2018 NAWCA Mexico Instructions-English-final.pdf

OMB Control No.1018‐0100 Expires: 04/30/2018

NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT:

FY2018 MEXICO STANDARD GRANTS PROGRAM

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Notice of Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.623 Submission Deadline: 30 June 2017 Description of Funding Opportunity: North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Mexico grant program Program Authorizing Statute: North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Public Law 101233, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 4401

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: This information collection is authorized by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) of 1989, as amended (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.). Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit in the form of a grant. We estimate that it will take approximately 80 hours to prepare an application, including time to review instructions, gather and maintain data, and complete and review the proposal. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number. OMB has reviewed and approved this information collection and assigned OMB Control Number 1018-0100. You may submit comments on any aspect of this information collection, including the accuracy of the estimated burden hours and suggestions to reduce this burden.

Send your comments to: Information Collection Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1849 C Street, NW., Mail Stop BPHC, Washington, D.C. 20240.

https://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/NAWCACT.HTML

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

PROPOSAL FORMAT GUIDELINES

I. Cover Page II. Project Summary III. The Proposal IV. Budget V. Proposal Annexes

a. Impact on Cultural and Historic Sites

b. Evaluation and Monitoring

c. Maps/Spatial Data

d. Photographs

e. List of Previous NAWCA Projects

f. Progress Report on current NAWCA projects

g. Match Letters

h. Support Letters

i. Tract Tables

j. Organizational Capacity (only new applicants)

k. Macondo Oil Spill Requirements

l. Overlap/duplication of efforts

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I. Suggested Formats II. Reference Material

Application checklist North American Waterfowl Conservation Regions Map and list List of Priority Shorebirds List of Priority Waterbirds List of Continental Terrestrial Birds (PIF) Associated with Wetlands NAWCA Goals and Project Definition Mexico Priority Wetlands – Map of Ramsar sites Priority Wetlands for Shorebird in Mexico Map Priority Wetlands for Waterfowl in Mexico Map

INTRODUCTION

Important changes in these instructions for 2018

• The scoring criteria used to initially rank are now shown in this document.

• The instructions for applying through Grants.gov have been refined.

• Applicants must now provide a statement that addresses if there is any overlap between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated projects in terms of activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. See Annex L (Required Overlap/Duplication Statement).

• There are other changes; please read the full document carefully.

• The English version of these instructions is the official version. The Spanish translation is provided as a courtesy.

Reminders

• The proposal must be submitted in English; you may, in addition, also submit a Spanish version. The cost of translation can be included in the budget as an administrative cost. (If there are difficulties in meeting this requirement, please contact dbhc@fws.gov prior to proposal submission.)

• You may apply for funds from the Macondo Oil Spill Fund for projects that are conducted in the Gulf of Mexico states. The format and presentation requirements are the same for these proposals as they are for the other proposals but additional information is required and is detailed in Annex K (Macondo Oil Spill Settlement Fund).

• Please carefully consider the long-term commitment that is required when NAWCA or matching funds are used for the protection, restoration or enhancement of migratory bird habitat. For more information see the NAWCA U.S. Grant Standards, Section G.1. and Section G.4.

• There is additional information required from applicants who have never applied to NAWCA for funding. Please see Annex J.

Applying both through Grants.gov and email Grants.gov is the grant (“Federal assistance”) portal of the U.S. government. You must use grants.gov to submit your application (“proposal package”), which includes the forms SF424, SF424A and SF424D as well as your proposal and attachments. When your submission of SF424s is complete on grants.gov, you will receive an email confirmation. You must send a copy of this confirmation message as part of your application by emailing both U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (FWS/DBHC) at dbhc@fws.gov and SEMARNAT/DGVS at lurbano@semarnat.gob.mx, with cc: miguel.flores@semarnat.gob.mx. In addition to the SF424 and attachments that you submit through grants.gov, you must also send the proposal along with all annexes to the same three emails. Follow the steps below to submit your application:

1. Register in Grants.gov. You should start this very early in the process! Registering in Grants.gov requires several preliminary steps. First your organization must have a current Dun and Bradstreet number (DUNS). Organizations that do not mailto:lurbano@semarnat.gob.mx mailto:miguel.flores@semarnat.gob.mx http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do have a DUNS number will need to go to the Dun & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform to obtain the number. This generally takes 12 business days. After acquiring a DUNS number, you will then need to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) or update your previous registration. You must have an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration to apply through Grants.gov, to receive an award, and to be able to receive funds. (We recommend that you read the steps to register an organization in Grants.gov.) We strongly encourage applicants to initiate this process at least 6 weeks before our deadline, because it can be a complex process. If your organization is registered with SAM.gov but your status is not listed as “active,” you must update your registration prior to submitting an application through Grants.gov. You must renew and revalidate the SAM registration at least every 12 months and ensure that all information is up to date. Additional information in Spanish can be found at http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/guia-introductoria-para-inscripcion-en-duns-ncage-y-sam.pdf.

