**The Gulf of Mexico Community-Based Habitat**

**Restoration Program Partnership: Year III**

#### Request for Preproposals

**(Deadline extended to: August 31, 2003)**

The Gulf of Mexico Community-Based Restoration Program (GCRP)
Partnership invites preproposals for its third round of citizen-driven
habitat restoration projects. The partnership is seeking to fund
on-the-ground activities to restore marine, estuarine and riparian
habitats to benefit living marine resources and to provide educational
and social benefits by significantly involving the community.

The GCRP is a multi-year, regional partnership between the Gulf
Ecological Management Sites (GEMS) Program and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Community-based Restoration Program
(CRP). The purpose of this partnership is to strengthen the conservation
efforts of the GEMS Program by supporting on-the-ground habitat
restoration benefiting living marine resources and fostering local
stewardship of ecologically significant areas across the Gulf of Mexico.

**[Project Specifications:]{.underline}**

Preproposals will be accepted for projects that involve restoration,
creation, or enhancement of Gulf of Mexico coastal habitats, with
priority given to projects within GEMS (Attachment A).

**These projects must**:

-   Result in **on-the-ground** habitat restoration;

-   Provide significant, long-term **benefit to "NOAA Trust Resources**"
    (see following section);

-   **Involve the local community** through an educational or volunteer
    component tied to the restoration activities;

-   Provide a **1:1 nonfederal match** to the partnership cash
    contribution (see "Funding" section); and

-   Include a mechanism to **monitor and evaluate** the success/failure
    of the project.

Funding will be allocated for one year for all projects, and the
preferred project duration is one year. However projects taking up to 18
months for completion, but only require one year of funding, will also
be considered.

Funding may be provided for studies, workshops, or other such work
elements which [directly]{.underline} support actual and measurable
habitat improvement and/or public education about the project.
Recognizing that restoration is a multi-faceted effort, funding for
projects involving limited pre-implementation activities, such as
engineering and design and short-term baseline studies, will be
considered. However, funding for such activities will be limited to 15%
of the total project cost. Projects that are solely engineering and
design projects will be considered but limited to a total of \$25,000,
although on the ground restoration projects will be given priority.
Deliverables for engineering and design projects are to include, but are
not limited to, engineering designs/plans, reports summarizing the
biological and hydrologic data collected in the construction area, a
draft of completed permit applications, and synthesized comments from
those who review the engineering design. Preproposals emphasizing a
singular restoration component, such as only outreach or program
coordination are discouraged, as are applications that propose to expand
an organization's day-to-day activities, or that primarily seek support
for administration, salaries, overhead, and travel.

**[NOAA Trust Resources:]{.underline}**

NOAA trust resources and the habitats that support them serve as the
focus of this partnership. **Applicants must demonstrate that habitat
restoration will result in a benefit to NOAA trust resources.** These
include living marine resources such as:

-   Commercial and recreational fishery resources (marine fish and
    shellfish and their habitats);

-   Anadromous species (fish, such as salmon and striped bass, that
    spawn in freshwater and then migrate to the sea);

-   Endangered and threatened marine species and their habitats;

-   Marine mammals, turtles, and their habitats;

-   Marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and other coastal
    habitats; and

-   Resources associated with National Marine Sanctuaries and National
    Estuarine Research Reserves.

**[Funding:]{.underline}**

NOAA provides funding for community-based habitat restoration under this
partnership. Projects will be evaluated and selected by the GCRP
Steering Committee, which consists of the state GEMS managers, Gulf of
Mexico Foundation staff, and NOAA, EPA Gulf of Mexico Program and US
Fish and Wildlife Service technical staff. Approximately \$350,000 is
available for funding habitat restoration projects across the five Gulf
States. Project funding levels will typically fall within the range of
\$25,000-\$70,000. Additionally, each Gulf state has a minimum of
\$50,000 available for project funding. All remaining monies go to a
competitive pool fund.

All projects **must** provide a 1:1 match of the grant amount. Matching
funds **cannot be federal dollars**. Matching funds can be cash and/or
in-kind, including one or more of the following:

-   In-kind donations, such as of materials and earthmoving equipment;

-   Technical assistance for restoration site selection, design, and
    evaluation;

-   Land;

-   Workforce support or other in-kind services, especially those that
    promote citizens' hands-on involvement;

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-   Local stewardship and monitoring to sustain and evaluate the success
    of the restoration over time

Additional federal funding or other contributions may be included in the
project description to demonstrate that the project is part of a larger
restoration effort. However, such federal contributions may not serve as
matching contribution to the CRP partnership funds.

**[Preproposal Requirements:]{.underline}**

Preproposals should be no more than two (2) pages in length and received
by **August 31, 2003**. Preproposals must include all of the information
as outlined in the enclosed format (Attachment B). Timelines may use a
November 1, 2003, starting date.

Preproposals will be reviewed by the GCRP Steering Committee. Projects
that meet the minimum partnership requirements will be invited to submit
full proposals that will more fully describe the activities to be
accomplished, specific timelines, a monitoring plan and a detailed
budget. Applicants will also be required to obtain a letter of support
from an appropriate state agency. Full proposals will be ranked by the
Steering Committee and projects will be selected for funding.

**Attachment A**

**Gulf Ecological Management Sites (GEMS)**

**[Alabama]{.underline}**

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  South Mon Louis Island Salt Marsh   Grand Bay Swamp Bioreserve

  Cat Island                          Mobile-Tensaw River Delta

  Orange Beach Maritime Forest        Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

  Weeks Bay National Estuarine        Lillian Swamp
  Research Reserve                    
  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------

##### 

##### 

##### Florida

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  Apalachicola Aquatic Preserve       Apalachicola National Estuarine
                                      Research Reserve

  Lemon Bay                           Cape Haze

  Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor   Matlacha Pass

  Pine Island Sound                   Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve

  Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands    Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve

  Rookery Bay National Estuarine      St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve
  Research Reserve                    

  Crystal River Buffer                Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve &
                                      Buffer

  St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve &   Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve
  Buffer                              

  Pineallas County Aquatic Preserve   Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve

  Boca Ceiga Bay Aquatic Preserve     St. Andrews Bay Aquatic Preserve

  Ft. Pickens Aquatic Preserve        Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve

  Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve        Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve

  Big Bend Seagrass Aquatic Preserve  
  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------

**[Louisiana]{.underline}**

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  Atchafalaya Delta & Swamp Basin     Baptiste Collette Marsh

  Dahoon Savannah                     Cote Blanche Salt Dome

  Fearman Lake Marsh (State Wildlife  Cheniere Au Tigre
  Refuge)                             

  Chandeleur Islands (Breton NWR)     Bayou Mauvais Bois

  Bayou Bois Piquant Crevasse Swamp   East Jetty Woods

  Big Oak Island                      Petit Bois

  Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife     Timbalier Island & East Timbalier
  Refuge                              Island

  Isles Dernieres                     Peveto Beach

  Little Pecan Island                 Delta National Wildlife Refuge

  Johnsons Bayou                      Hackberry Beach

  White's Kitchen                     Weeks Island

  River Pines Plantation              Grande Terre Island

  Queen Bess Island                   Jean Lafitte National Historic Park

  Honey Island Swamp                  Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife
                                      Management Area

  Sabine National Wildlife Refuge     Cameron Prairie National Wildlife
                                      Refuge

  Marsh Island                        Barataria Bay

  Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge & Game  
  Preserve                            
  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------

##### Mississippi

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  Hancock County Marshes              Grand Bayou

  Jourdan River                       Bayou LaCroix

  Wolf River Marshes                  Bayou Portage

  Biloxi River Marshes                Old Fort Bayou

  Davis Bayou                         Bellefontaine Marshes

  Graveline Bay                       Pascagoula River Marshes

  Escatawpa River Marshes             Grand Bay

  Cat Island                          Ship Island (Gulf Islands National
                                      Seashore)

  Petit Bois Island (Gulf Islands     Horn Island (Gulf Islands National
  National Seashore)                  Seashore)

  Deer Island                         Round Island
  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------

**[Texas]{.underline}**

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  Aransas National Wildlife Refuge    Candy Abshier Wildlife Management
                                      Area

  Flower Garden Banks National Marine Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management
  Sanctuary                           Area

  Laguna Madre                        Murphree Wildlife Management Area

  Padre Island National Seashore      Sea Rim State Park

  Welder Flats Coastal Preserve       Armand Bayou Coastal Preserve and
                                      Nature Center

