Notice2021-15970
Notice of Matching Fund Opportunity for Ocean and Coastal Mapping and Request for Partnership Proposals
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 27, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
This notice establishes selection criteria and requirements for the NOAA Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Matching Fund program, to be known as the Brennan Matching Fund. The purpose of this notice is to encourage non-Federal entities to partner with the NOAA National Ocean Service ocean and coastal mapping programs on jointly funded ocean and coastal surveys and related activities of mutual interest. NOAA would receive and match partner funds and rely on its existing contract arrangements to conduct the surveying and mapping activities in FY 2023.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 141 (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40197-40200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15970]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Matching Fund Opportunity for Ocean and Coastal Mapping
and Request for Partnership Proposals
AGENCY: Office of Coast Survey (OCS), National Ocean Service (NOS),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Announcement of matching fund program opportunity, request for
proposals, and request for interest by October 29, 2021.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice establishes selection criteria and requirements
for the NOAA Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Matching
Fund program, to be known as the Brennan Matching Fund. The purpose of
this notice is to encourage non-Federal entities to partner with the
NOAA National Ocean Service ocean and coastal mapping programs on
jointly funded ocean and coastal surveys and related activities of
mutual interest. NOAA would receive and match partner funds and rely on
its existing contract arrangements to conduct the surveying and mapping
activities in FY 2023.
DATES: Proposals must be received via email by 5 p.m. ET on October 29,
2021. Applicants must submit via email any accompanying geographic
information system (GIS) files, which are due no later than November 5,
2021. If an entity is unable to apply for this particular opportunity
but has an interest in participating in similar, future opportunities,
NOAA requests a one-page statement of interest, instead of a proposal,
also by October 29, 2021, to help gauge whether to offer the Brennan
Matching Fund program in future years.
ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted in PDF format via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#88e1ffefe7ebe5a6fbfce9eeeec8e6e7e9e9a6efe7fe"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="08617f6f676b65267b7c696e6e4866676969266f677e">[email protected]</span></a> by the October 29, 2021, deadline. NOAA strongly
encourages interested entities to submit their proposals in advance of
the deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Ashley Chappell, NOAA Integrated Ocean and
Coastal Mapping Coordinator, 240-429-0293, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5a3b2932363f237439323b2a2a3f36361a34353b3b743d352c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5d3c2e35313824733e353c2d2d3831311d33323c3c733a322b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (OCS) and National Geodetic Survey
(NGS) are responsible for conducting hydrographic surveys and coastal
mapping for safe navigation, the conservation and management of coastal
and ocean resources, and emergency response. NOAA is committed to
meeting these missions as collaboratively as possible, adhering to the
Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IOCM) principle of ``Map Once,
Use Many Times.''
One of IOCM's strongest advocates, Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan,
developed an Ocean Mapping Plan for OCS in which IOCM plays a large
role. Responsive to the June 2020 publications of the National Strategy
for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive Economic
Zone
[[Page 40198]]
(NOMEC) and the Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy (ACMS), OCS's Ocean
Mapping Plan includes a goal to map the full extent of waters subject
to U.S. jurisdiction to modern standards (all three plans are available
at <a href="https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html">https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html</a>.) Although we lost
RDML Brennan tragically and unexpectedly in May 2021, we continue to
implement his vision and passion for collaborative ocean mapping
through this and other avenues.
The Coast Survey Ocean Mapping Plan describes a number of
motivating forces for surveying and mapping waters subject to U.S.
jurisdiction, including, but not limited to:
<bullet> Safe marine transportation;
<bullet> Coastal community resilience;
<bullet> A need to better understand the influence of the ocean's
composition on related physical and ecosystem processes that affect
climate, weather, and coastal and marine resources and infrastructure;
<bullet> Interest in capitalizing on the Blue Economy in growth
areas like seafood production, tourism and recreation, marine
transportation, and ocean exploration;
<bullet> The national prerogative to exercise U.S. sovereign rights
to explore, manage, and conserve natural resources in waters subject to
U.S. jurisdiction; and
<bullet> International commitments to map the global oceans by
2030.
Ocean mapping data is needed for safe navigation and also informs
decisions regarding emergency planning, climate adaptation and
resilience, economic investment, infrastructure development, and
habitat protection. Additional sectors that require high-resolution
seafloor surveys include deep sea mineral exploration, national
security, and maritime domain awareness in the Arctic Ocean. Numerous
other fields that rely on high-resolution ocean mapping data include
fisheries management and sustainable use of natural resources, offshore
renewable energy construction, and tsunami and hurricane modelling.
