The Purpose of this NOFO is to provide grants on a competitive basis to eligible National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs or Reserves) for coastal habitat restoration; coastal habitat restoration planning, engineering, and design; and coastal land conservation projects supporting the goals and intent of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP), and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law).
The primary goal of the Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Competition is to reduce the impacts of climate change through enhancing coastal resilience. This NOFO focuses on projects by or in partnership with National Estuarine Research Reserves approved by NOAA under the Coastal Zone Management Act. Eligible projects include habitat restoration, habitat restoration planning, engineering, and design, land conservation, or a combination of these categories. Projects should be designed to be completed within three years from the award start date.