CVA FY 2015 Final NOFA.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

Clean Vessel Act Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.616

FY 2015

Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions

Federal Agency Name:

U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR)

Funding Opportunity Title:

Clean Vessel Act (CVA)

Announcement Type:

Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions (NOFA) for Fiscal Year 2015.

Funding Opportunity Number: F14AS00417

CFDA Number: 15.616

Dates: State applicants must submit applications through Grants.gov by the deadline. The deadline for receipt is Dec. 3, 2014, 11:59 p.m. EST. The Service recommends that you submit your application early enough to address any unforeseen technical complications. We recommended that you verify that all documents have been received through Grants.gov with your Regional WSFR Office before the deadline. The Service will not consider applications received after the deadline.

Applicants requesting comments or assistance with their applications are encouraged to submit applications to the Fish and Wildlife Service Regional WSFR Office (see Section VII., Agency Contacts) approximately 4‐6 weeks prior to the due date. Although there is no guarantee that the Regional WSFR Office will provide comments, feedback may include recommendations to improve the application.

If you would like to be a subgrantee, check with your State agency for their deadlines and requirements to apply.

We expect to announce the awards by June 2015.

Additional information:

The Clean Vessel Act of 1992 was signed November 4, 1992 (106 Stat. 5039) and codified in 33 U.S.C. 1322. The Act amended the Dingell‐Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (Wallop‐Breaux Act; 16 U.S.C. 777) and established the Clean Vessel Act Grant Program to provide funding to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and territories of the United States of

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 1 http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title33/html/USCODE-2011-title33-chap26-subchapIII-sec1322.htm http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title33/html/USCODE-2011-title33-chap26-subchapIII-sec1322.htm http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2012-title16/html/USCODE-2012-title16-chap10B.htm

America (States). Funding allows States to construct, renovate, operate, and maintain pumpout stations and waste reception facilities for recreational boaters and to inform boaters about the use, benefits, and availability of pumpout stations and waste reception facilities. Subsequent reauthorizations of the Act have allowed for the continuation of CVA.

Additional information about the CVA is available at: http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CVA/CVA.htm.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Recreational boating is a popular activity in the U.S. There are approximately 13 million registered boats in the U.S., and each year over 70 million people enjoy a host of water‐based recreational opportunities, such as fishing, cruising, waterskiing, and spending time with family and friends. Many recreational boats are equipped with on‐board toilets and wastewater holding tanks, known as Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs). Proper disposal of recreational boat‐related sewage is important in preserving and improving water quality in the country’s vital aquatic ecosystems. CVA provides States with Federal funding to support their ongoing efforts to improve recreational boating opportunities and provide boaters with clean, efficient facilities to prevent waste disposal into public waterways and other ecosystems.

CVA is one of the Service’s “user pay, public benefit” grant programs. Excise taxes paid through motorboat fuel and sport fishing equipment purchases go into the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. Approximately two percent of the trust fund is available for CVA grants each fiscal year. This year, we expect CVA to fund approximately $14 million in grants.

Each year pumpouts and dump stations funded through CVA and matched with State, local, and/or private funds have a large impact on reducing the amount of potential waste in our nation’s waters. This has resulted in tremendous benefits such as improved water quality for public drinking water supplies, river ecosystems, and shellfish beds, convenient service for boaters on U.S. navigable waters, and boaters who are informed of how best to dispose of vessel sewage. Since the inception of CVA, the grant program has funded over 6,000 pumpouts and dump stations and has provided funds to help operate and maintain over 3,700 systems.

Through dedication of the States, private marinas, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, States Organization for Boating Access, environmental groups, and the boating public, millions of gallons of sewage have been diverted from polluting U.S. waters each year. These groups have also been instrumental in maintaining and operating the facilities in working order and providing information for the boating public regarding the importance of keeping our waters clean by using pumpout and dump stations.

The program slogan is: Keep Our Water Clean - Use Pumpouts.

References to “you” in this announcement refer to the State agency completing the application and any potential subgrantee, if applicable. References to “we” or “us” in this announcement refer to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 2 http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CVA/CVA.htm

New in FY 2015:

‐ Clarification of “recreational vessel” with regard to boats as a residence and commercial vessels. See Q8 & Q9 in the Q&A at the end of this document.

