USEPA Great Lakes National Program Office
FY2005-2006 Funding Guidance

II. Award Information

A total estimated amount of up to $4,692,000, for 40 to 100 projects, may be awarded under this announcement for furthering protection and clean up of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Amounts, Targets, and Number of Projects. Estimates of dollar amounts per topic and/or project area and numbers of projects are included as planning targets only. The actual amounts and numbers may differ substantially for many reasons, including: EPA's operating plan has not been developed and portions of the resources being allocated for the Funding Guidance have not been specified by Congress; the number and quality of meritorious, technically qualified project submissions is unknown; and EPA seeks a geographic balance among selected projects. EPA reserves the right to make no awards under this announcement. Information about the estimated number and amounts of awards for each topic is included in Section I.

Anticipated Start and End Dates. Most projects selected for funding will begin in September or October 2005; however, if an applicant is selected in June and immediately submits all required grants forms, it is possible that a project could begin as early as August. Except for New York RAP projects in Sections I.D.4 and 5, applicants should plan for projects to be completed within 2 years of their start dates. Applicants should also consider the Federal requirement that projects involving data use or collection require an approved Quality Assurance Project Plan prior to commencing environmental data collection - extra funds and extra time may be needed for its development.

Clarification/Revisions. Consistent with EPA’s Policy for Competition of Assistance Agreements, EPA Order 5700.5A1 <http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/5700_5A1.pdf>, applicants may be contacted for clarification on certain portions of their project submissions and/or for the purpose of negotiating changes in project terms and amounts if appropriate.

Competition Policy Amendments for Additional Funding. Supplemental funding amendments to existing grants for the purpose of obtaining additional funding for additional work are subject to USEPA's Policy for Competition in Assistance Agreements <http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/5700_5A1.pdf>.  Applicants interested in such an amendment should contact their project officers to discuss the need for including such a project request through the GLNPO Funding Guidance process described in this announcement.

Partial Funding. USEPA reserves the right to partially fund submissions by funding discrete activities, portions, or phases of the proposed project. If USEPA decides to partially fund the proposed project, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposed project, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected, and that maintains the integrity of the competition and the selection/evaluation process.

Previous success rate - for informational purposes only. In FY 2004, GLNPO notified potential applicants that it was seeking proposals for a total of $3.78 million in the priority areas of: Contaminated Sediments; Pollution Prevention and Toxics Reduction; Habitat Protection and Restoration; Invasive Species; Emerging or Strategic Issues; and LaMP/RAP priorities. In response, applicants submitted 265 proposals, seeking $25 million. 77 projects totaling $3.8 million were selected <http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2004fund/yeslist.html>. The "success rate" for proposals submitted in FY2004 was 29%, higher than success rates of recent years, which ranged from 14% in FY2000 to 27% in FY2003.

Type of Award. Successful applicants could be issued a grant, cooperative agreement, inter-agency agreement or such other funding instrument as may be most appropriate. If a cooperative agreement is to be awarded, EPA's involvement in carrying out the work with the applicant will be described in a selection letter, and identified in the terms and conditions of the award document.

III. Eligibility and Matching

Applicant Eligibility. State pollution control agencies, interstate agencies, and other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations are eligible; "for-profit" organizations are not. Since other federal agencies are public agencies or institutions, they are eligible to compete. An applicant's failure to meet eligibility criterion by the time of any award will preclude USEPA from making an award.

Eligible Activities. Assistance is available pursuant to Clean Water Act §104(b)(3) for activities impacting the Great Lakes Basin and in support of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. To be eligible for funding consideration, projects must address one or more of the following topics: Pollution Prevention and Toxics Reduction; Habitat (Ecological) Protection and Restoration, including Habitat Conferences and Printing; Emerging or Strategic Issues, including Invasive Species; Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Priorities; or Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) Priorities.

Note that each Habitat Conference project may be for up to $5,000 and have a budget period of one year or less. Project submissions in excess of $5,000 or having a longer budget period will be rejected for consideration under the Habitat Conference topic (Section I.B.2), but may, at the discretion of GLNPO, be transferred to the general Habitat topic(Section I.B.1).

