MB-FWS-Migratory Birds NAWCA 2027-1 US Standard Grants

FY2027

Announcement Title: F27AS00008-NAWCA 2027-1 US

Standard Grants

Application Due Date: Friday, September 25, 2026, 2026, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time

Program Authorizing Legislation: North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 USC Ch. 64)

SOLICITATIONS: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) program does not use social media or contact individuals by phone to solicit, review, or make awards. Government staff will NOT call or message you are requesting money in order to be eligible for an award. Please report any information and documentation that you have related to such incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov) and your local law enforcement authorities.

Privacy Act, Paperwork Reduction Act, and burden estimate statements for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collection of information to administer financial assistance programs and activities were updated in July 2024. For further information, visit: https://www.fws.gov/media/required-notices-and-burden-statement-omb-control-no-1018-0100.

https://www.ic3.gov/ https://www.fws.gov/media/required-notices-and-burden-statement-omb-control-no-1018-0100 https://www.fws.gov/media/required-notices-and-burden-statement-omb-control-no-1018-0100

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL SUCCESSFUL

APPLYING FOR A NAWCA US STANDARD GRANT

MAJOR CHANGES/UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR US STANDARD GRANT

INSTRUCTIONS

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR’S PAGE

PROPOSAL SUMMARY (2-PAGE LIMIT)

FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE

WORK PLAN

WORK PLAN FORMAT

TRACT TABLE AND FINAL TITLEHOLDER SUMMARY

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (14-PAGE LIMIT)

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS FORMAT

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #1

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #2

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #3

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #4

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #5

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #6

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION #7

SCORING TABLE

PARTNER CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS

PARTNER CONTRIBUTION LETTER TEMPLATE

COORDINATION WITH THE MIGRATORY BIRD JOINT VENTURES

OPTIONAL MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS PLAN (MATCH PLAN OR MCP)

STANDARD FORM-424S, SF-LLL AND PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARY INSTRUCTIONS

MAPS OF PROJECT AREA AND TRACT(S)

PROJECT AREA MAP EXAMPLES

TRACT MAP EXAMPLES

GIS SHAPEFILE INSTRUCTIONS

PROPOSAL EMAIL ATTACHMENTS

PROPOSAL EXAMPLES BY SECTION

PROPOSAL SUMMARY EXAMPLE

FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE EXAMPLE

INDIRECT COSTS TABLE EXAMPLE

WORK PLAN EXAMPLE

TRACT TABLE EXAMPLE

TAQ #1 EXAMPLE

TAQ #2 EXAMPLE

TAQ #3 EXAMPLE

TAQ #4 EXAMPLE

TAQ #5 EXAMPLE

OPTIONAL MATCHING CONTRIBUTION PLAN EXAMPLE

OTHER ATTACHMENTS

A. TAQ #1 PRIORITY NAWCA WATERFOWL SPECIES

B. BIRD CONSERVATION REGIONS AND TAQ #2 PRIORITY NAWCA NON-WATERFOWL SPECIES .. 61

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INTRODUCTION

These instructions are applicable to U.S. Standard Grant proposals submitted through Friday, September 25, 2026. Please note that, effective immediately, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (DBHC) is U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Program Office (FWS Program Office).

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL SUCCESSFUL

Contact the FWS Program Office with any questions.

FWS Program Office staff reviews each proposal, proposal component, and recipient(s) for eligibility.

The rules, regulations and policies that govern financial assistance under a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant can be difficult to navigate. It is highly recommended that you contact FWS Program Office with any questions, especially questions regarding eligible activities. A proposal will be automatically ineligible if the margins and font style/size are modified from the Proposal Outline Template, or if the proposal is missing enough sufficient information necessary to consider the proposal complete. We highly recommended you log into GrantSolutions and/or create your GrantSolutions profile months in advance to confirm that your organization has access and that roles are correct to prevent a delay in submitting your application. If technical difficulties occur, contact FWS Program Office to troubleshoot. To review NAWCA US Eligibility Criteria and Processes, visit:

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal.

Proposal Outline Template and Other Information Project Narrative is required for all financial assistance. NAWCA does have a project narrative established but is called the proposal outline.

Project Narrative Standard Elements

Proposal Outline

• Project Title

• Entity/key personnel

Principal Investigator Page

• Needs Statement

• Objectives

Proposal Summary

• Approach/Methods

• Timeline

Work Plan

• Expected Results, Benefits, Outcomes

TAQ Tables

• Project Location Proposal Summary, Work Plan, Tract table, Maps

• Budget Narrative Financial Table

We recommend you prepare the Work Plan, Financial Plan Table, and Tract Table before developing the rest of the proposal. These will provide a reference to ensure that the proposal data is consistent throughout all sections. For current Proposal Outline Template and other information visit:

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-standard-outline.