II. Award Information:

The Service expects that approximately $14 million will be available for CVA awards in FY 2015.

Awards typically range from $30,000 up to $1,500,000. There is no specific minimum, and in FY 2015 the maximum award amount is $1,500,000. Coastal States may apply for up to $3,000,000 maximum, $1,500,000 for coastal activities and $1,500,000 for inland activities.

Inland States may apply for up to $1,500,000.

The CVA program is a competitive program that addresses national needs through funding construction, renovation, operation, and maintenance of pumpout stations and waste reception facilities for recreational boaters and to inform boaters about the use, benefits, and availability of pumpout stations and waste reception facilities. As described in this request for applications, eligible States submit suitable projects to compete in the national CVA ranking process. Once the projects have been reviewed for eligibility and ranked by the criteria for priority, the Service determines if available funds are sufficient to meet the funding requests of all eligible applications. If funding requests for eligible projects exceed available funds, we will apply a discretionary formula to distribute CVA awards to all eligible applicants and support as many eligible projects as possible across the country. Priority will be given to the highest scoring applications and we will partially award applications based on a proportional ratio. An attempt will be made to provide funding to each State that applies for at least a minimal level of support to address the critical need of preventing pollution from recreational boat sewage.

The following formula will be used to determine the distribution of funds in an equitable manner, with priority for the highest scoring applications. We will fully fund each eligible application requesting $50,000 or less. No application will receive more than 10% of the total available funds, unless funds allow for all applications to be awarded.

1. Rank all eligible applications in descending order.

2. Determine the percentage of each application’s total score compared to the total possible score (we will give 100% to all eligible applications receiving points for creating a Survey/Plan, as their total points will equal or exceed 50 points; we will use a total possible score of 50 points for all other applications in determining the percentage).

3. Determine funding based on the percentage in Step 2 for those applications with Federal CVA funding requests greater than $50,000.

For example, applications receiving a perfect score (100%) will receive the full Federal funding request, applications with a percentage of 80% (score of 40 points out of 50 possible) will receive 80% of the Federal funding request, and applications with a percentage of 60% (score of

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 3

30 points out of 50 possible) will receive 60% of the Federal funding request, and so on, funds permitting.

4. Make additional adjustments as needed to ensure we award the full amount of available funding.

5. Adjust the 25% matching share, if applicable.

If excess funds are available after all eligible applications are awarded, we reserve the right to publish a supplementary FY 2015 request for applications for national competition.

We expect to announce awards by June 2015.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are the Governor‐designated State agencies in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. The designated agency is often a State natural resource or fish and wildlife agency.

Coastal State – A State of the United States in, or bordering on, the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Long Island Sound, or one or more of the Great Lakes.

The term also includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Alaska is eligible as a coastal State for the purposes of

CVA.

Inland State ‐ A State which is not a coastal State as defined above. The District of Columbia and American Samoa are included as inland States. American Samoa is defined as an inland State because the ratio of number of recreational vessels to number of shoreline miles is less than one.

If you would like to be a subgrantee, check with the eligible agency in your State for their deadlines and requirements to apply.

Federal law (2 CFR Part 25, Central Contractor Registry and Data Universal Numbering System) mandates that all entities applying for Federal financial assistance must have a valid Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and have a current registration in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). The CCR functionality was consolidated into the System for Award Management (SAM) in September 2012.

DUNS Registration Request a DUNS number online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. U.S.‐based entities may also request a DUNS number by telephone by calling the Dun & Bradstreet Government Customer Response Center, Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 8 PM CST at the following numbers:

U.S. and U.S Virgin Islands: 1‐866‐705‐5711 Alaska and Puerto Rico: 1‐800‐234‐3867 (Select Option 2, then Option 1)

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For Hearing Impaired Customers Only call: 1‐877‐807‐1679 (TTY Line) Once assigned a DUNS number, entities are responsible for maintaining up‐to‐date information with Dun & Bradstreet.