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance identifies this assistance as: 66.469, Great Lakes Program.

Ineligible Activities. Under this announcement, USEPA will not fund: "construction grant" projects; basic research; land acquisition; or projects the principal purpose for which is general operating support. Education/outreach or conferences are only eligible activities when integrated within a larger project or as specifically requested in the respective funding categories described in Section I.

Match. A match is not required, but cost-leveraging is one of the equally weighted criteria in Section V which will be considered by reviewers during evaluations.

IV. Application and Submission

Getting Started. Register now at <http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2005guid/register.html> so that we can update you on our funding process, including any changes to deadlines and the schedule for a proposed public conference call to discuss Funding Guidance questions . The 4 steps for project submission are:

1. Get the free PSS2005 software
   <http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2005guid/pss2005/index.html>
2. Read and follow instructions.
3. Enter and edit your project submission.
4. Complete and submit your project submission.

Developing Project Submissions. Submissions must be developed using the GLNPO Submission System (PSS2005) available from: <http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2005guid/pss2005/index.html> . Please read the instructions for getting started and for using PSS2005. Be sure to address all applicable general and specific criteria.

Examples from Previous Years. When developing project submissions, you may look at submissions of successful projects from previous years, available at
<http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/fund/modelsubmis.html>. Note, however, that there are several new requirements this year which are not addressed in these prior submissions.

Format. PSS2005 generates the correct format. For your convenience, a one-page summary of the information needed for submissions is included at the end of this section, allowing you to see our requirements, compose your work off line, then copy and paste it into the program. Be sure to address all applicable general and specific criteria - do not just fill in the blanks. For planning purposes, assume that your submission will be about five pages. If yours is longer and PSS2005 accepts it, we will too.

Submission. Electronic submissions are required. Did you address all applicable general and specific criteria? Attach a copy of the data file, "APL2005.TPS," from the C:\PSS2005 subdirectory and e-mail it to: glnpo.funding@epa.gov . If sending a disk, include the "APL2005.TPS" file, and mail it to:

USEPA - GLNPO (G-17J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604-3590
Attention: Lawrence Brail

If you do not have the capability to submit electronically, please contact Michael Russ [(312) 886-4013, russ.michael@epa.gov] for information on how you may still apply under this announcement.

Technical Difficulties. We encourage you to call Tony Kizlauskas [(312) 353-8773] or Pranas Pranckevicius [(312) 353-3437] for technical assistance or if you do not have access to a PC. PSS2005 does not work on Macintosh computers.

Deadline. Submissions are due by 8:00 AM Central time, Tuesday, May 31, 2005. GLNPO will determine timeliness by reviewing the date and time of receipt by glnpo.funding@epa.gov or GLNPO's front office, as applicable. However, APPLICANTS MUST CHECK THE POSTING at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/glf.html to verify our receipt. PROJECTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN POSTED TO THIS LIST WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE DEADLINE SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE MISSED THE DEADLINE. Absent compelling circumstances which justify the acceptance of a late submission and that do not affect the integrity of the competition, late submissions will not be reviewed or considered.

Funding Restrictions: See Eligibility - Ineligible Activities.

Confidentiality. In accordance with 40 CFR 2.203, applicants may claim all or a portion of their project submission as confidential business information. EPA will evaluate confidentiality claims in accordance with 40 CFR Part 2. Applicants must clearly mark submissions or portions thereof they claim as confidential. If no claim of confidentiality is made, EPA is not required to make the inquiry to the applicant otherwise required by 40 CFR 2.204(c)(2) prior to disclosure. Note that under Public Law No. 105-277, data produced under an award is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Multiple Project Submissions. If your organization submits more than one project in a topic area and chooses to prioritize them, please use PSS2005 to identify an overall contact (including phone, e-mail, and address) and send a single, coordinated submittal. Prioritization information could, instead, be sent by e-mail directly to brail.lawrence@epa.gov. Individuals from the following organizations are their organizations' contacts for submitting multiple projects.

