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Estuary Habitat Restoration Program

Estuary Habitat Restoration Program
Number: 12.130
Agency: Department of Defense
Office: Department of the Army, Office of the Chief of Engineers

Program Information 

Program Number/Title (010):
12.130 Estuary Habitat Restoration Program
Popular Name (020):
Estuary Habitat Restoration Program
Federal Agency (030):
Department of the Army, Office of the Chief of Engineers, Department of Defense
Authorization (040):
Estuary Restoration Act of 2000, as amended
, Public Law 106-106-457, 114 Stat. 1957, 33 U.S.C 2901-2908.
Objectives (050):
The objectives of the ERA program are to provide Federal assistance for estuary habitat restoration projects while encouraging partnerships among public agencies and non-governmental organizations, supporting innovation, and monitoring the success of funded projects.
Types of Assistance (060):
Cooperative Agreements
Uses and Use Restrictions (070):
Assistance may be provided only for projects that meet the requirement in the Estuary Restoratoin Act of 2000 as amended. Additionally the Non-Federal interest must enter into a written agreement to furnish its required share of the costs of the project and provide long term opportaion, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of the restoration. Assistance may be provided only for projects that meet the requirement in the Estuary Restoratoin Act of 2000 as amended. Additionally the Non-Federal interest must enter into a written agreement to furnish its required share of the costs of the project and provide long term opportaion, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of the restoration.
Eligibility Requirements (080)
Applicant Eligibility (081):
None.
Beneficiary Eligibility (082):
None.
Credentials/Documentation (083):
Grant awardees must prepare, retain, and upon request provide documentation of their expenditure of funds on reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses for ERA projects. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.
Application and Award Process (090)
Preapplication Coordination (091):
Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedures (092):
OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program.
Award Procedure (093):
Proposals will be reviewed by a five agency team which will provide recommendations to the Estuary Habitat Restoration Council. The Council will review the team's recommendations and provide a prioritized list of proposals recommended for funding consideration to the Assistant Secreatary of the Army for Civil Works. The Assistant Secretary will then approve funding of selected proposals. A Cooperative Agreement or cost-sharing agreement will be negotiated and executed prior to distribution of funds.
Deadlines (094):
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time (095):
From 90 to 120 days.
Appeals (096):
Not Applicable.
Renewals (097):
Not Applicable.
Assistance Consideration (100)
Formula and Matching Requirements (101):
Statutory Formula: Estuary Restroration Act of 2000 as amended, section 104(d).
Matching Requirements: Percent: 35.%. Non-Federal grant applicants must fund at least 35% of the total cost of an approved ERA program project.
This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance (102):
Seven years after execution of the agreement. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Assistance is incrementally released based on periodically submitted cost documentation.
Post Assistance Requirements (110)
Reports (111):
Biennial reports to Congress are required. These document the number of acres restored and provide other information about completed projects, including th eresults of monitoring, estimates of long term succes of various techniques, and explanation of how information obtained regarding previously funded projects about is used in the selection and implementation of future projects. No cash reports are required. Periodic reports are required to document work accomplished and results of monitoring. Grant recipients are required to provide reports of their expenditures on projects in order to receive further increments of awared grant funding. Periodic inspections by agency staff are conducted throughout the award period and subsequent to project construction.
Audits (112):
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records (113):
No Data Available.
Financial Information (120)
Obligations (122):
(Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements)) FY 11 $2,816,000; FY 12 est $1,810,000; and FY 13 est $2,500,000
Range and Average of Financial Assistance (123):
No Data Available.
Program Accomplishments (130):
Not Applicable.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature (140):
Not Applicable.
Information Contacts (150)
Regional or Local Office (151) :
See Regional Agency Offices.
Headquarters Office (152):
Ellen Cumings 441 G Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20314 Email: Ellen.M.Cummings@usace.army.mil Phone: 202-761-4750
Website Address (153):
http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/EstuaryRestoration.aspx.
Related Programs (160):
11.463 Habitat Conservation
Examples of Funded Projects (170):
Fiscal Year 2011: Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration: Building Resilience with the Beneficial Reuse of Sediment, CA. This project will restore approximately 21 acres of salt marsh with placement of material being dredged from another project. Raising the elevation of this area will provide increased sustainability for the marsh and may also benefit several endangered species.

Riverside Ranch Restoration Project, Eureka, CA. Restoration of 356 acres of estuarine juvenile rearing habitat in the Salt River delta on the Riverside Ranch will require lowering levees, two tidal breaches, slough channel creation, construction of a setback levee, the filling of drainage ditches, and revegetation. The project will aid in the efforts to recover federally listed Coho (threatened), Chinook (threatened), and Steelhead (threatened) stocks in the Salt River watershed as well as provide habitat for tidewater goby (federally endangered), green sturgeon and Dungeness crab larval stages.

Little Oyster Creek Sanctuary on the Lower Neuse River in Pamlico Sound, Pamlico County, NC. Approximately 10 acres of oyster reef will be created using Ultra Balls and Reef Pyramids as the substrate for oyster spat settlement. This technique has not been used previously in this area. The results will be compared to the biological and economic benefits of traditional limestone mounds.

Skokomish Estuary Restoration Phase III Mason County, WA. The project will restore 330 acres of tidal/palustrine marsh complex by re-establishing historic hydrologic connectivity of a large freshwater wetland to the estuary of the Skokomish River in lower Hood Canal. Appropriately sized culverts, restoration of diverted channels and bridges will be used to achieve this goal. This will improve the native vegetation and habitat for endangered trout and other species.

Additional information about the program is available at http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/EstuaryRestoration.aspx. Fiscal Year 2012: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2013: No Current Data Available
Criteria for Selecting Proposals (180):
Solicitations issued to invite proposals contain detailed criteria which may vary year to year. In order to be considered projects must address restoration needs indentified in an estuary habitat restoration plan as defined in the Estuary Restoration Act or 2000 as amended., be consistent with the esturay habitat restoration strategy, include a monitoring plan that meets the monitoring standards and include satisfactory assurances from the non-Federal interests that they will have adequate personnel, funding and authority to carry out items of local cooperation and properly maintain the project for the long term. The qualifications of the prinicipal parties are considered along wiht the scope of the projects and geographic location. A complete list is contained in the solicitations.