Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center (NRCASC) competitive research financial assistance award to a CESU partner.

Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.

Recreational fisheries contribute important nutritional and economic benefits to people, yet their role in supporting food security is often overlooked. As demand grows for sustainable, accessible food sources, there is a need for updated, regionally relevant information to support informed decision-making by federal and state fisheries managers. Leveraging emerging finer-scale inland recreational fisheries datasets, this project will update estimates of harvest, consumption, and economic value; refine species-specific vulnerability assessments; and integrate results to strengthen adaptive management techniques, prioritize monitoring efforts, sustain nutritional benefits, and enhance the resilience of U.S. fisheries. This project supports:

• EO 14276 -Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness (April 17, 2025) by providing research that strengthens fisheries management and science

• EO 14313 Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025) by advancing responsible stewardship of natural resources and collaborating with states to recover and sustainably manage fish.

• SO 3447 -Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and Waters (January 7, 2026) by improving our understanding of how fish consumption contributes to stocking pressures in inland fisheries, providing managers with critical information that ensures fisheries remain available for all recreational purposes.

• EO 14303 -Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) by providing transparent, rigorous, and impactful research to inform policy and regulatory decisions.

Together, these efforts provide managers with critical information to sustain accessible, well-managed recreational fisheries.

This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. CESU"s are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.

RACHEL MILLER