NOAA’s Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity under the IIJA | NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007209

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007209

NOAA's Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007209; CFDA 11.463) is a discretionary federal grant program run by the Department of Commerce through NOAA Fisheries' Restoration Center, specifically the Community-based Restoration Program. Backed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, Public Law 117-58), the core purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to restore fish passage for native migratory and sea-run fish by removing dams and other in-stream barriers or improving passage at those barriers. The larger goal is to reconnect habitats so fish can access spawning, rearing, and refuge areas, which in turn supports stronger fisheries, healthier watersheds, and more resilient ecosystems and communities.

The opportunity is built around outcomes that are both ecological and community-focused. NOAA is looking for projects that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, help recover and conserve threatened and endangered species, and improve watershed health in ways that also strengthen local economies, including through local job creation. A major emphasis is resilience: projects are expected to reduce climate-related risks and improve community resilience by addressing aging or vulnerable infrastructure and generating additional benefits beyond fish passage (for example, reduced flood risk, improved public safety, or restored natural river functions).

Applicants are expected to directly address four program priorities: first, delivering measurable and lasting benefits for migratory fish populations; second, advancing habitat restoration that is important at a regional scale; third, increasing resilience to climate hazards while producing other co-benefits; and fourth, ensuring projects benefit and genuinely engage underserved communities, including through partnerships with Indian tribes. NOAA signals that equity is not a side topic here; proposals should show meaningful community engagement and incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles in how projects are identified, designed, and carried out. Applicants are encouraged to clearly state whether the work occurs in tribal or underserved communities and whether resilience benefits will flow to those communities.

Project narratives should also connect the proposed barrier removal or passage improvement to at least one of NOAA's key fisheries and conservation outcomes. This includes supporting recovery of species listed under the Endangered Species Act; sustaining or rebuilding fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; improving passage for native fish species in the Great Lakes; strengthening the sustainability of saltwater recreational fisheries; improving resilience in tribal and underserved communities by removing or upgrading aging infrastructure while delivering co-benefits; or enabling hydroelectric license surrender where dam removal is appropriate because the facility is no longer economically viable or does not provide significant public benefit.

A wide range of activities can be funded across the full project lifecycle. NOAA allows proposals that cover early-stage planning and future project development (including feasibility studies), engineering and design, permitting, and stakeholder engagement. It also supports on-the-ground implementation, including actual barrier removal or construction of fish passage solutions, as well as pre- and post-construction monitoring to document results. Capacity-building for new or existing restoration partners is also eligible, especially when it helps teams manage complex design and construction efforts. Education and outreach can be included as well, particularly when it supports durable community understanding and participation. Even though planning and design are eligible, NOAA makes clear that priority will go to proposals that include on-the-ground construction likely to occur during the award period, and proposals centered on removing barriers (rather than only modifying them) are positioned to score especially well under the evaluation criteria.

Projects may be proposed at a single site or across multiple locations in a watershed or geographic area. When multiple sites are included, applicants are expected to explain how the set of actions works together to achieve watershed-scale priorities, rather than reading like a disconnected list of culverts, dams, or crossings. In practice, the most competitive multi-site proposals will typically make a clear case for network connectivity, cumulative habitat gains, and coordinated benefits to targeted fish populations and community resilience.

Awards will be made as cooperative agreements, which typically means NOAA will have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination, technical input, and oversight tied to milestones). NOAA anticipates most projects will have a three-year period of performance. Awards can be structured as multi-year agreements, and proposals should estimate year two and year three funding needs, with final amounts dependent on future appropriations and performance against milestones.

In terms of funding size, NOAA expects typical federal awards to fall in the $2 million to $5 million range over three years. There is a strict minimum and maximum: NOAA will not accept requests under $1 million and will not fund requests over $15 million total for the entire award. NOAA anticipated making about 25 awards under this notice. The original posting date for the opportunity was June 14, 2022, with an original closing date of August 15, 2022.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. Across these applicant types, NOAA's stated preference is for projects that are ready to move into construction within the award timeframe, demonstrate clear biological and community outcomes, and show strong, equitable partnerships, especially where tribal and underserved communities are meaningfully engaged and benefit from the work.

• The Department of Commerce in the infrastructure investment and jobs act (iija) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOAA’s Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity under the IIJA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.463.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 14, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 15, 2022. (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 $15,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007209

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