  Christmas Bay Coastal Preserve      Freeport Liberty Ship Reef Complex

  Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife   Matagorda Island Wildlife
  Refuge                              Management Area

  North Deer Island Sanctuary         South Bay Coastal Preserve
  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------

For more information on each state's GEMS program visit the following
websites:

Alabama - <http://www.sarpc.org/gems/index.html>

Florida - <http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/programs/gems.htm>

Louisiana - <http://www.dnr.state.la.us/crm/coastmgt/gems/cmdgems.ssi>

Mississippi
-[http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/Coastal%20Ecology/Gems/Gems%20Home.htm](http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/Coastal Ecology/Gems/Gems Home.htm)

Texas - <http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/conserve/txgems/index.htm>

OR

For direct links to all of these websites -
[www.gulfmex.org/restoration.htm](../www.gulfmex.org/restoration.htm)

**Attachment B**

**Preproposal Format for the**

**Gulf of Mexico Community-Based Restoration Partnership -- Year III**

**June 2003**

# Please submit in outline form the following information:

# I. Applicant Information

1.  Organization

2.  Address of Organization

3.  Organization Web Page Address

## II. Project Contact

1.  Project Manager and Title

2.  Address of Contact (if different from above)

3.  Phone number

4.  Fax number

5.  Email address

# III. Project Information

1.  Project name

2.  Project location (City, County, State)

3.  Land Ownership (public/private)

4.  Type(s) of habitat (marsh, reef, seagrass bed, etc.)

5.  Anticipated NOAA Trust Resource to benefit from restoration (Common
    and scientific name, if known)

6.  Project start date

7.  Project end date

8.  Partners involved

9.  Identification of required federal, state, or local permits required

# IV. Project Abstract 

1.  Project objectives

2.  Project description (250 words maximum)

    a.  Describe the specific on-the-ground activities to be undertaken
        to achieve the project objectives

    b.  Describe the community involvement through an educational and/or
        volunteer component

# V. Budget 

1.  Amount of Gulf of Mexico Community-Based Restoration Partnership
    funds requested

2.  Matching Contributions (Specify sources and types of contributions;
    both in-kind and cash). Federal funds **CANNOT** be used for match.
    Calculate volunteer hours at \$10/hr.

3.  Total Project Cost

**[SUBMISSION:]{.underline} (to be received no later than August 31,
2003)**

Please mail one hard copy and one electronic copy (via email or on
diskette) to:

Gulf of Mexico Foundation

Attention: Gulf of Mexico Restoration Partnership

PMB 51, 5403 Everhart

Corpus Christi, Texas 78411

[info@gulfmex.org](../info@gulfmex.org)

**For questions about the application process, please contact:**

> Dr. Quenton Dokken, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Foundation at:
>
> \(361\) 882-3939 [info@gulfmex.org](../info@gulfmex.org%20) or
> [www.gulfmex.org](../www.gulfmex.org)

**For technical assistance**, contact the GEMS manager in your state:

##### STATE GEMS MANAGERS

  ------------- --------------- ----------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------
  **State**     **Manager**     **Phone**         **Email**

  Texas         Ms. Kay Jenkins 361-825-3245      [Kay.jenkins@tpwd.state.tx.us](../Kay.jenkins@tpwd.state.tx.us)

  Louisiana     Mr. Greg DuCote 225-342-5052      [Gregdu@dnr.state.la.us](../Gregdu@dnr.state.la.us)

  Mississippi   Ms. Rhonda      228-374-5000 ext  [Rhonda.price@dmr.state.ms.us](../Rhonda.price@dmr.state.ms.us)
                Price           5098              

  Alabama       Mr. Jeff Jordan 251-929-0900      [Jeff.jordan@dcnr.state.al.us](../Jeff.jordan@dcnr.state.al.us)

  Florida       Mr. Larry Nall  850-245-2094      [Larry.nall@dep.state.fl.us](../Larry.nall@dep.state.fl.us)
  ------------- --------------- ----------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------

## [ADDITIONAL INFORMATION]{.underline}

Gulf of Mexico Program/Gulf Ecological Management Sites Program:

<http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/gem2.html>

NOAA Restoration Center CRP:

> <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/projects_programs/crp/index.html>