Notify FWS of delays that impair project progress

Coastal Impact Assistance Program
Notice of Availability of Grants and Request for Applications
Program Overview Information
Federal Agency Name:
U.S. Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
Funding Opportunity Title:
Coastal Impact Assistance Program
Announcement Type:
Announcement of availability of grants for fiscal year (FY) 2007 – 2010 funds and request for
applications
Funding Opportunity Number: FWS-CIAP
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.668
Dates: Eligible applicants in Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas,
including qualified coastal political subdivisions, must submit applications through
www.grants.gov (Grants.gov) by December 31, 2013, 11:59 p.m. EST.
Additional information:
This announcement provides guidance to the States of Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Texas, and qualified coastal political subdivisions (CPSs) within these States, on the
content and submittal process for the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grant
applications to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
Program (WSFR). Applicants should review the CIAP State Plan Guidelines and Grant
Application Guidelines for detailed information and requirements of the Program
(http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CIAP/CIAP.htm). Prior to October 1,
2011, CIAP was administered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and
Enforcement (BOEMRE). As of October 1, responsibility for administration of CIAP is
transferred to the FWS. To the extent practicable, CIAP guidance issued by BOEMRE will be
incorporated by the FWS. However, there may be operational process differences and/or
issues of interpretation that could affect your application. Please contact a FWS representative

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if you have questions or concerns related to preparing and submitting grant applications that
are not addressed in this request for applications.
References to “you” in this announcement refer to the eligible State agency or CPS completing
the application and any eligible recipient or subrecipient, if applicable. References to “we” or
“us” in this announcement refer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife and Sport
Fish Restoration Program.
New in the FY 2012 Request for Applications:
• Applicants must apply to the FWS with reference to CFDA No. 15.668, not BOEMRE, nor
referencing CFDA No. 15.426.
• Revised application process and guidance.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section 384 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Act) created CIAP by amending Section 31 of the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. § 1356a). Under the provisions of the Act, the
authority and responsibility for the management of CIAP is vested in the Secretary of the
Department of the Interior (Secretary). The Secretary delegated this authority and
responsibility to the Minerals Management Service, later BOEMRE, from the date of enactment
through September 30, 2011. The Secretary has re-delegated CIAP authority and responsibility
to the FWS beginning October 1, 2011.
Under Section 1356a(b)(1) of the Act, BOEMRE has allocated CIAP funds of $250 million for each
year, FY 2007 through 2010, to eligible States and CPSs. The amount allocated to each State is
based on the proportion of qualified Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues accrued by the
individual State to total qualified OCS revenues from all eligible States. In accordance with the
allocated funds, BOEMRE awarded grant funds from FY2007 through FY2011. Beginning in
FY2012, the FWS will award remaining allocated grant funds, estimated at $500 million.
We will award all available funds through a noncompetitive grant process. To receive CIAP
grant awards, States were required to submit a coastal impact assistance plan (Plan) developed
in coordination with their CPSs. BOEMRE approved the Plans for specified funding years prior
to awarding funds (Section 1356a(c)(2)(A)). Beginning October 1, 2011, we will manage Plans,
Plan revisions and grant awards. All Plans previously approved by BOEMRE will continue as
approved Plans by the FWS, however, we must approve any new Plans and revisions to
approved Plans. Eligible recipients within eligible States, i.e., the State and designated CPS
entities, may submit grant applications for projects identified in their approved Plan.
The Act stipulates that CIAP funds must only be used for one or more of the following
authorized uses:
1. Projects and activities for the conservation, protection, or restoration of coastal
areas, including wetland;

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2. Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources;
3. Planning assistance and the administrative costs of complying with CIAP (total
not to exceed 23% of an annual allocation);
4. Implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive
conservation management plan; and
5. Mitigation of the impact of OCS activities through funding of onshore
infrastructure projects and public service needs (total not to exceed 23% of an
annual allocation).
II. Award Information:
All unobligated FY 2007 through 2010 CIAP funds will be available for noncompetitive grant
awards. We posted each eligible recipient’s FY 2007, FY 2008, FY 2009, and FY 2010 funding
amount on the CIAP website, available at:
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CIAP/CIAP.htm.
Please contact us for current information on unobligated CIAP balances available for individual
State and CPU agencies.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are the States of Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas,
and qualified CPSs within these States.
If you are uncertain of your eligibility, please see the CIAP web site,
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CIAP/CIAP.htm, or contact the FWS
(see Section VII, Agency Contacts) for more information.
States and CPSs may allow subgrants in accordance with Federal rules and regulations,
including 43 CFR 12.
B. Cost-Sharing or Matching
There is no cost share or match requirement.
C. Other
All Plans previously approved by BOEMRE will continue as approved Plans by the FWS,
however, we must approve any new Plans and revisions to approved Plans. Eligible recipients
within eligible States, i.e., the State and designated CPS entities, may submit grant applications
for projects identified in their approved Plan.

