Great Lakes Areas of Concern Land Acquisition Grants

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The principal objective of these NOAA Great Lakes Area of Concern Land Acquisition Grants is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to land acquisition projects (fee simple interest or conservation easements) projects within the U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern and their associated watersheds that meet NOAA's mission to protect and restore coastal habitats and that support the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy (http://glrc.us/strategy.html) and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan. These projects should be 'ready-to-go' and likely to be completed within 18 months from the start date of the award (anticipated October 1, 2013) and be held in perpetuity. The designated lead agency for implementing each approved coastal zone management program may solicit proposals from local governments as defined at 15 CFR 24.3, or entities eligible for assistance under section 306A(e) of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) (16 U.S.C. 1455a(e)), defined below, provided that each agency or entity has the authority to acquire and manage land for conservation purposes. Successful applications will be those that (1) contribute to the delisting of fish and wildlife habitat -related beneficial use impairments (BUIs) in Great Lakes Areas of Concern; (2) yield significant ecological benefits; (3) can be acquired within the award period; and (4) document community benefits such as improved opportunities for recreation, park use, open space, or other tangible community benefits.

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