2. If your organization is based outside the USA, you will need to go through additional steps in SAM, which could take additional weeks. Only then can you register in Grants.gov. For organizations outside the USA, NCAGE Codes are required prior to starting a SAM registration. The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request your NCAGE Code must match exactly what you used to request your DUNS Number. Otherwise, you will receive error messages when applying for the NCAGE code. You can submit your request for an NCAGE Code using the NCAGE Request Tool at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx. Detailed instructions are posted at that site. For additional information, call 1.269.961- 4623 or send an email message to NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil. If you are not based in USA and wish to be paid directly to a United States bank account you must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM. (Click here to see a more detailed overview of the Grants.gov application process and SAM.)

Applicants identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding.

3. If you encounter problems with SAM, DUNS or Grants.gov, go to http://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/neotropical-migratory-bird-conservation-act/how-to-apply.php and click on the link to “Troubleshooting DUNS, SAM, and Grants.gov issues.” If that does not help, contact the SAM or DUNS help desks directly.

4. After you registered in Grants.gov, start your online application in grants.gov and fill out all required fields. Go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html. In the “Search by CFDA Number” insert “15.623”. This is the CFDA number for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html;jsessionid=h6FNSGjcGLR7HJwThgM0K0M40J5c8F32kJD1LWzPswck1M6ppQJ6 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html;jsessionid=h6FNSGjcGLR7HJwThgM0K0M40J5c8F32kJD1LWzPswck1M6ppQJ6 http://grants.gov/ http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/guia-introductoria-para-inscripcion-en-duns-ncage-y-sam.pdf http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/guia-introductoria-para-inscripcion-en-duns-ncage-y-sam.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html file://ifw-hqskyfs1/dbhc_share/Grants/MX%20NAWCA/--%20NOFA%20fy18/Grants.gov http://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/neotropical-migratory-bird-conservation-act/how-to-apply.php http://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/neotropical-migratory-bird-conservation-act/how-to-apply.php http://grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html https://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/NAWCACT.HTML program. Your Grants.gov Grant Opportunity Package is the equivalent of Standard Form (SF) 424 and will include the SF424D and your Proposal that must be added on the “Project Narrative Attachment Form.” To successfully submit your application in Grants.gov, you must add your Proposal as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file on the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” of your Grant Opportunity Package from Grants.gov. Go to the Project Narrative Attachment Form and select “Add Mandatory Project Narrative File,” then browse for the .pdf of your Proposal and Open it to add it to your Grant Opportunity Package. You can then check for errors, save the package and submit it. If there is a Grants.gov system outage on the application deadline, you must submit your complete application, including a SF424 with assurances (SF424D), proposal, and attachments, to U.S. via an email to dbhc@fws.gov before the deadline.

5. If you are unable to complete the Assurances via Grants.gov, fill out the SF424D

Assurances separately by going to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf- 424-family.html#sortby=1 and downloading the Assurances for Construction Programs (SF-424D)”.

6. In box 15 of your Grants.gov application package, use the “Add Attachments” button to upload your proposal, your signed Partner Contribution Statements, your SF424D Assurances if not digitally signed, and your project area shapefile or .kmz files.

Keys to developing a successful proposal These are some elements of a good proposal that facilitate evaluation and selection.

1. Proposals that do not comply with requirements and formats will not be eligible for consideration.

2. Do not include numbers or hectares or acres or other measurements in the title. However, if the proposal is for a new phase of a project, please give the proposal the same name as in the previous phase adding the Roman numeral that pertains to the phase, at the end of the title (e.g., I or II).

3. Carefully consider the proposal’s goals and objectives. In NAWCA, goals are understood to be “where you expect to be at the end this project,” while the objectives are the intermediate steps necessary to reach that end. The activities are the actions necessary to complete those objectives: activities > objectives > goals. There should be fewer goals in comparison to objectives and a lot less in comparison to the number of activities. These concepts are the key for the evaluators to understand the intent of the proposal. Include a single table that presents the goals, objectives, activities and their programming. See the suggested work plan format below.

4. Carefully review the scoring criteria (see “Scoring Criteria” below) used to initially rank proposals, and consider each criterion as you develop the various sections of your proposal.

Other information

1. If the proposal is approved, all the information and materials presented with https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 the proposal will become part of the official contract between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/DBHC and the applicant and as such will be available in public files.

