The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority has announced a request for proposals for the Measure AA Grant 2023.
Donor Name: San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority
State: California
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/10/2023
Size of the Grant: $25 million
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (“Authority”) is a regional government agency whose purpose is to raise and allocate funds for the restoration and enjoyment of wetland and wildlife habitat along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Funds are raised through Measure AA, which was put on the ballot by the Authority and passed by the nine-county Bay Area in 2016. Measure AA will fund shoreline projects that protect and restore San Francisco Bay through removing pollution, trash, and toxins to improve water quality; restoring habitat for fish, birds, and wildlife; protecting communities from floods; and increasing shoreline public access.
Funding Information
The Authority expects to generate approximately $25 million each year for twenty years for a total of $500 million, which will be disbursed through grant rounds. Grantees should limit indirect costs to a maximum of 20% of a grant request.
Project Period
The Authority may request that proponents of projects with schedules longer than five years break their projects into phases and return to the Authority for the funding and authorization of each phase of the project.
Eligible Project Types
To be eligible for Measure AA funds, projects must qualify as one or more of the three Restoration Act project types listed below:
- Habitat Project
- A habitat project will restore, protect, or enhance tidal wetlands, managed ponds, or natural habitats on the shoreline in the San Francisco Bay area, excluding the Delta Primary Zone. “Natural habitats” are considered those habitats that are consistent with existing guidance on baylands, riparian, and subtidal habitats, including those that have been modified by human activity, but still provide tangible wildlife support and/or ecological value. Habitat enhancement includes, but is not limited to, increased ecological connectivity that enables fish and wildlife to migrate into new habitat areas.
- Flood Management, as part of a Habitat Project
- A flood management project will build or enhance shoreline levees or other flood management features that are part of a project to restore, enhance, or protect tidal wetlands, managed ponds, or natural habitats identified under Habitat Project. Flood management projects will be considered part of a habitat project if the habitat project is in the planning stages, underway, or partially complete. Generally, flood management projects will be considered part of habitat projects if they are included in the plan, environmental documents, and/or permits for the particular habitat restoration project with which they are associated.
- Public Access, as part of a Habitat Project
- A public access project will provide or improve public access or recreational amenities that are part of a project to restore, enhance, or protect tidal wetlands, managed ponds, or natural habitats identified in Habitat Project. Public access projects will be considered part of a habitat project if the habitat project is in the planning stages, underway, or partially complete. Generally, public access projects will be considered part of habitat projects if they are included in the plan, environmental documents, and/or permits for the particular habitat restoration project with which they are associated.
Eligible Activities
Projects that qualify under the Restoration Act may receive funding for the following activities described in Measure AA:
- The Safe, Clean Water and Pollution Prevention Program’s purpose is to remove pollution, trash and harmful toxins from the Bay in order to provide clean water for fish, birds, wildlife and people. Eligible activities are:
- Improving water quality by reducing pollution and engaging in restoration activities, protecting public health and making fish and wildlife healthier.
- Reducing pollution levels through shoreline cleanup and trash removal from the Bay.
- Restoring wetlands that provide natural filters and remove pollution from the Bay’s water.
- Cleaning and enhancing creek outlets where they flow into the Bay.
- The Vital Fish, Bird and Wildlife Habitat Program’s purpose is to significantly improve wildlife habitat that will support and increase vital populations of fish, birds, and other wildlife in and around the Bay. Eligible activities are:
- Enhancing the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, shoreline parks and open space preserves, and other protected lands in and around the Bay, providing expanded and improved habitat for fish, birds and mammals.
- Protecting and restoring wetlands and other Bay and shoreline habitats to benefit wildlife, including shorebirds, waterfowl and fish.
- Providing for stewardship, maintenance and monitoring of habitat restoration projects in and around the Bay, to ensure their ongoing benefits to wildlife and people.
- The Integrated Flood Protection Program’s purpose is to use natural habitats to protect communities along the Bay’s shoreline from the risks of severe coastal flooding caused by storms and high water levels. Eligible activities are:
- Providing nature-based flood protection through wetland and habitat restoration along the Bay’s edge and at creek outlets that flow to the Bay.
- Building and/or improving flood protection levees that are a necessary part of wetland restoration activities, to protect existing shoreline communities, agriculture, and infrastructure.
- The Shoreline Public Access Program’s purpose is to enhance the quality of life of Bay Area residents, including those with disabilities, through safer and improved public access, as part of and compatible with wildlife habitat restoration projects in and around the Bay. Eligible activities are:
- Constructing new, repairing existing and/or replacing deteriorating public access trails, signs, and related facilities along the shoreline and managing these public access facilities.
- Providing interpretive materials and special outreach events about pollution prevention, wildlife habitat, public access, and flood protection, to protect the Bay’s health and encourage community engagement.
Eligible Project Locations
Projects must be located within the nine Bay Area counties: Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, or San Francisco.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible grantees are federal, state, and local agencies; tribal governments; nonprofit organizations; and owners or operators of shoreline parcels in the San Francisco Bay Area, excluding the Delta primary zone.
For more information, visit SFBRA.
