2017 LTA single source justification.pdf

FWS 3-2452

11/25/2013

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Determination for Issuing a Single Source Financial Assistance Award

Instructions: In accordance with Service policy 516 FW 6, Issuing Discretionary Grant and Cooperative Agreement Awards without Competition, complete this form to document the justification for issuing a single source grant or cooperative agreement award. This form must be signed by both a program representative and the employee with signature authority for the award to be issued (see 516 FW 3, Signature Authority for Grant and Cooperative Agreement Awards). The completed and signed form must be maintained in the official award file.

Recipient Name:

Project Title:

Program Contact:

Select all criteria that apply (from 505 DM 2):

(1) Unsolicited Proposal: The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited application that represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach that is not the subject of a current or planned award, but is found to be advantageous to program objectives.

(2) Continuation: The activity to be funded is necessary for the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of, an activity we are funding and holding a competition would have a significant adverse effect on continuing or completing the activity.

(3) Legislative Intent: The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates the intent of Congress to restrict the award to a particular recipient or purpose.

(4) Unique Qualifications: The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based on a variety of demonstrable factors such as location; property ownership; voluntary support capacity; cost-sharing ability, if applicable; technical expertise; or other such unique qualifications.

(5) Emergencies: Because of a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety, there is not enough time to follow adequate competitive procedures.

Explain below why competition for this award is not practical. As applicable, summarize the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and any cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient. Be brief and specific:

I have determined that this project meets the requirements for a single source award and recommend that it be awarded to the recipient named above.

I, as the Service employee with signature authority for this award under 516 FW 3, have reviewed this program recommendation and find that it meets the requirements for a single source award.

Program Representative Sign and Date Authorized Signator Sign and Date

Printed Name of Program Representative Printed Name of Signator

The Alliance’s mission -- saving the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America -- complements and often directly benefits the National Wildlife Refuge System. They are preeminent, go-to NGO for land acquisition in the United States. The Alliance offers a number of educational and training opportunities to land trust staffs, boards, and volunteers to help land trusts become better informed about land conservation issues and more effective at conserving land. Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust are a core component of the educational offerings. Their goal is to ensure land trusts have the skills to be effective land acquisition partners. In order to enhance the longtime partnership between LTA and the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), and particularly to encourage their members to specifically conserve land in and around National Wildlife Refuges, we are hereby requesting a $30,000 grant to accomplish that goal. Working with federal agencies can be tricky for land trusts, particularly when it comes to the overlapping federal rules and regulations pertaining to land acquisition, and educating them on the nuances of federal acquisition will pay dividends. The Alliance will use these funds for their education program, in addition to convening a Federal Partners working group. The Federal Partners working group meets several times a year to discuss topics of mutual interest to the various participants, including working with land trusts. The genesis for the idea of providing additional education came from one of those meetings when we all realized that, in specific instances, land trusts might be able to step in and conserve land within or near a Refuge boundary in case the Service is not able to act quickly. This is particularly true during tough budget cycles.