• Illinois EPA: Tammy Mitchell (217) 524-2292
• Indiana DEM: Alex da Silva (219) 757-0265
• Indiana DNR: Michael Molnar (317) 233-0132
• Michigan DEQ: Rick Hobrla (517) 335-4173
• Minnesota PCA: Pat Carey (218) 723-4744
• Minnesota DNR: Pat Collins (218) 834-6612
• New York State DEC: Donald Zelazny (716) 851-7220
• Ohio EPA: Julie Letterhos (614) 644-2871
• Pennsylvania DEP: Lori Boughton (814) 332-6155
• Wisconsin DNR: Kim Walz (608) 264-9220
• Army Corps of Engineers: Jan Miller (312) 353-6354
• Great Lakes Commission: Tom Crane (734) 971-9135
• TNC: Lois Morrison (312) 759-8017

Summary of PSS2005 Fields and Project Information Requirements

(Tabs refer to data entry in the Electronic Submission System)

APPLICANT INFORMATION (TAB1)
Applicant Information. Business Mailing and Contact information. DUNS number if Applicant Organization has one.

Type of Organization. Choose from: State; Interstate Agency or Commission; Sub-state or special purpose district; County; Municipality; Federal Agency; College or University; Tribal Organization; Federally funded research and development center; or Other.

Programmatic Capability. Address the Programmatic Capability criteria of Section V.(D). (4,500 character limit)


PROJECT SUMMARY INFORMATION (TAB 2)
Project Title. 60 character limit.

Brief Project Description. Summarize the project in a manner understandable to the public. Include environmental KEY TERMS that could be used as search terms (e.g., water quality, toxins, mercury, etc.). Do not use acronyms. Should project be selected and a grant awarded, this description may be posted to the EPA web. (595 character limit)

Duration. Specify project duration, from 0.5 years up to 2 years; however, New York RAP projects described in Sections I.D.4 and I.D.5 may specify up to 5 years.

Topic. Choose one: Pollution Prevention and Toxics Reduction; Habitat Protection and Restoration; Habitat Conferences and Printing; Emerging or Strategic Issues, including Invasive Species; Remedial Action Plan Priorities; or Lakewide Management Plan Priorities. Do not submit the same project to multiple topics.

Priority Within Topic. Option to prioritize projects if multiple projects are being submitted within the same topic by the same organization.


GEOGRAPHIC APPLICABILITY (TAB 3)
Applicable State. Great Lakes State(s) which would be most impacted by this project.

Applicable Lake Basin. Great Lakes Basin(s) which would be most impacted by this project.

Applicable Geographic Initiative. If applicable, geographic initiative which would be most impacted by this project: Greater Chicago, Northeast Ohio, NW Indiana, Southeast Michigan, or Lake St. Clair.

Applicable Areas of Concern. Identify primary affected Area of Concern and Other Affected AOCs.

Project Location. Applicable zip code for PROJECT. As applicable, enter City, County, or State(s).


PROBLEM, WORK, RESULTS (TAB 4)
Problem Statement. Describe the issue that will be addressed and its relevance to the Great Lakes, particularly to needs and priorities in Subobjective 4.3.3 (Improve the Health of Great Lakes Ecosystems) of USEPA's Strategic Plan; Great Lakes Strategy 2002, LaMPs and RAPs. (4,500 character limit)

Proposed Work. Describe what will be done and how. Many of the criteria will be addressed here. (11,000 character limit)

Environmental Results. Describe anticipated environmental outputs and outcomes and their linkages to the problem statement. (See Outcomes/Outputs described in Section 1 and Environmental Results Order 5700.7 at: http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700.7.pdf). Specify affected pollutants, industry sectors, economic impacts, habitats, and/or species. As applicable for the topic, estimate chemicals to be "collected or prevented;" the number of acres of aquatic, wetland, riverine, and terrestrial Great Lakes habitat to be positively impacted; and proposed progress toward delisting and toward restoration of beneficial use impairments. (5,000 character limit)

Measuring Progress. Describe your plan for measuring progress toward achieving outputs and outcomes. See Environmental Results Order 5700.7 at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700.7.pdf (5,000 character limit)
Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs). If project impacts AOCs, identify BUIs project will address.


