Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS OCRM 2013 2003507
Apply for NOAA NOS OCRM 2013 2003507
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Great Lakes Areas of Concern Land Acquisition Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.463 Habitat Conservation.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 19, 2012 and posted on Nov 16, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 4, 2013. (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 $800,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- All proposals must be submitted by the designated lead agency for implementing an approved state Coastal Zone Management Program. NOAA will not consider any proposals submitted independently of the states CZM lead agency. NOAA will also not consider any proposals submitted without a letter of endorsement from the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) implementation group. Only Great Lakes States are eligible to participate in the FY2012 AOC Land Acquisition competition. The CZM Lead Agency may solicit proposals from local governments as defined at 15 CFR 24.3, or entities eligible for assistance under section 306A(e) of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) (16 U.S.C. 1455a(e)), defined below, provided that each agency or entity has the authority to acquire and manage land for conservation purposes. As defined at 15 CFR 24.3, local government means a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority (including any public and Indian housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937), school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government. Under section 306A(e) of the CZMA, an eligible entity may be a local government, an areawide agency designated under Chapter 41, Subchapter II, Section 3334 of Title 42, a regional agency, or an interstate agency. The CZM Lead Agency may choose to prioritize/rank projects for the regional competition according to state conservation and/or AOC restoration priorities.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Great Lakes Areas of Concern Land Acquisition Grants program, offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was designed to fund land acquisition projects that permanently protect and restore coastal habitat in U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) and their connected watersheds. The core idea is straightforward: NOAA provides federal financial and technical support so that priority parcels can be acquired either through fee-simple purchase (full ownership) or through conservation easements (permanent restrictions that keep the land conserved while ownership may remain private). Projects are expected to align with NOAA's habitat protection mission and support broader regional priorities laid out in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan. A key operational requirement is that funded acquisitions must be "ready to go" and realistically completed within about 18 months of the award start date (the notice anticipated an October 1, 2013 start), with conservation protection held in perpetuity.
This opportunity was a discretionary grant competition (Funding Opportunity Number NOAA NOS OCRM 2013 2003507) under CFDA 11.463, Habitat Conservation. NOAA anticipated making about five awards, with grant sizes ranging from $100,000 (floor) to $800,000 (ceiling). Notably, the program did not require cost sharing or matching funds, which can make it more accessible for communities and agencies that have strong conservation needs but limited local funding capacity. The announcement was posted in mid-November 2012 and closed February 4, 2013 (with an archive date of March 6, 2013).
Eligibility was structured in a very specific way. Proposals could not be submitted directly to NOAA by local governments or other entities on their own. Instead, every application had to be submitted by the designated lead agency for an approved state Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program in a Great Lakes state. In addition, NOAA required a letter of endorsement from the relevant Remedial Action Plan (RAP) implementation group, which ties each proposed acquisition to on-the-ground AOC planning and stakeholder priorities. While the state CZM lead agency is the official applicant, it could solicit project proposals from eligible partners such as local governments (for example counties, cities, townships, special districts, councils of governments, school districts, and similar public entities as described at 15 CFR 24.3) or other entities eligible under section 306A(e) of the Coastal Zone Management Act, as long as those entities have the authority to acquire and manage land for conservation purposes. The state CZM lead agency could also rank or prioritize projects before submitting them into the regional competition based on state conservation priorities and AOC restoration needs.
NOAA made clear what it wanted to fund by listing the factors that would define successful applications. Competitive projects needed to directly support progress toward removing, or "delisting," fish and wildlife habitat-related Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in Great Lakes AOCs, meaning the acquisition should measurably help address the specific habitat problems that contributed to an AOC's designation. Projects also needed to deliver significant ecological benefits, demonstrate that the property could be acquired within the award period, and show clear community benefits. Community benefits were not treated as vague co-benefits; applicants were expected to document tangible outcomes such as improved recreation access, park or trail opportunities, protection of open space, or other visible public value tied to the acquisition.
For applicants and partners, the practical takeaway is that this grant was aimed at near-term, permanent conservation acquisitions that both improve habitat conditions and support AOC recovery goals, while also producing public-facing benefits. It was not a planning-only program and was not meant for speculative projects; it favored parcels with clear conservation value, a feasible acquisition path, and readiness to close within the roughly 18-month performance window. For questions, the announcement listed Elizabeth Mountz at NOAA as the point of contact (301 563 1148, Elizabeth.Mountz@noaa.gov).