Migratory Bird Joint Venture We highly recommend coordinating with your local Migratory Bird Joint Venture (Joint Venture). Joint https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-standard-outline

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Ventures are located throughout the United States and may be able to assist with partnership opportunities: https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures.

Joint Ventures can assist with bird number information and/or provide guidance on developing your technical assistance questions section. Also, Joint Ventures are an advocate for proposals in their Joint Venture and will provide proposal rankings during the scoring process, so it is key that you include your Joint Venture in the development your proposal.

APPLYING FOR A NAWCA US STANDARD GRANT

If your organization is registered in GrantSolutions (https://www.grantsolutions.gov/), you must apply for grant opportunity announcements directly via GrantSolutions. If you encounter issues with submitting an application in GrantSolutions, contact GrantSolutions help desk to confirm roles. See ‘Steps to Setting Up an Account within GrantSolutions’ below.

The instructions to apply for an announcement within GrantSolutions are described below:

https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf

For all non-Federal entities: If a proposal is not submitted through GrantSolutions, then the proposal will be deemed ineligible.

The screenshot below includes the forms that must be included with your submission:

‘Other’ – Location to upload property documents, NICRA, audit reports, and other supporting documents.

‘Program Narrative’ – Full proposal that includes partner letters and maps in pdf form.

Project Abstract Summary – Must be completed to support award language. See Standard Form-424s, SF- LLL and Project Abstract Summary Instructions section to complete this summary.

SF-424 – Required for all NAWCA non-federal and federal applicants.

SF-424A – Budget information is required on all projects.

SF-LLL – Disclosure of lobbying activities.

SF-424 B and D - Effective October 28, 2022, the Service no longer requires applicants to submit the "Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)" form or the "Assurances for Construction Programs (SF-424D)" form with their applications.

Note: GIS shapefiles must be emailed since GrantSolutions does not have the ability to accept shapefiles.

https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures https://www.grantsolutions.gov/ https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf

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After your application is submitted, email the application confirmation number (Confirmation number will start with FWS-MB followed by year and six numbers) and other required attachments (see Proposal Email Attachments section) to dbhc@fws.gov.

Federal Applicants: See Standard Form-424s, SF-LLL and Project Abstract Summary Instructions section for how to download and complete SF-424 forms. Email proposal, SF-424 forms, shapefiles, and all supporting documents to dbhc@fws.gov.

Note to ALL Applicants: Grantsolutions.gov, Grants.gov and SAM.gov are free websites. Do not pay for your SAM.gov registration or renewal, and do not provide any information to any scammers who may contact you.

Steps to register for Unique Entity ID (UEI) number (formerly DUNS) On April 4, 2022, the DUNS number was replaced by the Unique Entity ID (UEI). You must have an active System for Award Management (SAM.gov) registration to apply through GrantSolutions, to receive an award and to receive funds. We strongly encourage applicants to initiate this process at least six weeks before the application deadline. 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. You must renew and revalidate the SAM.gov registration at least every 12 months and ensure that all information is current. All active SAM.gov registrants will have their Unique Entity ID (UEI) automatically assigned and viewable within SAM.gov.

Steps to Set Up Account within GrantSolutions:

1. To register for a user account, visit https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/.

2. In “Request a user account”, go to GrantSolutions Self Registration and click on Electronic User Request Form.

3. To complete your GrantSolutions account setup, someone in your organization needs to be assigned the role of “Grantee Administrative Official/Grantee Authorized Representative”.

4. Once your organization is set up in GrantSolutions, your organization can apply for directed grant announcements within GrantSolutions. Below is a link that explains how to apply for a Directed Announcement:

https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf

Help desk Support Please send all GrantSolutions related help desk questions/issues to help@grantsolutions.gov. If you do not receive a response or if the response did not resolve the issue, please ask that the ticket be escalated.

Very important: enter all requested information under GRANTEE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI/PD) and the GRANTEES ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (ADO). Do not forget the username and the correctly spelled email address. For new applications, submit the form without filling in the requested “grant number”.

Proposal Deadlines The U.S. Standard Program operates on two submission cycles. Please note that as of December 12, 2024, these cycles have been swapped. The upcoming deadlines are:

• Cycle 1: September 25, 2026 (11:59 PM ET)

• Cycle 2: Pending (11:59 PM ET)

We strongly encourage applicants to submit proposals well in advance of these dates to avoid technical issues or unforeseen delays. Proposals may be submitted at any time prior to the deadlines.

mailto:dbhc@fws.gov mailto:dbhc@fws.gov https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf file://ifw-hqskyfs1.fws.doi.net/dbhc_share/Grants/NAWCA%20Cycles/2026/Proposal%20Instructions%20&%20Eligibility%20Criteria/help@grantsolutions.gov

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Late Submission Policy:

• Proposals received after the September 2026 deadline will automatically be considered for the cycle two deadline.

