Geographic Programs - Puget Sound Protection and Restoration: Tribal Implementation Assistance Program (66.121)
Geographic Programs - Puget Sound Protection and Restoration: Tribal Implementation Assistance Program (Assistance Listing 66.121) is run by the Environmental Protection Agency. It awarded $78.2 million in 47 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.7 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.1 million. Half of the 47 awards fell between $600,000 and $1.1 million, and they ranged from $600,000 to $32.4 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$78.2 million
- Grant awards47
- Typical award$1.1 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$27.2 million
- Size rank878 of 1824
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $8.8 million in fiscal 2021 to $27.2 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 878th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 94% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 1 states and territories.
What the program funds
Puget Sound has been designated as one of 28 estuaries of National Significance under §320 of the Clean Water Act. The goal of the National Estuary Program is to attain and maintain water quality in designated estuaries that would assure protection of public water supplies and the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife and allows recreational activities in and on the water. The Puget Sound National Estuary Program's EPA- approved Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) is the Puget Sound Action Agenda. The Puget Sound Action Agenda charts the course to recovery for this estuary of national significance–it complements and incorporates the work of many partners from around Puget Sound to describe regional strategies and specific actions needed to recover Puget Sound. These strategies and actions provide opportunities for federal, state, local, tribal, and private entities to better invest resources and coordinate actions. The EPA is committed to supporting implementation of the Puget Sound Action Agenda, which includes efforts to protect the watersheds and waters of Puget Sound by protecting the fundamental watershed processes that provide and create aquatic habitats and by reducing the generation and release of toxic, nutrient, and pathogen pollution. The Puget Sound Protection and Restoration: Tribal Implementation Assistance Program is aimed at assisting the Indian Tribes of the greater Puget Sound basin in their efforts to carry out work critically needed for Puget Sound protection and restoration. This work includes activities identified in, or consistent with, the Action Agenda such as efforts called for by established salmon recovery plans in the Puget Sound basin. EPA has a trust responsibility to Federally recognized Indian Tribes. EPA also recognizes that Federally recognized Indian Tribes in the greater Puget Sound basin have a critical role in the protection and restoration of the ecosystem and its resources. EPA seeks to provide financial assistance to these Tribes to help them implement priority strategies and actions in or consistent with the approved Clean Water Act §320 CCMP for Puget Sound. Program has considered relevant approaches to achieving the intended goals and objectives of the program consistent with statutory requirements. Puget Sound Tribal Capacity (non-competitive) cooperative agreements are funded to support each eligible Tribe and Consortium to participate in the Puget Sound Management Conference, depending on appropriations. Eligible tasks include representing tribal interests in Management Conference forums and processes and other activities such as identifying limiting factors to habitat protection and salmon and shellfish recovery. Tribal Implementation Lead (competitive): This cooperative agreement was competed and is funded with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding for five years, to support eligible subawards with Puget Sound tribes. Work includes watershed and marine/estuary habitat restoration projects. Many of these projects will directly address salmon and shellfish recovery.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
All federally recognized Indian Tribes located within the greater Puget Sound basin, and any consortium of these eligible Tribes, may apply for funding under the program. The greater Puget Sound basin is defined as all watersheds draining to the U.S. waters of Puget Sound, southern Georgia Basin, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. An eligible Intertribal consortium is one that demonstrates that: 1) a majority of its members meet the eligibility requirements for this program; 2) all members that meet the eligibility requirements authorize the consortium to apply for and receive the grant; and 3) only members that meet the eligibility requirements will benefit directly from the grant project and the consortium agrees to a grant condition to that effect. Federal and state agencies, institutions of higher learning, units of local government, special purpose districts, conservation districts, watershed planning units organized pursuant to RCW 90.82.040 and 060, local management boards organized pursuant to RCW 90.88.030, salmon recovery lead entities organized pursuant to RCW 77.85.050, regional fisheries enhancement group organized pursuant to RCW 77.95.060 and nongovernmental entities are not eligible to directly receive financial assistance awards under this assistance listing. Business enterprises and individuals or families will also not be eligible applicants.
