16 Usc 6410

8/5/24, 3:47 PM

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

LII > U.S. Code > Title 16 > CHAPTER 83 > § 6410
Quick search by citation:

Title
enter title

Section
section
Go!

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation
Grant Program
U.S. Code

Notes

(a) In general
Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall establish a
program (to be known as the “Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant
Program”) to provide grants for projects for the conservation and restoration of
coral reef ecosystems (in this section referred to as “coral reef projects”) pursuant
to proposals approved by the Administrator in accordance with this section.
(b) Matching requirements for grants
(1) In general

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/6410

1/8

8/5/24, 3:47 PM

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

Except as provided in paragraph (3), Federal funds for any coral reef project for
which a grant is provided under subsection (a) may not exceed 50 percent of
the total cost of the project.
(2) Non-Federal share
The non-Federal share of the cost of a coral reef project may be provided by inkind contributions and other noncash support.
(3) Waiver
The Administrator may waive all or part of the matching requirement under
paragraph (1) if the Administrator determines that no reasonable means are
available through which an applicant can meet the matching requirement with
respect to a coral reef project and the probable benefit of the project
outweighs the public interest in the matching requirement.
(c) Eligibility
(1) In general
An entity described in paragraph (2) may submit to the Administrator a
proposal for a coral reef project.
(2) Entities described
An entity described in this paragraph is—
(A) a covered reef manager or a covered Native entity;
(B) a regional fishery management council established under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1801 et seq.);
(C) a coral reef stewardship partnership seeking to implement a coral reef
action plan in effect under section 6404 of this title;
(D) a coral reef research center designated under section 6411(b) of this
title; or
(E) a nongovernmental organization or research institution with
demonstrated expertise in the conservation or restoration of coral reefs in
practice or through significant contributions to the body of existing
scientific research on coral reefs.
(d) Project proposals
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/6410

2/8

8/5/24, 3:47 PM

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

Each proposal for a grant under this section for a coral reef project shall
include the following:
(1) The name of the individual or entity responsible for conducting the project.
(2) A description of the qualifications of the individual or entity.
(3) A succinct statement of the purposes of the project.
(4) An estimate of the funds and time required to complete the project.
(5) Evidence of support for the project by appropriate representatives of States
or other government jurisdictions in which the project will be conducted.
(6) Information regarding the source and amount of matching funding
available to the applicant.
(7) A description of how the project meets one or more of the criteria under
subsection (e)(2).
(8) In the case of a proposal submitted by a coral reef stewardship partnership,
a description of how the project aligns with the applicable coral reef action plan
in effect under section 6404 of this title.
(9) Any other information the Administrator considers to be necessary for
evaluating the eligibility of the project for a grant under this subsection.
(e) Project review and approval
(1) In general
The Administrator shall review each coral reef project proposal submitted
under this section to determine if the project meets the criteria set forth in
subsection (f).
(2) Prioritization of conservation projects
The Administrator shall prioritize the awarding of funding for projects that
meet the criteria for approval described in—
(A) subparagraphs (A) through (G) of subsection (f)(2) that are proposed to
be conducted within priority areas identified for coral reef conservation by
the Administrator under the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy; and
(B) subparagraphs (E) through (L) of subsection (f)(2) that are proposed to
be conducted within priority areas identified for coral reef restoration by
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/6410

3/8

8/5/24, 3:47 PM

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

the Administrator under the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy.
(3) Review; approval or disapproval
Not later than 180 days after receiving a proposal for a coral reef project
under this section, the Administrator shall—
(A) request and consider written comments on the proposal from each
Federal agency, State government, covered Native entity, or other
government jurisdiction, including the relevant regional fishery
management councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), or any National
Marine Sanctuary or Marine National Monument, with jurisdiction or
management authority over coral reef ecosystems in the area where the
project is to be conducted, including the extent to which the project is
consistent with locally established priorities, unless such entities were
directly involved in the development of the project proposal;
(B) provide for the merit-based peer review of the proposal and require
standardized documentation of that peer review;
(C) after considering any written comments and recommendations based
on the reviews under subparagraphs (A) and (B), approve or disapprove the
proposal; and
(D) provide written notification of that approval or disapproval, with
summaries of all written comments, recommendations, and peer reviews,
to the entity that submitted the proposal, and each of those States, covered
Native entity, and other government jurisdictions that provided comments
under subparagraph (A).
(f) Criteria for approval
The Administrator may not approve a proposal for a coral reef project under
this section unless the project—
(1) is consistent with—
(A) the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy; and
(B) any Federal or non-Federal coral reef action plans in effect under
section 6404 of this title covering a coral reef or ecologically significant unit
of a coral reef to be affected by the project; and

