Opportunity ID: 290165

General Information

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: F17AS00021
Funding Opportunity Title: Galveston Bay Blue Carbon and Ecosystem Services Report, HabNet Coalition, and Outreach
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation: –
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity: Education
Environment
Natural Resources
Category Explanation: –
Expected Number of Awards: 1
Assistance Listings: 15.630 — Coastal
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
Version: Synopsis 1
Posted Date: Nov 17, 2016
Last Updated Date: –
Original Closing Date for Applications: – THE RECIPIENT HAS BEEN SELECTED.
Current Closing Date for Applications: – THE RECIPIENT HAS BEEN SELECTED.
Archive Date: Dec 17, 2016
Estimated Total Program Funding: $76,000
Award Ceiling: $76,000
Award Floor: $1

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Additional Information on Eligibility:

Additional Information

Agency Name: Fish and Wildlife Service
Description: Galveston Bay Blue Carbon and Ecosystem Services Report:
Blue carbon, the ability of coastal ecosystems (i.e. salt marsh, mangroves, seagrass, etc.) to sequester
and store carbon, is a â¿¿newâ¿¿ ecosystem service to be recognized. Coastal ecosystems provide many
other ecosystem services, such as shoreline stabilization, improved water quality, key marine habitat
for commercial and recreational marine species, and resiliency to flooding and storms. The purpose
of this project is to integrate new blue carbon data from Galveston Bay into a synthesis of ecosystem
service research and reports to produce a first of its kind report that captures the full range of the
ecosystem service benefits of Galveston Bay.
Restore Americaâ¿¿s Estuaries (RAE) leads the U.S. blue carbon initiative to identify and pursue
opportunities to use blue carbon as an additional driver for increase prioritization of and investment
in coastal restoration and conservation. RAE is currently working with researchers at Texas A&MGalveston
to quantify carbon storage and sequestration in natural and restored salt marshes. The
overall approach in Galveston Bay is to better understand the blue carbon values provided by the
estuary ecosystem and integrate this information into communications with partners who support the
restoration and conservation of Bay habitats. An understanding of the climate mitigation benefits of
estuary restoration in Galveston Bay will support stronger outreach and fundraising about restoration
projects as well.
A recent report by Resource Media (Puget Sound Blue Carbon: Assessment of Communications
Potential, 2016) was conducted to explore the communications potential and provide
recommendations for using blue carbon as a tool for increasing the pace and scale of coastal
restoration. The report found that blue carbon is a concept that offers a way to frame topics of
conservation, restoration and climate mitigation in a different way for key audiences. The report
recommendations are to include blue carbon into context with other benefits to allow proponents to
promote investment in coastal restoration as a way to achieve multiple benefits, widening the context
of anticipated return on investment through the many societal, economic, environmental, and climate
benefits these ecosystems provide. The proposed Blue Carbon and Ecosystem Service report will be
the first time to utilize this approach.
Habitat Restoration Network Coalition (HABNET):
Over the agreement period, RAE will partner with the Coastal Program to strengthen and grow the
HABNET Coalition. HABNET is a national alliance of more than 50 conservation organizations
working to restore and protect coastal habitats. This coalition serves to build strategic partnerships
and improve information sharing with the Coastal Program to advance the conservation of coastal
habitats. In 2017, RAE will continue to grow the Coalition through strategic national and local
partnerships.
Support from USFWS for the HABNET Coalition will support efforts to engage and educate external
partners and stakeholders about coastal habitat issues. HABNET provides tools, educational
opportunities, and information about Coastal Program successes and opportunities to advance
restoration in priority ecosystems. Strengthening HABNET outreach to strategic partners will also
directly benefit efforts to broaden and diversify its coastal conservation constituency. RAE will
increase communication with HABNET organizations to help cultivate opportunities for
collaboration and leverage existing resources to implement local conservation strategies in
partnership with the Coastal Program.
Estuaries Expo:
The Estuaries Expo will be a outreach event, separate from the HabNet Coalition, that will highlight
the benefits of healthy coastal habitats and the efforts of the Coastal Program to support coastal
habitat restoration and conservation.
Each year, Restore Americaâ¿¿s Estuaries partners with the Association of National Estuary Programs
and the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association to highlight our nationâ¿¿s estuaries during
National Estuaries Week. Celebrated during the third week of September, National Estuaries Week
aims to reinforce the importance and value of estuaries and to involve local communities in restoring
and improving their waterways. While National Estuaries Week is effective at building stewardship
at the local level, RAE seeks to increase the visibility and awareness of the importance of coastal
habitat at the national level to leverage broad support for restoration efforts and programs throughout
the country.
The Estuaries Expo, an educational event for Members of Congress and Congressional staff, will
provide a venue to showcase the importance and value of our nationâ¿¿s coastal ecosystems and the
multitude of benefits they provide. This event will provide the Coastal Program, other federal
agencies, and NGO partners to communicate directly with policymakers in an informal way through
interactive displays, educational activities, and interpretation.
The Estuaries Expo is being supported through a cooperative agreement between RAE and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Coastal Program staff will participate in the
Expo by exhibiting, disseminating information about the Coastal Program to Members of Congress
and their staffs, and answering any questions they may have about the program or coastal
conservation issues in general.
Authorizing statutes include Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956,16 U.S.C. 742a-c, 747e-742j; Fish
and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, 16 U.S.C. 661 667(e).
Link to Additional Information: http://www.grants.gov
Grantor Contact Information: If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:

Chris Darnell 703-358-2236
chris_darnell@fws.gov

Email:chris_darnell@fws.gov

Version History

Version Modification Description Updated Date

Folder 290165 Full Announcement-Full Announcement -> F17AS00021 full text NOFO.pdf

Packages

Agency Contact Information: Chris Darnell 703-358-2236
chris_darnell@fws.gov

Email: chris_darnell@fws.gov
Who Can Apply: Organization Applicants

Assistance Listing Number Competition ID Competition Title Opportunity Package ID Opening Date Closing Date Actions
15.630 PKG00229278 Nov 30, 2016 View

Package 1

Mandatory forms

290165 SF424_2_1-2.1.pdf

290165 SF424B-1.1.pdf

290165 SF424A-1.0.pdf

290165 ProjectNarrativeAttachments_1_2-1.2.pdf

Optional forms

290165 AttachmentForm_1_2-1.2.pdf

290165 SFLLL_1_2-1.2.pdf

2025-07-09T10:03:31-05:00

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