Preparing Canaveral National Seashore for the Future: Stabilizing Eroding Archeological Sites through the Use of Living Shoreline Techniques | NPS NOI 17 CESU 28776

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOI 17 CESU 28776

The opportunity titled "Preparing Canaveral National Seashore for the Future: Stabilizing Eroding Archeological Sites through the Use of Living Shoreline Techniques" is a National Park Service notice describing an intended, non-competitive award rather than an open grant competition. It is issued as a Notice of Intent (NOI) under the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Master Cooperative Agreement (P12AC51051), and it cites Department of the Interior policy (505 Departmental Manual 2.12C) as the basis for using a single-source, non-competitive approach. The listing appears under the natural resources funding activity category (CFDA 15.945) and uses a cooperative agreement instrument, which typically signals that the federal agency expects substantial involvement in the work as it is carried out.

The core purpose of the project is to protect significant archeological sites within Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) that are being damaged or threatened by ongoing coastal erosion. The announcement emphasizes that erosion is being driven by storms, high-water events, and boat wakes, all of which can accelerate shoreline retreat and undermine fragile cultural resources. The work described focuses on continuing a cooperative effort to evaluate present-day site conditions, determine how stable or unstable key locations are, and prioritize actions based on urgency and feasibility. In practical terms, this means field assessments, documentation of erosion impacts, and decision-making around which sites can be stabilized effectively with minimal disturbance.

A major feature of the planned work is the use of "living shoreline" techniques, described here as soft-armor stabilization. Instead of relying on hard infrastructure like seawalls or bulkheads, living shorelines generally aim to reduce erosion using natural or nature-based features such as native vegetation, biodegradable materials, organic fill, and shoreline grading that can absorb wave energy while maintaining habitat value. The announcement frames these approaches as both low-cost and low-impact, which is especially important in archeological settings where intrusive construction can damage the very resources the project is meant to protect. For sites considered viable for intervention, the project anticipates constructing living shoreline elements to buffer wave action and slow shoreline loss.

This NOI is explicitly a continuation of an existing, urgent shoreline stabilization effort already underway with the University of Central Florida (UCF). The Park Service states that UCF has specialized expertise in living shoreline stabilization and notes more than ten years of successful experience working in CANA, which supports the rationale for making a direct, non-competitive task agreement award. In other words, the agency is not soliciting proposals from other organizations; it is documenting its intention to fund UCF under the established CESU framework to keep the ongoing stabilization work moving forward without interruption.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number "NPS NOI 17 CESU 28776," with an original closing date listed as 2017-08-09, which in this context functions more like a public notice period than a deadline for applications. The award ceiling is shown as 0 and expected awards are not specified in the excerpt provided, reinforcing that the posting is informational and not a standard competitive grant announcement. The key takeaway is that this is a targeted, single-recipient cooperative agreement intended to support continued assessment and implementation of living shoreline protections for eroding archeological sites at Canaveral National Seashore.

• The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Preparing Canaveral National Seashore for the Future: Stabilizing Eroding Archeological Sites through the Use of Living Shoreline Techniques" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NPS NOI 17 CESU 28776

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