PROJECT MILESTONES (TAB 5)
Milestones. Specify up to 8 milestones and/or final products and projected due dates, including Project Start and End. Projects selected in June could begin in August; however, most begin in September or October.


EDUCATION / COLLABORATION (TAB 6)
Education/Outreach Component. Identify whether project includes an education/outreach component. If applicable, describe the target audience and how that group would be impacted by the project. (2,000 character limit)

Collaboration/Community-based Support. Describe plans and status of collaboration amongst the public, private, and independent sectors. Evidence of support will be requested later. (2,000 character limit)


PROJECT BUDGET (TAB 7)
Budget. Specify how the total of USEPA funds and Applicant matching funds will be used for: personnel/salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contract costs, and other costs. Include narrative descriptions for costs you identify as "contract" or "other". You may include a separate line for indirect costs if your organization has in place (or will negotiate) an "indirect cost rate" from a cognizant Federal agency. Budget should represent the total which would be requested from USEPA for the project's duration. Except for incremental awards, funding will generally be awarded as a "lump sum." Funding is not assured for subsequent years for any project.


OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING (TAB 8)
Other Funding. If others are expected to contribute funds to your Project, list Name(s) of Providers, Amounts Provided, and Commitments made by each. (2,000 character limit)

V. Application Review

Criteria. Projects will be evaluated based on (i) the General Criteria specified below and (ii) the Specific Criteria identified below that apply to the topic area to which the project relates. All criteria are weighted equally.

General Criteria. The General Criteria are:

1. Rationale/Relevance/Bias for Action: Potential, whether direct or indirect, to protect and/or restore the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem, to address issues most relevant to Great Lakes policymakers in a value-adding way or to result in practical activities which promise measurable progress to protect and/or restore the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.
   
2. Scientific/Professional Merit: Soundness of technical approach, including design, objectives, and scientific viability of the project.
   
3. Innovation: Demonstration of new techniques or approaches or which build upon prior efforts in value-adding ways, rather than duplicating prior efforts.
   
4. Programmatic Capability: The technical capability of the applicant to successfully carry out a project taking into account such factors as the applicant’s (1) past performance in successfully completing projects similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project, (2) history of meeting reporting requirements on prior or current assistance agreements and submitting acceptable final technical reports and applicable closeout documentation, (3) organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the project, and (4) staff expertise/ qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources of the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the project. (Refer also to EPA Order 5700.8 <http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700_8.pdf>.) For projects involving use or collection of environmental data, the applicant’s timely compliance with current American National Standard Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs, ANSI/ASQC E4-1994 will be considered. In addition to information provided by the applicant, in its submission, EPA may consider information from other sources including Agency files. If an applicant does not have any past performance and/or reporting history (items “1” and “2” above) it will receive a neutral evaluation for those elements of programmatic capability.
   
5. Stakeholders: Involvement and appropriateness of partners and customers, for instance government agencies, community groups, businesses, or stakeholders for Lakewide Management and Remedial Action Plans.
   
6. Geographic Scope: Appropriateness of the project scope and its location. Support from LaMP and/or RAP committees and the applicable State environmental agency will be considered.
   
7. Education/Outreach: Effectiveness of education/outreach and plans to disseminate project results.
   
8. Measuring Progress. Effectiveness and sufficiency of the applicant’s plan for tracking and measuring its progress toward achieving environmental outputs and outcomes.
   
9. Appropriate Budget. Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget for the level of work proposed and with the expected benefits to be achieved.
   
10. Leveraging: Extent the applicant demonstrates (1) how they will coordinate the use of EPA funding with other Federal and/or non Federal sources of funds to leverage additional resources to carry out the proposed project(s) and/or (2) that EPA funding will complement activities relevant to the proposed project(s) carried out by the applicant with other sources of funds or resources. Applicants may use their own funds or other resources for a voluntary match or cost share if the standards at 40 CFR 30.23 or 40 CFR 31.24, as applicable, are met. Only eligible and allowable costs may be used for matches or cost shares. Other Federal grants may not be used as matches or cost shares without specific statutory authority (e.g. HUD's Community Development Block Grants). The submittal must describe how the applicant will obtain the leveraged resources and what role EPA funding will play in the overall project.
    
