Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) | EPA I R1 LISCIF 22 01

Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) - Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF)?

The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It supports projects that restore and protect the Long Island Sound ecosystem while building in community benefits, climate resilience, and environmental justice.

2) What kinds of outcomes is LISCIF intended to support?

Based on the opportunity description, LISCIF is intended to support outcomes that contribute to restoration and protection of the Long Island Sound ecosystem. The framing emphasizes that projects should combine environmental improvements with community benefits, climate resilience, and environmental justice, rather than focusing only on technical or isolated environmental fixes.

3) Why does the opportunity emphasize ecosystem-wide coordination rather than isolated fixes?

The opportunity notes that the region has achieved measurable water quality progress over decades (including wetland protection, wastewater upgrades, and industrial discharge controls), but that fully restoring the Sound requires coordinated, ecosystem-wide strategies instead of disconnected projects that address only one issue or location at a time.

4) How is this opportunity connected to the Clean Water Act?

The opportunity is rooted in decades of progress that began after the Clean Water Act of 1972. It references how permit programs and major investments helped reduce obvious pollution sources, contributing to measurable improvements over time.

5) What is the Long Island Sound Study (LISS), and how does it relate to LISCIF?

The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) is a bi-state partnership created in 1985 by EPA along with New York and Connecticut. It brings together federal and state agencies, user groups, organizations, and residents to guide restoration and protection efforts. The LISCIF opportunity is described as closely tied to LISS and the broader regional restoration framework it supports.

6) What is the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP)?

The CCMP is a foundational plan for Long Island Sound restoration and protection efforts. It was first developed in 1994 and revised in 2015. The opportunity highlights the 2015 CCMP as a key framework guiding ecosystem-wide work.

7) What does the 2015 CCMP set out to accomplish?

The updated 2015 CCMP established 20 ecosystem targets intended to drive measurable progress through 2035. The opportunity presents these targets as a central organizing structure for restoration and protection activities across the region.

8) What cross-cutting principles are built into the CCMP and reflected in this funding opportunity?

The opportunity states that the 2015 CCMP explicitly weaves three cross-cutting principles into all activities: (1) building resiliency to climate change, (2) ensuring long-term sustainability of results, and (3) advancing environmental justice so underserved communities are meaningfully included and equitably benefit from restoration outcomes.

9) What does it mean that this award is a cooperative agreement?

The opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means recipients should expect substantial federal involvement and coordination during project implementation compared with a standard grant.

10) How is this opportunity connected to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)?

The opportunity is categorized under Environment and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) activity. This indicates it aligns with broader national investments in environmental infrastructure and resilience described under IIJA.

11) What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this program?

The opportunity is associated with Assistance Listing number 66.437 (formerly referred to as CFDA). This identifier helps applicants and partners locate and reference the federal program area tied to the funding.

12) How many awards did EPA anticipate making under this funding opportunity?

EPA anticipated making a single award.

13) What was the maximum (ceiling) award amount mentioned?

The opportunity listed an award ceiling of up to $5,000,000.

14) When was the funding opportunity posted and what was the original closing date?

The opportunity was originally posted on July 8, 2022, with an original closing date of September 12, 2022.

15) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number provided is EPA I R1 LISCIF 22 01.

16) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed generally as "Others." The opportunity notes that applicants are expected to consult the eligibility clarification language in the full notice to determine which organization types can apply. The description suggests this category can include certain nonprofit organizations, institutions, or other non-traditional governmental entities, but the exact scope is defined in the official notice.

17) What role does environmental justice play in this funding opportunity?

Environmental justice is presented as an explicit emphasis of LISCIF. The opportunity indicates projects are expected not only to deliver environmental improvements, but also to advance environmental justice by ensuring underserved communities are meaningfully included and equitably benefit from restoration outcomes.

18) What expectations are described for community engagement?

The opportunity highlights that projects should demonstrate intentional partnership with communities that have historically been left out of planning and benefits. It also indicates engagement practices should be ongoing, accessible, and responsive to community priorities, rather than one-time or purely informational outreach.

19) What is the Environmental Justice Work Group (EJWG) mentioned in the opportunity?

In 2020, LISS formalized an Environmental Justice Work Group (EJWG) that meets quarterly. The opportunity also notes the EJWG includes a subgroup focused specifically on outreach and engagement with underserved communities.

20) What does the existence of the EJWG imply about the kinds of projects LISCIF supports?

The opportunity suggests that EJWG structures signal an expectation for projects to go beyond technical fixes. Projects supported under this fund are expected to incorporate community partnership and engagement alongside environmental restoration and protection actions.

21) What historical environmental improvements are cited as examples of past progress?

The opportunity references improvements such as protecting tidal wetlands, upgrading wastewater treatment plants, and controlling industrial discharges as examples of actions that produced measurable gains over time.

22) What geographic or partnership scope is implied for Long Island Sound work in this program?

The opportunity describes LISS as a bi-state partnership created with New York and Connecticut, and it emphasizes coordinated, ecosystem-wide strategies for restoration and protection across the region rather than isolated efforts.