2. In the process of evaluating the proposals there are cases when a new version of the proposal or a new version of the budget may be required. Each new version of the proposal and of the budget tables must be renamed as V1, or V2, etc. and the date of resubmission must be clearly indicated on each document.

3. After receipt of each proposal a four-digit “project number” will be assigned.

Please use this number in all correspondence regarding this proposal and include it in all the budget tables if they are subsequently revised.

4. If your project sites are in states located in the Sonoran Desert, it is suggested that you submit a copy of your proposal as a courtesy to the Sonoran Joint Venture. See website: http://www.sonoranjv.org/

5. If your project sites are in states that border the southern frontier of the Rio Grande (Chihuahuan Desert and Tamaulipas Brushlands Bird Conservation Regions; part of the states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Guanajuato or Querétaro), it is suggested that you send a courtesy copy to the Rio Grande Joint Venture.

See website: http://www.rgjv.org/about.html

Scoring Criteria In order to provide transparency and understanding of scoring and evaluation, the following four categories are used to assess the proposal’s activities, objectives and goals in relation to the North American Wetland Conservation Act (the Act) and its application in Mexico:

A. Resource Description (30 points) – One of the purposes of the Act is to maintain current or improved distributions of wetland associated migratory bird populations.

This category looks at the bird populations affected to determine to what degree and magnitude the activities of the proposal affect this purpose.

Priority Waterfowl (see list X) 10 points Priority Shorebirds (see list X) 5 points Priority Waterbirds (see list X) 5 points Priority Landbirds (see list X) 5 points Other Birds/Wildlife (including MX endemic species) 3 points Endangered Species (corresponding to ESA species) 2 points

B. Project Location (25 points) – Another stated purpose in the Act is to protect, enhance, restore, and manage an appropriate distribution and diversity of wetland ecosystems and habitats. This category evaluates the context of how the proposal fits into the landscape efforts, and if work being completed is appropriate and effective for the proposed sites, as well as whether or not the work contributes to meet migratory bird biological needs and contributes to the greater benefit of http://www.sonoranjv.org/ http://www.rgjv.org/about.html ecosystem importance.

Geographic Location 5 points Value of Wetlands 5 points Mexico regional/local impact 3 points Key wetlands for waterfowl (Map Y, list Y) 3 points Key wetlands for shorebirds (Map Y, list Y) 3 points Key wetlands for waterbirds (Map Y, list Y) 3 points Key wetlands for landbirds (Map Y, list Y) 3 points

C. Project Description (30 points) – This category evaluates the types, benefits, longevity and goals of the proposed activities to illustrate comprehensive and complete implementation. It also considers how the activities address the current and potential future conditions for habitat and migratory birds.

Goals/Tracts Work Plan -project explanation and benefits -quantification of deliverables (e.g., number of acres) -longevity/duration of work/benefits (e.g., years that project is anticipated to function effectively) -goals for each component of the proposal (e.g., enhance habitat for species X, or promote working lands and grazing to prevent habitat loss, etc.)

-budget/tract (i.e., what is the cost for each project as described)

20 points

Threats (i.e., reasons that the project is needed) 5 points Climate Change 3 points Special Considerations (e.g., unique aspects of the project) 2 points

D. Partnerships (15 points) – The Act encourages partnerships in delivering conservation, recognizing the importance of leveraging funds and gaining broad acceptance and participation in conservation efforts.

Community Participation 3 points Number and Degree of Participation of Partners 5 points Match Ratio 3 points Unique Social Aspects of the Project 2 points

PROPOSAL FORMAT GUIDELINES

Format requirements

1. All elements of the proposal should be combined into a single file in PDF format that is not password protected. The filename should be unique and include the year and acronym of the applicant.

2. Set the paper size to 8.5×11 inches. Single space and left-justify the text. Do not use headers, footers, or borders. The font should be no smaller than 11 points and in “Arial” (not “Arial narrow”). Page margins should be half an inch (side, top and bottom).

3. Each page of the proposal must be numbered consecutively, locating the number on the bottom right.

4. All proposal sections must be numbered and organized according to the numbering and organization indicated in the instructions

5. Do not include text from the instructions, other than the title of sections.

6. The cover page should not be in tabular format; do not include any type of borders or other design.

7. The location information on the cover page under 7.A. must be given as latitude and longitude (degrees, minutes and seconds). These coordinates must be precise (at a minimum, provide a central point).

8. The cover page must include two tables: 7.B. Priority location and 10. Table of Resources. Do not add other priority lists in table 7.B.

9. All measurements should be in metric units and their equivalents in the United States (hectares/acres, kilometers/miles, meters/feet, etc.).

