This Regional Ocean Partnership Funding Program (ROPFP) is focused on advancing effective coastal and ocean management through regional ocean partnerships, including the purposes and goals of the National Ocean Policy set out in the July 2010 Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task

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Force http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/OPTF_FinalRecs.pdf.

Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROP) have been established to facilitate the effective management of ocean and coastal resources across jurisdictional boundaries by improving communications, aligning priorities, and enhancing resource-sharing between states with support and involvement from Federal agencies as well as other levels of government and a wide array of partners.

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, NOAA will consider the following regions eligible for developing ROPFP funding proposals:
Northeast , Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Great Lakes, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, West Coast, Hawai'i, Pacific Islands (including Hawai'i), and Alaska/Arctic.

Where possible, NOAA has identified an existing lead ROP for each region (see Section III.C).

For the purposes of this announcement, all non-tribal applicants must coordinate their proposals with the identified lead ROP of that region.

The ROPFP program will support two categories of activities:1) Focus Area 1 -- Implementation of activities that address both regional ocean governance priorities identified by ROPs in public documents and advance national priorities, especially marine and Great Lakes planning efforts; and 2) Focus Area 2 -- Development and governance support for operations of existing and new ROPs, including development of plans and management of ROP activities.

The ROPFP is intended to support development or implementation of regional ocean governance priorities that also advance the national priorities, especially marine and Great Lakes planning efforts.

Regional priorities may be identified in existing ROP plans or emerge through establishing ROP efforts.

The ROPFP is also intended to support regional ocean governance efforts with funds for operations and governance of existing ROPs, and for establishing ROPs in other regions if they choose.

Funding is also available to federally recognized tribes who are trying to develop or engage in regional activities that support national priorities, especially marine and Great Lakes planning efforts, and implementing priority actions that are regionally identified.

NOAA will prioritize funding at least one FY 2013 application from federally recognized tribes or groups that the tribes have endorsed, via a letter from federally recognized tribal leads in the region, to submit applications on their behalf.

Tribal applications are eligible for funding under both Focus Area 1 and Focus Area 2.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate coordination between federally recognized tribes within a region and identified lead ROPs in developing proposals for this competition.

This funding opportunity supports the Department of Commerce's objectives to support coastal communities that are environmentally and economically sustainable, and support climate adaptation and mitigation.

It also directly contributes to the NOAA strategic goal for Resilient Coasts and Economies, and the objectives therein, including Comprehensive Ocean and Coastal Planning and Management and Resilient Coastal Communities That Can Adapt to Impacts of Hazards and Climate Change.