• Proposals received after the cycle two deadline will be ineligible unless clearly labeled as an early FY2027-2 submission (subject to future guideline modifications).

Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly Activities In 2011, the Department of Interior (DOI) established a policy to ensure and maintain the integrity of scientific and scholarly activities used to inform management and public policy decisions: DOI Policy, 305 DM 3, "Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly Activities". The scientific integrity policy applies to the DOI employees, contractors, grant recipients, and volunteers when they analyze or share scientific information with the public or use DOI’s information to make policy or regulatory decisions. This policy applies to all funding applications received by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant programs. Essentially, the use of false data to leverage grant funds is a direct violation of DOI's scientific integrity policy and requires the refund of any associated federal assistance.

Partner Contribution Statements We will only accept properly formatted Partner Contribution Statements as verification of partner match.

Submitting partner letters that do not follow the format in the guidelines will adversely affect the timely review of a proposal and may result in the contribution being considered as non-match. See the US Eligibility Criteria and Processes document for more information about non-match funds and partners.

MAJOR CHANGES/UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR US STANDARD GRANT

INSTRUCTIONS

• IMPORTANT: Please do not send locked or encrypted PDFs or in portfolio format.

• Pre-award cost statement is now included on the Principal Investigator Page and a response is required. All award expenses (grant / match) that occur before the start date need to be included as pre-award costs. Pre-award costs will not be authorized for activities that are not stated clearly in the pre-award cost statement in the Proposal. *A table is now provided for you to fill out the pre-award justification by tract and activity.* See the Principal Investigator’s Page and Work Plan instructions for additional pre-award information.

• Indirect Cost Rate tables for each tract and/or grant administration need to be completed below the financial plan table. See Indirect Cost Rate information for further guidance and table.

• Ensure consistency with the titles of proposal and application submission within GrantSolutions. If the proposal is emailed, ensure it matches the one submitted to GrantSolutions.

• Tract map instructions have been updated to require clear identification of activity(ies) and acreage for each tract. See Maps of Project Area and Tract(s) section for more information.

• Submit deeds, easements, and/or fee titles from old match acquisitions at the time of application for FWS Program Office to do a full eligibility review. FWS Program Office can provide a FWS FileShare link for easy document submission, if needed. Otherwise, old match property documents should be emailed along with your shapefiles to dbhc@fws.gov.

• Please note that, effective immediately, the title "Project Officer" has been changed to "Principal Investigator” and Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (DBHC) is U.S. Fish and Wildlife Program Office (FWS Program Office).

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/305_dm_3_final_revised_si_policy_12-16-14.pdf https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal mailto:dbhc@fws.gov

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PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR’S PAGE

Please note that, effective immediately, the title "Project Officer" has been changed to "Principal Investigator”.

To download the full Proposal Outline Template, visit:

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-standard-outline

Please do not include a cover/transmittal letter at the beginning of the proposal. The Principal Investigator’s page must be the first page of the proposal. Do not adjust margins on the Principal Investigator’s Page. The information below in italics is intended to assist you as you complete the blank proposal outline. Do NOT edit or delete required statements/questions when providing responses.

What is the proposal title? Do not include private landowner names. Due to database limitations, it is critical that the title be limited to 80 characters (including spaces); phased proposals must retain the original title with only the phase number changing. Enter a short, descriptive, and unique title, such as “Falcon Bottoms,” “Turtle Bog Marsh,” or “Great Bay.” If the proposal is a phase of an earlier funded proposal, use the same title as the earlier proposal and include the appropriate Roman numeral to denote that this is a subsequent proposal, such as “Falcon Bottoms II.”

What is the date you are submitting the proposal?

Principal Investigator Information:

1. Name: The Principal Investigator MUST be the primary point of contact for the project and MUST be affiliated with/employed by the grantee’s organization. List the person who will be managing the project activities, filing reports, and communicating with FWS Program Office. Please note, this will be the only person FWS Program Office communicates with regarding the project.

2. Organization: Full legal name of the Applicant Organization. If the organization entered here is not the grantee organization, please explain. (See most current Eligibility Criteria and Processes)

3. Principal Investigator’s Work Address: City, State, Zip+4 where available (No P.O. Box Addresses).

This should not be a personal address.

4. Telephone number: List the numbers at which the Principal Investigator can be reached, including work and cell numbers.

5. Email address:

6. Additional Contacts: We require a single Principal Investigator, but please list another contact who may communicate with us pre- or post- award about the project if the Principal Investigator is unavailable. The Principal Investigator must be fully engaged in the proposal and project process.