Bathymetry provides critical information for assessing and responding
to threats from climate change, sea level rise, flooding, and storm
surge, in order to protect our coastal communities and maintain a
sustainable economy. However, the resources needed to fully achieve the
goal of comprehensively mapping U.S. oceans and coasts currently exceed
NOAA's capacity. Mapping the full extent of waters subject to U.S.
jurisdiction means relying on partners to contribute to the effort.
Coast Survey has considerable hydrographic expertise, including
cutting edge understanding of the science and related acoustic systems.
More detail on Coast Survey's surveying expertise and capabilities is
available in the NOAA Coast Survey Ocean Mapping Capabilities report
(<a href="https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/about/docs/about/ocean-mapping-capabilies.pdf">https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/about/docs/about/ocean-mapping-capabilies.pdf</a>). Information on the Hydrographic Services Contract
Vehicle and the types of data and services available can be found at
<a href="https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/hydrographic-surveys-contract-vehicle.html">https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/hydrographic-surveys-contract-vehicle.html</a>.
The NOAA Coastal Mapping Program under NGS, responsible for
updating the shoreline and nearshore bathymetry for application to NOAA
Nautical Charts and other coastal applications, relies in part on its
NGS Shoreline Mapping Services contract. This contract also supports
additional NGS geodetic and surveying missions in support of the
National Spatial Reference System and the Aeronautical Survey Program
(more information at https://geodesy.noaa.gov/ContractingOpportunities/
).
Description
This notice announces the Brennan Matching Fund, a program to match
funds with NOAA for ocean and coastal survey and mapping partnerships.
NOAA will select proposals using the review process and criteria
evaluation described under Review Process and Evaluation Criteria
section of this notice.
The goal of this program is to leverage NOAA and partner funds to
acquire more ocean and coastal survey data for mutual benefit,
including for safe navigation, integrated ocean and coastal mapping,
coastal zone management, coastal and ocean science, climate
preparedness, infrastructure investments, and other activities and also
to a consistent standard for projects during FY2023. The program relies
on NOAA's mapping, charting, and geodesy expertise, appropriated funds,
and its authority to receive and expend matching funds contributed by
partners to conduct surveying and mapping activities. This program is
subject to funding availability. If appropriated funds are available,
NOAA will match funds contributed by selected entities for ocean and
coastal surveys. NOAA will receive partner funds through memoranda of
agreement using the authority granted to NOAA under the Coast and
Geodetic Survey Act of 1947 to receive and expend funds for
collaborative hydrographic surveys (33 U.S.C. 883e).
In addition to matching partner funds, NOAA will manage survey
planning, quality-assure all data and products, provide the data and
products to the partners on an agreed-upon timeframe, and handle data
submission to the National Centers for Environmental Information for
archiving and public accessibility. All ocean and coastal data and
related products resulting from this program will be available to the
public to the greatest extent allowed by applicable laws.
Specific value-added services NOAA will provide include:
<bullet> Project management and GIS-based task order planning,
negotiation and award of necessary procurement contracts:
[cir] Tailored to meet the interests of matching fund partners
[cir] Managed on aerial, shipboard, and uncrewed/autonomous vehicles
<bullet> Data acquisition collection methods include, but are not
limited to:
[cir] Multibeam Echosounder
[cir] Side Scan Sonar
[cir] Lidar (topographic, bathymetric, mobile)
[cir] Subsurface and airborne feature investigations
[cir] Sediment sampling
<bullet> Managing survey compliance with applicable laws, such as
the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic
Preservation Act.
Products acquired may include, but not be limited to:
<bullet> Bathymetric data (multibeam, single beam, lidar)
<bullet> Backscatter
<bullet> Water column (depth dependent)
<bullet> Side scan sonar imagery
<bullet> Feature detection reports
<bullet> Sensor/data corrections and calibrations (e.g., conductivity,
temperature and depth casts, horizontal/vertical position uncertainty)
<bullet> Survey and control services, including the installation,
operation, and removal of water level and Global Positioning System
stations
<bullet> Data processing, quality assessment and review of all acquired
hydrographic data
<bullet> Data management and stewardship through data archive at the
National Centers for Environmental Information
<bullet> High-resolution topographic/bathymetric product generation
More information on Coast Survey's Hydrographic Surveys Specifications
and Deliverables publication can be found at https://
nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/docs/standards-and-requirements/
[[Page 40199]]
specs/HSSD_2021.pdf. More information on NGS Specifications and
Deliverables can be found at <a href="https://geodesy.noaa.gov/ContractingOpportunities/cmp-sow-v15.pdf">https://geodesy.noaa.gov/ContractingOpportunities/cmp-sow-v15.pdf</a>. These specifications are
based in part on the International Hydrographic Organization's
Standards for Hydrographic Surveys, Special Publication 44 (<a href="https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/Drafts/S-44_Edition_6.0.0-Final.pdf">https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/Drafts/S-44_Edition_6.0.0-Final.pdf</a>).
