Strategic Initiative Leads Announce Habitat 2023 Investment Priorities and Upcoming Stormwater RFPs??

The Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Leads (SILs) are pleased to announce the release of the Habitat chapter and cross-cutting considerations of the Strategic Initiatives? 2023 Investment Plan. The Plan details the Investment Priorities identified by the Habitat, Shellfish, and Stormwater Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams. Learn more about the Investment Plan in this blog post.???

The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead Chapter of the 2023 Investment Plan contains five investment priorities recommended by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Advisory Team to advance habitat restoration and recovery outcomes. These Investment Priorities will inform the upcoming allocation of up to $11 million in Puget Sound Geographic Program funds.??

The Habitat SIL 2023 Investment Priorities are:??

A: Increase capacity and workforce development to meet Puget Sound habitat recovery goals?

B: Local support for habitat protection, monitoring, and adaptive management?

C: New science, synthesis, and analysis for improved protection and restoration of kelp and eelgrass in Puget Sound?

D: Restoration effectiveness of soft shore alternatives to hard armor?

E: HSIL-Hosted recovery community engagement?

E.1: Understanding and planning for sea level rise and climate related hazards to shorelines in Puget Sound?

E.2: Increased marine vegetation awareness and support through place-based community leader engagement?

E.3: Integrating across the terrestrial-nearshore-marine interface to scale up nearshore habitat restoration and protection?

RFPs to solicit projects that advance the Habitat Investment Priorities are anticipated to occur over the first six months of 2024.??

The updated Investment Plan also includes an updated vision for how the SILs will continue to advance climate change adaptation and resilience, environmental justice, and tribal treaty rights through their investments for Puget Sound recovery. The SILs further describe how complementary Investment Priorities will tackle challenging cross-cutting issues in Puget Sound Recovery.?

Funding Opportunity Coming Soon?

The Stormwater SIL is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for programs, activities, and lines of work that advance Puget Sound recovery and protection.?

The next funding opportunities for EPA Puget Sound Geographic Program funds will be solicited through competitive Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for increasing climate resilience and stormwater parks;?Opportunities opening in November 2023.?

The Stormwater chapter of the Investment Plan includes $8.1 million in total new allocations for the Investment Priorities under Freshwater Quality (BIBI), Toxics in Fish (TIF), and Marine Water Quality. Each Investment Priority has a description and types of projects that will be part of upcoming RFPs. Beginning in November, RFPs will be opening for projects that address the following priorities:?

• BIBI Priority B: Increase Climate Resiliency in Stormwater Management by supporting stormwater infrastructure analysis, retrofit planning, and program development at the local level. Up to $1 million total investment, up to $250,000 per award.
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• TIF Priority B: Accelerate the Distribution and Effectiveness of Stormwater Parks by funding technical assistance, conducting feasibility studies, developing stormwater parks that prioritize impacted communities, address barriers to stormwater parks, or fund planning or training support for implementation and maintenance of stormwater parks BMPs. Up to $1 million total investment.

More information on the Stormwater RFP Solicitations will be available on the Stormwater RFP webpage in the coming weeks.?

In addition to the Investment Priorities, the Stormwater SIL, in partnership with the other SIL teams and Ross Strategic, will be hosting working sessions on cross-jurisdictional integrated stormwater and land use planning, and compliance and incentives for improved land use. Visit the information page to learn more and sign up for these upcoming engagement opportunities.

SIL Advisory Team Recruitment Coming Soon?

The SILs will also be recruiting for new SIL Advisory Team members later this fall. Recruitment information will be shared broadly with the goal of ensuring that each Advisory Team consists of a broad range of interests and expertise to inform the advancement of Puget Sound recovery goals.??

Sincerely,?

Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Leads?

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