Author Archives: FoNOAA Admin

NOAA awards $20.5 million for ocean and coastal resource management

Posted on by

From https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-awards-205-million-for-ocean-and-coastal-resource-management?s=03

January 17, 2023

In a first-of-its-kind deployment under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds, today NOAA announced the award of approximately $20.5 million for the coordinated management of ocean and coastal resources around the country. The recommended federal funds will significantly enhance existing collaboration between states, tribal governments and the federal government, and provide needed capacity to advance their work.

Through this recommended funding, the awards will support projects to advance regional ocean partnerships and data sharing among ocean users, and include the engagement of federally recognized tribes with existing regional ocean partnerships. Regional ocean partnerships are regional organizations convened by governors to work collaboratively across multiple states, in coordination with federal and tribal governments, on common priorities and challenges.

“Advanced climate data is critical to helping communities act on the best available information when disaster strikes,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to addressing the climate crisis, and thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can invest in collecting and disseminating lifesaving data to communities across the country, especially those that are often overlooked and left behind.”

“Equity remains at the heart of all we do at the Commerce Department, and this includes the continued effort towards environmental justice for our tribal communities,” said Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves. “This funding is a necessary step in building on climate resilience efforts and protecting our coasts.”

“This recommended funding allows communities to better plan for future changes as we build a Climate-Ready Nation,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “NOAA values the contributions of all partners to better understand and manage climate-related risks.”

A total of 13 awards were distributed to tribes and partners:

Project descriptions can be found on NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management website.

NOAA to spend Nearly $105 Million in Fish Passage Funding Recommended under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Posted on by

The following article can be found at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/nearly-105-million-fish-passage-funding-recommended-under-bipartisan-infrastructure?s=03

Nearly $105 Million in Fish Passage Funding Recommended under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Including Significant Funding for Tribes

Thirty-six new projects will reopen migratory pathways, restore access to healthy habitat for fish, and build tribal capacity to participate in developing and implementing fish passage projects.

NOAA is recommending nearly $105 million in funding for 36 fish passage projects this year and $61 million in future funding under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With this historic level of funding, our partners will reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish across the country.

Fifteen of these projects—more than $26.3 million in funding—will be led by tribal applicants for fish passage and to build tribal organizational capacity. In addition, nearly two-thirds of the remaining projects will directly involve tribes and are aligned with tribal priorities. Tribes will play key roles in decision-making and build capacity to help recover tribally-important migratory fish.  The projects will also provide community and economic benefits such as jobs and training opportunities. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for NOAA to continue making an impact for fisheries, protected resources, and coastal communities. These projects will help recover endangered migratory fish and support the sustainability of commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries. They will also support coastal communities by removing derelict and unsafe dams, removing contaminated sediments, improving opportunities for recreation, and adapting to climate change by reducing flooding and improving threatened infrastructure.

View tribal priority fish passage projects recommended for funding

View fish passage projects recommended for funding

Tribal Priority Fish Passage Projects Recommended for Funding

NOAA is recommending more than $16 million in funding for 13 projects selected through the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. 

These projects will support Indian tribes in their role as managers and stewards of tribal trust resources for cultural, spiritual, economic, subsistence, and recreational purposes. They will support tribally important fish passage barrier removal projects and help to increase tribal capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects. 

Fish Passage Projects Recommended for Funding

NOAA is recommending more than $87 million in funding for 23 projects selected through the Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. 

These projects will help restore access to healthy habitat for migratory fish across the country through efforts including: on-the-ground fish passage restoration, engineering and design, future project development, and building the capacity of new and existing partners to design projects and manage multi-faceted restoration efforts. 

Fish Passage and NOAA

Every year, millions of fish migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce. Some fish need to swim thousands of miles through oceans and rivers to reach their destinations. They are often blocked from completing their journey by barriers like dams and culverts. When fish can’t reach their habitat, they can’t reproduce and maintain or grow their populations. As a result, many fish populations have declined. NOAA works to reopen these migratory pathways, restoring access to healthy habitat for fish. 

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation has a long history conducting habitat restoration efforts, including fish passage, with large-scale competitive funding opportunities and expert technical assistance. Through our Community-based Restoration Program, we have partnered with more than 2,600 organizations to take on more than 2,200 projects since 1996. These efforts have restored more than 94,000 acres of habitat and opened up more than 4,400 miles of streams and rivers to fish migration.

