<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.apple-converted-space
{mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;color:black">Watershed Grants for Southeast New England</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">Pre-proposals Due by 5 p.m. EST on March 30, 2018</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">Full information at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color:black"><a href="http://www.snepgrants.org"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#954F72">www.snepgrants.org</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">Please forward and distribute widely!</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black">Clean water, healthy watersheds, and vibrant coastal ecosystems are essential to the communities of Southeast New England – a foundation of our region’s prosperity and quality of life. In Rhode Island and Massachusetts, clean water
and healthy coastal ecosystems generate billions of dollars in economic value through beach-going, fishing, tourism, and many other uses. Yet despite recent improvements, water pollution and ecosystem degradation threaten our most important natural assets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black">To help restore clean water and healthy ecosystems to Southeast New England, Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), with financial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is launching the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>2018
Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Watershed Grants.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>The grants target water pollution, habitat degradation, and other high-priority environmental issues, in order to foster sustainable coastal and watershed
communities in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black">2018 SNEP Watershed Grants<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color:black">will provide up to $2.5 million in grants, intended to encourage strategic investments by state, local, tribal, and regional
partners. The source of the funding is federal, and grantees are expected to provide an additional 33% of the grant amount in non-federal matching funds. Cash and in-kind contributions may be counted toward match.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black">2018 SNEP Watershed Grants<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color:black">are intended to support the goals and priorities of EPA’s Southeast New England Program, a regional effort to promote a resilient
ecosystem of clean water, healthy diverse habitats, and sustainable communities in southeast New England’s coastal watersheds. Learn more about SNEP at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp"><span style="color:#954F72">www.epa.gov/snecwrp</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black">2018</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><b><span style="color:black">SNEP Watershed Grants</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><span style="color:black">will
be selected and awarded through a competitive, two-step application process, beginning with a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>pre-proposal due by 5 p.m. EST on March 30, 2018.</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Prospective applicants
are encouraged to attend a regional informational meeting or participate in a webinar, to learn more about the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>2018 SNEP Watershed Grants</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and discuss project ideas.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black">Informational Meetings & Webinars</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black">Informational Meetings:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><span style="color:black">Informational meetings for prospective applicants will be held at the following locations and
dates (all EST):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black">o</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Providence,
RI:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Tues., 27 Feb., 1:00 -2:00 p.m. at Save The Bay,
100 Save The Bay Dr., Providence, RI 02905<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black">o</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Taunton,
MA:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Wed., 28 Feb., 1:00 -2:00 p.m. at Southeast Regional Planning & Economic Development District, 88 Broadway, Taunton, MA 02780<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black">o</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">East
Falmouth, MA:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Thurs., 1 Mar., 1:00 -2:00 p.m. at Waquoit
Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 131 Waquoit Highway, Waquoit (East Falmouth), MA 02536 (Boathouse Building)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black">Webinars:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color:black">Informational webinars will be held on the following dates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black">o</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:red"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Tues.
6 Mar., 1:00 p.m.</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">–<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>register
at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b><a href="http://www.snepgrants.org"><b><span style="color:#954F72">www.snepgrants.org</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black">o</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"> Thurs.,
8 Mar., 1:00 p.m.</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">–<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>register
at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b><a href="http://www.snepgrants.org"><b><span style="color:#954F72">www.snepgrants.org</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black">The geographic region eligible for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>2018</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>SNEP Watershed Grants</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>extends from Westerly, R.I.
to Pleasant Bay on Cape Cod, encompassing the major estuaries of Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay, and their watershed lands as far north as Worcester, Mass. It includes the south shore of Cape Cod as well as Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island and
the Elizabeth Islands. Please refer to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.snepgrants.org"><span style="color:#954F72">www.snepgrants.org</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for an interactive map.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<b><span style="color:black">2018</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><b><span style="color:black">SNEP Watershed Grants</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><span style="color:black">target
integrated approaches to water quality and ecosystem restoration. SNEP recognizes that clean water, healthy habitats, resilient ecosystems, and prosperous communities are closely interconnected, and that strong partnerships offer the most effective means of
meeting Southeast New England’s environmental challenges. Through this 2018 Request for Proposals (RFP), RAE seeks to support and develop innovative and transformative ideas, in order to improve the restoration, preservation, and management of coastal and
watershed ecosystems throughout Southeast New England, now and in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black">Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization leading an alliance of ten coastal conservation organizations across the country. RAE and its member organizations are dedicated to the protection and
restoration of bays and estuaries as essential resources for our nation. For more about RAE, visit our website at
<a href="http://www.estuaries.org"><span style="color:#954F72">www.estuaries.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black">For more information about the 2018 SNEP Watershed Grants, contact Thomas Ardito at
<a href="mailto:tardito@estuaries.org"><span style="color:#954F72">tardito@estuaries.org</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>or (401) 575-6109.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="orphans: auto;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#0070C0"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>