2017 Pacific Islands Region Marine Turtle Management and Conservation Program | NOAA NMFS PIRO 2017 2005107

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS PIRO 2017 2005107

The 2017 Pacific Islands Region Marine Turtle Management and Conservation Program is a competitive grant opportunity run by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS) under the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is designed to fund on-the-ground conservation, protection, and management work that supports recovery of sea turtle species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), specifically those that occur within the Pacific Islands Region (PIR) or that have clear ecological or management linkages to the PIR. In practical terms, NOAA is looking to support projects that reduce threats and improve outcomes for turtles that migrate through the region, nest or forage there, are affected by federally managed activities in the PIR, or otherwise fall under NOAA/NMFS recovery and management responsibilities.

The geographic focus is the Pacific Islands Region as defined by NOAA, which includes the exclusive economic zones adjacent to the State of Hawaii as well as U.S. territories in the Pacific: American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), plus the U.S. Pacific Remote Island Areas. While multiple sea turtle species occur across this broad area, the funding announcement highlights a set of priority species and populations. These include the Western Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) Distinct Population Segments (DPS) in the Central North Pacific, Central West Pacific, and Central South Pacific. By calling out these species and DPSs, the program signals that proposals tied to their conservation needs and recovery objectives are especially responsive to the competition.

For the FY2017 cycle, NOAA/NMFS structured the competition around two main priorities. Priority 1 targets management and outreach projects located on Oahu, Hawaii, reflecting a specific interest in addressing local threats and improving public-facing conservation outcomes in that high-use island setting. Priority 2 is aimed at international projects, but only where there is a direct, defensible connection to PIR turtles, recognizing that many turtle populations cross national boundaries and that conservation measures outside U.S. waters can still be essential to recovery within the region. In both categories, the emphasis is on actions that meaningfully contribute to recovery, which generally implies applied management, threat reduction, conservation interventions, and outreach strategies that are connected to real-world compliance, behavior change, or improved protection.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary funding program using a cooperative agreement, meaning NOAA expects substantial involvement during the project period compared with a more hands-off grant. The funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS PIRO 2017 2005107, and it falls under CFDA 11.454. The announcement was created on November 10, 2016, with an original application closing date of February 15, 2017. NOAA anticipated making around five awards, with an award ceiling of $80,000 per award, indicating relatively small, targeted projects rather than large multi-year initiatives. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with clarification provided in the full announcement, which typically signals that applicants may include a mix of organizations or entities beyond standard categories, as specified in the opportunity documentation.

Overall, this program is best understood as a focused funding call for practical sea turtle conservation in the Pacific Islands Region, with special attention to high-priority ESA-listed turtles and to projects either centered on Oahu management/outreach needs or on international work that clearly benefits turtle populations linked to the PIR.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2017 Pacific Islands Region Marine Turtle Management and Conservation Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.454.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 10, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 15, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NMFS PIRO 2017 2005107

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