National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund to support projects to assess, remove, and dispose of marine debris in and around coastal communities impacted hurricanes and other episodic storm events.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: Alaska, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/26/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 4 Years
Details:
The Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund will award up to $6 million in grants to remove damaging marine debris from coastal areas of communities impacted by hurricanes or other natural disasters to reduce impacts to communities, industry and prevent further harm to habitats and fish and wildlife populations. Funding has been made available by the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, P.L. 117-328.
Program Priroites 
This program will prioritize projects that provide dual benefits – both benefit for human communities and benefits for fish and wildlife. The program will use assessment and prioritization efforts conducted by local, state, and federal response agencies or their designees to prioritize projects that will address marine debris in areas of greatest impact and most critical to prevent communities and ecosystems from further harm. The majority of funds are anticipated to support direct removal and proper disposal efforts although limited funding may also be available for assessment and capacity building for future response.
All proposals must clearly describe how projects will support achieving the overall goals of the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund, including:

Relative benefit to coastal communities from reducing the impact of marine debris to properties and community infrastructure, assets of economic and cultural importance, and navigational safety; and
Anticipated enhancement of the ecological integrity and functionality of ecosystems and/or prevention of further harm to fish and wildlife and their habitats.

Due to the relief nature of these funds, the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund will primarily fund projects that are ready for direct clean-up efforts to remove and dispose of marine debris that resulted from the storms to provide the most accelerated and comprehensive outcomes for impacted coastal resources and communities.  Eligible projects will include marine debris assessment and/or removal activities within the coastal uplands, shorelines and coastal waterways of the affected areas, with the goal of preventing further harm to economic, cultural and ecological resources of importance to impacted coastal resources and communities.
Projects will be prioritized based on the targeted debris’ existing or potential impact to coastal resources and communities and to prevent further harm to sensitive habitats and species. Priority will be given to projects that have already completed a marine debris assessment to prioritize debris from the storm(s) and where hazardous materials have already been addressed. Projects that have secured all necessary permits and have mapped out all disposal and recycling logistics will also receive higher priority for funding.
Assessment work may be included to locate submerged debris and help prioritize removal efforts.

Community Impact and Engagement: Projects that incorporate outreach to communities, foster community engagement, and pursue collaborative management leading to measurable conservation benefits are encouraged. When possible, projects should be developed through community input and co-design processes ensuring traditional knowledge elevation. Additionally, projects should engage community-level partners (e.g., municipalities, NGOs, community organizations, community leaders) to help design, implement, and maintain projects to secure maximum benefits for communities, maintenance, and sustainability post-grant award.

Grant Period
Grants under this program cannot start prior to September 1, 2024, and should end no later than December 30, 2028.
Geographic Focus
Eligible projects will reduce marine debris from coastal habitats and nearshore waters of coastal counties in Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina impacted by the 2022 hurricanes Fiona, Ian and Nicole and Typhoon Merbok.
Eligibility Criteria 
Eligible and Ineligible Entities:

Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state and territorial government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, commercial (for-profit) organizations, Tribal Governments and Organizations, or educational institutions.

Tribal governments include all Native American tribal governments (both federally recognized tribes and those tribes that are not federally recognized).
For-profit applicants: please note that this is a request for grant proposals, not a procurement of goods and services; see the Budget section below for specific cost considerations.

As this program will award grants of Federal financial assistance funds, applicants must be able to comply with the OMB guidance in subparts A through F of 2 CFR 200 (OMB Uniform Guidance).
Ineligible applicants include federal agencies or employees of federal agencies, foreign organizations, foreign public entities, and unincorporated individuals.

For more information, visit NFWF.