Healthy and Resilient Gulf of Mexico
On this page:
- Background
- Eligibility
- Available Technical Assistance
- Connections to Other EPA, Federal or Non-Governmental Efforts
Background
The Gulf of Mexico Division is a non-regulatory division of EPA founded to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico. Through various types of grant agreements, GMD partners with communities in the Gulf of Mexico watershed to develop adaptive programs and methods to advance climate resilience to coastal hazards. In 2023, GMD announced the Healthy and Resilient Gulf of Mexico Notice of Funding Opportunity to fund multiple activities that can advance the protection and restoration of the watershed. Closed in April 2024, proposed projects needed to directly address one or more of the four GMD priority areas:
- Water quality improvement.
- Protect, enhance or restore habitat.
- Environmental education.
- Strengthen community resilience.
Proposed projects were to be community-driven and meaningfully involve all residents and representatives in the planning and execution phases, with a focus on engaging disadvantaged communities.
Eligibility
Who is generally eligible to apply?
The Healthy and Resilient Gulf of Mexico 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity called for a partnership of five or more eligible entities (a partnership of the applicant with four or more other organizations) to submit a single application. Two of the partners had to be small community-based organizations (for purposes of this NOFO, this was defined as 10 or fewer full-time equivalent employees). State and local governments (includes state-designated Tribes), interstate agencies, federally recognized Tribal governments, public and private universities and colleges, public or private nonprofit organization and intertribal consortia were eligible to apply. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. Applications must identify which eligible organization will be the recipient of the grant (the “pass-through entity”) and which eligible organizations will be subrecipients.
All projects funded under this NOFO needed to take place in disadvantaged communities within one of the following geographic areas based on the priority area they fall under: within the five Gulf states, within the eligible coastal counties of the five Gulf states, or within a location dependent on the proposed project’s focus. For purposes of this NOFO, “disadvantaged communities” also included “environmentally overburdened communities,” defined as “adversely and disproportionately affected by environmental, climate and human health harms and risks including remote, rural and urban communities.”
Note that each Request for Applications is subject to change. Be sure to visit the program’s Healthy and Resilient Gulf of Mexico website and current RFA for specific details on eligibilities, applicant requirements and sub-award requirements.
How can projects funded by this program incorporate adaptation and resilience considerations?
As the Healthy and Resilient Gulf of Mexico Program aims to protect and restore the watershed, it can support climate adaptation and resilience projects. Examples include:
- Studies or assessments and demonstration projects that identify and apply solutions to improve understanding of water quality conditions or improve water quality, such as blue or green infrastructure, harmful algal bloom prevention, marine debris (e.g., microplastics, trash, reduction/prevention) and sustainable agricultural practices.
- Habitat demonstration projects that utilize nature-based solutions to improve ecosystem and community health, including riparian zone restoration, community habitat/gardens and living shorelines.
- Environmental education programs that can include, but are not limited to, building stewardship as it relates to improving water quality, protecting, enhancing or restoring habitat, promoting smart growth practices and promoting community resilience.
- Job training for careers in climate adaptation, community resilience, smart growth and the advancement of green infrastructure.
- Programs, projects and tools that improve a community’s understanding of vulnerabilities and/or strengthen resilience.
- New techniques, tools and information to assist coastal stakeholders in assessing risks and vulnerabilities from natural or manmade disasters.
- Studies that identify and apply nature-based solutions to improve resilience as it relates to heat island, subsidence, stormwater and flooding impacts.
Available Technical Assistance
For answers to common questions about this RFA, see the EPA GMD Healthy & Resilient Gulf of Mexico Q&A document. For additional guidance, see the Healthy & Resilient Gulf of Mexico Bipartisan Infrastructure Law RFA Getting Started Presentation.
Connections to Other EPA, Federal or Non-Governmental Efforts
To carry out its mission, GMD continues to maintain and expand partnerships with state and federal agencies, federally recognized Tribes, local governments and authorities, academia, regional business and industry, agricultural and environmental organizations, and individual citizens and communities. GMD works closely with EPA Regions 4 and 6. in addition to state and federal partners, GMD has collaborated with the Gulf of Mexico Community-based Restoration Partnership for over 10 years, to restore more than 15,000 acres of coastal habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. Learn more about habitat restoration in the Gulf.