Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS R8 AFWOLCC 11
Apply for FWS R8 AFWOLCC 11
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tectonic Land Level Changes their Contribution to Sea Level Rise" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.669 Cooperative Landscape Conservation.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 25, 2011 and posted on Aug 25, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 14, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $99,208.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $99,208.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- There is not an application process for the Tectonic Land Level Changes and their Contribution to Sea Level Rise Project. This is a notice of intent to award Cascadia GeoSciences a single source agreement of 99,208.00 under justification 505 DM 2.14 (B4).
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Opportunity Summary:
This U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant opportunity focuses on separating and quantifying the two main drivers behind observed sea level change along Northern California's coast: eustatic sea level rise (ESLR), meaning the global ocean height increase, and tectonic land level changes, meaning the local uplift or subsidence of the ground tied to plate motion and earthquake-cycle deformation. The core idea is that what coastal communities experience as "sea level rise" is often a combination of the ocean moving and the land moving, and in parts of Northern California the land motion can be large enough to outweigh or amplify the global sea level signal. Because of that, the project aims to produce a clearer, location-specific picture of relative sea level change that is useful for real-world coastal management.
The planned work centers on mapping local sea level change near Humboldt Bay by combining new, short-term water level measurements with historic land elevation data. Specifically, the project would deploy temporary tide gauges for roughly 6 to 9 months at historically used locations so that modern observations can be directly compared to earlier records. In parallel, the team would analyze existing historic level line surveys conducted between 1931 and 1988. Level line surveys are precise ground-based measurements that can reveal whether benchmarks and coastal areas have risen or sunk over time, which is essential for verifying tectonic land level change independent of the tide gauge record.
By tying these data sources together, the project is expected to help develop a 34-year trend in sea level change for the 1978 to 2012 period in the Humboldt Bay vicinity. The new tide gauge observations are intended to strengthen the ability to connect present-day measurements to past conditions, while the historic leveling data provides an independent check on whether apparent sea level changes are actually being driven by changes in land elevation. The resulting trends in both land and sea level change would then be interpreted in the broader geologic context of the Cascadia subduction zone, where vertical land motion can vary significantly along the coast due to tectonic processes.
A key value of the study is that it fills an important data gap for the southern Cascadia margin, especially regarding the distribution of coastal uplift and subsidence in Northern California. The announcement notes that integrating these results with related work by Dr. Ray Weldon and colleagues at the University of Oregon would improve the overall understanding of how uplift and subsidence are distributed along the Cascadia margin. That matters not only for scientific mapping of deformation, but also for practical planning because local relative sea level change is what drives shoreline flooding risk, wetland migration, saltwater intrusion, and long-term infrastructure exposure.
From a management perspective, the deliverable is described as baseline information that land managers and planners in Northern California can use to anticipate and plan for sea level conditions over the next century. The emphasis is on spatial and temporal trends, since the local pattern is not uniform: some places may be subsiding (making relative sea level rise faster), while others may be uplifting (partially offsetting global sea level rise). The announcement explicitly highlights that ongoing land level changes can exceed ESLR in some locations, which makes it crucial to quantify both components rather than relying on regional or global averages.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity under a cooperative agreement in the natural resources category, associated with CFDA 15.669 (Cooperative Landscape Conservation). The USFWS expected to make one award with total funding of $99,208, which is also listed as the award ceiling. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. Importantly, it is not an open competition: the notice states there is no application process and that USFWS intended to make a single-source award to Cascadia GeoSciences, justified under 505 DM 2.14 (B4). The posting date was August 25, 2011, with a closing date of September 14, 2011, and an archive date of October 14, 2011.
Cascadia GeoSciences is identified as the selected recipient because of their ability to assemble a qualified team, their specialized expertise in Cascadia subduction zone tectonics, and their experience connecting land motion and sea level dynamics to impacts on coastal resources. They are also described as part of the Humboldt Bay Initiative, a broader partnership of agencies, managers, and scientists focused on coastal resource management and the effects of environmental change. The listed project contact for access issues is Paula Golightly at USFWS (phone 707-822-7201).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this USFWS grant opportunity about?
This U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant opportunity supports work to separate and quantify two major contributors to observed sea level change along Northern California's coast: (1) eustatic sea level rise (ESLR), meaning the global increase in ocean height, and (2) tectonic land level change, meaning local ground uplift or subsidence caused by plate motion and earthquake-cycle deformation.
2. Why does the project focus on separating ocean change from land change?
What coastal communities experience as "sea level rise" is often a combined signal of the ocean moving and the land moving. In parts of Northern California, vertical land motion can be large enough to outweigh or amplify the global sea level signal. The project aims to produce a clearer, location-specific understanding of relative sea level change that is more useful for coastal management than relying on regional or global averages.
3. What area does the project focus on?
The planned work centers on the Humboldt Bay vicinity in Northern California, with an emphasis on local sea level change patterns along the coast near Humboldt Bay.