10. Budget tables must show only U.S. dollars and indicate the rate of exchange at the time the proposal was developed.

11. The text in the maps, especially in the legend, should be in English wherever possible.

I. COVER PAGE: FY2018 NAWCA MEXICO PROGRAM PROPOSAL See suggested cover page format below.

II. PROJECT SUMMARY

The proposal summary is the principal part on which points are given to each proposal.

The summary should give the information necessary for evaluation by the reviewer who needs to understand the purpose of the proposal and the most important details. The rest of the proposal should contain more in-depth information to provide answers to whatever questions remain after review of the summary. It is suggested that the summary be developed after the rest of the proposal has been written so that the author can reflect on all details before writing the summary.

The Project Summary should begin on the second page after the Cover Page and should not exceed a maximum of three pages (pages 2 – 4). If this page limit is exceeded, the text will be deleted. This summary should describe how you will conduct the activities of the proposal and the explanation for how they will be implemented. See the suggested summary format below. In-depth information should be provided in Section III. Proposal, the last five pages of the proposal.

Throughout the proposal, redundant hectares/acres must be presented in a specific format (xxx) in order to avoid double counting. For example, if a project will protect 800 hectares/1,976 acres and, among these same acres, restore (400) hectares/(988) acres, presentation of the hectares/acres to be restored using parentheses will indicate that these hectares/acres are already included in the number of hectares/acres that will be protected. If other hectares/acres will be restored or enhanced that are not included in the hectares/acres already indicated for protection, then those are additional hectares/ acres and should not be presented in parentheses.

A. Summary of Objectives

Describe the objectives and activities that are presented in the work plan in section III.B: Objective I and the activities, Objective II, etc.

B. Table of Components

This table should present details of the cost of each component with NAWCA funds (in U.S. $) and partners\match (in U.S. $) as well as the pertinent hectares/acres and responsible party.

COMPONENT/ACTIVITY NAWCA Match Hectares/Acr es Responsible Party

Protection Ranch 1 800/1976 Enhancement Ranch 1 200/494 Management Ranch 1 400/988 Restoration Ranch 2 (200/494) TOTALS $xxx $xxx xxx

C. Wetland Values (briefly describe)

1. What is the importance of the wetland and the project area for migratory birds?

2. What are the expected benefits for priority migratory birds?

III. The PROPOSAL This section should begin on the fifth page and should not exceed five pages (pages 5-9). If this number is exceeded it will be reduced. Attachments are considered additional pages, not counting toward the total page number.

A. Description of Migratory Bird Resources and other wildlife.

a. Migratory Birds: Indicate up to 10 priority species of waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, and landbirds. Please see lists for each species in the Reference Material section below. Include scientific name and English common name.

For each species, highlight the cross-border migration where it occurs, the anticipated numbers of the species in the project area, the location within the project area that the species occurs, the period of their life cycle of use, and the benefits the species will receive from completing the proposed project. See attached Species Lists for Anatids, Shorebirds, Waterbirds, and Terrestrial birds.

Priority Species

Numbers/Breeder, Migrant

Benefits of project for priority species

Geographic extent/impact

Waterfowl

[Insert species list]

Shorebirds

Waterbirds

Landbirds

b. Other wetland dependent species: Indicate up to 5 priority species that live in the project area, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants. Include scientific name and English common name. For each species, highlight the anticipated numbers of the species that will benefit, the location within the project area in which the species occurs, and the benefit the species will receive from completing the proposed project. See the Mexican endangered species list U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species list and the PIF species list:

• http://dof.gob.mx/nota_to_imagen_fs.php?codnota=5173091&fecha=30/12/

2010&cod_diario=23 4368

• http://www.fws.gov/endangered/

• http://www.partnersinflight.org/pif-watch-list-species/ .

OTHER

Species

Numbers/Breeder, Migrant

Benefits of project for Mexico & Endangered species

Geographic extent/impact

Mexico Priority Species

[Insert species list]

Endangered Species

[Insert species list]

B. Project Location Provide context for the project location with respect to the importance of the wetland and the project area for migratory birds and what benefits the project will provide when completed to migratory birds. List the priority wetlands for waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds, and landbirds that are included. Include also any comments on how the project location is prioritized in any regional or local plans.