Entity Registration in SAM Register in SAM online at http://www.sam.gov/. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly urged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure that SAM is up to date and in synch with changes that may have been made to DUNS and IRS information. Foreign entities who wish to be paid to a bank account in the United States must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM.

Entities that had an active record in CCR have an active record in SAM do not need to do anything in SAM unless a change in business circumstances requires updates to your Entity record(s) or the Entity record is due to expire. SAM will send notifications to migrated Entity users via email 60, 30, and 15 days prior to expiration of the Entity record. To update or renew your Entity records(s) in SAM your Entity user(s) will need to create a SAM User Account and link their account(s) to your migrated Entity record(s). Entities migrated from CCR can find complete instructions on accessing their SAM Entity records online at http://www.sam.gov/.

B. Cost‐Sharing or Matching

The maximum Federal cost share for CVA awards is 75 percent. The Service will waive matching requirements up to $200,000 for each grant awarded to the following insular areas: American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring the full amount of the non‐Federal match as listed on the Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424.

C. Other

Although only Governor‐designated State agencies can apply for and receive grants through this program, the program encourages partnering with Tribes, Federal agencies, other State agencies, local governments, non‐governmental organizations, private marinas, and others as subgrantees and cooperators. Please note that any contributions from Federal sources cannot be used or counted as non‐Federal match unless authorized by Federal statute.

IV. Application and Submission Instructions

A. Address to Obtain Application Package

You can download the application package for CVA on Grants.gov, searching by CFDA 15.616 or Funding Opportunity Number F14AS00417. If you have trouble accessing the online forms, you can contact one of the Service WSFR Offices (see Section VII, Agency Contacts).

States must submit applications online at Grants.gov through the CVA Funding Opportunity. It can be located by doing an advanced search by CFDA 15.616 or Funding Opportunity Number

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 5 https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms_apps_idx.html http://www.grants.gov/

F14AS00417. We recommended that you verify that all documents have been received through Grants.gov with your Regional WSFR Office before the deadline.

B. Content and Form of Application

Applications submitted for CVA funding must include items 1 through 3:

1. Required Federal Forms (no page limit):

a. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424).

b. Budget Information, i.e., estimated costs to attain the project objectives. We recommend that you present the information in a table with cost categories broken down by the funding source, e.g., CVA Federal request, non‐Federal match provided by State agency, non‐Federal match provided by the subgrantee, etc. You should provide sufficient detail for reviewers to understand proposed costs.

c. Statement of Assurances of compliance with applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies, Standard Form 424D (unless your State agency has an approved Statement of Assurances on file with the Regional Office).

2. Required Project Statement (10 page limit):

A concise project statement that does not address the ranking criteria, but rather identifies and describes:

a. The need for the proposed project;

b. Discrete, quantifiable, and verifiable objectives to be accomplished during a specific time period;

c. Expected results or benefits from accomplishing the objectives;

d. The approach to be used in meeting the objectives, including specific procedures, schedules, key personnel, and cooperators;

e. Description of the activity so Service staff can make a preliminary determination of compliance needs for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 7 of Endangered Species Act (ESA), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); and

f. The anticipated project location(s), including the GPS coordinates in minutes, degrees, seconds. If exact locations are not available at time of application, please be as specific as possible.

3. Required Ranking Criteria (10 page limit):

A description with appropriate documentation of how the proposed project(s) addresses each of the ranking criteria found in 50 CFR 85.30. We suggest you address each ranking criterion with a brief statement or table in addition to the project statement described in item 2.

4. Drawings/Maps/Photographs (no page limit):

a. If feasible, we suggest that you include two maps: a map of the State showing the general location of the project(s) and a map of the project site(s).

b. Other geographic aids may be attached, including aerial photographs.

Note – Coastal States submitting applications for both the coastal zone and the inland portion of their State must submit two separate applications for ranking purposes.

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Application Format We request that you number pages consecutively, label all sections (see above for details on what should be included in each section), and arrange the application in this order:

• Required Federal Forms

• Project Statement

• Ranking Criteria

• Drawings/Maps/Photographs

Applications should be formatted to print on 8.5” X 11” paper, with 1” margins at the top, bottom, and both sides, and page numbers at the bottom of the page. Fonts should be legible, i.e., preferably 12 point Arial, Times New Roman, or other commonly used font.