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IV. Application and Submission Information
Address to Request Application Package
You can download application forms and other material necessary to apply for CIAP through
Grants.gov, CFDA 15.668. Application forms are also available through the WSFR toolkit
(http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/ToolkitFiles/toolkit.pdf).
Content and Form of Application
Applications for CIAP funding must include:
a. Required Forms:
a. Application for Federal Assistance, i.e., Standard Form 424.
b. Budget Information, i.e., estimated costs to attain the project objectives. You may use
Standard Form 424A for Non-Construction or Standard Form 424C for Construction.
c. Statement of Assurances of compliance with applicable Federal laws, regulations, and
policies, i.e., Standard Form 424B for Non-Construction or Standard Form 424D for
Construction (unless your agency has an approved Statement of Assurances on file.
d. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, Standard Form LLL, if applicable (unless your agency
has an approved Disclosure of Lobbying Activities on file).
e. A letter of delegation from the authorized agency signatory if you are submitting the
application on behalf of the authorized agency signatory (unless you have a current
letter on file or are the authorized agency signatory).
b. Contact Information:
Please include the name, title, agency, address, telephone number, fax number, and email
address for each of the following contacts, if applicable. Please note any changes from the
approved CIAP plan.
a. Designated State agency or CPS
b. Recipient contact
c. Application contact and or project contact
d. Subrecipient contact, if any.
c. Project Statement
Include a concise project statement that identifies and describes the most current information
available for each project in the application. Please note any changes from the approved CIAP
plan, if applicable (see Changes to the approved CIAP State Plan below for details on what
information to include). You must include, or incorporate by reference to your approved CIAP
Plan, the following information:
a. Project title;
b. The need for the proposed project and project purpose(s);
c. Discrete, quantifiable, and verifiable objectives to be accomplished during a specific
time period. You may submit an application for the entire project, including phases, i.e.
land acquisition, planning, design, and construction. If submitting an application for
only a part of a project, describe what the proposed portion of the project will
accomplish.

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d. Expected results or benefits from accomplishing the objectives;
e. The approach to be used in meeting the objectives, including specific
procedures, schedules and timelines, key personnel, and cooperators;
f. Description of the site activity, so the FWS can make an assessment of
compliance needs relative to applicable laws and executive orders, i.e. the
Endangered Species Act (ESA), Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), among others;
g. A project location; including the closest city or town, with GPS Coordinates (in
minutes, degrees, seconds);
h. Authorized Use(s). Identify the authorized use(s) of each project by number (See
Section I). Provide an explanation of how the project is consistent with the
identified authorized use(s). Include how the project directly or, as appropriate,
indirectly benefits the natural coastal environment. You may include more than
one authorized use in an application.
d. Maps/Drawing/Photographs: Clearly marked maps, illustrations, or photographs of the
overall proposed project. You must include:
a. At least one map to show the full extent of the project area in its current condition;
b. The project footprint;
c. The specific location of the project features; and
d. Proposed project components.
e. Relationship to Other Federal and Non-Federal Programs and Projects:
Describe other Federal and non-Federal programs and projects that are closely related to
the proposed project.
Changes to the approved CIAP State Plan
You should clearly identify any project deviations from the previously approved CIAP Plan
proposed in the application. You should clearly identify these changes in each appropriate
section of the application, most often, the Project Statement. Explain the nature and reason for
changes.
a. Identify any project/technical changes;
b. Identify any financial changes;
c. Show compliance with the 23% limit (see funding restrictions for additional
information); and
d. Include an assurance statement to verify that the:
• proposed changes comply with the original intent of the project as stated in
the approved Plan
• modified description is consistent with the original project description to the
extent it remains recognizable
• proposed changes are still covered by the Governor’s Certification of Public
Participation.
We cannot disburse any CIAP funds to a State or CPS until we have approved revisions to your
State Plan, if applicable. If a State or CPS chooses to begin work on a proposed project prior to
approval of Plan revisions, it does so at its own risk.

