John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (Prescott Grant Program)

NOAA NMFS' Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP) is directed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to facilitate collecting and disseminating reference data on stranded marine mammals and health trends of marine mammal populations in the wild. The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program is administered by NOAA to provide Federal assistance to eligible members of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network and collaborators to (1) support basic needs of organizations for the response, treatment, and data collection from living and dead stranded marine mammals, (2) fund scientific research objectives designed to answer questions about marine mammal strandings, health and health trends, or rehabilitation techniques utilizing data from living and dead stranded marine mammals, and (3) support facility operations directly related to the recovery, treatment, and data collection from living and dead stranded marine mammals. This document describes how to submit proposals for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and how NMFS will determine which proposals are selected for funding.

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1) All eligible applicants must currently be active, authorized participants or researchers in the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network or Entanglement Response Network. Eligible applicants must be: a) Stranding Agreement (SA) holders or their designee organizations recognized by the applicable NMFS Region; or b) Co-Investigators (CI) authorized as Level 3, 4, or 5 entanglement responders under the MMHSRP’s MMPA/ESA scientific research and enhancement permit (permit no. 18786- 05); or c) Holders of researcher authorization letters issued by an NMFS Regional Administrator and/or an MMPA and/or ESA scientific research or enhancement permit (when applicable) including Co-Investigator authorization; or d) An eligible federal, state, or local government personnel or tribal personnel (pursuant to Section 109(h) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1379(h)); or e) Diagnostic or service organizations performing services for the stranding network. Federal agencies in the DOC or Department of the Interior (DOI) are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this notice. 2) "In Good Standing Criteria". All eligible applicants must meet the following "in good standing" criteria: a) If the applicant is a designated Principal Investigator on an MMPA and/or ESA scientific research or enhancement permit or a Co-Investigator on the MMHSRP's MMPA/ESA scientific research and enhancement permit (permit no. 18786-05), the applicant must have fulfilled all permit requirements. The applicant must not have any pending or outstanding enforcement actions under the MMPA or ESA. b) The applicant must have complied with the terms and responsibilities of the appropriate SA, MMPA Section 109(h) authorization, CI letter, or researcher authorization letter. This includes, but is not limited to 1) completion of all reporting requirements; 2) cooperation with state, local, and federal officials; 3) cooperation with state and local officials in the disposition of stranded marine mammals; and 4) cooperation with stranding network participants. c) The applicant must have cooperated in a timely manner with NMFS in collecting and submitting Level B and Level C data and samples when requested. d) The applicant must not have any current enforcement investigations for the take of marine mammals contrary to MMPA or ESA regulations. e) The applicant must not have any pending NMFS notice of violation(s) regarding the policies governing the goals and operations of the Stranding Network and SA, if applicable (e.g., probation, suspension, or termination). 3) Category Specific Criteria. Organizations and individuals must meet all of the following eligibility criteria specific to their category of participation in order for a proposal to be considered for funding: a) SA Holder Participant or SA Designee Participant - SA participants must hold a current, active SA for stranding response and/or rehabilitation from an NMFS Regional Administrator or the Assistant Administrator. SA Designee participants must be holding a current, active letter of designation from an NMFS SA holder authorized by NMFS. Designees cannot request authorization for activities beyond the scope of what is authorized by the SA to the agreement holder. b) Researcher Participant - Researcher participants must hold a current, active authorization letter for the proposed award period from the appropriate NMFS Regional Administrator or the Assistant Administrator to salvage stranded marine mammal specimens, parts, and samples for the purpose of utilization in scientific research (50 CFR 216.22). Researchers who are authorized under an MMPA/ESA scientific research or enhancement permit must still obtain an authorization letter from the Regional Stranding Coordinator in order to use parts or specimens from stranded animals. Researcher participants that would not require an authorization letter from the NMFS Regional Administrator (i.e., they will be working with

Lanni Hall, Prescott Grant Program, NOAA/NMFS/Office of Protected Resources (F/PR), 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13623, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone: (301) 427-8402;