Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Challenge Grants Fiscal Year 2011 Grant Highlights Challenge grants are competitive awards for the purpose of organizing a CoastWalk beach clean-up event, implementing a clean-up of already-documented accumulations of marine debris, or developing and implementing a marine debris prevention project. Proposals: Downloadable electronic, fill-in-theblank forms in Microsoft Word format are available for usage in printing, saving and submission of proposals. Available Funding and maximum grant awards: There is a total of $15,000 federal grant money available for these Challenge Grants. The maximum grant award per project is $2,000. The applicant must provide a minimum $1 non-federal:$2 federal match of the total project funds (e.g, $1,000 match is needed for a $2,000 grant for a total project budget of $3,000). Match may be in the form of cash, or inkind goods and services. Volunteer time may be valued at $18/hour. Application submission: Electronic submissions are strongly encouraged. Fill in the electronic form in this packet and e-mail proposals as an attachment to patrick@akcoastalstudies.org. Applications can be mailed to the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, P.O. Box 2225, Homer, AK 99603 or faxed to (907)235-6668. 1 Application Submittal Contact: If you have questions or difficulty in electronically submitting the documents, contact Patrick Chandler at (907)235-6741 or patrick@akcoastalstudies.org Application Timelines and Process: Proposal Due Date: Received by 5:00 p.m., February 28, 2011. Proposals will be evaluated to determine applicant and project eligibility, anticipated project outcomes and measurable results, the likelihood of achieving identified outcomes, matching funds, and ability to execute a grant agreement. Award Announcement Date: March 21, 2011. Execution of Grant Agreement: Must enter into a binding grant agreement no later than April 4, 2011. Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Challenge Grants Fiscal Year 2011 I. Introduction The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to provide potential applicants with the necessary information regarding the Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Challenge Grants and the application procedures. The Challenge Grants will be available for the purpose of organizing a CoastWalk beach clean-up event, implementing a clean-up of an existing accumulation of marine debris in coastal Alaska, or developing and implementing a marine debris prevention program. Projects conducting clean-up of derelict fishing gear, projects targeting high recreational use areas, and projects containing an educational component aimed at preventing marine debris in coastal communities are especially encouraged. For the purpose of this grant, marine debris is defined to include derelict fishing gear such as abandoned traps, nets, and monofilament line, or any manufactured or processed solid waste material that enters the marine environment directly (e.g., by dumping) or indirectly (e.g. washed out to sea via rivers, streams, storm drains, ect.). Challenge grant funds are available from the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies through a grant from the NOAA Community-based Marine Debris Clean-up and Prevention Program ($15,000). II. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applications are non-profit organizations, municipalities, chambers of commerce, tribal governments, schools, and other types of youth or community organizations that can demonstrate fiscal responsibility for administering grant funds. Eligible projects: Grants are made for the purpose of: Organizing CoastWalk beach clean-ups Coastal Monitoring with a beach clean-up event Documenting areas of marine debris accumulation and developing clean-up plans Developing marine debris prevention education and outreach programs 2 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Funding Level: Projects are eligible for grants up to $2,000. The applicants must provide a minimum $1 non-federal:$2 federal match of the total project funds (e.g., at least $1,000 match would be required for a $2,000 grant and total project budget of $3,000). The match may be in the form of in-kind services (such as salaries or volunteer time, boat or vehicle transportation, paid travel) or cash. In-kind services must be valued at the cost of the services if they had to be purchased; volunteer time can be valued at $18/hour. Matching funds must be specified as committed or pending prior to execution of a grant agreement. Eligible Costs: Allowable expenses must be necessary for marine debris clean-up, documentation, or prevention and will include: Salary or stipends for CoastWalk coordinators or project coordinators for marine prevention projects Contractual costs (e.g., diver to retrieve marine debris in harbors) Travel costs (e.g., boat or vehicle rentals) to transport volunteers to beach access points or to move marine debris to disposal sites Clean-up supplies Other costs related to clean-up (e.g., paid advertising, facility rentals for kick-off event) Ineligible Costs: No indirect costs or general operating costs of the