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ http://www.partnersinflight.org/pif-watch-list-species/

C. Project Description: Goals, objectives, activities, products, benefits foreseen, work plan. Considering the criteria established under the Act (see below), this section should present all of the above within a work plan.

a. The goals, objectives, activities, and products should be identified and explained in terms of benefits foreseen.

b. Goals, objectives, activities, products and work plan should be presented in the most efficient manner using the “Work Plan Format”.

c. This section must provide a description of activities within a one- or two-year timeframe that will be completed with the funds provided (both match and grant funds) and in accordance with the budget tables.

d. Indicate the activities that will be conducted and relate them to the planned goals and objectives (e.g., negotiate easements, conduct biological inventories, monitoring activities, environmental education, develop environmental education materials, management activities, protection and restoration activities).

e. Present the activities that will be developed and the approximate timing and when they will be concluded. The accomplishments will be based on the date of the start date of the project (date of FWS award + 90 days, etc.). It is unnecessary to make reference to specific dates since the start date cannot be determined prior to an award. Circumstances do exist, however, when the start date may be prior to the beginning of the grant agreement. See the section on Pre-agreement Costs.

f. Provide a precise description of the activities, including which partner is responsible for each activity as well as requirements that must be completed by personnel and equipment, products that will be generated, etc., indicating the methods and procedures that will be utilized to each end.

g. All this information is important for the financial supervision of the project, whose period of performance should not exceed 24 months.

h. The objectives should correspond to the cost categories indicated in the budget tables. Present this information in tabular format to maintain the data in the correct and corresponding columns.

i. If the project includes protection (implementation of legal mechanisms to protect for the long-term or acquisition of land), restoration or enhancement of properties, additional information must be presented utilizing the tables in Annex H. See the “Suggested Tract Table Format”.

Long-term protection: NAWCA supports land protection for the long-term or in perpetuity, accepting as a minimum period of protection 15 to 99 years. Funds may not be utilized for activities of restoration or enhancement if there is no underlying, long-term protection for the properties involved. Consider the project in terms of the long-term and not only for the period of implementation of activities.

You must describe how the project will be continued (sustainability) after the NAWCA project ends. If additional support is needed for the future, include that information in this section of the proposal. If the present proposal is one of several phases, explain the role of the NAWCA support.

D. Partnerships:

1. Main threats: Describe the threats relevant to the project area and how the project will address these threats. Describe the urgency of the project. This section should also describe the importance of the project in terms of migratory bird habitat conservation for the long-term in the context of climate change by providing responses to the following items.

a. Explain how climate change threats in the region where the project site is located were taken into consideration in development of this proposal.

b. Describe the resilience of the project habitat that you intend to protect, restore or enhance, in terms of climate change.

c. Describe the environmental elements or aspects of the habitat at the project site that will persevere for the long term in spite of climate change.

d. Classify the vulnerability of the project site proposed in this proposal as High, Medium or Low.

e. Explain and provide citations for the basis of the information presented in the previous four responses (academic references, reports or other documentation).

2. Community participation: Describe community participation or lack thereof.

Briefly state any particularly significant or unique benefits that are provided by the proposal partnerships. Highlight the number and degree of participation of the partners. What are some unique social aspects of the project (e.g. access to the area, open to schools, socio-economic benefits)?

3. Special Considerations (if any) and/or Regional Context: Document any special circumstances that distinguish this project from others. The space should be left empty if there are no special considerations. Do not repeat text that has been previously presented in other sections of the proposal. The information provided should concentrate on the necessity and immediacy of conducting the project. For example, the information could:

a. describe those special circumstances, such as the importance and opportunity to conduct a project (threatened habitat, critical condition, pressure on a particular species in a category of risk, etc.); or,

b. provide a description of the existing level of protection and that proposed for this location in which the project will be conducted (without protection, Federal lands, protection category of the area, etc.); or,

c. indicate the other actors working in the area and linkages of the project with these actors.

IV. BUDGET

The budget should be on pages 10 to 12 for projects of one year (table A plus D plus justification); pages10 to 14 for projects of more than one year (tables A plus B plus C plus D plus justification). The Cost Justification page should not be in tabular form.

The rules for the management and use of NAWCA funds are equally applicable to the matching contributions. See also “Lineamientos para la Administración de Subsidios”, at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/Lineamientos.pdf and the DBHC Grants Handbook at https://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/files/GrantHandbook.pdf.

A. General instructions. Budget tables must be organized by objective and activities. This means that all costs should be linked clearly to an activity under one of the objectives of the project.

Table A - Global budget by objective and activities as listed in the proposal detailing what NAWCA and each of the partners will pay for, in cash and in-kind. (See the Table A Suggested Format.)

Table B - budget table for year one; for projects of more than one year; by objective and its activities detailing what NAWCA and each partner will pay for, in cash and in- kind.

Table C - budget table for year two; for projects of more than one year; by objective and its activities detailing what NAWCA and each partner will pay for, in cash and in- kind.

Table D - Unit budget costs; for all the line items, detailing what NAWCA and each partner will pay for, in cash and in-kind. (See the Table D Suggested Format.)

Please number each line item to correspond with the same line item across all the budget tables and to the items in the Work Plan.

