Q&A with DNR’s Gabe Cohee:
DNR Grants Gateway Open for Proposals

This summer, the state announced that Maryland’s Chesapeake and Coastal Grants Gateway (Grants Gateway) has re-opened to solicit proposals for state fiscal year 2024 projects that foster healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies that are resilient in the face of change (funding available July 1, 2023).

Maryland’s communities face a future of higher intensity storms, population growth and increased development, changing sea levels and flooding events, and a growing demand for healthy and safe places for tourism and recreation. These trends make the already challenging task of restoring the Chesapeake Bay, safeguarding people and infrastructure, and managing natural resources even more complex.

To assist Maryland’s communities, the DNR will provide a single point of entry through the Grants Gateway for organizations seeking technical and financial assistance to restore local waterways, increase their resilience to climate impacts, strengthen local economies, and develop the next generation of environmental stewards.

The Maryland Climate Leadership Academy invited Gabe Cohee, Director of the Office of Restoration and Resilience in DNR’s Chesapeake and Coastal Service, to participate in a Q&A with us:

1. Tell us about Grants Gateway. What led to its creation and how has it improved or changed the way the state administers funding? 

   The Grants Gateway is a one-stop online portal for partners in Maryland looking for technical and financial resources to improve water quality, restore local waterways, increase resilience to climate impacts, improve navigation and boating access sites for the benefit of the boating public, and develop the next generation of environmental stewards. The Chesapeake and Coastal Service (CCS) at Maryland Department of Natural Resources manages a myriad of state and federal funds supporting these outcomes. Historically, CCS issued multiple solicitations throughout the year for individual funding opportunities, increasing the administrative burden on both the applicants and the state. The Grants Gateway allows CCS to solicit projects for different financial resources through one portal at one time. This process increases efficiency and allows applicants to focus on project outcomes rather than fitting projects into funding source priorities. State managers can leverage across fund sources to invest in more comprehensive projects that meet multiple statewide and federal goals.

2. What is your role with the Grants Gateway?
   A team of fund managers and technical providers in CCS worked collaboratively to develop Grants Gateway and better align funding timelines, targeted areas, and review and selection processes. One of my roles as Director of the Office of Restoration and Resilience is to find common ground among the funding sources and create the necessary application materials to meet the needs of both funders and applicants. In effect, I have become the de facto administrator of the system. We created specific, targeted outcomes that guide the application process that are represented by CCS unit experts. Specific outcome contacts can be viewed in the solicitation.

3. Why is DNR the administrator of the Grants Gateway?
   Currently, all the funds distributed through the Grants Gateway are managed by DNR. There is discussion at the Governor level of using a wider, single-stream entry point for state funding, but that discussion is ongoing.

4. Since its inception, how has the Grants Gateway seized opportunities and how has it faced challenges? We've seen a lot of success with the Grants Gateway and have been able to better leverage funds across our sources to realize projects. For example, a recently completed resiliency project in the West River funded by our Resiliency through Restoration Program (i.e., general obligation bonds) was primarily driven by a need to use nature-based solutions to protect an active camp from shoreline erosion impacts. We were able to also address upland runoff using our Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund (i.e., state special funds) through wetlands and step-pool conveyance systems. Having a shared review period allowed us to leverage both funding sources and better address both threats to the property. There have been challenges navigating some federal and state funding cycles and finding creative ways to share our technical reviewers to not overburden them because we receive upwards of 200 proposals annually. However, we have found the transition to be mostly smooth and well-received. Other state agencies have inquired about our process as a model to implement a more streamlined grant-making and project management approach.

5. Who are some of the critical partners that make the Grants Gateway possible?
   CCS is highly collaborative and works with partners across federal, state, and local levels. The funding partners that are incredibly critical are the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Maryland State Legislature. We work closely with local governments, watershed organizations, and other non-profit organizations to ensure that the most efficient and cost-effective projects are implemented and the technical assistance and planning funds aid those communities most in need or at risk to climate threats.

6. Is there a “secret sauce” that makes the Grants Gateway work? How is it unique to other grant opportunities/funding programs?
   The secret sauce is the collaboration and creation of a nexus of experts in habitat restoration, climate science, local planning, waterway improvement, and public access to review applications as well as investment tin projects holistically to ensure the best outcomes for Marylanders and those visiting our state. It may be unique in widening the lens of project evaluation and investment, which can be very successful. Many funding sources tend to be fairly myopic in their targeted outcomes.. The Grants Gateway allows the state to continue meeting specific, targeted outcomes across fund sources to realize a myriad of co-benefits in each investment.

7. Are there any new developments or opportunities that have emerged since the initial Grants Gateway rollout?
   This solicitation round, we are trialing (testing?) a new co-benefit targeting map that utilizes a number of data layers for climate threats, diversity and inclusion, carbon sequestration, and more elements for consideration. The intent is to give practitioners and reviewers more geolocated information about the benefits of project implementation. This allows the state to meet many priorities with each investment.

8. What news can we expect pertaining to this current grant cycle?
   Funding announcements have begun for fiscal year 2023 projects, which began July 1, 2022. Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund awards were the first to be announced in a July 11 press release. Announcements of funding recipients from the Gateway’s various other funding sources are forthcoming.

   We are currently soliciting projects for state fiscal year 2024, which begins on July 1, 2023. Proposals are due December 15, 2022 for outcomes 1 through 4, and awards are typically announced in June. Keep an eye out for project lists for fiscal year 2024.

9. How does the Grants Gateway measure progress and how is it tracked and reported/publicized?
   One value of the Grants Gateway is that it allows the fund managers to combine solicitation and review processes while maintaining some autonomy on tracking and reporting. Each fund source comes with a unique set of rules and regulations along with reporting timelines and expectations. Since many of the fund sources have been managed for years, fund managers have maintained their consistency of reporting and meeting source regulations while collaborating with other fund managers and partners to realize more impactful projects. Our federal and state funding partners have responded very positively to this development.

10. Where can people go to learn more about Grants Gateway and the latest request for proposals?

    The Grants Gateway solicitation and the associated funding sources and target outcomes can be found at:

    https://dnr.maryland.gov/ccs/Pages/funding/grantsgateway.aspx

    Further information is available by contacting Gabe Cohee at gabe.cohee@maryland.gov.