Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Monitoring | W912DR21R0055

Opportunity Information: Apply for W912DR21R0055

The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Monitoring opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W912DR21R0055) is a discretionary federal grant offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The agency planned to fund one award through a Cooperative Agreement, with an estimated maximum award amount (ceiling) of $700,000. The work falls under the Natural Resources activity area (CFDA 12.010) and, based on the eligibility listed, is intended for nonprofit organizations that have IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) status and are not institutions of higher education.

The core purpose of the agreement is to carry out long-term monitoring of oyster reefs that USACE constructed in the Chesapeake Bay, with the practical goal of determining the status and condition of oyster populations living on those reefs. In other words, this is not a construction or reef-building solicitation; it is focused on scientifically tracking how restored reefs are performing over time, using consistent monitoring methods to assess oyster population health and site condition. The monitoring is designed to provide evidence on whether restoration outcomes are being achieved and how oyster communities change as reefs age after construction.

The planned monitoring program spans a seven-year window, covering efforts from 2021 through 2027. Within that period, USACE anticipated monitoring multiple restoration locations, including alternate substrate oyster restoration sites in Harris Creek and the Tred Avon River, with work continuing through 2027. The scope also includes additional status monitoring at sites in the Severn River and at Cook Point Sanctuary in the Choptank River. Collectively, these locations represent a set of oyster restoration and sanctuary areas where consistent, comparable data can be collected to evaluate restoration progress across different rivers and site conditions in the Bay.

Two main monitoring approaches are called out across the seven-year period. First is post-construction monitoring, specifically including surveys at roughly the 3-year and 6-year marks after construction to evaluate reef development and oyster population metrics over time. Second is sentinel site monitoring focused on alternate substrate sites in the Tred Avon River, which implies repeated observations at designated reference locations to track trends and potentially detect changes more quickly or consistently than broader periodic surveys alone. Taken together, these monitoring elements are structured to provide both milestone-based assessments (3- and 6-year post-construction checks) and more continuous or regularly repeated measurements (sentinel sites) to build a clearer picture of oyster reef condition and population status through 2027.

The opportunity was created on July 9, 2021, and originally closed on August 9, 2021, indicating the application window for this particular solicitation occurred in mid-2021. The expected result was a single cooperative partner to implement the monitoring plan, coordinate field and data activities as needed, and deliver the monitoring outputs that allow USACE to document restoration performance and oyster population condition at the named Chesapeake Bay sites over the 2021 to 2027 timeframe.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Monitoring" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.010.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 09, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 09, 2021. (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 $700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for W912DR21R0055

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