What the money can and cannot pay for
The Puget Sound funds were appropriated by Congress in conjunction with the Clean Water Act for development and implementation of programs that will improve water quality, air quality and for development and minimize the adverse impacts of rapid development in the Puget Sound basin, including activities liked to habitat restoration projects or controlling sources of nonpoint pollution The assistance may be used by Tribes to plan for and implement work that is critically needed for Puget Sound restoration and protection. Such work includes priority actions or strategies in or consistent with the approved Section 320 CCMP for Puget Sound including, but not limited to, projects called for by established salmon recovery plans, except where the proposed work is inconsistent with applicable Federal law, regulation, or published EPA policy. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial).Additional information on use restrictions, if any, for the Puget Sound Protection and Restoration: Tribal Implementation Assistance Program, will be provided in each Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) published on the EPA Region 10 website and on Grants.gov. This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. There is a statutory match of 50% of the total project costs for assistance agreements under CWA §320(g)(3)(ii) and CWA Section 320 allows for an aggregate match. For development of the CCMP, the federal share of a grant to any person (including State, interstate, or regional agency or entity) under CWA §320(g)(3)(A)(i), for a fiscal year shall not exceed 75 percent of the annual aggregate costs of development of a CCMP. Match Requirement for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) - also called BIL Funding Regional Administrators may waive non-federal share requirements at the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or project level if they would substantially delay projects slated to move forward using FY22IIJA funds. Any exercise of this waiver should be properly documented per requirements from EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment. NOTE: Matching requirements are mandatory unless an approved waiver is in place.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
For each competitive (Tribal Implementation Lead) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) deadlines will be specified. For non-competitive awards (Tribal capacity grants), contact the regional contact for application deadlines.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
For FY2024, each Tribe received $300,000 with three Tribes receiving $350,000 for Puget Sound Ecosystems Coordination Board participation. Yearly, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission receives a larger amount than the standard amount for some overall coordination and communication responsibilities for all 19 eligible tribes. For the Tribal Lead Implementation cooperative agreement, which has been funded with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding, has been allocated $7,500,000 -$8,400,000 for five years. New Tribal capacity five-year cooperative agreement awards are planned in Fiscal Year 2025 for the same allocations as in FY2024. All of these cooperative agreements are awarded each year with incremental funding.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2016: No projects to report with this year funding since the incremental funding will be awarded in late FFY2016. Accomplishments in FFY2016: Example Tribal Capacity award accomplishments during FY 2016: •Completed aerial and historic map review as part of a channel re-alignment and fish passage feasibility and alternatives analysis of upper Boise Creek (RM 4.3 to 4.6). This task supports development of the conceptual design of this habitat restoration project to restore access by anadromous salmon including ESA-listed fish of approximately 6,000 lineal feet of stream corridor in prime salmon-bearing tributary of the White River within tribe's Usual and Accustomed fishing area. Increase in ESA-listed fish production would be an estimated 40 chinook, 15 steelhead redds and 100 coho redds. (Puyallup Tribe). •Continue to actively participate in regional and local Puget Sound Management Conference processes and forums, including the Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC), the Straits Ecosystem Recovery Network (ERN), and the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, to discuss issues of concern for the tribe. This includes assisting in developing strategies for protecting and restoring habitats and species in Hood Canal, Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe).
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Geographic Programs - Puget Sound Protection and Restoration: Tribal Implementation Assistance Program (66.121) awarded$78.2 million across 47 grant awards, an average of $1.7 million per award.
Who usually wins
Tribal governments and organizations received 98% of the money.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tribal governments and organizations | 46 | $76.7 million | 98% |
| Other | 1 | $1.5 million | 1.9% |
By state
Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 47 | $78.2 million |