On September 13, 2010, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published Federal Register notice advising that NOAA is soliciting proposals for competitive funding for Regional Ocean Partnerships.  Eligible entities include state, local, territory and tribal governments, regional ocean partnerships, institutions of higher learning, and non-profit and for-profit organizations.  Eligible Partnerships are those that include or emphasize regional Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) efforts.  These efforts include protection of marine mammals.

This funding completion focuses on advancing effective coastal and ocean management through regional ocean governance and on advancing the goals for national ocean policy set out in the July 2010 Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. The Regional Ocean Partnership Funding Program will support two categories of activities:

    (1) Implementation of activities that contribute to achieving the priorities identified by Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROPs) while also advancing CMSP as envisioned in the national CMSP Framework; and

    (2) ROP Development and Governance Support for administration and operations of existing ROPs, and for start-up costs of those regions beginning ROPs.

 Eligible entities must submit to NOAA full proposals on or before December 10, 2010, in order to participate in this Fiscal Year 2011 funding opportunity. Total anticipated funding is approximately $20,000,000 and is subject to the availability of FY 2011 appropriations.

Additional funds of approximately $10,000,000 from NOAA or other Federal agencies may be used for FY 2011 or multi-year awards from this competition. 

●  Click here for more details about this funding competition:   http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-22645.htm