4. What are the two main drivers of sea level change discussed in the announcement?
The announcement highlights:
- Eustatic sea level rise (ESLR): global ocean height increase.
- Tectonic land level changes: local uplift or subsidence tied to Cascadia subduction zone processes and earthquake-cycle deformation.
5. What is meant by "relative sea level change" in this opportunity?
Relative sea level change is the change observed at a coastline as a combination of ocean height changes and land elevation changes. Even if global sea level rises, local uplift could offset it, while subsidence could make it feel faster.
6. What work will be performed to map local sea level change near Humboldt Bay?
The project combines new short-term water level measurements with historic land elevation data. It includes deploying temporary tide gauges for roughly 6 to 9 months at historically used locations and analyzing historic level line surveys conducted between 1931 and 1988.
7. How long will the temporary tide gauges be deployed?
The plan is to deploy temporary tide gauges for approximately 6 to 9 months.
8. Why are tide gauges placed at historically used locations?
Placing temporary tide gauges at historically used locations allows modern observations to be directly compared to earlier records. This improves the ability to connect present-day measurements with past conditions.
9. What are "level line surveys" and why are they important here?
Level line surveys are precise ground-based elevation measurements. In this project, historic level line surveys (1931 to 1988) are used to determine whether benchmarks and coastal areas have risen or sunk over time. This helps verify tectonic land level change independently of tide gauge records.
10. What time periods are specifically mentioned for the data analysis?
The opportunity references:
- Historic level line surveys from 1931 to 1988.
- Development of a 34-year sea level trend for the period 1978 to 2012 in the Humboldt Bay vicinity.
- New tide gauge observations collected over a 6 to 9 month deployment period.
11. What is the expected main outcome or deliverable of the project?
The project is expected to produce baseline information describing spatial and temporal trends in both land level change and sea level change near Humboldt Bay. The work is intended to clarify location-specific relative sea level change and support planning for future conditions over the next century.
12. How does the Cascadia subduction zone factor into this study?
The results will be interpreted in the broader geologic context of the Cascadia subduction zone, where vertical land motion can vary significantly along the coast due to tectonic processes and earthquake-cycle deformation.
13. Why is this work considered valuable for management and planning?
Local relative sea level change is what influences practical impacts such as shoreline flooding risk, wetland migration, saltwater intrusion, and long-term infrastructure exposure. Because land level changes can exceed global sea level rise in some locations, quantifying both components supports more accurate, place-specific coastal management decisions.
14. What data gap does the project aim to fill?
The announcement notes that the study fills an important data gap for the southern Cascadia margin, particularly regarding the distribution of coastal uplift and subsidence in Northern California.
15. Is the pattern of sea level change uniform along Northern California's coast?
No. The opportunity emphasizes that the local pattern is not uniform. Some locations may be subsiding (making relative sea level rise faster), while others may be uplifting (partially offsetting global sea level rise).
16. Does the announcement say land level change can be larger than global sea level rise?
Yes. It explicitly highlights that ongoing land level changes can exceed eustatic sea level rise (ESLR) in some locations, which is why it is important to quantify both components.
17. How will the project relate to other research mentioned in the announcement?
The announcement notes that integrating the results with related work by Dr. Ray Weldon and colleagues at the University of Oregon would improve understanding of how uplift and subsidence are distributed along the Cascadia margin.
18. What type of funding mechanism is being used?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity under a cooperative agreement in the natural resources category.
19. What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.669, identified as Cooperative Landscape Conservation.
20. How much funding is available and how many awards are expected?
USFWS expected to make one award with total funding of $99,208. The award ceiling is also listed as $99,208.
21. Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
22. Is this an open competitive funding opportunity?
No. The notice states there is no application process and that USFWS intended to make a single-source award.
23. Who is the intended recipient of the single-source award?
The intended recipient is Cascadia GeoSciences.
24. What justification is cited for the single-source award?
The notice indicates the award is justified under 505 DM 2.14 (B4).
25. Why was Cascadia GeoSciences selected?
Cascadia GeoSciences is identified as the selected recipient due to their ability to assemble a qualified team, specialized expertise in Cascadia subduction zone tectonics, and experience connecting land motion and sea level dynamics to impacts on coastal resources. They are also described as part of the Humboldt Bay Initiative partnership focused on coastal resource management and environmental change.
26. What are the key posting dates for this opportunity?
The posting date was August 25, 2011, the closing date was September 14, 2011, and the archive date was October 14, 2011.
27. Who is the listed project contact for access issues?
The listed contact is Paula Golightly at USFWS, phone 707-822-7201.
28. What is the intended long-term use of the information produced?
The deliverable is described as baseline information that land managers and planners in Northern California can use to anticipate and plan for sea level conditions over the next century, based on spatial and temporal trends in both land motion and sea level change.
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