TAO Consulting

Posted on by

TAO Consulting is a leading emerging technology and circular economy advisory group that develops comprehensive and visionary cross-sectoral strategies for the diverse maritime eco-systems (Academia, Research Labs, Government Agencies, Defense Departments, Ocean Industry, Investment, Insurance, Legal, Technology, Foundations, NGOs, Trade Associations and Global Institutions) to accelerate the growth of the blue economy and blue tech globally.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriscoyle11

American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)

Posted on by

www.aibs.org

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) scientific association dedicated to advancing the biological sciences to promote the increased understanding of all life. AIBS was formed with a vision of bringing together the organizations and individuals that advance the biological sciences to work together on matters best addressed through united action. Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. Today, AIBS has more than 110 member organizations and is headquartered in Herndon, VA. Staff members work to achieve its mission by publishing the peer-reviewed journal BioScience, by providing scientific peer review and advisory services to a variety of clients, and by collaborating with scientific organizations to advance public policy, education, and the public understanding of science. AIBS continues to adapt its programs to the rapid social, technological, and economic changes that are influencing the practice of the life sciences.

AIBS works with any stakeholder that advances the broad field and profession of biology. Organizations partner with us on initiatives, work with us to identify and communicate matters of common concern, and help connect us to their communities for idea and information exchange – particularly regarding public policy, education, public understanding of science, and matters of professional concern. AIBS has member societies and organizations that support our work financially. AIBS provides services to a wide variety of scientific funding groups that include government agencies, industry, private research foundations, and other non-governmental organizations.

Friends of NOAA supports robust FY23 302(b) funding for NOAA research

Posted on by

Friends of NOAA joins other institutions and organizations to support robust FY23 302(b) funding for the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) portfolio, which includes the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The federal government is the country’s largest provider for basic research, which is necessary to keep the United States at
the forefront of innovations. Healthy funding for CJS portfolio research programs is congruent with the goal of Friends of NOAA for NOAA to be a premier agency for climate and extreme weather research, in order for NOAA to fulfill its Weather Ready Nation mission.

You can read the FY23 CJS 302(b) letter here.

Reston Consulting Group (RCG)

Posted on by

Reston Consulting Group, Inc.  (dba RCG, Inc.) was founded in 1987 as a Minority & Woman-Owned Small Business. RCG provides innovative IT solutions and outstanding service to help clients achieve technical, business and mission success.  We have a proven record of both individual and teaming success providing IT, data center consolidation and virtualization, service desk, CIRT, infrastructure and cyber security support to government and commercial clients.

RCG has supported numerous NOAA line offices since our inception, to include the National Weather Service (NWS); National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Services (NESDIS); NWS, National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC); NOAA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO); and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).  RCG was awarded it’s first IT contract with NOAA in 1987 and we have over 35 years of continuous service to the NOAA mission and serve as a WRN ambassador.

FY23 Appropriations

Posted on by

The following are links to the FY23 requested budget by NOAA (Blue Book, Congressional Justification)

https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/Final_FY23_NOAA_Blue_Book.pdf

https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/NOAAFY23CJ.pdf

Read the full FoNOAA letter sent to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

https://friendsofnoaa.earth/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Friends-of-NOAA-FY-23-Appropriations-Letter.pdf

Friends of NOAA requests $7.2B for NOAA in FY23

Posted on by

Recognizing the world class scientific, economic, safety, and public health benefits that NOAA provides our nation, the Friends of NOAA (FoNOAA) strongly encourages Congress fund the Agency at a level of at least $7.2 billion in FY 2023. This funding increase is essential to enable NOAA to continue its leadership, front-line role in confronting the global climate crisis.

The services and outreach provided by NOAA offices are critical to citizens and policy makers’ ability to protect life and property, and to make decisions that mitigate environmental impacts. They also play an important role in informing strategic investments and improvements to build back an improved and more equitable economy and society in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Robust and predictable science funding for NOAA is critical for our nation’s security and to remain a world leader in climate, atmospheric and oceanic science, research, and technology. This support will also allow the Agency to continue to build partnerships with industry, which improves the nation’s ability to turn science into real-world success, and with community stakeholders, who are critical to locally-informed solutions and public education.

Read more here: https://friendsofnoaa.earth/Friends of NOAA FY 23 Appropriations Letter

Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2022

Posted on by
Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2022

The decisions that governments, businesses, and communities make today will have long-term impacts on the health of our blue planet. Join the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in Washington, DC or virtually for Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) from June 7 – 9, 2022, themed “Sea: The Future,” to celebrate the 50 years of progress achieved and to set a course for the new policies and actions necessary to sustain our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and transform our future.

BreezoMeter

Posted on by

www.breezometer.com

BreezoMeter’s mission is to improve the health and safety of billions of people worldwide exposed to environmental hazards such as wildfires, air pollution, pollen, and more. Our Health-focused Environmental Intelligence enables the transformation of businesses and consumers to become climate-aware and climate-resilient.