The purpose of this document is to advise eligible applicants that NOAA is soliciting proposals for competitive funding under the Coastal Zone Management Act's (CZMA) Enhancement Program Projects of Special Merit, authorized under Section 309 of the CZMA (16 U.S.C.

§1456b).

The

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objective of Section 309 assistance is to encourage each State or Territory with a federally-approved coastal management program (CMP) to continually improve its program in specified areas of national importance.

The intent of Projects of Special Merit (PSM) funding is to offer CMPs the opportunity to develop innovative projects that further their approved enhancement area strategies and focus on the following national enhancement area priorities:
Wetlands, Hazards, Cumulative and Secondary Impacts, and Ocean and Great Lakes Resources.

Any CMP that has been approved by NOAA pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C.

§1455) and has an approved 2011-2015 Section 309 Assessment and Strategy that contains at least one strategy addressing one or more of the four priority enhancement areas is eligible to apply for this competition.