<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="elementToProof">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; color: black;">Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program Grant</span><br>
</div>
<div class="elementToProof">
<div id="Signature">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background: white;"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background: white; color: black;" class="ContentPasted0">The vision of the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program is to fund projects that address the
climate crisis by improving the resilience of the surface transportation system, including highways, public transportation, ports, and intercity passenger rail. Projects selected under this program should be grounded in the best available scientific understanding
of climate change risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities. They should support the continued operation or rapid recovery of crucial local, regional, or national surface transportation facilities. Furthermore, selected projects should utilize innovative and collaborative
approaches to risk reduction, including the use of natural infrastructure, which is explicitly eligible under the program. Also called nature-based solutions, these strategies include conservation, restoration, or construction of riparian and streambed treatments,
marshes, wetlands, native vegetation, stormwater bioswales, breakwaters, reefs, dunes, and shade trees. They reduce flood risks, erosion, wave damage, and heat impacts while also creating habitat, filtering pollutants, and providing recreational benefits.
Projects in the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program have the potential to demonstrate innovation and best practices that State and local governments in other parts of the country can consider replicating.</span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background: white;"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="ContentPasted0">ELIGIBILITY</span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(84, 141, 212);" class="ContentPasted0">:
</span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black;" class="ContentPasted0">The PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program provides broad applicant eligibility for all levels of government to be direct recipients of funds. States, MPOs,
local governments, and Indian Tribes can apply directly to FHWA. A Federal land management agency may be eligible if the agency applies jointly with a State or group of States.
</span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(84, 141, 212);"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black;" class="ContentPasted0">APPLICATION PERIOD: Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time, on Friday, August 18, 2023.</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p class="ContentPasted0"></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black;" class="ContentPasted0">For more information and to apply: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=347585</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p class="ContentPasted0"></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background: white; color: black;" class="ContentPasted0">Links to addition information: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/protect/discretionary/</span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background: white;"><o:p class="ContentPasted0"></o:p></span></p>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>