Opportunity Information: Apply for M23AS00361
PC-22-07B: Maritime Heritage of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) cooperative agreement aimed at getting ahead of potential future offshore development in U.S. Pacific island territories. The opportunity is tied to proposed amendments to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act that would explicitly authorize wind energy and marine minerals activities offshore U.S. Territories (referenced in S. 3214 and H.R. 1689). If that legal change moves forward, BOEM would need solid, ready-to-use baseline information on historic and cultural resources, along with workable consultation approaches with Indigenous communities, to meet its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The core idea is that you cannot responsibly evaluate or mitigate impacts during a fast-moving permitting or leasing process if you have not already done the foundational research and relationship-building well in advance.
The project focuses on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), areas with exceptionally deep maritime timelines and high likelihood of sensitive sites. The region includes thousands of years of Indigenous seafaring and coastal use, and it was also heavily affected by World War II operations, including the Battles of Saipan and Guam. Because of this mix of ancient cultural landscapes and modern conflict history, BOEM expects there may be hundreds of underwater cultural heritage locations in surrounding waters, potentially alongside unexploded ordnance hazards. Despite that likelihood, there is currently no synthesized, baseline dataset that pulls together what is already known from archives, previous studies, and other sources for these territories in a way that BOEM can readily use for environmental review, planning, and consultation.
A major driver of the grant is timing. BOEM emphasizes that building an inventory of historic properties and, just as importantly, establishing trust-based working relationships with local Indigenous leaders requires substantial lead time that does not fit neatly within standard NEPA and NHPA regulatory schedules. BOEM has completed similar baseline desktop cultural resource studies for other regions (Atlantic OCS, Gulf of Mexico OCS, Hawaii, and the broader Pacific OCS), and those products have been central to BOEM's NHPA Section 106 consultations and NEPA analyses. This opportunity is meant to fill a comparable gap for Guam and CNMI so that the agency is not starting from scratch when offshore leasing or related activities begin to be considered.
The stated objective is to acquire, compile, and synthesize archival data on both submerged and terrestrial archaeological resources, as well as traditional cultural properties, that could be affected by offshore leasing activities. In practical terms, that means gathering existing information from archives and records (rather than immediately conducting large-scale field surveys) and turning it into a coherent baseline picture of what kinds of sites may exist, where they are likely to be located, and what their cultural and historical significance could be. The study is also expected to identify best practices and protocols for consultation with Indigenous communities in Guam and CNMI, recognizing that BOEM has limited prior experience working with Indigenous communities in these territories. Establishing respectful, meaningful consultation procedures is framed as a necessary first step, not an optional add-on, because it directly supports BOEM's ability to conduct NHPA consultation and NEPA analysis in a way that is credible and compliant.
The resulting information is intended to support BOEM decision-making around future offshore activities, especially decisions that would require the agency to identify potential impacts, avoid or minimize harm, and consult appropriately on cultural resources. BOEM also notes that the information will support the broader U.S. strategy for mapping and exploring the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which aligns the cultural resource baseline work with wider ocean planning and knowledge-building goals.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, indicating BOEM expects substantial involvement during the project rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity number is M23AS00361, the activity category is Environment, and the CFDA listing is 15.423. The award ceiling is $600,000, with an original closing date of July 31, 2023. Cost sharing or matching funds are not required, but BOEM strongly encourages it. Eligibility is effectively restricted: the only eligible applicant is East Carolina University (ECU) through the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), making this a targeted, partner-specific award rather than an open competition among many institutions.Apply for M23AS00361
- The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PC-22-07B: Maritime Heritage of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands" 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 2023-06-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-31. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others.
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