Coastal | F19AS00027

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00027

The Coastal Program (CFDA 15.630) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) funding opportunity that supports on-the-ground restoration and protection of fish and wildlife habitat in coastal areas. It is structured as a voluntary, community-based program that offers both technical expertise and financial assistance through cooperative agreements. The basic idea is to help coastal communities, conservation organizations, and landowners complete practical habitat conservation projects on both public and private lands, with strong coordination and hands-on involvement from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field staff.

A defining feature of this program is that it is not a stand-alone grant where applicants operate independently. Instead, projects are built collaboratively with partners and are expected to align with the Service's strategic habitat conservation approach. Coastal Program staff work with partners, stakeholders, and other Service programs to identify geographic focus areas where resources will be targeted, primarily to benefit Federal trust species. Each region develops five-year strategic work plans that set habitat conservation priorities in those focus areas, and proposed projects are expected to fit within those regional priorities and be supported by sound biological and scientific principles.

The program is authorized under several major federal conservation laws, including the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661-667e), the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a-742j, excluding 742d-l), and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-57). While it sits within the National Wildlife Refuge System structure (Division of Natural Resources and Conservation Planning), the work it funds can occur beyond refuges as well, including on private property, as long as it clearly advances program and agency conservation missions.

Projects must support Department of the Interior financial assistance priorities, specifically priorities 1, 3, and 8. Priority 1 focuses on creating a long-term conservation stewardship legacy by delivering strategic, landscape-scale habitat conservation planning and implementation for the benefit of Federal trust species. Priority 3 emphasizes restoring trust with local communities by working directly with communities to plan and deliver conservation projects that also reflect local needs and benefits. Priority 8, modernizing infrastructure, is reflected in many project types the Coastal Program supports, especially those that upgrade or replace structures in ways that improve ecological function and resilience.

In practical terms, the Coastal Program commonly funds habitat connectivity and passage improvements such as fish passage structures, culvert retrofits, stream channel improvements, and removal of tidal restrictions, low-head dams, levees, or other barriers. It also supports projects that reduce coastal erosion and improve shoreline resilience, including wetland restoration, living shorelines, dune restoration, streambank stabilization, revegetation, and fencing to protect sensitive habitats. In addition, the program can support projects aimed at maintaining and managing habitat for migratory birds and waterfowl, such as constructing berms and installing water control structures to sustain appropriate water levels and habitat conditions.

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is broadly open to many entity types, subject to any specific clarifications in the full notice. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which signals substantial federal involvement during project implementation. The listed award ceiling is $500,000, with an expectation of around 100 awards under the opportunity number F19AS00027. The opportunity was posted October 22, 2018, with an original closing date of September 30, 2019 (applicants should verify current availability and timelines if looking for an active or successor announcement).

A key process point is that applicants are encouraged to contact their regional Coastal Program office before investing heavily in an application, especially to confirm that a concept matches the program's application review criteria and fits within the relevant regional focus areas and five-year work plan priorities. The program is administered through regional offices covering the Pacific, Pacific Southwest, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, Northeast, and Alaska regions, with additional headquarters contacts and a central website that helps applicants find the nearest Coastal Program office.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Coastal" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 22, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2019. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for F19AS00027

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