1. Each budget table should be identified with: Table A, B, C, or D; the name of the project; the year for which funding is requested; the date of submission (which will be changed with each new version submitted).

2. Express all costs in U.S. dollars.

3. Provide a detailed description of the costs of major activities for each project objective indicated in the work plan indicating what source of funds will pay for each aspect (NAWCA and each partner).

4. The cost estimates should be reasonable and necessary for the adequate and effective accomplishment of the project objectives. Efficient use of funds will be considered advantageous.

5. Indicate the type of funds to be used by each one of the partners for each line item – in cash and in-kind.

6. When a project is part of a larger project or program or a phase of multiple phases, it should be indicated in the cover letter/email submitted with the proposal. The costs indicated within the proposal should reflect only the cost of this project’s activities (i.e., not combining other phases).

7. Use the best estimates possible for each cost including for per diem, monthly and annual salaries, etc. The formulas used to make these cost estimates should be included in the budget justification.

8. Proposals that request substantial funds for payment of salaries, more than http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/Lineamientos.pdf https://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/files/GrantHandbook.pdf

30% of the budget, will not be considered favorably.

9. Do not include cents. You should round up the number to whole dollars. For large numbers (ten thousand) do not use the format “10.000.” Please use the format “10,000” (i.e., use a comma instead of a period).

10. Indirect costs are allowed only if an official Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) exists with an agency of the U.S. Government. Only direct costs linked specifically to activities in the project will be allowed. Administrative costs up to 20% are allowed to help manage costs.

11. Miscellaneous, food, coffee break, or unforeseen costs are not allowed.

12. All the budget tables should include grid lines and should not include any highlights or colored text.

13. Subtotals by objective must be included.

14. To the degree possible, budget tables should be contained in one or as few pages as possible.

15. Empty columns or columns that only show zeros should be avoided.

16. Links within budget tables must not be included.

17. To limit the number of columns per budget table, match from partners that provide less than 15% individually must be grouped into a single column.

Partners providing more than 15% should be shown in separate columns. When partners have been grouped together, they should be identified in another table that contains just partners and their contributions.

18. The following Mexican entities, among others, can act as partners:

nongovernmental organizations, municipal organizations, private and local entities, universities and research centers and similar international organizations.

State and Federal entities may apply for funds only when they have mechanisms specifically designed to receive funding from the U.S.

government.

19. The costs for typing, transcription or professional translation of the proposal, and subsequent reports must be included as part of the administration costs.

20. Please verify that all sums in the budget tables are correct. The adding function of an Excel table should be utilized. If the amounts in the tables are not correct or don’t correspond to the amounts in other tables of the proposal (cover page, components table) the proposal may be rejected.

21. Justification of line items or costs of more than $5,000. This page should detail all the funds provided by both NAWCA and partners. Each line item that is estimated based on a formula and each line item that exceeds $5,000 should be justified with a detailed explanation, indicating how you arrived at this estimate of cost, including quotes for contracts with third parties. You should number each line item with the same corresponding number of line items listed in table A – global. You should justify in detail all of these costs from all sources and not only for the funds requested from NAWCA.

B. Matching Funds

1. The proposal should demonstrate matching contributions available in cash that should be at least equal to the amount requested from NAWCA, that is, one U.S. dollar in matching contributions for each one U.S. dollar requested from

NAWCA, or 1:1, as a minimum, demonstrating that the matching funds committed do exist and are available and are equal to or more than the funds requested.

2. Matching contributions from partners should be in cash to the greatest extent possible with the minimum requirement of a one-to-one cash match to requested funds from NAWCA. In Mexico, “cash” is defined as funds disbursed in cash during the project period by a Mexican partner including the disbursement of funds by some third parties.

3. Another type of match in cash is permitted. This other type of matching contribution is match that that will be spent for the same purposes of the proposal, but spent after the date on which the proposal is submitted to NAWCA but before a grant is awarded. This type of matching contributions is called pre- agreement costs. This type of matching contribution requires documentation and description of how it will be utilized. Documentation of pre-agreement costs must be readily available for review.

4. Another type of matching contributions are considered “old match.” This type of match is considered “in-kind” and will serve only to increase the total match ratio. This type of match is considered eligible when it has been expended for the same purposes of the present proposal but prior to submission of the grant application, up to two years prior to January 1 of the year FWS receives the Proposal. Documentation of these costs must be readily available upon request before the beginning of the new grant project. Only the applicant can request this type of match; no third party or other partner is permitted to do so.

Preference will be given to those projects with contributions committed for use after the beginning of a new grant agreement and during the proposed project.

A request to utilize pre- agreement costs will be considered on a case-by-case basis and only if documentation is readily available and approved.

