Geographic Programs – Long Island Sound Program
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
The maximum area of hypoxia (less than 3 milliliters (ml) of DO per liter of bottom water) in 2024 was 43 square miles. The 2023 5-year rolling average for the maximum summertime area of low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) in Long Island Sound was estimated at 92 square miles. This represents a 51 percent decrease in the five-year rolling average compared to the pre-2000 average of 205 square miles (i.e., before the Total Maximum Daily Load was put in place by EPA and the states). The five-year average hypoxic area decreased by 10 square miles from last year’s five-year average of 102 square miles (for 2017-2022). The LIS Partnership provides funding to CT DEEP to conduct the LIS WQ monitoring program year-round, with additional monitoring runs during the summer months. Other ambient factors affect the formation of the hypoxic zone in the Sound, including water and air temperature, rainfall, solar radiation, wind direction and velocity, currents, storm events and any resulting biological effects such as algae formation.
Program Objective
The Long Island Sound Program: (1) implements the Long Island Sound (LIS) Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP); and (2) assists the states of Connecticut and New York and other public or nonprofit entities in implementation, research, planning, enforcement, and citizen involvement and education related to reducing pollution and improving the quality of the environment to sustain living resources in the Long Island Sound. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Long Island Sound has received $21 million for FY 2022-25 through CWA §119 and $909,800/year through CWA §320. These allocations will continue through 2026. The LIS Partnership goal for IIJA funding is to significantly improve Long Island Sound’s environmental health, resilience, and economic vitality in communities across the Sound’s watershed.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Interstate Organization
- U.S. State Government
- State
- Local Government Consortium
- Local
- Federally Recognized Tribal Government
- Other
Beneficiaries
- State
- Local
- Federally Recognized Tribal Government
- Nonprofit Organization
- Other
Direct beneficiaries of this program include general population in the Long Island Sound watershed and its surrounding areas, schools, universities and other institutions of learning, environmental managers and policy makers and the participants in the Long Island Sound Partnership.
How to Apply
Application Procedure
Issuing office will provide location of application procedure details as appropriate.
Award Procedure
Each federal assistance application and final work plan will be evaluated by the LISO to determine the adequacy of the application under LIS priorities and objectives, including technical merit and relevance of the project to the implementation of the CCMP and for consistency with the pre-application. Each federal assistance award application will also be subject to an administrative review by the EPA Region 1 and Region 2 grants management offices. Funds are awarded by the EPA Region 1 and Region 2 Administrators as appropriate. Grantees will receive a final assistance award package from the corresponding EPA Regional grants management office. An assistance agreement recipient demonstrates its commitment to carry out the award by either: 1) drawing down funds within 21 days after the EPA award or amendment mailing date; or, 2) not filing a notice of disagreement with the award terms and conditions within 21 days after the EPA award or amendment mailing date. Recipients are not required to sign and return a copy of the award document.
Notification of action on pre-applications is provided approximately 120 days after the deadline for pre-application submission. Final grantees are notified of approval approximately 90 days after the submission of the Application for Federal Assistance.
Program details & compliance
Description
The Long Island Sound Program supports the implementation of a comprehensive plan to protect and restore water quality, habitat, and living resources in Long Island Sound, working with state and local governments, the private sector, user groups, and the general public.
Mission Categories
Primary: Water Pollution Control
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
Funds may be used to implement elements of the LIS CCMP. Special emphasis shall be given to CCMP implementation projects, research and planning, enforcement, and citizen involvement and education projects. The Administrator may give priority to a distressed community as defined in 33 USC 1269(e)(1). Assistance Listing 66.456 (National Estuary Program) also authorizes funding to assist in the implementation of the LIS CCMP. As a result, an assistance agreement under assistance listing 66.437 to support implementation of the LIS CCMP can also use funds under assistance listing 66.456. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement (“discretion”), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.
Required Documentation
Nonprofit private agencies, institutions and organizations may be required to provide documentation of their organizational status upon application. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
Matching Requirements
Federal costs for citizen involvement and education grants shall not exceed 95 percent of the costs of such work; for all other grants and cooperative agreements, federal costs shall not exceed 60 percent of the research, studies, or work. EPA has determined that annual matching requirements for LIS grant awards may be met in the aggregate for all funds awarded as specified in the approved annual work plan. Public Law 106-457, which amended Section 320(g) of the Clean Water Act, limits the amount of grants to 50 percent of the aggregate Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) implementation project costs for each estuary program, and requires that the nonfederal share be provided from nonfederal sources. For awards containing both funds (Long Island Sound & National Estuary), the aggregate cost share must be calculated. EPA has determined that annual matching requirements for LIS grant awards shall be met in the aggregate for all funds awarded as specified in the approved annual work plan. As authorized by Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law 117-58, EPA may waive or reduce the cost share required by Section 119(d) and Section 320(g)(3) of the Clean Water Act for LIS assistance agreements funded with IIJA appropriations.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements