AK-21-03: Resource Areas to Support Oil Spill Risk Analysis (OSRA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Needs in the Cook Inlet Region | M21AS00353

Opportunity Information: Apply for M21AS00353

AK-21-03 is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) cooperative agreement opportunity focused on improving the way Environmental Resource Areas (ERAs) are identified and mapped for Alaska's Cook Inlet. The practical driver is decision-making around outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and gas activities, especially the need to understand what biological resources could be affected by a potential spill and how those impacts should be evaluated under Oil Spill Risk Analysis (OSRA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews. In plain terms, the grant is about building better, more consistent biological and habitat information products so BOEM can more confidently assess where sensitive species are, when they are there, and how concentrated they may be across the Cook Inlet region.

The core goal of the project is to establish a consistent foundation for developing and refining ERAs that feed into oil spill risk analysis. The opportunity specifically notes that some ERA work is already underway for seabirds and forage fish, and this project is meant to expand that foundation to other major biological resources. Priority resource categories called out include marine mammals and cetaceans, terrestrial mammals, and additional biological resources and habitat areas relevant to Cook Inlet. The emphasis is on synthesizing and standardizing what is already known, rather than starting from scratch, so that ERAs used across analyses are transparent, repeatable, and defensible for regulatory purposes.

A major expected activity is the compilation, collation, and refinement of biological inventories for Cook Inlet using existing data from many sources. The opportunity anticipates pulling information from state and federal agencies, academic programs, private sector efforts, and other monitoring or research initiatives that have data relevant to species presence, habitat use, and seasonal timing. This includes integrating disparate datasets, resolving differences in formats and methods, and improving how those data are organized so they can be used consistently in ERA delineation and subsequent risk and impact analyses.

The project also places strong weight on coordination and engagement with organizations and communities connected to Cook Inlet monitoring and stewardship. It explicitly mentions engagement with Cook Inlet region communities and entities such as the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council, NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf Watch Alaska, and the National Park Service, among others. The intent is to make sure the project captures ongoing monitoring knowledge, avoids duplicating work, and reflects the best available information that these groups may be collecting or curating.

On the technical side, the opportunity encourages the use of advanced modeling techniques to determine the most appropriate methods for producing usable BOEM data products. Those products are expected to support evaluation of species and resource distribution, habitat use patterns, density or abundance (where data support it), and temporal timing (for example, seasonal presence, migration windows, breeding periods, or other time-sensitive patterns). Because Cook Inlet resources and datasets can vary widely in quality and coverage, the project anticipates drawing on specialized expertise as needed, including statisticians, data management specialists, oceanographers, and specialists in passive acoustics or aerial surveys. That detail signals that BOEM is looking for approaches that are technically sound and tailored to the kinds of data available in the region, rather than a one-size-fits-all mapping exercise.

Legally and programmatically, the award is grounded in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, specifically 43 USC 1345(e), which authorizes BOEM to enter into cooperative agreements with states affected by OCS energy development. The statute frames these agreements around joint use of expertise, facilitating permitting, joint planning and review, and coordinated monitoring and surveillance arrangements to help carry out relevant federal and state requirements tied to OCS operations. In other words, the grant is designed to support the applied science and coordination that helps BOEM and affected states evaluate and manage offshore energy activities.

From an applicant and partnership standpoint, eligibility is limited to state governments and public or state-controlled institutions of higher education. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project compared with a standard grant. While the specific project is intended for eligible applicants, BOEM clearly encourages cooperative research teams. The applicant can include subcontracts to non-profits, private institutions of higher education, private companies, and public/state-controlled institutions of higher education. A key administrative requirement is that the Principal Investigator must be a staff member of the applying organization. Federal entities may participate as partners, but their tasks and budgets must be provided separately by the federal partner, while non-federal partners are incorporated into the eligible applicant's proposal and budget.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding under the environment activity category, with CFDA 15.423. The funding opportunity number is M21AS00353. BOEM set an award ceiling of $500,000 and anticipated a single award. The opportunity was created March 17, 2021, with an original closing date of July 6, 2021. For proposal and eligibility questions, the notice directs applicants to use only the designated "Program Announcement and Cooperative Agreement Questions" point of contact referenced in Section G of the announcement.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AK-21-03: Resource Areas to Support Oil Spill Risk Analysis (OSRA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Needs in the Cook Inlet Region" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.423.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-07-06. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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