The NPS Chesapeake Office provides technical and financial assistance to state and local agencies, tribes and private sector organizations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed under the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act, the National Trails System Act and other authorities.

Assistance supports implementation

credit: Fast Co Exist

of:
The Chesapeake Bay Program, a collaborative watershed restoration partnership among the states of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and West Virginia, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the federal government.

The six Governors and the other partners signed the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement establishing specific goals, outcomes, management strategies and work plans for conservation and restoration.

The NPS is responsible for fostering interjurisdictional collaboration to add 300 new public boating, fishing and water access sites to the Bay and tributaries and conserve 2 million acres of hunting, fishing, wildlife and other conservation lands by 2025.

NPS also participates in and supports other initiatives advancing the agreement.


The partnership-based Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (NHT).

This 3,000 mile trail extends from Norfolk Virginia to Cooperstown New York and along all the Bay?s major tributaries.

The John Smith Chesapeake NHT was created through the National Trails System Act (Public Law 90-543, as amended) which provides for technical and financial assistance to States or their political subdivisions, landowners, private organizations, or individuals to operate, develop, and maintain any portion of such a trail either within or outside a federally administered area.


? The Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act, which authorizes the NPS to: identify, conserve, restore, and interpret natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; identify and utilize the collective resources sites for enhancing public education of and access to the Chesapeake Bay; link sites with trails, tour roads, scenic byways, and other connections; and develop and establish watertrails comprising water routes and connections to sites and other land resources within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.



To advance these objectives, the NPS collaborates with partners to increase access to the Chesapeake and rivers, to conserve important landscapes and resources, to promote tourism and local economies, to engage youth in meaningful work and placed-based education, to improve recreational opportunities, and to interpret the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake region.

Fiscal Year 2016: Since 2000, the National Park Service Chesapeake financial assistance program has provided more than $15 million for a variety of community projects. Fiscal Year 2017: No information available. Fiscal Year 2018: No information available.

Uses and Use Restrictions

Recipients of financial assistance must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations.

Local planning offices can provide advice on Federal, state or local permits that will be necessary; and NPS - Chesapeake staff can advise on compliance and permitting processes.

As advised by NPS Chesapeake, Recipients may be required to (1) document local support for the project; (2) document consultation with their State Historic Preservation Office, state agencies in charge of endangered species, local planning and zoning officials, and other affected agencies in developing their projects and gaining approval for project implementation; and (3) complete an Environmental Screening Form for their proposed project.

All facilities and programming developed with NPS Chesapeake Bay funding must be accessible to persons with disabilities.

It is the responsibility of the award recipient to comply with the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended.

All construction projects must be designed and engineered in accordance with applicable law.

The services of a professional, registered engineer or architect are advised to assure that necessary provisions are being met with respect to public safety, codes, and standards.

All projects involving physical development must incorporate specific objectives to ?green? the project, such as developing environmentally sensitive designs, incorporating low impact development approaches (e.g., incorporating green roofs and rain gardens, minimizing impervious surfaces, etc.), incorporating ecofriendly materials into structural elements of your project, utilizing native, non-invasive plant species, and using green procurement practices.

All projects proposed to develop new or enhanced public water access facilities must develop one or more of the following types of public water access facilities: boat-related access, swimming access, fishing access and/or viewing access for water, wildlife, and shoreline areas.

For proposed development projects located on the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, NPS Chesapeake Office will supply standardized CAJO trail-marking and orientation, and possibly interpretation, signage appropriate to the site.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

NPS Chesapeake technical and financial assistance strategically supports projects and programs that meet DOI?s key responsibilities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Specific plans and strategies which guide implementation include: ? Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and implementing management strategies and work plans, including the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan ? Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT planning documents, including: Comprehensive Management Plan, Interpretive Plan, Conservation Strategy and segment plans for the James, Potomac and Lower Susquehanna rivers.

Recipients include: State and local governments and non-profit organizations, whose projects have been identified and prioritized in the plans and strategies noted above.

Beneficiary Eligibility

General Public.

Credentials/Documentation

Recipients must either be a non-profit organization qualified as such under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code or a state or local government. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

If your proposed project is in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland or West Virginia, then you must participate in an ?intergovernmental review? process designed to facilitate coordination of federal financial assistance with state programs.

Recipients must contact their state?s ?single point of contact? (POC) to verify their states specific submission requirements.

An environmental impact statement is required for this program.

An environmental impact assessment is required for this program.

This program is eligible for coverage under E.O.

12372, 'Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.' An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedures

This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

Award Procedures

The Superintendent makes the final decision on funding based on administrative priorities. Awards are made to the highest priority projects based on the amount of funding available each year. Recipients selected for funding collaborate with NPS Chesapeake staff to complete award requirements.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Authorization

54 U.S.C. § 101702(a) Agreements for the Transfer of Appropriated Funds to Carry Out NPS Programs; 16 USC §1246(h)(1): Agreements to Operate, Develop, and Maintain Portions of National Trails; and; P.L. 105-302, Title V, Sec. 502(b), Conservation, Restoration Interpretation of Sites.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Not Applicable.

Appeals

None. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program. Matching Requirements: 50% Recipient cost share is required for most awards under this program. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

The project period is set by the requirements of the project but is typically for a time period not to exceed 24 months. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Assistance is provided on a reimbursement basis.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program reports are not applicable.

Cash reports are not applicable.

Unless otherwise stated in the agreement document, recipients shall submit the following reports on an annual basis: (1) SF-425, Federal Financial Report; and (2) Program Performance Reports.

Upon completion of the agreement, recipients shall submit a final: (1) SF-425, Federal Financial Report; and (2) Program Performance Report; and (3) other specific reports that may be applicable to the agreement such as property inventories, and patent and invention disclosures.

SF-425, Federal Financial Report.

Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503.

Records

Per 2 CFR Part 200.333 ? 200.337.

Financial Information

Account Identification

14-1042-0-1-303.

Obigations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 16 $253,000; FY 17 est $500,000; and FY 18 est $0

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Range: $28,000.00 - $125,000.00 Average: $70,000.00.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

2 CFR Part 225 and check www.baygateways.net

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Peggy Wall, Administrative Officer, Chesapeake Bay Office, NPS, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 314, Annapolis, Maryland 21403. (410) 260-2473, Fax: (410) 263-2135. E-mail: peggy_wall@nps.gov.

Headquarters Office

Bob Campbell 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 314, Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Email: bob_campbell@nps.gov Phone: (410) 260-2478

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Recipients include: State and local governments and non-profit organizations, whose projects have been identified and prioritized in the plans and strategies noted above in Section 081. Specific priorities for 2017 include: Supporting implementation of new water access sites along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, with a priority on sites the lower James and York Rivers, lower Potomac River and lower Susquehanna River segments. Providing interpretation, media, visitor services, and educational programming focused on Chesapeake Bay natural and cultural resources at visitor contact stations and associated sites on the lower James and York Rivers, lower Potomac River and lower Susquehanna River segments as well as through the mobile Roving Ranger program. Fostering public engagement in conservation, recreation, and resource stewardship through the mobile Roving Ranger offered at partner parks and sites. Supporting increased visibility of the Chesapeake?s special places through expansion of Find Your Chesapeake, Paddle the Potomac and related web media. Providing front-line staff and interpretive guide training and resources related to the Chesapeake Bay themes. Expanding youth engagement through the Chesapeake Youth Corps program through teams in Maryland and Virginia and Kids in Kayaks program. Advancing local, state, private, and federal collaborative conservation in the watershed through activities and initiatives that support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement outcomes, including supporting the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership. Identifying, documenting and planning for landscapes and sites important to American Indian tribes within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.