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/6410

4/8

8/5/24, 3:47 PM

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

(2) will enhance the conservation and restoration of coral reefs by—
(A) addressing conflicts arising from the use of environments near coral
reefs or from the use of corals, species associated with coral reefs, and
coral products, including supporting consensus-driven and communitybased planning and management initiatives for the protection of coral reef
ecosystems;
(B) improving compliance with laws that prohibit or regulate the taking of
coral products or species associated with coral reefs or regulate the use
and management of coral reef ecosystems;
(C) designing and implementing networks of real-time water quality
monitoring along coral reefs, including data collection related to turbidity,
nutrient availability, harmful algal blooms, and plankton assemblages, with
an emphasis on coral reefs impacted by agriculture and urban
development;
(D) promoting ecologically sound navigation and anchorages, including
mooring buoy systems to promote enhanced recreational access, near
coral reefs;
(E) furthering the goals and objectives of coral reef action plans in effect
under section 6404 of this title;
(F) mapping the location and distribution of coral reefs and potential coral
reef habitat;
(G) stimulating innovation to advance the ability of the United States to
understand, research, or monitor coral reef ecosystems, or to develop
management or adaptation options to conserve and restore coral reef
ecosystems;
(H) implementing research to ensure the population viability of coral
species in United States waters listed as threatened or endangered under
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 [16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.] as detailed in
the population-based recovery criteria included in species-specific recovery
plans established under such Act;
(I) developing and implementing cost-effective methods to restore
degraded coral reef ecosystems or to create geographically appropriate
coral reef ecosystems in suitable waters, including by improving habitat or
promoting success of keystone species, with an emphasis on novel
restoration strategies and techniques to advance coral reef recovery and
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/6410

5/8

8/5/24, 3:47 PM

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

growth near population centers threatened by rising sea levels and storm
surge;
(J) translating and applying coral genetics research to coral reef ecosystem
restoration, including research related to traits that promote resilience to
increasing ocean temperatures, changing ocean chemistry, coral bleaching,
coral diseases, and invasive species;
(K) developing and maintaining in situ native coral propagation sites; or
(L) developing and maintaining ex situ coral propagation nurseries and
land-based coral gene banks to—
(i) conserve or augment genetic diversity of native coral populations;
(ii) support captive breeding of rare coral species; or
(iii) enhance resilience of native coral populations to increasing ocean
temperatures, changing ocean chemistry, coral bleaching, and coral
diseases through selective breeding, conditioning, or other approaches
that target genes, gene expression, phenotypic traits, or phenotypic
plasticity.
(g) Funding requirements
To the extent practicable based upon proposals for coral reef projects
submitted to the Administrator, the Administrator shall ensure that funding
for grants awarded under this section during a fiscal year is distributed as
follows:
(1) Not less than 40 percent of funds available shall be awarded for projects in
areas of the Pacific Ocean subject to the jurisdiction or control of the United
States.
(2) Not less than 40 percent of the funds available shall be awarded for
projects in areas of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Caribbean
Sea subject to the jurisdiction or control of the United States.
(3) To the extent there are viable applications made by eligible coral reef
stewardship partners, not more than 67 percent of funds distributed in each
region in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) may be made exclusively
available to projects that are—
(A) submitted by a coral reef stewardship partnership; and
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/6410

6/8

8/5/24, 3:47 PM

16 U.S. Code § 6410 - Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

(B) consistent with the coral reef action plan in effect under section 6404 of
this title by such a partnership.
(4) Of the funds distributed to support projects in accordance with paragraph
(3), not less than 20 percent and not more than 33 percent shall be awarded
for projects submitted by a Federal coral reef stewardship partnership, to the
extent there are viable applications made by eligible Federal coral reef
stewardship partnerships.
(h) Task Force
The Administrator may consult with the Secretary of the Interior and the Task
Force to obtain guidance in establishing priorities and evaluating proposals for
coral reef projects under this section.
(Pub. L. 106–562, title II, § 211, as added Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title C, § 10001(a), Dec.
23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3941.)

 U.S. Code Toolbox
Law about... Articles from Wex
Table of Popular Names
Parallel Table of Authorities
How current is this?

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/6410

7/8