Provide name(s), email(s), and phone number(s).

Will any of the NAWCA funds requested as part of this proposal be received or spent by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service or another Federal agency? Yes/No If yes, which agency(ies) will receive these funds and what is the fund amount:

Agency_______________________ Amount______________

Does this proposal include acquisition activities that will add to the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)? Yes/No If yes, please indicate which NWRS program will accept the acquisition(s): National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and which one(s), Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) and which one(s), or Small Wetland Acquisition Program (SWAP).

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Will any portion of any tract or activities associated with any tract be used to satisfy wetland or habitat mitigation requirements under Clean Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Water Resources Development Act, ecological service credits or other related statutes now or in the future? Yes/No If yes, please highlight and provide details in the appropriate financial plan narrative/work plan section.

Have you confirmed that all partners, key personnel, and contractors are eligible to participate in Federal grants? Yes/No Principal Investigator must confirm that parties are eligible to participate in federal grants by checking the Federal Excluded Parties List at: https://sam.gov/content/exclusions. If an ineligible party participates in a federally funded project, all or a portion of the federal funding may be terminated.

Briefly describe qualifications and experience of key personnel (1-2 sentences per individual) who will be providing project implementation assistance (e.g., financial officer, Principal Investigator, key field staff, etc.):

To ensure that the proposal complies with available guidelines and that partners are aware of their responsibilities, the Principal Investigator certifies to the following statement: I have read the 2027-1 U.S. Standard Grant proposal instructions, eligibility information, and applicable U.S. grant administration policies and informed partners or partners have read the material themselves. To the best of my knowledge, this proposal is eligible and complies with all NAWCA, North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council), and Federal grant guidelines and the information submitted herein is true and correct. The work in this proposal consists of allowable and eligible work and costs associated with long-term wetlands and migratory bird habitat conservation. If habitat or migratory bird benefits described in the proposal are found to be grossly exaggerated and/or intentionally misleading, the proposal may be declared ineligible, and any resulting awards may be fully or partially terminated.

Sign & date

Audit reports. If the applicant organization expended more than $1,000,000 of federal funds during the last calendar year, please include a copy of your most recent of Single Audit Data Collection Form (SF- FAC) that was submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. If your organization did not expend more than $1,000,000 of federal funds last year, please certify that the Single Audit (formerly A-133) was not required.

Required Overlap/Duplication Statement: Applicants must provide a statement that addresses whether 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. If any overlap exists, applicants must provide a description of the overlap in their application. Applicants must also state if the proposal submitted for consideration under the program is/is not in any way duplicative of any proposal that was/will be submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal). If such a circumstance exists, applicants must detail when the other duplicative proposal(s) were submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when funding decisions are expected to be announced. If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be duplicative of the funding requested from the Service, applicants must notify the Service point of contact for this funding opportunity immediately. This required answer can be a few short sentences explaining whether there is any overlap between or among proposed projects. For instance, you will need to include an overlap statement if you submitted a tract(s) for funding consideration in a NAWCA Small Grants proposal and also submitted the same tract(s) for https://sam.gov/content/exclusions

9 | P a g e consideration under a U.S. Standard Grants proposal (or vice versa). Please do not delete the above statement from your proposal.

Pre-award Cost Statement and Table: Pre-award costs are defined as costs that were incurred after a Proposal is received by the FWS Program Office and before a Grant Agreement is issued, and therefore they are incurred at the applicant’s risk. Please indicate whether or not pre-award costs are requested.

To qualify for pre-award cost reimbursement, recipients must clearly demonstrate that the pre-award activities are necessary and reasonable for accomplishing the overall program objectives. Costs must have otherwise been approved had they occurred within the project period. FWS Program Office will not approve pre-award costs for work performed that did not have written approval to incur those costs OR requires compliance documentation.

For pre-award costs, complete the following time that highlights the request for funds to accomplish pre-award activities. The table should include the following:

• Provide a detailed description of what requested costs will cover for each tract (e.g., permitting, project design, staff time, etc.).

• Provide an explanation for the need for the pre-award costs.

• The amount of funding requested for pre-award activities.

• Provide the start and completion dates for all pre-award activities.

• Add or delete activity rows as necessary.

Tract ID Pre-award Activity Pre-award Justification Amount of

Grant/Match Funding Date(s)

Do you have any comments about, or suggestions for, the NAWCA program?

You may provide comments with this proposal or send them at any time.

