Request for Proposals for 2023 Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) Program

States: Selected Sates

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 02/14/2023

Size of the Grant: $200,000 to $1,000,000

Grant Duration: 2-3 years

Details:

The program will award up to $18.7 million in grants in 2023 to improve and enhance: stream, riparian and coastal habitats to benefit species; water quality in the Great Lakes and its tributaries. The program is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in partnership with the Caerus Foundation, Cleveland-Cliffs, General Mills, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Significant program funding is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a federal program designed to protect, restore and enhance the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Priorities

All proposals must specifically address how projects will directly and measurably contribute to the accomplishment of program goals. Further information on the program goals can be found in NFWF’s Great Lakes Business Plan. In 2023, grant funding will be awarded in four categories:

Habitat Restoration to Conserve Species and Improve Water Quality

Strategy 1: Stream and Riparian Habitat Restoration to Benefit Species

Projects will:

• Restore aquatic connectivity: barrier removal, bridge and culvert replacement, and passage structure installation to facilitate movements of brook trout or lake sturgeon
• Naturalize stream channel configuration: channel realignment and excavation to restore stream meander, floodplain connections, and other geomorphological processes
• Improve in-stream habitat: installation of in-stream structures to improve geomorphological processes and habitat complexity for brook trout or lake sturgeon
• Improve riparian habitat: bank stabilization, and native plant restoration along streambanks and floodplain to improve habitat and water quality

Strategy 2: Stream and Riparian Restoration to Improve Water Quality

Projects will:

• Improve riparian and floodplain habitat: bank stabilization, and native plant restoration along streambanks and riparian wetlands and floodplains to improve water quality, protect or enhance high quality or previously restored habitat, and enhance habitat for priority species by reducing runoff of nutrients and sedimentation
• Naturalize stream channel configuration: channel realignment and excavation to restore stream meander, floodplain connections, and other geomorphological processes
• Improve in-stream habitat: installation of in-stream structures to enhance resilience, reduce flooding and enhance habitat complexity for fish and other aquatic organisms

Strategy 3: Coastal Habitat Restoration

Projects will:

• Improve coastal habitat structure: restoration actions aimed at improving habitat function and quality to benefit shorebirds, waterfowl and/or breeding marsh birds. Projects should prioritize using native plant and tree species designed to improve habitat for native pollinators and migratory birds
  • Invasive species control: Invasive species control activities, particularly EDRR, initial treatments and subsequent retreatments, are eligible for funding in this category. Invasive species control must be included as a component of broader habitat restoration activities proposed. Applicants must demonstrate that proposed invasive control activities are necessary to ensure the success of the broader habitat restoration effort requesting funding. If the majority of project activities and budget are directed toward species control,
• Restore coastal aquatic connectivity and hydrology: restoration actions that improve hydrological connectivity between Great Lakes waters and adjacent wetlands/streams including installation of passage structures, or removal of sediment and hard structures to improve access by fish and suitable habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl and breeding marsh birds

Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Great Lakes Communities

The green stormwater infrastructure category will direct up to $9.5 million to green infrastructure projects that slow, store and filter stormwater. Priority will be given to green infrastructure projects that add more than 100,000 gallons of stormwater storage capacity per year and directly benefit Great Lakes water quality. A portion of available funding will be awarded to projects in the Great Lakes watershed of western New York, specifically the following counties: Allegany, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming.

Priority will also be given to projects with strong operation and maintenance plans and established partners or resources allocated to support maintenance activities for a minimum of 5 years post project completion. Funding will primarily support the following three strategies.

• Create and enhance stormwater wetlands: construction of wetlands in communities to slow, store and filter stormwater and reduce flooding while improving habitat
• Install green infrastructure: installation of rain gardens, bioswales, pervious surfaces, and other green infrastructure solutions to increase stormwater storage, reduce flooding and capture and enhance community green space
• Restore urban and community forests: strategic planting of diverse native tree species along riparian zones and other flood-prone areas to slow and retain stormwater runoff, sequester carbon, reduce heat-island effects, moderate water temperatures, improve habitat, and increase ecosystem resilience

Invasive Species Control to Protect and Enhance Restored Habitat

• The invasive species control category will direct up to $3 million to support invasive species control efforts needed to sustain or enhance the benefits of previous habitat restorations. Funding under this strategy will be limited to control efforts focused on terrestrial, coastal, and aquatic invasive plants. Projects should be designed to span a minimum of 3 years or 3 field seasons to increase sustainability and long-term success for retreatment. Proposed projects should be of sufficient size, scope, or unique ecological value to necessitate a strategic re-investment in invasive species control.

Funding will primarily support the following two strategies.

• Re-treat or manage acres to control invasive species: retreatment of acres that have received initial treatment to further control primary invasive species target(s) and management of secondary invasives appearing post-initial treatment
• Expand existing invasive control efforts: treat or manage invasive species on new/previously untreated acres adjacent or strategically connected to existing control efforts to reduce the threat of future encroachment by invasive species and increase restored habitat quality and scope

Conservation Practices and Regenerative Agriculture on Working Lands

• This category will direct up to $1.3 million in funding to projects that improve water quality, soil health, biodiversity and working land resilience by providing technical assistance to landowners with a focus on accelerating the planning and adoption of regenerative agriculture (RA) principles. RA is a systems-approach to farming and ranching that integrates multiple principles of agricultural 7 management for improving ecosystem function and resilience (such as):  minimize chronic disturbances to the soil and biological community, improve habitat and water quality to optimize diversity and/or use of working land-adjacent habitat for native plants and animals, keep the soil covered, and 4) keep a living root in the ground at all times.

Priority actions for technical assistance throughout the Great Lakes region include:

• Improve Soil Health, Water Quality and Biodiversity: provide technical assistance to landowners to strategically apply soil health and RA conservation practices, such as the use of cover crops in crop rotation, construction of on-farm riparian buffers and wetlands, drainage and tillage practices to reduce sediment and phosphorous losses and improve fish and wildlife habitat
• Engage Landowners in Conservation and Regenerative Agriculture Planning and Peer to Peer Learning: coordination of outreach and implementation of conservation systems and RA principles on agricultural land and adjacent riparian and buffer lands. Outreach and convening of farmer-led groups to engage in peer-to-peer learning, discussion and conservation planning (nutrient management plans, forest stewardship plans, etc.) to advance regional knowledge and adoption of RA principles.
• Reduce Farm Bill Practice Contracting and Implementation Backlog: coordinate with NRCS to accelerate the implementation of and completion of previously contracted Farm Bill practices and decrease the time enrolled and interested producers wait between Farm Bill enrollment to implementation.

Funding Information

• Individual grant awards will range from $200,000 to $1,000,000.
• SOGL Funding Category 4: Individual grant awards will range from $100,000 to $350,000.

Project Period

Anticipated completion time for funded projects will typically be two to three years (or field seasons) following finalization of a grant agreement.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal governments and organizations, and educational institutions.

• Ineligible applicants include federal government agencies, unincorporated individuals, and for-profit businesses.

For more information, visit Sustain Our Great Lakes.