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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNPC MRC Request for Proposals 2025-27 Final March 4,2025 North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee (NPC MRC) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 2025-2027 Funding Round More information: https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1523/North-Pacific-Coast-Marine-Resources-Com or tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us OPTIONAL: Share Your Project Idea with the NPC MRC Attend this NPC MRC meeting to discuss and refine your project idea(s)! Tuesday, April 15, 2025 4pm – 6pm (hybrid meeting) Send an email to tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us for meeting information. REQUIRED: Full Project Application Presentation and Q & A Tuesday, May 20, 2025 4pm – 6pm (hybrid MRC meeting) PROPOSAL DEADLINE is Monday, June 9, 2025 Email to tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us The NPC MRC promotes community involvement in Pacific Coast issues in western Clallam and Jefferson Counties. MRC members and participants learn about resource conditions and coastal community needs, participate in local and regional projects, and sponsor activities and studies having to do with the unique management issues of Washington’s outer coast. More information: https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1523/North-Pacific-Coast-Marine-Resources-Com Funding Opportunity The Jefferson and Clallam Boards of County Commissioners, and the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee (NPC MRC), invite project proposals designed to promote marine stewardship, restoration and citizen engagement focused on the resources and communities of the North Olympic Peninsula’s Pacific Coast. The NPC MRC welcomes projects from the local community and from first-time project applicants and will review, offer suggestions for revisions, and recommend projects for funding. Proposals will be scored and ranked by the NPC MRC on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Recommended projects will then be submitted to the Jefferson Board of County Commissioners for final approvals. Awarded projects must be completed, a project summary report submitted, and all billing materials received by June 1st of 2027. Jefferson County requires that thorough and specific backup materials be submitted with invoices, and staff is happy to go over these with you. Please also note, funds may not be available for reimbursement of projects until February of 2026. While we welcome repeat proposals to continue worthy programs, the NPC MRC also encourages proposals from new and first-time grant applicants. Projects must fall within one of six broad categories as defined by the Coastal MRC Program Work Group: Marine Habitats Marine Life Marine and Fresh Water Quality Sound Science Education and Outreach, or Coastal Communities See Appendix A for more information on performance benchmarks associated with these categories. (These are statewide benchmarks that our MRC has adopted.) Projects may be specific to an area of the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula or involve collaboration(s) with one or more of the other coastal MRCs for Grays Harbor, Pacific and/or Wahkiakum Counties. I. Award Information Under this announcement up to $75,000 is potentially available to be awarded. This could be for one project but is more likely to be distributed across several to many projects. The amount requested in a project proposal may serve as matching funds for projects also funded from another source(s). The NPC MRC may recommend partial funding for portions, or phases, of any proposed project. II. Eligibility, reimbursement, match Anyone may apply for funding. If the applicant cannot qualify as a project sponsor (see below), a fiscal agent may be identified to serve as the project sponsor in order to meet Jefferson County’s requirements for granting of public funds. The NPC MRC can help identify an organization to partner with applicant(s), as needed. Awarded funds are available on a reimbursement basis only. The sponsor (or fiscal agent) is required to complete a W-9, sign an agreement with Jefferson County that includes insurance requirements, and submit detailed invoices with appropriate backup (for example, timesheets, carefully scanned receipts or travel information) consistent with current Washington State reimbursement requirements. Particular special attention and planning are needed for projects involving reimbursement of travel expenses, subcontractors, stipends or for certain types of equipment or technology. The NPC MRC program coordinator is available to meet with financial/billing personnel to help ensure up front that the reimbursement process goes smoothly. Projects that include strong partnerships and in-kind contributions are encouraged, but there is no requirement to provide matching funds or contributions. The area for projects funded through the NPC MRC is limited to Washington’s Pacific Coast resources and/or communities, or lower watersheds draining to the Pacific Ocean, in western Clallam and Jefferson Counties unless partnering with another Washington Coastal Program MRC (Grays Harbor, Pacific, and/or Wahkiakum County). III. Application Requirements Complete your application using the template on the next page. Copy the body of the template onto paper or cut and paste into a word processing program. A Word version of the application is available by request. Please let us know if you need assistance – we’re happy to help! Reference your project objective(s) with one or more of the program benchmarks identified in Appendix A. Carefully consider the Review Criteria in Appendix B when completing the project template. Please limit applications to five pages excluding attachments (budget, resumes, maps or illustrations, support letters, etc.) Minimum font size is 11. Use at least 1” margins on top, bottom and sides. IV. Suggested Project Types Examples of project types funded by the NPC MRC in the past include: 1) Interpretive products and projects about the marine environment or its use by people or the resources coastal people value. 