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Application Format
We request that you number pages consecutively, label all sections (see above for details on
what should be included in each section), and arrange the application in this order:
• Required Federal Forms
• Contact Information
• Project Statement
• Maps/ Drawings/Photographs
• Relationship to Other Federal Programs and Non-Federal Partners
Applications should be formatted to print on 8.5” X 11” paper, with 1” margins at the top,
bottom, and both sides, and page numbers at the bottom of the page. Fonts should be legible,
i.e., preferably 12 point Arial, Times New Roman, or other commonly used font.
Submission Dates and Times:
Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. The deadline submission is December 31,
2013, 11:59 p.m. EST.
If a recipient intends to submit several applications at once, a priority list should be provided,
via email, to the National CIAP office at: FW9_WSFR_CIAP@fws.gov.
Intergovernmental Review
Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” was issued with the
intent to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on
State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial
assistance and direct Federal development. State applicants that are subject to E.O. 12372
should alert their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) early in the application process. If you
are required to submit materials to a SPOC, indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of
contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424. Names and addresses of the
SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management and Budget’s home page at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.
Funding Restrictions:
a. The Act stipulates that CIAP funds must only be used for one or more of the following
authorized uses:
1. projects and activities for the conservation, protection, or restoration of coastal
areas, including wetland;
2. mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources;
3. planning assistance and the administrative costs of complying with CIAP (total
not to exceed 23% of an annual allocation);
4. implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive
conservation management plan; and

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b.

c.

d.

e.

5. mitigation of the impact of OCS activities through funding of onshore
infrastructure projects and public service needs (total not to exceed 23% of an
annual allocation);
Multiple projects per application
States and CPS’s may combine their allocations to fund mutually beneficial projects. Each
recipient must submit a separate application for their specific portion of the work with
separate objectives and deliverables. Each recipient will receive a separate grant award.
Additionally, a State or CPS’s may combine more than one project into a single grant for any
of the 5 eligible uses provided each project costs can be accounted for at the individual
project level. We will consider the inclusion of more than one project into one grant award
on a case-by-case basis. A Project Statement must be provided for each individual project
within the application. The location of all such projects and the funding combinations for
the project(s) must be described in the State’s Plan.
Projects with multiple phases
States and CPS’s may submit an application for a project with several phases. Applications
may cover one or more phases for which funding is being requested.
Funds distribution limitation
Pursuant to the Act, not more than 23 percent of the amounts received by a State or CPS for
any one fiscal year shall be used for Authorized Use #3, planning assistance and the
administrative costs of complying with CIAP, and Authorized Use #5, mitigation of the
impact of OCS activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects and public
service needs. Authorized Uses #1, #2, and #4 are not subject to the 23 percent limitation.
Real Property
1. Recipients must comply with government-wide requirements for real property
acquisition and relocation assistance contained in the Department of Transportation's
rule at 49 CFR 24, Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition
Regulations for Federal and Federally-Assisted Programs located at:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/textidx?c=ecfr&sid=c41b3472205db0702770e615a324d962&rgn=div5&view=text&node=49
:1.0.1.1.17&idno=49. The purchaser must obtain an appraisal, unless the expected
value of the property is $10,000 or less (or $25,000 or less under the conditions stated
at 49 CFR 24.102(c)).
2. Recipients shall follow the regulations and policies of their own agency when conducting
surveys.
3. For all land acquisitions, recipients must comply with the Uniform Appraisal Standards
for Federal Land Acquisitions. Those standards can be found at:
http://www.justice.gov/enrd/land-ack/Uniform-Appraisal-Standards.pdf.

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Other Submission Requirements:
All CIAP applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, through CFDA
15.668.
To apply for a grant, recipients must first complete the Grants.gov registration process, if they
haven’t done so previously. To register, go to
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp and follow the instructions. The process
takes 3-5 business days to complete. Recipients are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
In the case of issues with Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk.
Phone: 1-800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only eligible recipients (Section III) may apply for CIAP funds. The critical components,
information, and criteria necessary to be provided in an application for CIAP funds are
identified in, but not limited to, Section IV.
2. Review and Selection Process
CIAP is non-competitive with Congressionally-required authorized uses. Instead of a selection
process, there will be a review process. We may (1) review and approve an application, (2)
work with you to revise your application and resubmit it, or (3) rescind it, as appropriate. All
CIAP funding restrictions, as discussed above, and adherence to the appropriate administrative
requirements and cost principles must be met prior to receipt of a grant award and throughout
the grant period.
We will review the technical and environmental components of a project to ensure compliance
with CIAP program requirements. The technical reviews will include evaluating the adequacy of
the information submitted; including, but not limited to (1) the clear applicability to one of the
five authorized uses; (2) clear, concise goals; and (3) objectives with measurable products and
performance. All required forms and application components (Section IV) will be reviewed and
approved before the award is made.
3. Anticipated Award Dates
This is a mandatory, noncompetitive grant program. We will make awards throughout the
applicable fiscal year. Your application will be reviewed for technical adequacy and eligibility
for funding. If approved, an award letter will be sent to you noting the award effective date,
grant period and reporting requirements, along with any terms and special conditions
associated with the award.