organization may be included. III. Review of Proposals Review Process: A grant review committee that will include representative from the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, tribal governments, municipalities, Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, Kachemak Bay Community Council, and NOAA Restoration Program. The grant committee will review all information and make funding decisions. Evaluation Criteria for Proposals: The priorities for award of 2011 challenge grants are as follows: 1) Removal of derelict fishing gear (including fishing line in areas of high recreational fishing use), 2) Clean-up and restoration of high-value fish and wildlife habitats, 3) Inclusion of a project component to target debris prevention in recreational user communities, 4) Use of clean-up data to design specific outreach strategies for prevention. Proposals will be evaluated on how well they address one or more of these priorities and on their inclusion of the following: Clear goals and measurable objectives for the marine debris removal project. 3 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Identification of high-value fish and wildlife habitats that will be cleaned of marine debris. Anticipated benefits to commercial and recreational fisheries, anadromous species like salmon, marine mammals (whales, dolphins, and seals), endangered and threatened species, navigational waterways, marshes, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and other coastal habitats. How benefits to habitats and wildlife will be achieved. Education and outreach efforts on marine debris prevention. Documentation and reporting of marine debris cleanup efforts in terms of the amount of area cleaned, the amount and types of debris removed, the number of volunteer hours, and the numbers of people reached by prevention and education outreach efforts. Statement of legal authority, if needed, for beach access and or removal of derelict fishing gear. Statement of intent to comply with the CoastWatch Safety and Low-Impact Plan (Appendix A). Award of Grant: The grant review committee will make their grant award announcements by March 21, 2011. Grant Agreement: Each grant recipient must formally enter into a grant agreement. The process of establishing a grant agreement must be completed by April 4, 2011. Grant recipients are expected to keep accurate financial records of the project. IV. Proposals Submission Application Deadline: Received by 5:00 p.m. AST, February 28, 2011. Application Submission: Electronic submissions are strongly encouraged. Fill in the electronic form in this packet (using word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect), and email proposals as an attachment to patrick@akcoastalstudies.org. Applications can also be faxed to (907)235-6668 or mailed to the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, P.O. Box 2225, Homer, AK 99603. If you have questions or difficulty in electronically submitting the documents, contact Patrick Chandler at (907) 235-6667 or at the email above. Applicant 4 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Organization/applicant: Mailing address: City: Alaska Contact name: Title: E-mail: Telephone: Applicant’s Web site: Fax: Zip code: 2011 Challenge Grant Application Project Project title: Grant requested: $ Matching funds: $ A. Project Abstract (Maximum 100 words): <Type description here, field will expand> 5 Total Project Cost: $ Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Project continued… B. Project Description: Describe the project location, the high-value fish and wildlife habitats that will be targeted, project methods, planned marine debris prevention education and outreach activities, and the impact the project will have on the community (Maximum 2 pages). <Attach Project Description to this application.> C. How will you measure the success of your project? (e.g., miles of beach or stream corridor to be cleaned, amount and type of marine debris removed, # of volunteers involved, etc.): <Type description here, field will expand> D. Explain the anticipated benefits your project will have to commercial and recreational fisheries, anadromous species like salmon, marine mammals (whales, dolphins, and seals), endangered and threatened species, navigational waterways, marshes, seagrass beds, or other coastal habitats. How will these benefits be achieved? <Type description here, field will expand> E. Identify how your project will provide outreach to recreational users on marine debris prevention. <Type description here, field will expand> F. Indicate the sources of non-federal matching funds. Matching funds can include nonfederal grants, cash, or in-kind services. Please note if funds are committed or pending. <Type description here, field will expand> 6 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program G. Describe the applicant’s experience and qualifications. <Type description here, field will expand> H. Are you able to execute a grant agreement by April 4, 2011? YES or NO I. Compliance: Are the applicant and all participants able to comply with the CoastWatch Safety and Low-Impact Plan? YES or NO If not, please explain below. <Type description here, field will expand> J. List other project participants (Name, phone number, experience and qualifications). <Type description here, field will expand> Please provide a map that identifies work sites. Supporting photographs and letters of commitment or support from partners are encouraged. 