• By mail to: Coordinator, North American Wetlands Conservation Council

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Bird Habitat Conservation Mail Stop: MB 5275 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041-3803

• Via phone to: 703-358-1748

• Via e-mail(preferred) to: dbhc@fws.gov mailto:dbhc@fws.gov

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PROPOSAL SUMMARY (2-page limit)

The Proposal Summary is the only narrative material provided to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council and Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, so it must be descriptive and succinct. Do not include a detailed description of the work to be done for individual tract(s), as this should be included within the Work Plan section of the Proposal. Consider developing the Summary after you have written the rest of the proposal to help ensure that information in the Summary is consistent with the proposal. The Proposal Summary must follow the format provided in the blank proposal outline exactly, including margins, spacing, font size, etc. Click here for the Proposal Summary Example.

General Requirements

1. The Proposal Summary will be used as a stand-alone document and will be subject to editing by the

USFWS. Start the Proposal Summary on a new page.

2. Do not number Proposal Summary pages. Start with the Financial Plan Table as page 1 and sequentially number all remaining pages.

3. The Proposal Summary, which includes tabular and narrative information, may be a maximum of two pages.

4. All margins must be 1 inch. Failure to adhere to margin requirements will affect eligibility of your proposal.

5. Format must be a PDF version. IMPORTANT: Do not send locked or encrypted PDFs!

6. Font size: 11 point and Font type: Times New Roman. Failure to adhere to font size requirements will affect the eligibility of your proposal.

7. The information in the summary table must exactly match the information provided elsewhere in the proposal.

Specific Requirements (see Proposal Summary Example).

1. Center “NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT PROPOSAL SUMMARY” in all capital letters at the top of the page and center the project title and state with initial capital letters beneath it. Do not use private landowner names in title. If the proposal is a phase of an earlier funded proposal, use the title of the earlier proposal with an appropriate Roman numeral denoting the phase number.

2. All other information is left justified, without indentation, except for financial totals on the right side of the page, which are right justified.

3. Type the header for each paragraph category in all capital letters (e.g., COUNTY(IES), STATE(S), CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT(S); JOINT VENTURE(S); BIRD CONSERVATION REGION(S);

GRANT AMOUNT; MATCHING PARTNERS; etc.).

• Note: If the project area includes the entirety of a state and there are to be determined (TBD) tracts in the proposal, please list the state and indicate “statewide” instead of listing all counties within that state. If the project area includes the entirety of a state but all tract locations are known, then provide the list of counties that the tracts are located in.

• Joint Venture(s): Identify the Migratory Bird Joint Venture area(s) by visiting the USFWS JV Directory website or download the JV GIS shapefile.

• BCR(s): Identify the Bird Conservation Region BCR(s). Visit https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ or download the BCR GIS shapefile.

4. Using the prescribed format shown in the example, provide the requested information for each category. However, do not include categories shown in the example if no information for that category exists. For instance, if there is no proposed restoration work, do not include a “Restored” line in the “ACTIVITIES, COSTS AND ACRES” section.

5. Enter the total grant amount on the right side of the page, right justified, on the same line as the header “GRANT AMOUNT.” Under “Grant Amount”, type “Allocation:” Enter the allocation https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/b97c29a9d8bd4f59931a50194eff83cc_0/explore?location=2.526087%2C0.000000%2C0.83 https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/nabci-bird-conservation-regions

11 | P a g e amount after the Grantee organization name. Enter the total for MATCHING PARTNERS, and the total for ACTIVITIES, COSTS AND ACRES each on the same line as their respective headers, in alignment with the total grant amount.

6. MATCHING PARTNERS: Enter the grantee organization and contribution (if applicable) immediately underneath the category header. List the matching partners and their contributions under the grantee. Provide the full partner’s name; do not abbreviate. List the individual match contributions in tabular format (see example). For the grantee or partner associated with a Matching Contributions Plan (MCP), list the amount associated with the MCP phase as the contribution amount on a separate line.

7. GRANT AND MATCH - ACTIVITIES, COSTS AND ACRES: Insert the total costs and acreage associated with the grant and match funds to the right on the same line as the header (right justified).

Under the header, list one or more appropriate activities, costs, and acreages from the following activity categories: Fee Acquired; Fee Donated; Easement(s) Acquired; Easement(s) Donated;

Lease(s) Acquired; Lease(s) Donated; Restored; Enhanced; Wetland Established; Other; Previously Approved MCP Funds; Indirect Costs. List the activities in that order, but do not list categories in which no activity will take place. After each category listed, indicate the amount being expended in tabular format, and then type a slash (/) and the total acreage involved. If building envelope acres are involved with any activities, ensure that these acres are not included in the acreage totals for the proposal.

• Include only those activities, costs, and acres associated with grant or match funds. See the instructions for the Financial Plan Table below for contributions from non-match funds.

• If acquired acreage also will be restored or enhanced in the current proposal, place parentheses around the restored or enhanced acreage to show that they have already been accounted for under the acquired category. These are referred to as non-additive or non-add acres. Non-add acres should also be indicated if project activities are occurring on a property that has been part of a previous NAWCA project.