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VI. Award Administration Information
The CIAP award recipients are responsible for ensuring that the day-to-day operations of their
grants and subgrants comply with all applicable Federal statutes, regulations, and policies.
Recipients are also responsible for meeting the performance goals identified in the Project
Statement.
1. Award Notices
Once the CIAP application requirements have been met as discussed, we will prepare the notice
of grant award which will not require recipient signature. Concurrent with preparation of the
notice of grant award, we will obligate the award funds which will be available through the
Department of the Treasury’s ASAP system.
Once the CIAP Branch Chief signs the award document, you may begin performance of the
award. Likewise, once the funds are set up in ASAP, the recipient may begin withdrawing funds
for the project.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Once we have approved a project for funding, compliance with all applicable Federal laws,
regulations, and policies, including environmental laws such as the ESA, the Clean Water Act,
and NHPA must be satisfied by the recipient.
We will follow applicable provisions of administrative and national policy rules and regulations
when awarding, administering, and closing out grants. See the CIAP guidance document or
contact us for additional information.
Acceptance of a Federal Financial Assistance award from us carries with it the responsibility to
be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of an award. Acceptance is defined as
accepting the award, the start of work, or drawing down of funds. Awards are based on the
application submitted to and approved by us, and are subject to the terms and conditions
incorporated either directly or by reference in the CIAP statute and all applicable regulatory
requirements, as per OMB Form SF-424B and SF-424D: Assurances for Non-Construction and
Construction Programs.
To find out more about the rules, including administrative requirements and cost principles,
you may review them on the WSFR Toolkit at:
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/ToolkitFiles/toolkit.pdf. The rules that apply to
categories of recipients and subrecipients are:
Table 1. Federal Financial Administrative Guidance
Categories of Recipients and Subrecipients
Specific Rules and Guidance
States, local governments and Tribes
- 43 CFR 12 (Administrative and Audit
Requirements and Cost Principles for Assistance
Programs)

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Individuals, private firms, and non-profits
excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No.
A-122
Non-profit organizations covered under OMB
Circular No. A-122

Educational Institutions (even if part of a State or
local government)

- 43 CFR 18 (Restrictions on Lobbying)
- 2 CFR 225 (Cost Principles for State, Local and
Indian Tribal Governments)
- OMB Circular No. A-102 (Grants and Cooperative
Agreements with State and Local Governments)
- OMB Circular No. A-133 (Audits of States, Local
Governments and Non-Profit Organizations)
- 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying)
- 48 CFR 31.2 (Federal Acquisition Regulation Contracts with Commercial Organizations)
- 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying)
- 2 CFR 215 (Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements
with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals
and Other Non-Profit Organizations)
- 2 CFR 230 (Cost Principles for Non-Profit
Organizations)
- OMB Circular No. A-133 (Audits of States, Local
Governments and Non-Profit Organizations)
- 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying)
- 2 CFR 220 (Cost Principles for Educational
Institutions)
- 2 CFR 215 (Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements
with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals
and Other Non-Profit Organizations)
- OMB Circular No. A-133 (Audits of States, Local
Governments and Non-Profit Organizations)

3. Reporting
WSFR will conduct oversight and monitoring of the performance and financial status of each
grant by requiring, at a minimum, the following:
Performance and Federal Financial Reporting Requirements
Reporting requirements for projects are regulated by 43 CFR 12.80 and 12.81. Reports are
required annually, unless notified otherwise. These regulations specify basic grant reporting
requirements including performance and financial reports. Additional guidance on annual
performance and financial reporting is at:
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpages/toolkitfiles/intgdrpt.pdf
Reports and the reported data will be used by WSFR for CIAP accomplishment reports to
Congress and others and for grant award monitoring purposes.
The Performance Report should be concise and include:
•

A comparison of actual work accomplished relative to the annual goals and
objectives established in the grant award document for the reporting period.
For construction grants, WSFR may rely upon on-site technical inspections and
certified percentage-of-completion data to monitor progress;
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•

Justification if established goals and objectives were not met;

•

Additional pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and
explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs; and

•

If available, photos of project sites before and after project implementation. You
should include text identifying the project name and location and a brief
description with each photograph.

Single Audit Requirements
Non-Federal entities that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a
single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of
OMB Circular A-133 §_ .215(c).
VII. Agency Contacts
Program Announcement and Grant Questions
National CIAP Branch
4401 North Fairfax Dr., WSFR 4020
Arlington, Virginia 22203
Email: FW9_WSFR_CIAP@fws.gov
VIII. Other Information

The Federal government is not bound to fund any project until the FWS WSFR representative
has approved the award.
OMB Control Number 1018-0147 Current expiration date: September 30, 2014
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you
why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to
respond. We will use the information that we collect to evaluateperformance on projects using
Coastal Impact Assistance Program funds. Your response is required to obtain or retain a
benefit. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to
a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The
average estimated annual burden associated with writing and submitting required
performance reports is 8 hours. We estimate that it will take an average of 8 hours to
complete State Plan amendments. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates
or any aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS BPHC, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

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