11. GLNPO Mission. Extent to which project is aligned with GLNPO's mission, as opposed to alignment with the mission of other funding sources from which the project’s funding could reasonably be expected.

Specific Criteria. Following are the Specific Criteria applicable to the respective topics. While projects will generally be evaluated against the Specific Criteria for the topic originally selected by the applicant, in some cases a project may be evaluated against the Specific Criteria of a different topic if the project is more appropriately aligned with that topic and the applicant concurs with this assessment. Where “Projects of Particular Interest” have been identified within a topic, the Specific Criteria give weight to such projects. No special weight is given to projects identified in Section I as “Examples.”

A. Pollution Prevention and Reduction.

• Potential to remove AOC beneficial use impairments over the next 1-5 years.
• Potential reductions of pollutants in the environment.
• Jointly targets common goals under the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy and the LaMPs.
• Whether project is a Project of Particular Interest.

B1. Habitat (Ecological) Protection and Restoration.

• Potential to remove AOC beneficial use impairments over the next 1-5 years.
• Biological importance on a regional, basinwide or global scale.
• Protects or restores a significant number of aquatic or terrestrial habitat acres.
• Adds to the knowledge base of a particular ecosystem, habitat, or species.
• Results in the formation or enhancement of a multi-organizational or binational partnership.

B2. Habitat (Ecosystem) Conferences and Printing.

• Includes participants from as wide a variety of agencies and organizations as appropriate.
• Availability of results to the appropriate audience in a timely manner.
• Potential to advance partnerships and community involvement.

C. Emerging or Strategic Issues.

• Strategic importance and timeliness.
• Potential to further the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
• Potential to achieve progress under the Great Lakes Strategy.
• Potential to achieve progress under Executive Order 13340 and the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration.
• Transferability across the Great Lakes Basin and beyond.

D. RAP Priorities.

• Potential to remove AOC beneficial use impairments over the next 1-5 years.
• How well the project addresses priority environmental needs and priorities identified in a Remedial Action Plan. RAP Projects should be within the identified boundaries of the AOC and will be favored if they have been identified in the RAPs as needed to remove Beneficial Use Impairments. During the evaluation process, applicable State environmental agencies may be asked whether they support the project.
• Project consistency with RAP and/or Great Lakes Strategy timelines.
• Evidence of previous successful coordination and collaboration with other organizations involved with the applicable RAP.
• Evidence of community based support, including monetary contributions, steering committee resolutions, adoption of goals and objectives, etc.
• For Habitat BUI projects: follows guidelines outlined in the "Pathway” <http://www.glc.org/spac/pdf/FishWildlifeBUI.pdf> document.
• Whether project is a Project of Particular Interest.

E. LaMP Priorities.

• Potential to remove LaMP beneficial use impairments over the next 1-5 years.
• How well the project addresses priority environmental needs and priorities identified in the respective LaMP or Lake Huron Initiative. During the evaluation process, applicable State environmental agencies may be asked whether they support the project.
• Project consistency with LaMP, Lake Huron Initiative, and/or Great Lakes Strategy time lines.
• Evidence of previous successful coordination and collaboration with other organizations involved with the applicable LaMP or Lake Huron Initiative.
• Evidence of community based support, including monetary contributions, steering committee resolutions, adoption of goals and objectives, etc.
• Whether project is a Project of Particular Interest.

Review and Selection Process. Selection recommendations will be based on an evaluation of projects against the General Criteria and the applicable Specific Criteria. For applicants that submit more than one project within a topic, recommendations will take into account an applicant's prioritization of its projects (see Section IV, Multiple Project Submissions) and will not penalize the applicant for submitting more than one project within a topic area.