5. Matching contributions from other U.S. government Federal agencies cannot be utilized as match. None of the matching contributions, whether in cash or in-kind, should have an origin in U.S. Federal funds; i.e., the funds should not have been received from the U.S. Federal government under any other previous grant or contract.

6. Likewise, the value of whatever equipment has been purchased with U.S.

government Federal funds under previous contracts or grants cannot be used as matching contributions in new application to NAWCA or vice versa. This means that equipment purchased with U.S. government funds cannot be included as in-kind match.

7. Your organization must maintain a detailed accounting of receipts and expenditures of your own and of all your partner organizations’ matching funds and in-kind match, identifying the specific NAWCA grant to which each match was contributed. For all partner match: a) You must be able to show how values of in-kind contributions were determined. b) If selected, you will submit reports summarizing these accounting records as part of the final report, and will keep all records (including supporting documents) for at least 3 years after FWS acknowledges receipt of the complete final report. c) Any match that is not supported by adequate documentation may be disallowed. d) You must verify and file copies of source documentation for all match already contributed, either by your organization or by your partners, before the time the proposal was submitted.

8. Matching contribution commitment letters are required from all partners, including your organization. Copies of these letters should be attached as an annex and not in the main body of the proposal. Please do not forget a letter of matching contribution commitment from the applicant. (Also see below, “Match Letter Format”.) Partner with matching contribution commitment letters that do not meet these requirements cannot be included as partners in the application and the proposal can be rejected if there is not sufficient match. Letters must:

a) be printed on official stationery, with logos or information of the organization such as letterhead, name, and contact information, in PDF format.

b) include the name of the project or proposal which it supports;

c) indicate the amounts committed in support of project, corresponding to those indicated in the proposal budget, indicating cash contributions and in-kind contributions, as well as the purposes for which the funds are committed;

d) include the period during which these funds will be available, specific dates, for example June 2018 through May 2020;

e) indicate how the amounts or values of the matching contributions were estimated, if contribution is in-kind;

f) specify what activities in the project will be funded by this contribution;

g) include partners name, title, signature and date;

h) be addressed to the applicant organization and not the USFWS or

SEMARNAT because the letters represent a commitment between organizations and partners who will conduct the project, while the grant agreement will be between USFWS and the applicant.

Definitions of project types A. Land protection projects: Protection projects are those projects planning to acquire properties or land rights or implement other legal mechanisms to protect property for the long-term conservation of migratory bird habitat, including concessions, contracts, leases, easements, conservation agreements, private reserves, ejido reserves.

In protection, restoration, or enhancement projects, the applicant commits to achieve conservation of a specific number of hectares/acres before the end of a specific project period (1 or 2 years). Long-term protection must include the monitoring of the habitat in perpetuity or for a minimum of 15 to 35 years, according to the commitment made under the legal protection mechanism.

Additional documentation is required for protection, restoration and enhancement proposals, including maps, appraisals, etc. For additional information, refer to Section 6 and 7 of the Mexico Program grant guidelines, “Lineamientos para la Administración de Subsidios”, at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/Lineamientos.pdf. (These guidelines will http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/Lineamientos.pdf be updated soon!)

B. Restoration or enhancement: These activities improve or restore habitat.

“Restoration” usually means the implementation of activities that return the habitat to a state as it once was. Enhancement is the implementation of activities that modify the degraded habitat to improve its functioning. Proposals whose objectives are to restore or enhance habitats without implementing legal protection mechanisms for the long-term cannot be considered for funding under

NAWCA.

C. Management of protected or restored properties: Long-term protection and restoration of properties implies the need for management and administration activities. These activities are those implemented to maintain habitat conservation of properties purchased or protected with NAWCA or matching contributions under a NAWCA grant, including but not limited to control and manipulation of water levels, mechanical or chemical control of vegetation, monitoring of the property, repairs and limited maintenance, maintenance of fencing and signage.

Other activities will be considered but without guarantee of being approved.

• G.1. (Text from the U.S. Grant Standards): Does the Recipient or sub-recipient have a continuing obligation to manage property acquired through a Grant Agreement? A Recipient or other authorized titleholder of real property acquired through a Grant Agreement must manage any interests in real property acquired under that Agreement consistent with the Project’s purpose as long as the interests in real property are needed for that purpose. This is required regardless of whether the interests in real property were acquired with grant or matching funds.