2) Beach clean‐ups: local clean‐ups or participation in coast‐wide clean‐ups. 3) Science projects: research or monitoring projects by professionals or citizen science groups. 4) Coast‐wide projects: a project that engages more than one of the Marine Resources Committees (MRCs) on the coast in a joint effort. 5) Ocean literacy: Marine oriented K‐12 education, citizen science programs, community speakers bureau, or marine science education opportunities for local educators. For more information or assistance with proposal preparation contact the NPC MRC Coordinator: Tami Pokorny tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us, Ph: 360/379-4498 V. Project Template Name of the project: Lead organization and Contact: Name, email, phone, and address. Start and end dates for your project: Deliverables: List and identify their final date of submission (report and/or products) to include 5 quality project photos, an MRC newsletter article, and end of project presentation to the MRC. Project staff: List and describe their expertise for their role in the project. Resumes may be attached. Partners: List and describe partners: include whether they are providing matching contribution(s) of cash, in-kind materials, supplies, equipment, labor, etc. Support letters may be attached. Geographic Area: Describe the geographic area for your project. Permits: List any associated permits and their status as well as landowner access letter as applicable. (Examples: JARPA, HPA, Marine Mammal, National Park, NEPA review, SEPA review). Project Narrative (up to 5 pages not including attachments): Abstract: Provide a 1-2 paragraph project summary in the form of a short description that highlights the narrative that follows. Describe the background and context: project area, situation to be addressed, past work relevant to the project. Explain why the project is appropriate for MRC funding or how it achieves one or more of the six benchmarks (See Appendix A attached). List and describe the project objective(s). Provide a timeline for your project activities in relation to your stated objectives and the deliverables identified in #4 above. Describe the methods, procedures and equipment to be used, if any. Describe the extent or impact of the project (e.g., acres, miles, number of citizens). Indicate if there are plans to continue the project into the future. Project Budget (Please use the budget template provided in Appendix C).* Include the following categories: Salaries and benefits (or hourly wages) Supplies/Equipment (equipment may involve special requirements) Travel Contracted services Indirect expenses (All such expenses should be itemized.) Match(es) Other *Coaching on budget organization and content is available. APPENDIX A PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS The NPC MRC has adopted the benchmarks developed by the Coastal MRC Program Work Group (http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/about/mrc/index.html). Performance benchmarks will be used to measure MRC activities and achievement in discrete, but broad categories.  Benchmarks developed and adopted by the Coastal MRC Program Work Group include: Marine Habitats Understand, steward, and restore marine, estuarine, coastal, and nearshore habitats, prevent loss, and achieve a net gain of healthy habitat areas by: enhancing ecosystem and community resilience by protecting and restoring marine and coastal habitats designing and implementing local and regional projects that restore natural processes surveying and mapping marine and estuarine resources to better define physical and biological characteristics of marine habitats making scientifically-based recommendations about management tools to protect marine and estuarine habitats understanding and evaluating erosion and promoting sound sediment management practices  Marine Life Understand, steward, and restore marine and estuarine populations to healthy, sustainable levels by: maintaining the health of marine and estuarine species and preventing further ESA listings while increasing access to marine resource enjoyment and harvest where feasible balancing protection focus on ecosystem versus target species identifying and carrying out actions to protect and restore species of interest and concern designing and implementing projects to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species making scientifically-based recommendations about management tools for species recovery Marine and Fresh Water Quality Understand, steward, and restore marine and estuarine water quality of Washington’s coast and coastal embayments by: conducting or supporting science to fill critical data gaps working to reduce the input of pollutants promoting management actions that would restore degraded water quality and contaminated sediment working with and training students and citizens to conduct water quality monitoring Sound Science Collect high quality data and promote its transparent presentation, acceptance, and timely dissemination by: utilizing established scientific protocols for the collection, analysis and use of  data that support the Coastal MRC Program goal. (Appendix A continued) identifying gaps in data and working to fill those gaps by promoting the development of comprehensive, accessible