Specific and General Criteria will be evaluated in an extensive review process:

• USEPA will screen submissions upon receipt for eligibility, for conformance to the announcement provisions, and to make sure that proposed projects are aligned with the appropriate topic area. As mentioned above (see “Specific Criteria”), if the project is not aligned with the appropriate topic area, and with the applicant’s approval, the project will be evaluated under the specific criteria of another topic.
• At least three USEPA reviewers will independently evaluate each project against both the general and the applicable specific criteria.
• The reviewers’ evaluation sheets will be forwarded to the applicable review team leaders. For each topic, the respective review team leader will prepare a spreadsheet compiling the results of the individual evaluations.
• USEPA technical review teams for each topic area will then be convened to discuss the projects and the evaluations, using the spreadsheet as a tool to develop selection recommendations. The technical review teams will be composed of all available reviewers who have reviewed any of the proposals for each topic.
• Each technical review team will then develop a recommended list of projects for funding to present to USEPA management (USEPA GLNPO or Region 2, as applicable). In developing recommendations, the Habitat evaluation process will seek to achieve a balance between basinwide and regional projects.
• Each technical review team will discuss its list of recommended projects with management. In making the final selection recommendations, in addition to considering the evaluation of the proposed project against the general and applicable specific criteria, management may also consider the geographic distribution of projects and funds, selecting technically sound projects across the basin at both a geographic and institutional level to achieve a reasonable balance of funding by Lake, applicant type, and the State of project location or impact.
• Management will select projects for funding consideration, and all applicants will be notified of the projects that have been selected.
• Applicants for the projects that have been selected will be asked to submit detailed final Proposals along with the SF-424 and attendant documentation for Federal assistance (Application Packages).
• Final decisions will be based upon the completed final proposals and application packages.

Schedule.

* GLNPO proposes to host a public conference call during which applicants can ask any questions about the Funding Guidance. The conference will be broadcasted live and will be archived for future playback. You will need the following information to participate in the call:

Further details about this call will be available on the Great Lakes Funding Guidance web site: http://epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2005guid/index.html 

If you register at http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/maillist/index.html we will send you any updates to GLNPO funding information.

VI. Award Administration

Notification: We will confirm submission receipt within: (i) one week for E-Mail submissions or (ii) two weeks for regular mail. Shortly after the deadline, we will post project information (including Applicant, Title, and GLNPO identification number) at: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/glf.html.  ALL APPLICANTS SHOULD CHECK THIS POSTING TO VERIFY THAT THEIR SUBMISSIONS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN GLNPO’S DATABASE. Contact brail.lawrence@epa.gov if you do not receive a confirmation or if your project is not posted. GLNPO will contact all Applicants to tell them whether or not they will be asked to submit Application Packages.

Pre-award Review for Administrative Capability. Non-profit applicants that are recommended for funding will be subject to pre-award administrative capability reviews consistent with paragraphs 8.b, 8.c, and 9.d of EPA Order 5700.8 <http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700_8.pdf>  and may be required to fill out and document an “Administrative Capability” form.

Issuance of Awards. USEPA reserves the right to negotiate appropriate changes in projects (that do not affect the integrity of the competition) before making final decisions and awards and reserves the right to reject all Projects or applications and make no awards. USEPA has 60 days to issue an award following receipt of the complete, fundable Application Package. Final funding decisions are based upon the Application Packages.

Administrative and Reporting Requirements. The successful applicant will be required to adhere to the Federal grants requirements, particularly those found in applicable OMB circulars on Cost Principles (A-21, A-87, or A-122), Administrative Requirements (A-102 or 110), and Audit Requirements (A-133) available from <http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/>. This includes government-wide requirements pertaining to accounting standards, lobbying, minority or woman business enterprise, publication, meetings, construction, and disposition of property. EPA regulations governing assistance programs and recipients are codified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Those requirements, GLNPO-specific requirements currently in effect, and the application materials that will be needed by applicants ultimately selected in this process can be found at <http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/fund/projreqs.html> and <http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/fund/appforms.html>. The successful Federal applicant will be required to comply with the OMB Circular and appropriate sections of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations determined applicable by GLNPO. This determination will be embodied in the terms and conditions of an interagency agreement. Please note that as of the date of this announcement, the information on the GLNPO website has not yet been revised to address all EPA requirements announced in fiscal year 2005.

