Coral Reef Conservation Program

This request is for revision and extension to an approved collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. § 3501 et seq., and implementing regulations at 5 C.F.R. Part 1320. The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 16 U.S.C. § 6401 et seq., has been amended since the last approval and the revised requirements for information collection are outlined below. The Coral Reef Conservation Act was enacted to conserve and restore the condition of United States coral reef ecosystems challenged by natural and human-accelerated changes; to promote the science-based management and sustainable use of coral reef ecosystems to benefit local communities and the Nation; to develop sound scientific information on the condition of coral reef ecosystems, continuing and emerging threats to such ecosystems, and the efficacy of innovative tools, technologies, and strategies to mitigate stressors and restore such ecosystems; to assist in the preservation of coral reefs by supporting science-based, consensus-driven, and community-based coral reef management by covered States (Florida, Hawaii, and the territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands) and covered Native entities (an Indian Tribe, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, or a Native Hawaiian organization with interests in a coral reef ecosystem); to provide financial resources, technical assistance, and scientific expertise to supplement, complement, and strengthen community-based management programs and conservation and restoration projects of non-Federal reefs; to establish a formal mechanism for collecting and allocating monetary donations from the private sector to be used for coral reef conservation and restoration projects; to support rapid, effective, and science-based assessment and response to exigent circumstances that pose immediate and long-term threats to coral reefs; and to serve as a model for advancing similar international efforts to monitor, conserve, and restore coral reef ecosystems. Under section 6406 of the Act (Block Grants), covered States are responsible for documenting and reporting the State’s use of Federal funds received under the Act; and expenditures of non-Federal funds made in furtherance of coral reef management and restoration as the NOAA Administrator (Administrator) deems appropriate. The Administrator is responsible for providing guidance on the proper documentation of expenditures. Under section 6410 of the Act (Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program), the NOAA Administrator, and subject to the availability of appropriations, is authorized to provide up to $3,500,000 annually (per section 6414(c)) in grants for coral reef conservation projects. The match waiver requests and request for written comments are being removed from this collection as they are no longer applicable. The match waiver requests may still be made under Ruth D. Gates but are not expected and not requested of applicants. They were included in the original because all territories (5) requested a match waiver, however, their awards are now located in Block Grants, and there is no matching requirement. The Ruth D. Gates application process now requires "evidence of support for the project by appropriate representatives of States...in which the project will be conducted" on the front end. Additionally, the Performance Progress Report (PPR) from collection 0648-0718 is being added to this collection so that all program requirements are under a single control number. The PPR will be removed from 0648-0718 at the next renewal period.

The latest form for Coral Reef Conservation Program expires 2027-10-31 and can be found here.

Matching Funds Waiver Request

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Natural Resources - Conservation, Marine and Land Management