marine resource databases promoting peer reviewed science Education and Outreach Promote stewardship and understanding of coastal estuarine and marine resources through science-based education and outreach by: informing the public about threats to living resources and coastal communities and presenting them with practical measures they can take to prevent further harm especially regarding land use, erosion control, and individual homeowner decisions informing citizens and governmental agencies about ocean energy activities and associated effects on coastal communities coordinating outreach and education programs with other organizations, including local community colleges, and evaluating their effectiveness engaging the public in active stewardship opportunities through community workshops, restoration projects, and educational programming translating and disseminating scientific information about the status of Washington’s coastal habitats, resources, and communities to regional policy makers, resource managers, and the public in a timely manner expanding partnerships with tribal governments and continuing to foster respect for tribal cultures and treaties striving to maintain and improve coordination and communication among stakeholders and all managers Coastal Communities Promote sustainable and resilient coastal communities by: supporting sustainable marine resource-based industries supporting cultural and economic integrity of coastal communities encouraging citizen participation in local and governmental decisions regarding marine resources engaging in activities aimed at hazard prevention and preparedness, e.g. education increasing sustainable access to marine resource enjoyment and harvest * * * APPENDIX B Application Review Criteria Projects will be evaluated based upon the criteria specified below as they apply to themes incorporated into the project. These criteria will be used by the reviewers to screen all projects in order to ensure that they reflect the minimum standards required by the NPC MRC: Rationale/Relevance for Action: What is the potential for the project to result in stewardship and restoration efforts/outcomes within the NPC MRC area? Scientific/Professional Merit: Are the project’s design, objectives and technical approach sound? Value Added: Does the project build upon prior efforts and add value to those efforts? If the project is duplicating past efforts, why is that duplication necessary and important? Applicant Capacity: What is the likelihood of the applicant successfully completing the proposed project and achieving their stated goals based upon: Their past performance? Their organizational experience? Their knowledge, resources, and available skill sets? Partnerships: Has the applicant indicated that there are partners that would participate in the project? If so, what expertise, cash, in-kind, and/or material resources are the identified partners providing? Also, how is that partnership being demonstrated in the application (e.g., letters of support, letters of commitment, etc.)? Geographic Scope: Is the project directly linked with resources and/or communities of the Pacific Coast of Clallam and/or Jefferson Counties? Does the project include collaboration with other MRCs and, if so, how and with whom? Deliverables: Does the proposal explain how the results of the project will be recorded and distributed? What is the form of the deliverables (e.g., reports, newsletters, etc.)? Measuring Progress: Is the timeline for completing the project reasonable and appropriate? Did the proposal include milestones and associated deliverables? Appropriate Budget: How reasonable is the budget in light of the proposal and the expected benefits from the project? How were costs determined? Consultation and Community Support: Have the project proponents consulted the affected governments (federal, state, tribal, local) or private land owners associated with their proposal? Is there support or opposition from these governments or from any potentially affected community members? Please contact the MRC coordinator if you are uncertain as to who should be consulted prior to project submission. APPENDIX C Estimated Budget Template and Instructions Category Detail MRC Request Matching Contribution (not required) Total  Salaries and Benefits or hourly wages      Supplies/Equipment      Travel      Contracted services      Indirect expenses (All such expenses should be itemized.)      Other      Totals       Personnel salaries and benefits (or hourly wages): Include the names of each individual to be supported by the project, anticipated numbers of hours, and hourly rate including benefits as applicable. Supplies: Supplies are defined as those items purchased which are typically used up in the course of the project such as paper, staples, printer ink, etc. Equipment: Equipment is defined as tangible property necessary to the project such as scientific equipment, electronic devices and sampling gear. All anticipated equipment purchases and costs must be included in the budget. Approved items may become the property of WDFW at the conclusion of the project depending on value and type. Travel: All travel expenses will be reimbursed at standard WA State rates - http://www.ofm.wa.gov/resources/travel.asp. Please list destinations, number of trips and other details. Contracted services: List any subcontractors and provide details of expenditures. Itemized indirect expenses: No generalized “Indirect” “Overhead”, “Administration” or similar categories of costs are allowable. Specific costs must be listed under this category or divided out among the other categories. Other: Items such as entrance fees that don’t fit well into the other budget categories.