Grants Servicing Intermediary. GLNPO will select the successful Ecological Protection and Restoration and Invasive Species projects; however, most of these projects are expected to be issued and administered as sub-grants through an award to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Ecological Protection and Restoration, Invasive Species, and other grants may be issued as sub-awards through a cooperative agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). NFWF is the intermediary organization selected by GLNPO in 2003 to make and administer grant sub-awards to eligible organizations (same as above) engaged in ecological protection and restoration activities. Sub-awards administered by NFWF may support investigations, experiments, surveys, studies, training, research, and demonstrations (as allowed by Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act) to work towards the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.

Dispute Resolution Process. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes involving any applicant, including Federal applicants, will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-1371.htm. Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting russ.michael@epa.gov

VII. Agency Contact(s)

Contacts are identified in Section I for each funding topic. Contacts may provide appropriate assistance to help potential applicants determine whether the applicant itself or the applicant's proposed project is eligible for funding, to assist with administrative issues relating to submission, and to respond to requests for clarification of the announcement. Potential Applicants are solely responsible for the content of their submissions.

General Contact:
Michael Russ (312) 886-4013), russ.michael@epa.gov

Technical Difficulties:
Tony Kizlauskas (312) 353-8773, kizlauskas.anthony@epa.gov
Pranas Pranckevicius (312) 353-3437, pranckevicius.pranas@epa.gov

VIII. Other Information

About GLNPO. USEPA's Great Lakes National Program Office brings together Federal, state, tribal, local, and industry partners in an integrated, ecosystem approach to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes. The program coordinates international commitments under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; monitors Lake ecosystem indicators; manages and provides public access to Great Lakes data; helps communities address contaminated sediments in their harbors; supports local protection and restoration of important habitats; promotes pollution prevention through activities and projects such as the Canada-U.S. Binational Toxics Strategy (GLBTS); explores emerging or strategic Great Lakes issues; and provides assistance for development and implementation of Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) and of community-based Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) for Areas of Concern. GLNPO, located in Chicago, Illinois, has a staff of about 52 and an annual budget of about $20 million, buttressed in 2005 by $22.5 million in new funding for the Great Lakes Legacy Act. The 780 GLNPO projects totaling $70 million funded between 1993 and 2003 are summarized at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/.

Development of this Funding Guidance. The work, strategic thinking, and relationships with partners in the Great Lakes Executive Order and the related Regional Collaboration, the 2002 Great Lakes Strategy and the Lakewide Management Plans were used to help formulate priorities and criteria for this Funding Guidance. The Strategy was developed cooperatively by the Federal, State, and Tribal members of the U.S. Policy Committee, with the consultation of the Great Lakes public. It describes objectives, measures, and activities by State, Tribal, and Federal partners working together to protect and restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. See: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/gls/index.html. Management Plans for each of the Great Lakes have been developed and are updated biennially in cooperation with Federal, State, Tribal, and local partners. Each Lake plan is a plan of action to assess, restore, protect and monitor the ecosystem health of a Great Lake. It is used to coordinate the work of all the government, tribal, and non-government partners working to improve the Lake ecosystem. Specific project priorities of the LaMPs are included in this Funding Guidance. The LaMPs can be found at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/gl2000/lamps/index.html General funding priorities and targets were derived from the USEPA' budget submitted to Congress for approval, but not yet finalized. Development of that budget began in 2003. GLNPO seeks to maximize funding available for Great Lakes projects; consequently, funding will be derived from whatever source may become available during the year.

Fish Monitoring Request for Proposals. A Request for Proposals for the Great Lakes National Program Office fish monitoring program is expected to be issued in the Spring of 2005. The Request is expected to provide for awards over a five year period. The Request for Proposals will be available from http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/fund/glf.html. Contact Elizabeth Murphy [(312) 353-4227, murphy.elizabeth@epa.gov] for additional information.

Other Funding Opportunities. In some cases, projects submitted under this announcement may also be considered for funding under other funding opportunities from other organizations. If GLNPO is aware of such situations, it may notify applicants of them so they can contact those organizations to learn more about those funding opportunities.

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