The Strategic Initiative Leads for Habitat, Stormwater and Shellfish are pleased to share the funding recommendations of the Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams (SIAT) and the Local Integrating Organizations (LIOs) for Federal Fiscal Year 2020 Puget Sound Geographic Funds.
Puget Sound Geographic Funds (commonly known as National Estuary Program, or NEP, funds) are invested as a result of several concurrent and coordinated funding processes that brought together local and regional partners in Puget Sound Recovery. Nine LIOs and the three SIATs (Shellfish, Stormwater, and Habitat SIATs) recommend NEP investments that support a common vision of Puget Sound recovery described in the 2018 – 2022 Action Agenda.Â
This is the fifth year the Strategic Initiatives have awarded NEP funds and the third year funding Near Term Actions (NTAs) from the 2018-2022 Action Agenda. Awards are made annually from EPA to the Strategic Initiatives, pending Congressional authorization, and the majority of these funds are then invested in pass-through grants based upon EPA Funding Guidance. Each funding recommendation narrative describes the relevant Strategic Initiative, the SIAT processes for selecting, deliberating, and deciding upon the recommendation, and an accompanying list of NTAs that the SIAT and LIOs recommend for funding.
Join our discussion with the Puget Sound Partnership Boards, via webinar, on June 2, 2020 from 10am-12pm.
Click here to Join us! (meeting number/access code:288 451 856)
Call in phone number: 240-454-0887 (US Toll) | 855-929-3239 (Toll Free)
A comment period is open through June 10, 2020. Please email comments to the relevant Strategic Initiative Leads listed below. Additionally, we look forward to having a dialogue with the Puget Sound Partnership Boards on June 2, 2020 from 10:00am -12:00pm where we will discuss the funding recommendations within the context of each Strategic Initiative’s portfolio of work.
Please contact the Strategic Initiative Leads for more information:
- Habitat: Cynthia Catton, cynthia.catton@dnr.wa.gov; Jennifer Griffiths, jennifer.griffiths@dfw.wa.gov
- Stormwater: Derek Day, derek.day@ecy.wa.gov
- Shellfish: Audrey Coyne, audrey coyne@doh.wa.gov; Clara Hard, clara.hard@doh.wa.gov
The recommendations are also accessible via the Partnership’s SI Leads website.
Did you know?
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.Â