CRMC and NBNERR seek pre-proposals for Habitat Restoration Trust Fund projects

October 31, 2023, Wakefield – The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) in partnership with the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERR) is currently seeking pre-proposals for habitat restoration project funding through the R.I. Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Program and Trust Fund.

Proposed projects should seek to restore or enhance ecological conditions that have been degraded by human impacts in coastal or estuarine habitats such as coastal wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation beds, shellfish beds, vegetated coastal upland and anadromous fish runs. Priority will be placed on those projects that seek to enhance coastal habitats’ resiliency to climate change and sea level rise; for example, projects that remove barriers to future wetland migration with sea level rise or that enhance shoreline vegetation where habitat is threatened by increased coastal erosion. Additionally, priority will be placed on projects located within Environmental Justice communities and/or that address Environmental Justice Concerns.

History: The Rhode Island General Assembly established the Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Program to facilitate design, planning, construction, and monitoring of coastal and estuarine restoration projects by providing grants and technical assistance. The program is administered by the CRMC with technical support from the R.I. Habitat Restoration Team. The Trust Fund allocates monies from fees collected under the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (OSPAR) to potential habitat restoration projects. The Habitat Fund Technical Advisory Committee, chaired by the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and comprised of members from state, federal and non-profit organizations, recommends projects to the CRMC for funding. 

Eligibility: Municipalities, committees, boards or commissions chartered by a municipality, nonprofit organizations, civic groups, educational institutions and state agencies are eligible to apply. Proposed projects must be located within Rhode Island. There is no specific match requirement for proposed projects; however, proposals that can demonstrate matching funds or in-kind services will have an advantage in the selection process. Applicants are therefore encouraged to detail all federal and non-federal resources contributing toward completion of the project, whether cash or in-kind.

Funding Levels: Funding for projects is from an annual account totaling $225,000. Individual project awards generally range from $5,000 to $50,000 per year. Longer-term projects may reapply for additional funds in subsequent years.

Deadline: Please use the document template linked below for your project pre-proposal. Pre-proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. on December 20, 2023. Pre-proposals should be submitted to: Caitlin Chaffee, Reserve Manager, Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, RI Dept. of Environmental Management, 235 Promenade St, Providence, RI 02908 and electronically in Word or PDF format to Caitlin.chaffee@dem.ri.gov. For questions regarding the Fund or application requirements, please contact Caitlin Chaffee at Caitlin.chaffee@dem.ri.gov or 401-222-4700 ext. 2774417. Selected applicants will be invited by CRMC to submit full proposals.

2023-24 Pre-Proposal Form (MS Word)