Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Round 3 | NOAA NMFS HCPO 2025 29044

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal program?

It is a NOAA-led grant program (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Round 3) that funds projects to remove or fix barriers that block native migratory or sea-run fish from reaching critical habitat. The focus is on restoring fish passage in practical, outcomes-focused ways that support long-term fisheries productivity, watershed health, species recovery, and community resilience.

2) What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The core purpose is to reopen fish passage so fisheries can rebuild and remain productive over time, support recovery of threatened and endangered species, improve overall watershed health, and strengthen ecosystem and community resilience. A major theme is also capacity building so tribes can plan, deliver, and manage fish passage projects now and into the future.

3) Who is administering the program?

The program is administered through NOAA's Office of Habitat Conservation, Community-based Restoration Program.

4) What law authorizes this funding?

This funding is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), Public Law 117-58.

5) What types of outcomes should a strong proposal emphasize?

NOAA is looking for proposals that clearly connect barrier removal or repair to specific fish and fishery conservation goals and that make a strong case for biological and community outcomes that will endure. Competitive proposals describe measurable and lasting gains for migratory fish populations, improved watershed function, and benefits that persist beyond the award period.

6) What are the stated program priorities applicants should align with?

Projects are expected to align with one or more of these priorities: (1) delivering measurable and lasting gains for migratory fish populations; (2) improving resilience to extreme weather and climate hazards while generating co-benefits; (3) advancing tribally important barrier removal efforts that benefit migratory fish; and (4) building fish passage capacity within tribal organizations so tribes can better carry out stewardship and management responsibilities tied to tribal trust resources.

7) What kinds of fishery or conservation goals does NOAA want projects to support?

Competitive applications may show how the project contributes to Endangered Species Act recovery for listed species, sustains or rebuilds fish stocks (and their prey) managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, improves passage for native Great Lakes fish (where relevant), enhances saltwater recreational fisheries sustainability, and/or reduces climate and infrastructure risks by addressing aging structures in ways that provide broader public benefits.

8) What kinds of barriers can be addressed with this funding?

The opportunity is focused on barriers such as culverts, dams, and other obstructions that prevent native migratory or sea-run fish from accessing habitat. The program supports removal or repair actions that restore connectivity and fish passage.

9) Does NOAA prefer barrier removal or construction of fish passage structures?

Barrier removal is preferred over building passage structures that require continuous operation and maintenance. Removing an obstruction and restoring a natural channel condition is generally considered a higher-value, more durable investment than installing engineered passage structures that require ongoing upkeep.

10) Are projects involving hydroelectric facilities eligible?

Yes. The opportunity allows projects that support hydroelectric license surrender when it enables removal of dams that no longer make economic sense or no longer provide meaningful public benefits. This aligns with NOAA's preference for long-term, low-maintenance solutions that restore natural connectivity.

11) What project phases can be funded?

The program supports a wide range of project phases, including early-stage planning and full implementation depending on project readiness.

12) What activities are eligible for funding?

Eligible activities include feasibility studies and project development, engineering and design, permitting, on-the-ground restoration and construction associated with fish passage, and monitoring before and after barrier removal to document results. The program also explicitly supports community engagement, outreach, and education, as well as activities that build tribal capacity to participate in current and future fish passage work.

13) Does the program fund monitoring?

Yes. Monitoring before and after barrier removal is an eligible activity, specifically to document results.

14) Does the program support community engagement and outreach?

Yes. Community engagement, outreach, and education are explicitly supported.

15) What does "capacity building" mean in this opportunity?

Capacity building refers to increasing tribal ability to plan, deliver, and manage fish passage projects now and in the future, including the ability to carry out responsibilities as managers and stewards of tribal trust resources for cultural, spiritual, economic, subsistence, and recreational purposes.

16) How long is the expected award period?

NOAA anticipates a typical period of performance of three years for most projects.

17) Is there a preference for how quickly projects can be completed?

Yes. NOAA signals a preference for proposals with a high likelihood of being completed within the award window and indicates it will give preference to projects ready enough to deliver results within roughly a two- to three-year period.

18) Can one application include multiple barrier sites?

Yes. Proposals can cover multiple locations, and NOAA allows bundling several barriers into one application when the applicant can show the sites work together to achieve larger, watershed-scale outcomes.

19) What makes a strong multi-site (bundled) proposal?

A strong bundled proposal typically explains how each barrier contributes to overall connectivity, habitat access, and population recovery, and why the combined approach is more effective than isolated fixes.

20) What type of federal award will NOAA use?

Awards will be made as cooperative agreements.

21) What does it mean that awards are cooperative agreements?

It generally means NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period, such as coordination on milestones, reporting, technical input, and compliance steps.

22) How much funding can an applicant request?

Applications must request at least $300,000 and no more than $6,000,000 in total federal funding for the entire award.

23) What funding range does NOAA expect to be most common?

Funding levels are expected to commonly fall between $500,000 and $4,000,000 over three years.

24) How many awards does NOAA expect to make in this round?

NOAA expects to make around 12 awards under this round.

25) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304(e)) and organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements, such as tribal commissions, tribal consortia, tribal conservation districts, and tribal cooperatives.

26) What documentation should tribal organizations provide to show they represent tribes?

Because representation must be formal, tribal organizations are encouraged to submit clear documentation demonstrating the relationship with the tribe or tribes involved (for example, letters of support and memoranda of understanding), consistent with the application requirements referenced in the notice.

27) Can universities, nonprofits, or state and local governments apply directly?

No. Other entities such as universities, nonprofits, for-profit firms, states, local governments, and U.S. territories are not eligible to apply directly under this specific opportunity.

28) Can non-eligible entities participate in projects in any way?

Yes. Ineligible entities may participate as partners through subawards, contracts, or other collaborations with eligible tribal applicants.

29) Are state-recognized tribes eligible to apply?

No. Groups that identify as tribes but do not meet the federal definition, including state-recognized tribes, are not eligible to apply directly under this opportunity.

30) Are federal agencies or federal employees eligible to apply?

No. Federal agencies and federal employees are not eligible applicants. NOAA encourages federal partners to support eligible applicants instead of applying.

31) Are there geographic requirements for where projects must occur?

Projects must benefit U.S. migratory fish consistent with the program's objective.

32) Are there special geographic rules for Great Lakes projects?

Yes. For Great Lakes-focused proposals, the work must be located within the Great Lakes basin in one of the eight U.S. Great Lakes states: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, or Minnesota.

33) What is the application deadline?

The application deadline is February 27, 2025.

34) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is NOAA NMFS HCPO 2025 29044.

35) What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 11.463.

36) What federal department and agency is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding through the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA (DOC NOAA - ERA Production).

37) What kinds of community benefits can be part of a competitive proposal?

Beyond fish passage, competitive proposals may describe co-benefits such as reducing flood risk, improving public safety, and restoring natural stream function, particularly when replacing or removing aging infrastructure helps reduce climate and hazard risks.

38) What uses of fish and aquatic resources does NOAA highlight as important to tribes?

The opportunity highlights commercial, recreational, subsistence, and cultural uses tied to fishing and aquatic resources, as well as cultural, spiritual, economic, subsistence, and recreational purposes connected to stewardship of tribal trust resources.