The Strategic Initiatives are pleased to announce the start of the FFY2020 National Estuary Program Geographic Funds (commonly known as NEP funds) decision process. We are thrilled that the Puget Sound has received an increase in the annual congressional appropriation of NEP funds AND that those funds will be available earlier this year. We have an exciting opportunity to invest even more in Puget Sound recovery and advance recovery actions sooner.
Many Moving Parts – Working Together!
NEP funds are invested as a result of several concurrent and coordinated funding processes that bring together local and regional partners in Puget Sound recovery. Nine Local Integrating Organizations (LIOs) and three Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams (Shellfish, Stormwater, and Habitat SIATs) recommend NEP investments that support a common vision of Puget Sound recovery described in the 2018 – 2022 Action Agenda.
Over the next three months, each Strategic Initiative Lead (SIL) team will coordinate with the LIOs on the Near Term Action (NTA) each would invest their $100,000 Direct Award on, while also facilitating SIAT funding deliberations. Both processes will evaluate and prioritize NTAs for funding guided by the 2020 EPA Funding Guidance. Building upon the processes from FFY2019, SIATs will also use the Implementation Strategies and other recommended considerations to identify NTAs suitable for NEP funds that advance the regional priorities in the Puget Sound 2018 – 2022 Action Agenda.
The Habitat Strategic Initiative is also piloting a Shared Investment Program to identify opportunities to leverage local and regional priorities related to the Habitat Implementation Strategies.
Upcoming Key Dates
Each SIL facilitates a SIAT process guided by the Implementation Strategies to evaluate and prioritize NTAs for funding over the course of several day-long meetings during March, April and May 2020.
The SILs are aiming to release their draft funding decision for comment on May 27. This will initiate a comment period from May 27 until June 10, including an all-boards webinar. The EPA’s funding guidance states that the SIAT processes and public comment must be concluded by June 15, 2020. A blog and Management Conference calendar invitation will be sent in May for the webinar.
Did you know?
The Puget Sound Action Agenda charts the course to recovery and helps coordinate actions by the many groups working to improve the health of the Sound. The Strategic Initiative Leads work with our partners to advance priority Near Term Actions through grants funded by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Puget Sound Geographic Funds (commonly called “NEP” funds).
NEP funds are uniquely flexible, making them ideal for cross-cutting work that empowers groups throughout the region to invest in capacity-building activities like planning, education and outreach, pilot projects, and research and monitoring. These types of projects frequently do not receive funding through other more established and stringent sources of funding, given their exploratory nature. Yet, activities like research, planning, and outreach are critical to the success of our recovery efforts. NEP funds fill this niche in the Puget Sound funding landscape. As Strategic Initiative Leads, we also use our capacity to advance the development and implementation of strategies designed to accelerate progress towards Puget Sound ecosystem recovery.