CRMC is seeking proposals for the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP)

January 24, 2011, WAKEFIELD – The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council is seeking proposals for the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP), administered by the CRMC for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The proposals would be for FY 2010, and the deadline for submitting proposals to CRMC is March 18, 2011.

The program was established by NOAA in 2002 to protect coastal and estuarine lands considered important for their ecological, conservation, recreational, historical or aesthetic values. The CELCP program provides state and local governments with matching funds to purchase lands or conservation easements, which are permanently protected.

Proposals received by the CRMC will be evaluated according to state and federal program criteria, and no more than three projects requesting a maximum of $3 million in federal funds per proposal will be selected. Although government and non-government groups may partner in a project, under CELCP guidelines, only the following entities are eligible to receive funding and hold title to purchased lands: 

• Rhode island Department of Environmental Management
• Any of the 21 coastal municipalities within the RI CELCP boundary
  

For more information on the Rhode Island CELCP criteria, go the CRMC web site or contact Caitlin Chaffee at CRMC at cchaffee@crmc.ri.gov. For more information on the CELCP process and national criteria, go to http://coast.noaa.gov/czm/landconservation/applying/.