In the following simplified example, 300 new acres are to be acquired in Fee Title using grant and/or match funds.

• 200 new acres are to be restored using grant and/or match funds; 150 of the 300 acres acquired in fee in this project are also restored – (150); an additional 200 acres acquired in a previous NAWCA project will also be restored – (200).

• 100 new acres are to be enhanced using grant and/or match funds; 100 of the 300 acres acquired in fee are also enhanced – (100); an additional 300 acres acquired in a previous phase will also be enhanced – (300).

GRANT AND MATCH - ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES $2,050,000/600 (750) acres Fee Acquired $1,000,000/300 acres Restored $500,000/200 (350) acres Enhanced $500,000/100 (400) acres Other $50,000

8. NON-MATCHING PARTNERS: List all non-matching partners and contributions in the same format as for matching partners. List contributions only; do not include acres or activities.

9. MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS PLAN: If a partner’s match amount is associated with a MCP

(either a new MCP submitted with the proposal or a follow-on phase for a MCP previously approved by the Council), list only the match amount that is being applied to the current proposal. MCPs can only be submitted for excess old match associated with the acquisition of a single tract.

All the acres associated with a new MCP are listed with the appropriate activity. Acreage associated

12 | P a g e with a previously approved/used MCP does not appear in subsequent proposals; list the MCP amount attributed to the current proposal as “Previously Approved MCP Funds”.

In the following simplified examples, costs and acres are listed along with the correct format for a new MCP (example 1) and the second phase of a previously approved MCP (example 2):

Example 1

• 400 new acres are to be acquired in Fee Title using grant and/or match funds (total cost =

$2,000,000).

• 100 additional match acquisition acres are the basis for a new MCP (total appraised value =

$3,000,000).

GRANT AND MATCH - ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES $3,000,000/500 acres Fee Acquired $3,000,000/500 acres [this includes all of the MCP acres and $1,000,000 of the value of the

MCP]

Example 2

• In this example, the MCP is the second phase of the previously approved MCP ($2,000,000 remains after the initial phase). No acres are listed because these have been accounted for in the initial phase. Only the $2,000,000 cost associated with this phase of the MCP is listed.

• 300 new acres are to be acquired in Fee Title using grant and/or match funds ($1,000,000).

GRANT AND MATCH - ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES $3,000,000/300 acres Fee Acquired $1,000,000/300 acres Previously Approved MCP Funds $2,000,000

This phase would close out the MCP.

10. PROPOSAL PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION: Summarize the proposed goals and objectives. Ideas to include but are not limited to:

• What activities are being proposed?

• Where will the activity (ies) be located (e.g., on a Refuge, private land, near a conservation area)?

• Is a Joint Venture involved and/or benefiting?

11. HABITAT TYPES AND WILDLIFE BENEFITTING: Summarize the habitat types to benefit by the proposed activities; provide examples of the species (e.g., Blue-winged Teal, American Bittern, etc.)

benefiting and their uses of the habitats (e.g., breeding, feeding, resting, etc.).

12. PUBLIC BENEFITS/PUBLIC ACCESS: Summarize the benefits of the proposal to the public (e.g., hiking, hunting, birding, education, water quality, etc.); describe whether any of the grant/match tracts will allow public access, and if so, what type of access.

13. NEW PARTNERS: Identify partners who have never previously participated in any NAWCA grant.

14. RELATIONSHIP TO PREVIOUSLY FUNDED NAWCA PROPOSALS: If applicable, summarize the relationship of the current proposal with previously funded NAWCA proposals in the region and show how the current proposal adds to progress (if any) towards regional conservation goals for habitats and/or birds. If this is a phased NAWCA proposal and/or if your organization has received other NAWCA Standard grants in the same general area, specifically identify the cumulative habitat achievements of previous phases and how the landscape and the bird populations of that landscape have changed.

15. THREATS AND SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Summarize any threats to habitats in the proposal area or other circumstances that make funding during this proposal cycle particularly important.

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FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE

NOTE: Landowner and tract names must be consistent throughout the proposal

Insert the Financial Plan Table as page 1, after the Summary Pages.

1. Complete the Financial Plan Table provided in the Word Proposal Outline or Excel Tables Template and insert it as page 1 after the Proposal Summary. The Word Proposal Outline contains a blank Financial Plan Table or you may use the table in the Excel Tables Template workbook. Modify the number of partner and activity rows as needed. Delete activity rows that do not apply to the proposal.

2. Identify each tract (or logical groupings of tracts) using a consistent method on all maps and throughout the proposal. Show all costs covered by the grant, each matching partner, and each non-matching partner for all grant/match tracts. Non-match should not be listed in the table unless it has been pooled with grant/match dollars to accomplish grant/match acres. Entirely non-match tracts and activities should not be included in the table.