• G.4. (Text from the U.S. Grant Standards): How long must the Recipient or sub-recipient manage restored or enhanced real property for the Project purposes? The Recipient or authorized titleholder must manage restored or enhanced real property for the time period the Proposal identifies for Project benefits (for NAWCA, the described contributions to long- term conservation of wetlands and associated habitats). If no time period was specified in the Proposal, the Recipient or authorized titleholder must manage the property for 25 years from the date that the Grant Officer receives acceptable final performance and financial reports. This period may be shorter than 25 years if limited by easements, leases, or other special considerations approved by the Grant Officer. During the required management period, a Recipient must ensure that the real property is available for site-inspection by the FWS or its designee to ensure that it is managed consistent with the authorized Project purposes.

D. Development of infrastructure: This includes action-oriented research, population monitoring, development of GIS information, etc. For research and monitoring projects, indicate how the information will be used and its accessibility, who the users will be and how the project will result in action.

E. Training and environmental education: This includes programs of environmental education, workshops related to the conservation of wetlands and migratory birds, wetland courses for technicians and field staff and further development of other staff who work in the area wetlands. You must provide an estimate of the number of participants and maps of the areas where these types of activities will be conducted.

F. Sustainable use: This includes activities that will conserve wetlands in the long-term such as the implementation of economic alternatives, e.g., some types of Units for Management and Sustainable Use (UMA).

V. PROPOSAL ANNEXES

Please number and name each Proposal Annex with the appropriate name.

Annex A.1.: Impact on cultural and historic sites: If the activities of the project will modify, alter or affect the historical or cultural Mexican heritage (archaeological zones, historic monuments, etc.), explain, the impact in accordance with available laws in these matters and indicate if the project will be conducted at a world heritage site or in a site registered on the national list of historic sites.

Annex A.2: Evaluation and monitoring: This section should describe the plan for monitoring and evaluating the project that will be utilized to ensure the completion of the activities that constitute the project implemented by all partners. This description should contain specific information on the elements of the plan for monitoring and evaluation of the project and include specific indicators. To say that reports will be made is not sufficient. Describe how success of activities will be evaluated in terms of which results will be most important.

This section must provide detailed description of the indicators of project progress and success that will provide valuable information regarding the effectiveness of the project activities. For example, for restoration projects where reforestation is contemplated, an indicator of success should be the survival rate of the reforested areas. It is not sufficient to only state that reforestation was conducted on an established number of hectares as described in the proposal or how many trees were planted.

Annexes A.1 and A.2, combined, cannot be more than one page.

Annex B.1. Maps (Annex B.1.a. general map, and Annex B.1.b. map of site/ranch/property, etc.). At a minimum three maps must be included:

• one that shows where the project is located within the country,

• one that presents all the activities proposed at the project site and,

• one that provides the GIS polygons of properties that are intended for protection, restoration, or enhancement, and that demonstrates the total scope of the project.

Annex B.2. Spatial data/GIS shapefiles Spatial Data Content: Each NAWCA-funded project shapefile must contain features and attributes associated with each activity that will occur as a result of NAWCA or partner funding (grant and match). Only one shapefile should be created for each NAWCA funded project. This shapefile may contain multiple polygons representing different activities achieved as part of the NAWCA-funded project.

Spatial Data Submission Format All activity spatial data for a given NAWCA project must be submitted as an ARCGIS shapefile contained in a zip file. A zip file should contain only one shapefile which provides spatial information for all tracts (polygons) involved in a project. This zip file containing the shapefile must have the “.zip” file extension suffix. The zip file prefix should be the same as the project proposal title, i.e. “Cape May Peninsula II.zip” (see the assistance award for the full name of the project).

Shapefile Component Requirements These shapefile components must be provided for each NAWCA/ NMBCA dataset that is submitted:

.shp – Feature geometry file

.dbf – Attribute table

.shx –Shape index file

.prj – Projection file

.xml – Metadata file (see below for additional specifications)

Shapefile Submission In lieu of ArcView or ArcGIS, the user may utilize another GIS application package capable of creating spatial data (Google Earth, CAD, open source, etc.). However before submitting these files please contact the NAWCA / NMBCA GIS coordinator for submittal and data quality guidance. For more information about how to submit NAWCA/ NMBCA spatial data, contact:

Rachel Sullivan at Rachel_Sullivan@fws.gov or (703) 358-2621.

Annex C. Photographs. A minimum of two photographs must be provided. Please include aerial and terrestrial views if possible. These photographs should include the photographer credits as well as the name and area of the project. If the project involves restoration or enhancement, photos should include sites that will be restored/enhanced that will be photographed again after the work is completed to present before and after pictures in the Final Report. These before and after photos must be photographed using the same geographic coordinates, at the same hour of the day and in the best season to represent the before and after effect.

Annex D. List of Previous NAWCA projects. This list should include the following information for each previous project: project name, grant agreement number, NAWCA funding and matching contributions.

mailto:Rachel_Sullivan@fws.gov

Annex E. Progress Reports. If the proposal is another…