Exploring and Enhancing Outdoor and Heritage Tourism in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Goal: Encourage outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural tourism that expands access to and awareness of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and fosters economic development of communities.ObjectivesNPS Chesapeake Gateways is offering this competitive grant opportunity to strengthen a community's ability to offer or enhance outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural tourism that connects visitors and residents to the Chesapeake Bay watershed as detailed in the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998.Through this grant opportunity, NPS Chesapeake Gateways will:Enhance outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural tourism in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.Support projects that link outdoor and heritage tourism to economic impact.Celebrate gateway communities that welcome and invite locals and visitors to explore authentic Chesapeake Gateways Places and stories through outdoor recreation and natural, historical, and cultural experiences.Grant ThemeChesapeake Gateways is a network of places that provide opportunities to explore outdoor recreation and authentic natural, historical, and cultural experiences of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Included in this network are diverse recreational, natural, cultural, historical, and recreational sites, trails, museums, parks, wildlife refuges, interpretive and orientation facilities, and associated programs. These places, and Chesapeake Gateways as a whole, serve as entry points and the key guide for experiencing the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

PLEASE NOTE: Projects that take place outside the watershed are not eligible for consideration. A link to all the counties in the watershed can be found in Appendix A. A full map can be found here.Chesapeake Gateways Network Requirement: The applicant must be a non-federal Chesapeake Gateways Network member (Place, Experience, Community, or Programmatic Partner). To become a Chesapeake Gateways Network member, prospective applicants need to submit a self-nomination through the Chesapeake Gateways Network portal: Join the Chesapeake Gateways Network - Chesapeake Bay Watershed (U.S. National Park Service). Foreign Entities or Projects: This program does not provide funding to foreign entities or for projects conducted outside the United States.Excluded Parties:NPS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The NPS cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

Specific evaluation criteria will be included in the funding announcements posted on www.grants.gov. Specific priorities include: � Supporting implementation of new water access sites along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, with a priority on sites on the lower James and York Rivers, lower Potomac River and lower Susquehanna River segments. � Providing interpretation, media, visitor services, and educational programming (especially on-water programming) focused on Chesapeake Bay natural and cultural resources at visitor contact stations and associated sites on the lower James and York Rivers, lower Potomac River and lower Susquehanna River segments as well as through the mobile Roving Ranger program. � Fostering public engagement in conservation, recreation, and resource stewardship through the mobile Roving Ranger offered at partner parks and sites. � Supporting increased visibility of the Chesapeake�s special places through expansion of Find Your Chesapeake and related web media. � Providing front-line staff and interpretive guide training and resources on Chesapeake themes. � Expanding youth engagement through the Chesapeake Youth Corps program through teams in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kids in Kayaks program. � Advancing local, state, private, and federal collaborative conservation in the watershed through activities and initiatives that support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement outcomes, including supporting the...

This program has no statutory formula. For awards made under section 502(b) of the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998, 50% Recipient cost share is required.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Fiscal Year2025: 1) Water access and outdoor recreation infrastructure: Funding can build or improve paddle craft facilities and trailheads so people can reach cultural, historic, and natural sites by water. Support can add kayak and canoe launches within new public spaces, co?designed with residents, giving tens of thousands of people safe river access for recreation and stewardship. 2) Heritage interpretation, exhibits, and museums: Funding can help museums install long?term exhibits based on oral histories, archaeology, and community input�bringing to life rural heritage, farming, maritime work, and social change for visitors of all ages. Grants can back traveling exhibitions and milestone anniversary programs that deepen connections to the region�s heritage while supporting local economic development through cultural tourism. Funding can also expand visitor services at central heritage hubs, improving orientation, interpretation, and the overall experience so travelers stay longer and explore more. 3) Education, eco?tours, and storytelling: Funding can create immersive, small?group expeditions�by boat, kayak, and on land�that showcase the area�s natural and cultural...