3. For all grant expenditures, list the partner that will be spending grant funds on the same line item.

4. You may show grant and one partner’s contribution on one line for the same tract if that partner will be receiving grant funds, but do not combine different partner contributions on the same line. For example, if there are 10 separate partners contributing to fee acquisition for a particular tract, then there should be 10 separate partner entries for that tract. Add lines to the table as needed. In the Financial Plan Table Example, multiple lines were added under Land Costs: Fee Acquired to demonstrate separate lines for each partner. In the example, lines were added under “Land Costs: Fee Acquired” because different tracts are affected, and they should not be lumped.

5. Separate match funds into "Old" (spent prior to proposal submission) and "New" (to occur after proposal is submitted and during the Grant Agreement period).

6. Include indirect costs as one line-item total and in the tract ID column include tract(s) claiming indirect costs.

7. If you are submitting a new MCP, be sure the Financial Plan Table only includes funds for the current proposal and not the entire contribution in the MCP. Costs from the first phase of an MCP should appear with the activity and partner in the appropriate direct cost category. For subsequent phases of an MCP, enter the MCP match costs in line L. PREVIOUSLY APPROVED MCP, which is above line M. GRAND TOTAL DIRECT costs, and list the appropriate amount as old match.

Previously Approved MCP example (showing final portion of Financial Plan Table only):

ACTIVITIES GRANT $

ABBREVIATED

PARTNER NAME

OLD

MATCH $

NEW

MATCH $

TOTAL

GRANT + MATCH $ TRACT ID

NON-

MATCH $

L. PREVIOUSLY

APPROVED MCP PARTNER A $3,000,000 $3,000,000

M. GRAND TOTAL DIRECT

(Sum of G and H, I, J, K, L) $1,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,500,000 $8,500,000 $500,000

Indirect Costs PARTNER B $5,000 $5,000 4

N. TOTAL INDIRECT $5,000 $5,000

GRAND TOTAL

(Sum of M and N) $1,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,505,000 $8,505,000 $500,000

8. Show each private landowner by name, contribution amount, and tract if they are contributing to grant/match acres.

9. For acres being acquired, restored, enhanced, or established by pooling both grant/match funds and non-match funds, and in which NAWCA will acquire an undivided interest in those acres, list the total costs in either grant or match in the table, as appropriate. Do not pro-rate acres between grant or match (See item 2 for clarification on when to include non-match).

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-standard-table-template

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10. All cost categories are shown in the Word and Excel templates. Do not include categories that do not apply to your proposal (i.e., if there is no enhancement in your proposal, then delete those activity rows).

11. You may use a landscape orientation, versus portrait, for the printed page if needed.

12. You may abbreviate partner names in the table but be sure to spell them out in the Partner

Information section in the bottom portion of the Financial Plan Table.

13. Below the Financial Plan Table in the Partner Information section, list each sub-grantee who will receive, because of this proposal, any of the following:

• Federal grant funds or “new” matching funds,

• Property (e.g., land structures, dikes, levees, earthen dams, equipment, supplies) that will be purchased with Federal grant or matching funds or

• Property committed as “new” match.

• Contractors or vendors who will be paid for goods, construction, planting or services purchased for the proposal and individuals are NOT considered sub-grantees.

14. Indirect Costs Table(s): Below the Financial Plan Table insert the following table for each tract or

Grant Administration with associated indirect costs. Identify the specific financial plan line items to which you are applying a NICRA in column two. Do not lump different types of base costs. Each line entry should identify only one source either grant or match amount. (Click here to see an example of an Indirect Costs table).

Tract # or Grant Administration Allowable Category from I.C Rate Agreement

Specific Financial Plan Line Items to Which Indirect Cost is Applied

Direct Cost Base Amount

Approved Rate (%) */ Agreement Date

Partner to which I.C.

Rate Applies

I.C. Grant Amount

I.C. Match Amount

Total Indirect Cost

Matching Contribution Plans (Optional) If any match was previously approved by the Council via an optional MCP, include a copy of the FWS Program Office email approving the MCP and provide the following information: tract affected, how much of each partner’s match has been used in previous proposals, how much is being used in this proposal, and how much will remain after the current proposal is funded (Click here to see an example of an MCP table).

Conflict of Interest Disclosures Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR §1402.112, applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission.

(a) Applicability.

(1) This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

(2) In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by sub recipients, the conflict-of-interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

(b) Notification.

(1) Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 200.112.

(2) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B/section-1402.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.318

15 | P a g e notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by sub recipients. OMB Control No.

1018‐0100 How to Apply for a NAWCA U.S. Standard Grant (updated 31 August 2023).

(c) Restrictions on lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR part 18 and 31 U.S.C. 1352.