Background information, questions and answers, and slides that
potential applicants might find useful from the expired FY2022 matching
fund program webinar are available at <a href="https://iocm.noaa.gov/planning/contracts-grants-agreements.html">https://iocm.noaa.gov/planning/contracts-grants-agreements.html</a>.
NOAA would also like to continue to assess interest in the Brennan
Matching Fund by eligible, non-Federal entities that do not plan to
apply this year but that would consider applying in future years. NOAA
welcomes eligible entities to submit a one-page statement of interest
by October 29, 2021, to use in evaluating whether to offer the Brennan
Matching Fund program in future years.
Areas of Focus
For this opportunity, proposals will be considered that are aligned
with national priorities for climate and infrastructure, and the goals
of the NOMEC, ACMS, the Coast Survey Ocean Mapping Plan (all available
at <a href="https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html">https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html</a>). Those goals
include:
1. Map the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): The goal is
to coordinate mapping efforts to compile a complete map of deep water
by 2030 and nearshore waters by 2040. Completing this goal will give
the United States unprecedented and detailed information about the
depth, shape, and composition of the seafloor of the United States EEZ
(NOMEC Goal 2).
2. Expand Alaska Coastal Data Collection to Deliver the Priority
Geospatial Products Stakeholders Require: Mapping the Alaska coast is
challenging. However, using targeted and coordinated data collections
will potentially reduce overall costs and improve the cost-to-benefit
ratio of expanded mapping activities (ACMS Goal 2).
3. Map the full extent of waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction to
modern standards: Based on the January 2021 analysis of data holdings
at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, 53 percent of
waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction are unmapped, covering an area of
about 3.6 million square nautical miles (<a href="https://iocm.noaa.gov/seabed-2030-status.html">https://iocm.noaa.gov/seabed-2030-status.html</a>). Mapping these gap areas would increase U.S.
contributions to the global Seabed 2030 Project.
Proposal Eligibility
This matching fund opportunity is available to non-Federal
entities. Examples of non-Federal entities include state and local
governments, tribal entities, universities, researchers and academia,
the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and
philanthropic partners. Qualifying proposals must demonstrate the
ability to provide at least 50 percent matching funds, which must be
transferred to NOAA by September 2022 using a memorandum of agreement.
A coalition of non-Federal entities may assemble matching funds and
submit a proposal jointly. Use of other Federal agency funds as part of
the non-Federal entities' match funds will be considered on a case-by-
case basis and only as authorized by applicable laws. In-kind
contributions are welcome to strengthen the proposal, but do not count
toward the match and are not required.
Deadlines and Process Dates
All submissions must be emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2bba5b5bdb1bffca1a6b3b4b492bcbdb3b3fcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ea839d8d858987c4999e8b8c8caa84858b8bc48d859c">[email protected]</span></a>. Partner
proposals are due by 5 p.m. ET on October 29, 2021 (see Submission
Requirements). Please include all required components of the proposal
in one email. Incomplete and late submissions will not be considered.
<bullet> Informational Webinar, September 9th, 2021, 2 p.m. ET;
register at <a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7914808480326041357">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7914808480326041357</a>
<bullet> October 29, 2021: Due date for proposals
<bullet> October 29, 2021: Due date for statements of interest
regarding potential future proposals
<bullet> November 5, 2021: Due date for additional GIS files supporting
a proposal
<bullet> January 7, 2022: NOAA issues its decisions on proposals
(subject to the availability of appropriations)
<bullet> February 2022: NOAA works with selected partners to develop
memoranda of agreement to facilitate the transfer of funds from the
non-Federal partner to NOAA
<bullet> May 2022: NOAA finalizes the memoranda of agreement with
partners
<bullet> June-September 2022: Non-Federal partners transfer matching
funds to NOAA; funds must be available to NOAA for contracting in
October 2022
<bullet> January-September 2023: NOAA issues task orders to its survey
contractors for NOAA/partner projects
Funding Availability
In the second year of this program, NOAA anticipates funding
between two to five survey projects at a 50 percent match of up to $1
million per project. All projects are expected to have a FY2023 project
start date and all non-Federal partner matching funds must be received
by NOAA no later than September 2022. NOAA reserves the right to
increase or decrease the available amount of matching funds based on
the quality and feasibility of proposals received. This notice is
subject to the availability of appropriations.
Project Period
NOAA intends to complete each selected project within two years.
However, the period to complete a project may be extended, with no
additional funding, if additional time is needed. NOAA will submit a
final report to the non-Federal partner within 60 days of the
conclusion of each project.