7 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Budget Complete your project budget in the table below. Category Matching Funds or In-kind Services Amount Challenge Grant Funds Requested Total Source Salary Benefits Volunteer Time (Valued at $18/hr) Contractual Travel Supplies Other For all categories used include a budget detail: <Type description here, field will expand> 8 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program Appendix A. Alaska CoastWatch Safety and Low-Impact Plan I. Hazardous or unsafe substances or items The following practices will be promoted for all marine debris removal activities: 1. Wear work gloves and be careful in handling glass, syringes, or other sharp objects. 2. Use disposal plastic gloves to handle dead animals. 3. Do not handle or remove dead animals unless you are following specific procedures provided for species identifications or to collect specimens desired by scientists or resource managers. 4. Report, but do not attempt to remove, large drums or five-gallon buckets w/petroleum-based on unknown substances. 5. Report the characteristics of outfalls with discharge directly onto the beach. Take samples using disposal plastic gloves and plastic containers that will not leak. II. 1. Avoiding or minimizing impacts on sensitive intertidal communities Survey protocols will not require turning over rocks or digging holes to observe and count marine invertebrates. 2. The collection of live marine invertebrates, fish, and seaweeds is prohibited, with the exception of collections under valid state permits for scientific and educational purposes, or legal harvests. 3. Good “beach etiquette” practices will be promoted: a) Handle marine invertebrates only if needed to identify. b) Wet hands when handling to minimize drought stress. c) Keep hands low to minimize stress from falling or slipping out of hands to beach. d) Replace marine invertebrates in micro-climate location found. e) Minimize trampling in areas of high-density biological communities by having only one member of survey team walk this area. 4. The use of vehicles or heavy equipment to remove large debris should take into account the impact of the vehicles on intertidal communities and habitats. 9 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program These should only be employed if the benefit of debris removal exceeds the damage and mitigation and restoration actions should be incorporated. III. 1. Disturbance of marine birds and marine mammals Practices to minimize disturbance of marine birds and marine mammals will be based on those in effect under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Bald Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Act. 2. The use of binoculars and spotting scopes will be encouraged to reduce the need for close approach for identification purposes. 3. Approaches closer than 100 yards to humpback whales and placing a vessel into the path of oncoming whales in such as a way as to cause them to surface within less than 100 yards is prohibited. Boats are required to move at a “slow, safe” speed when near a humpback. 4. “Leapfrogging” or running a vessel ahead of humpbacks to put it in their path of travel is prohibited. 5. Direct approach to sea otters, especially those with pups, is discouraged. Maintaining a 50 yard distance from sea otters and other marine mammal females with young and 100 yards from hauled-out seals and sea lions is encouraged. 6. The operation of heavy equipment may be restricted within ¼ mile of active bald eagle nests. 7. Disturbances that cause bald eagle eggs or chicks to be knocked out of the nest are illegal. 8. Approaches closer than 100 yards of seabird colonies or raptor nests will be discouraged as will disturbance of feeding or nesting shorebirds. 9. Stranded or injured marine mammals should be reported to the Alaska Sealife Center Stranding hotline but not handled unless advised by Stranding Network personnel or volunteers to do so. IV. 1. Collection of Items other than Marine Debris Collecting any part of a migratory bird, Steller sea lion or whales on the endangered species list is prohibited. Marine mammal parts must be registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service, as appropriate and required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act or Endangered Species Act. 10 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alaska CoastWalk Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Program 2. V. 1. 2. VI. Collection of natural items that contribute to beach stability like driftwood is discouraged. Disposal of Marine Debris All marine debris items must be disposed of in solid waste facilities designed to accept those specific types of items. Burning of marine debris on the beach is prohibited. Safe Boating Practices All vessels used will be operated in a manner consistent with Coast Guard regulations. 11