(d) Review procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will examine each conflict-of-interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

(e) Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR part 180). Contact FWS Program Office for additional information or guidance.

WORK PLAN

The Work Plan is constructed as series of discrete, stand-alone activities (e.g., fee acquisition, easement donation, restoration, enhancement, etc.) associated with specific tracts. See the Work Plan Example.

The Work Plan should include only grant/match tracts. Eligible non-match dollars pooled with grant/match dollars to accomplish grant/match acres may be listed in the work plan, but acres and dollars that are entirely funded by or attributed to non-match should NOT be included in the Work Plan.

To qualify for pre-award cost reimbursement, recipients must demonstrate in the proposal that the pre-award activities are necessary and reasonable for accomplishing the overall program objectives and would have been approved had they occurred within the project period. Recipients should include a statement on whether pre-award costs are requested in the Principal Investigator’s Section of the proposal. Should a recipient request pre-award costs, a detailed explanation of why pre-award costs are necessary is required.

FWS Program Office will not approve pre-award costs for work performed that did not have written approval to incur those costs or requires compliance documentation.

For the first phase of an MCP, list associated activities/costs with the appropriate tract. MCP costs in subsequent proposals should be shown under “Other Direct Grant/Match Activities”, with the name and phase of the MCP listed under “Item & Work”.

Work Plan Formatting

1. Use the following format for identifying tracts. Each tract should be numbered sequentially starting with “1” and given an identifying name (e.g., Tract 1 - Howard Farms, Tract 2 - Brancheau Wetland, Tract 3 - McIntyre). Describe the work to be done using the format in the example. The tract name should exactly match that used in other sections throughout the proposal. Include the following information:

a. Tract name, overall number of acres affected on the tract (for instance, if there are 300 acres acquired and 100 of those acres will be restored, the overall acreage affected is 300(100); the restoration acres would be listed as (100)), and a list of state or Federal government agencies (if any) with a legal interest in the property (such as those with Notices of Funding or Grant Restrictions on fee deeds or easements).

b. For each tract, list the acreages for each of the activities associated with the tract. Identify non-add acres (acres already accounted for in a previous activity or NAWCA project: 100 acres acquired and restored – the 100 restored acres are non-add) in parentheses.

c. Under each tract listed, type the applicable Work Plan activity category titles in all capital letters https://omb.report/omb/1018-0100 https://omb.report/omb/1018-0100 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.338 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.458

16 | P a g e and list the total cost and acreage for that activity category within that tract. Identify non-add acres for a tract in parentheses. For example, “ACQUISITION FINANCIAL PLAN JUSTIFICATION - $3,000,000 AND 10,000 acres”. On the next line, separately enter the amount of grant, match, and non-match funding for that activity category within that tract. All costs (“Total $” column in each table below) must be described and equal the figures in the activity category headers. Identify an actual or estimated timeframe for completion of that activity.

d. Describe all grant and match activities that will occur on each tract. If multiple activities take place on the same tract, describe them separately but identify if acres overlap between activities.

For example, if a proposal includes land acquisition with restoration work done on the same site, this would be described as two separate activities.

2. For each activity, include a clear description of the work to be done and briefly justify why that activity is being included as part of this proposal.

a. Acquisition activities: Include summary of the acquisition(s) and the need to protect this tract, including whether this tract is vulnerable to land conversion or other threats. If there are building envelopes on the tract, explain how those building envelopes will be removed. If fee acquisition is also protected by a conservation easement, explain why the tract should be or the need to be, protected by both methods.

b. Habitat restoration, enhancement, and establishment activities: Identify specific habitat types and plant communities affected by proposed activities. Summarize what work will be completed including the key activities. Habitat types should be identified in Joint Venture implementation plans or similar documents. Refrain from including benefits for birds, history of area, and number of total bird species since all this information is captured in other areas of the proposal. If a tract includes invasive species treatments or implementation of any type of fencing material, include answers to these questions:

• What invasive species are present and how will the invasive species be treated (e.g., mechanical or chemical application)? If mechanical, explain what will be done? If chemical application, what kind of chemical will be used and how many applications will be done? If other control methods will be used, please describe.

• What is the expected duration of the treatment(s)?

• Who is responsible for maintaining the invasive species control after the treatment and for how long?

• If working with private landowner(s), is there an agreement involved?

• How will the invasive species treatments affect the acres over time?

• Is the fencing wildlife friendly? If so, how will it improve nearby habitat conditions and not impede wildlife movement? For more information on wildlife friendly fencing, please refer to: https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/conservation/land-owner-wildlife-resources/mt-fence-guide-second-edition.pdf

• Who is responsible for maintaining the fencing over time?

3. Explain any unusually high costs or large differences between per acre value of match and grant tracts.