Submission Requirements
Project Proposal--To qualify, a proposal shall not exceed six total
pages (plus GIS files of project areas) and must include the following
three components:
1. A project title; executive summary (three to five sentences);
and the names, affiliations, and roles of the project partners and any
co-investigators, as well as the project lead that will serve as
primary contact (one page maximum).
2. A justification and statement of need; description and graphics
of the proposed survey area polygon(s) including relevance to the
strategic areas of focus noted under Areas of Focus section and degree
of flexibility on timing of survey effort (four pages maximum).
3. A project budget that lists the source(s) and amount(s) of
funding that the partner would provide as its 50 percent contribution
to NOAA. Budget must confirm that partner funds can be transferred to
NOAA by September 2022 (one page maximum).
Proposals must use 12-point, Times New Roman font, single spacing, and
one inch margins. Failure to adhere to these requirements will result
in the proposal being returned without review and eliminated from
further consideration. NOAA welcomes the submission of GIS files of
project areas noted under Submission Requirements as ancillary
attachments to the proposal to facilitate review. These files will not
count toward the six page proposal
[[Page 40200]]
limit. The GIS files must arrive no later than November 5, 2021.
Review Process and Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated by the Brennan Matching Fund Program
Management Team. Submissions will be ranked based on the following
criteria:
1. Project justification (30 points)--This criterion ascertains
whether there is intrinsic IOCM value in the proposed work and/or
relevance to NOAA missions and priorities, including downstream partner
proposals and uses. Use of, and reference to, national priorities on
climate and infrastructure, NOMEC, ACMS and the Coast Survey Ocean
Mapping Plan (all available at <a href="https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html">https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html</a>); gap assessment tools such as the U.S. Bathymetry Gap
Analysis (<a href="https://iocm.noaa.gov/seabed-2030-bathymetry.html">https://iocm.noaa.gov/seabed-2030-bathymetry.html</a>); and the
U.S. Interagency Elevation Inventory (<a href="https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/united-states-interagency-elevation-inventory-usiei">https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/united-states-interagency-elevation-inventory-usiei</a>), among others, are
recommended. Coast Survey's Hydrographic Health Model showing priority
survey areas for navigation safety is available upon request. The U.S.
Federal Mapping Coordination site shows current Coast Survey and NGS
mapping plans (<a href="http://fedmap.seasketch.org">fedmap.seasketch.org</a>); email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a2cbd5c5cdc1cf8cd1d6c3c4c4e2cccdc3c38cc5cdd4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d3baa4b4bcb0befda0a7b2b5b593bdbcb2b2fdb4bca5">[email protected]</span></a> for
assistance with the layers on this site if needed.
2. Statement of need (10 points)--This criterion assesses clarity
of project need, partner project funding alternatives if not selected,
anticipated outcomes and public benefit.
3. Specified partner match (20 points)--The proposal identifies a
point of contact for the entity submitting the proposal, as well as any
partnering entities, a clear statement on partner matching funds
provenance (e.g., state appropriations, NGO funds, or other sources),
and timing of funds availability. In-kind contributions are welcome to
strengthen the proposal, but do not count toward the funding match and
are not required.
4. Project costs (15 points)--This criterion evaluates whether the
proposed budget is realistic and commensurate with the proposed project
needs and timeframe. If needed, please contact <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f69f819199959bd88582979090b698999797d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ed849a8a828e80c39e998c8b8bad83828c8cc38a829b">[email protected]</span></a>
for a rough estimate of cost per square nautical mile for surveys in a
particular region; this figure will not be exact, as actual cost will
be negotiated by region and scale of project.
5. Project feasibility and flexibility (25 points)--This criterion
assesses the likelihood that the proposal would succeed based on survey
conditions at the proposed time of year, such as project size,
location, weather, NOAA analysis of environmental compliance
implications, project flexibility and adaptability to existing NOAA
plans and schedules, and other factors.
During the proposal review period, NOAA reserves the right to engage
with proposal points of contact to ask questions and provide feedback
on project costs and feasibility.
Management and Oversight
Once selections are made, NOAA will coordinate the development of
the memoranda of agreement, funding transfers, project planning,
environmental compliance, acquisition awards and quality assurance
process. NOAA may bring in additional partners and/or funding (Federal
and/or non-Federal) to expand a project further if feasible. Projects
will be reviewed by NOAA on an annual basis to ensure they are
responsive to partner interests and NOAA mission requirements, and to
identify opportunities for outreach and education on the societal
benefits of the work.
Authority: The Coast and Geodetic Survey Act of 1947, 33 U.S.C.
883e.
Kathryn Ries,
Performing the Duties of Director, Office of Coast Survey, National
Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-15970 Filed 7-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 27, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.