2023 Alaska Native Organization Co-Management Funding Program | NOAA NMFS AK 2023 2007546

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS AK 2023 2007546

The 2023 Alaska Native Organization Co-Management Funding Program is a discretionary federal funding opportunity offered by the Department of Commerce through NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). It is designed to support Alaska Native Organizations (ANOs) and Alaska Native Tribes in conserving marine mammals that are important for subsistence and in strengthening co-management efforts for species under NMFS jurisdiction. The program is grounded in federal authority that allows NMFS to provide assistance to ANOs to conserve marine mammals and promote co-management of Alaska Native subsistence use, and it emphasizes practical, on-the-ground work that improves both conservation outcomes and the quality of information used in management.

Awards are made as cooperative agreements, which typically means NMFS expects to have an active role in the project beyond simply providing funds (for example, through coordination, technical input, data-sharing expectations, or joint implementation). The opportunity is focused specifically on marine mammals managed by NMFS; proposals that center on marine mammals under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are explicitly not eligible for funding under this solicitation, so applicants need to ensure their target species fall clearly within NMFS authority.

Eligible applicants are tribally authorized Alaska Native Organizations that already have a signed co-management agreement with NMFS. The eligibility list also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations, but the key requirement stated in the announcement is that the applicant must be a tribally authorized ANO with an executed co-management agreement with NMFS. In practice, this frames the program as support for established co-management partners, rather than a mechanism to create brand-new co-management relationships from scratch.

The funding is intended to cover a broad range of conservation and co-management activities tied to subsistence marine mammals. Supported work can include developing or implementing species management approaches, monitoring subsistence harvests, collecting harvest samples, conducting scientific research that supports management needs, and delivering public education and outreach. The program places strong emphasis on aligning proposed work with recognized conservation priorities, particularly actions identified in Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plans or Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Conservation Plans when those plans apply to the species or stock in question. Beyond those formal plans, proposals are also expected to reflect the priority themes identified in the funding opportunity itself, meaning applicants should connect their activities to clearly defined management or conservation needs rather than proposing general capacity building without a direct tie to outcomes.

From a funding and competition standpoint, the opportunity number is NOAA NMFS AK 2023 2007546 and the CFDA number listed is 11.439, placing it within NOAA assistance for environmental and natural resource work. NMFS anticipated making around 10 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $800,000 per award. The notice was created on November 3, 2022, with an original closing date of February 10, 2023. The announcement also notes that some details changed from the prior year, signaling that returning applicants should not assume requirements are identical and should follow the FY 2023 instructions for proposal preparation, submission, and how NMFS will select projects.

Overall, the program is best understood as targeted support for Alaska Native-led, co-managed conservation of subsistence marine mammals under NMFS, with funding aimed at management-relevant research and monitoring, harvest data and sampling, implementation of species management actions, and community-facing education and outreach. The strongest proposals under this type of program are typically those that show a clear connection between subsistence needs and conservation objectives, demonstrate readiness to carry out the work under an existing co-management agreement, and directly map project tasks to ESA or MMPA plan priorities where applicable.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2023 Alaska Native Organization Co-Management Funding Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.439.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 03, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 10, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $800,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).

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