the scale of coastal resilience needs, projects that consider the larger landscape and involve multiple landowners and/or partners and jurisdictions are encouraged.

Projects are expected to be able to be completed within three years from the start of the grant and should include at least one year of post-construction monitoring. For many project types, NFWF has developed monitoring metrics and protocols that at a minimum are required and will need to be incorporated in full proposals. These minimum metrics and protocol standards are located here.

Due to the emergency nature of these funds, the Fund will prioritize projects that are ready for on-the-ground implementation and provide the most accelerated and comprehensive outcomes to protect communities.  If necessary, a small amount of engineering and design activities may be included in order to make the project shovel-ready within 12-18 months of award. In this case, projects must have clear milestones and indicate how substantial progress will be made in construction of the project within two years of the start of the grant and completion of construction within three years. Funding for the grant may be phased to require review and approval of final project design before proceeding with the implementation of the project.

2) Site Assessment and Preliminary Design

While ECRF’s primary focus is the implementation of nature-based community resilience projects, in limited instances projects may be considered that complete site assessments and preliminary designs of best options for communities to address restoration and community resilience goals. Proposals should clearly indicate that the proposed project has been prioritized for risk reduction and increased resilience benefits, and clearly indicate the specific site(s) selected to achieve these goals. To help with this, projects should build upon relevant local, state, or national-level resilience plans, prioritization tools, and/or cost-benefit analysis, etc. At the end of the grant period, projects under this category are expected to allow the community to make a “go/no-go” decision on the nature-based resilience project option and be ready for final design and permitting.

Proposals under this category should also emphasize community engagement to ensure affected landowners and community members are aware and supportive of the goals of the effort and to increase the support of the final selected option to the greatest extent possible. Proposals should include a community engagement plan as well as plans for preliminary conversations with relevant permitting officials by the end of the grant period.

The amount requested should reflect the project proposed. NFWF expects the average award to be $250,000 for this priority area, but that awards will vary significantly in amount based on the scope of the project and the work proposed. Most Site Assessment and Preliminary Design projects are expected to be completed within 12 months of the start of the grant. Eligible activities under this priority area include evaluation of potential project sites, through continued community engagement, assessing alternatives for restoration and protection activities and site-specific characteristics that influence project and activity selection, assessing the potential improvements in risk reduction, identifying and addressing barriers to moving to the final design and implementation phases, gathering baseline data, conducting cost-benefit analyses, selecting the most appropriate natural or nature-based solution for a site, and preparing preliminary project designs that allow a community to make a “go/no-go” decision on the project (this is generally between a 30-60% design depending on the needs of the community).

Proposals should provide examples of natural or nature-based features they anticipate designing. If a project will develop several conceptual designs and advance a small portion of those to preliminary designs, the proposal should be clear that the focus of preliminary designs to be developed will have a natural, or nature-based component and have clear community resilience benefits. Applicants are also encouraged to identify potential sources of funding to advance proposals of this type into future phases.