Great Lakes Areas of Concern Land Acquisition Grants (NOAA) - FAQs
What is the Great Lakes Areas of Concern Land Acquisition Grants program?
It is a discretionary grant competition offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fund land acquisition projects that permanently protect and restore coastal habitat in U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) and their connected watersheds.
What is the main purpose of these grants?
The purpose is to provide federal financial and technical support so that priority parcels can be acquired and conserved in perpetuity, in ways that advance NOAA's habitat protection mission and support Great Lakes regional restoration priorities.
What kinds of projects were expected to be competitive?
Projects were expected to (1) support progress toward removing (delisting) fish and wildlife habitat-related Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in Great Lakes AOCs, (2) deliver significant ecological benefits, (3) be feasible to acquire within the award period, and (4) provide clear, tangible community benefits.
What types of land protection methods could be funded?
Funded acquisitions could be completed through fee-simple purchase (full ownership) or through conservation easements (permanent restrictions to keep the land conserved while ownership may remain private).
Does the land have to be protected permanently?
Yes. The acquisition and conservation protection were required to be held in perpetuity.
Where must the project be located to qualify?
Projects were intended for U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) and their connected watersheds.
Is this grant for planning projects, or for actual land acquisition?
This opportunity was aimed at near-term, permanent conservation acquisitions. It was not described as a planning-only program and was not intended for speculative or uncertain projects.
What does "ready to go" mean in the context of this grant?
NOAA emphasized that funded acquisitions needed to be realistically completed within about 18 months of the award start date, meaning the parcel and the acquisition path should be sufficiently defined and feasible to close within that window.
How long did recipients have to complete an acquisition?
The notice indicated acquisitions were expected to be completed within about 18 months of the award start date (the notice anticipated an October 1, 2013 start).
How much funding was available per award?
Grant sizes were anticipated to range from $100,000 (minimum) to $800,000 (maximum).
How many awards did NOAA expect to make?
NOAA anticipated making about five awards.
Was cost sharing or a local match required?
No. The program did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this competition?
The Funding Opportunity Number was NOAA NOS OCRM 2013 2003507.
What CFDA program was this associated with?
This opportunity was under CFDA 11.463, Habitat Conservation.
Who was allowed to submit an application to NOAA?
Applications had to be submitted by the designated lead agency for an approved state Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program in a Great Lakes state. Proposals could not be submitted directly to NOAA by local governments or other entities on their own.
Can local governments participate even if they cannot apply directly?
Yes. While the state CZM lead agency was the official applicant, it could solicit project proposals from eligible partners such as local governments and other eligible entities, as long as those entities have authority to acquire and manage land for conservation purposes.
What types of local governments were mentioned as potential partners?
Examples included counties, cities, townships, special districts, councils of governments, school districts, and similar public entities described at 15 CFR 24.3 (as referenced in the opportunity description).
Are non-government entities allowed to be involved?
The opportunity indicated that the state CZM lead agency could solicit proposals from entities eligible under section 306A(e) of the Coastal Zone Management Act, as long as they have the authority to acquire and manage land for conservation purposes.
Was any endorsement required beyond the state CZM lead agency submission?
Yes. NOAA required a letter of endorsement from the relevant Remedial Action Plan (RAP) implementation group to tie each proposed acquisition to AOC planning and stakeholder priorities.
Could the state CZM lead agency rank or prioritize projects before submitting them?
Yes. The state CZM lead agency could rank or prioritize projects before submitting them into the regional competition based on state conservation priorities and AOC restoration needs.
What kinds of ecological outcomes was NOAA looking for?
NOAA emphasized significant ecological benefits and measurable support for addressing fish and wildlife habitat-related BUIs, meaning the acquisition should help resolve specific habitat problems that contributed to the AOC's designation.
What did NOAA mean by community benefits?
Community benefits were expected to be documented with tangible outcomes such as improved recreation access, park or trail opportunities, protection of open space, or other visible public value tied to the acquisition.
What broader regional plans were projects expected to align with?
Projects were expected to support regional priorities laid out in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan.
What were the key dates for this funding opportunity?
The announcement was posted in mid-November 2012 and closed on February 4, 2013. The archive date was March 6, 2013. The notice anticipated an October 1, 2013 award start date.
Who was the point of contact for questions about the opportunity?
The notice listed Elizabeth Mountz at NOAA as the point of contact. Phone: 301 563 1148. Email: Elizabeth.Mountz@noaa.gov.
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