Funding available for projects focused on Marine Protected Areas
The Ocean Protection Council is pleased to announce two funding opportunities for projects focused on California’s marine protected areas (MPAs):
1) MPA Long-Term Monitoring Program 2019 Solicitation
Attend the optional webinar on November 15, 2018 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. PST.
This MPA Monitoring Program 2019 Solicitation is administered by Sea Grant in partnership jointly with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and OPC. OPC has authorized $9.5 million to support the MPA Monitoring Program in this solicitation – consistent with the MPA Action Plan – to inform adaptive management and evaluate the performance of the MPA Network in preparation for the decadal management review in 2022.
This announcement invites the submission of proposals of one of two types (Qualification Request or Full Proposal Request), depending on the type of work to be proposed (see full announcement for additional details):
- Qualification Request is focused on data collection in combination with an analysis of existing historical data for priority habitat types and human use types, sites, and species of interest.
- Full Proposal Request is focused on developing a broadly supported and inclusive process to advance the collection and use of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to help inform the adaptive management of California’s MPA Network.
For successful applicants, work is expected to begin approximately May 16, 2019 and must end (i.e. including completion of all revised final reports) no later than May 15, 2022.
Regardless of type – applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. PST, Thursday, December 20, 2018 using eSeaGrant, California Sea Grant’s electronic proposal submission system.
Please see here for a list of FAQs regarding this solicitation: Action Plan Solicitation Frequently Asked Questions_111618
2) 2019 Solicitation for Restoration Projects that Mitigate the Impacts of Once-Through Cooling
Attend the optional webinar on November 8, 2018 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. PST.
OPC has authorized $3.4 million to support restoration projects that increase marine life associated with MPAs. Grant funds are intended to mitigate for impacts associated with power generating facilities that use once-through cooling technology to pull water from the ocean or nearby estuaries to cool down the steam used to make electricity.
Projects must take place in state waters (3 nautical miles from the coastline) from San Diego to Big Sur (near Lucia), including the waters around the Channel Islands and wetlands and estuaries within that region. Projects that take place outside of this range are not eligible to receive funding.
For successful applicants, work is expected to begin approximately in June 2019 and be completed by February 2024. Projects that have a duration longer than 2024 may be considered; however, the applicant must propose a phased approach with discrete deliverables to achieve project completion and be aware that funding for subsequent phases will be contingent on budget approval in future years. Please contact Tova Handelman (tova.handelman@resources.ca.gov) to discuss options.
Applicants must submit a pre-proposal by 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday, November 30, 2018 to be eligible for consideration.