In accepting Federal funds, applicants must comply with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies. Applicants must supply evidence of compliance with NEPA, ESA, NHPA, and other Federal laws if we select the application for award.

C. Submission Dates and Times:

State applicants must submit applications through Grants.gov by the deadline. The deadline for receipt is Dec. 3, 2014, 11:59 p.m. EST. The Service recommends that you submit your application early enough to address any unforeseen technical complications. We recommended that you verify that all documents have been received through Grants.gov with your Regional WSFR Office before the deadline. We will not consider applications received after the deadline.

D. Intergovernmental Review CVA is subject to EO 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” States that participate in the Executive Order process should establish Single Points of Contact (SPOCs).

Applicants from jurisdictions that have not chosen to participate do not need to take any action regarding E.O. 12372. All other applicants should alert their SPOCs early in the application process. If you, as an applicant, are required to submit materials to a SPOC, indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424.

E. Funding Restrictions

1. Eligible activities

Eligible activities for funding from the Clean Vessel Act Grant Program depends upon whether the applicant is considered coastal or inland (see information about coastal and inland designations above in “Section III. Eligibility”).

Eligible activities for all grantees/States include:

(a) Programs or projects to educate/inform recreational boaters about the environmental pollution problems resulting from sewage discharges from vessels and to inform them of the location of pumpout and dump stations.

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 7

(b) Programs or projects to construct, renovate, operate, and/or maintain pumpout and dump stations, including floating restrooms in the water, not connected to land or structures connected to the land, used solely by boaters. Eligible grant activities also include any activity necessary to hold and transport boaters’ sewage to treatment plants, such as holding tanks, piping, hauling costs, and any activity necessary to get sewage treatment plants to accept sewage, such as installing bleed‐in facilities.

Eligible activities for coastal grantees/States include:

(a) Programs or projects that identify all operational pumpout and dump stations, and surveys of recreational vessels in coastal waters with holding tanks or portable toilets and the areas where those vessels congregate in the coastal zone. Also eligible are costs of developing a list, including chart coordinates, of all operational pumpout and dump stations in the coastal zone of the State, for submission to the Service.

(b) Plans for construction and renovation of pumpout and dump stations in the coastal zone of the State necessary to ensure that these stations are adequate and reasonably available to meet the needs of recreational vessels using the coastal waters of the State.

(c) Those eligible activities listed above for all grantees/States.

Additional requirements for all grantees/States:

(a) To be eligible for funding, both public and private facilities must:

• Be open to the public, where the public has full and reasonable access to the pumpout or dump station;

• Provide signage visible from the water to direct boaters to pumpout or dump stations;

• Locate pumpouts so they are easy to access and use by all boats typical to that particular marina;

• Charge equitable fees ($5 maximum per pumpout, unless a higher fee is justified by the applicant and approved by the Service); and

• Be open reasonable hours (see definition of “Reasonable open periods” in 50

CFR 85.11).

(b) Facilities shall be operated, maintained, and continue to be reasonably accessible to all recreational vessels for their useful life (see additional information on “useful life” in the Service Manual Chapter 522 FW 18).

2. Ineligible activities

Activities and projects that are ineligible for funding from the Clean Vessel Act Grant program include:

(1) Activities that do not provide public benefits.

(2) Law enforcement activities.

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(3) Construction/renovation of land‐based restroom facilities.

(4) Construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of on‐site sewage treatment plants, such as package treatment plants and septic systems, and of municipal sewage treatment plants for primary and secondary treatment.

Ranking decisions are made based on criteria in the Clean Vessel Act Program rules (50 CFR Part 85). See “V. Application Review Information, A. Criteria and Available Point Values.”

F. Other Submission Requirements

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. We suggest that applicants verify that their version of Adobe Reader is compatible with Grants.gov to avoid problems in submitting and/or downloading application forms. The Grants.gov homepage has a link that allows users to verify compatibility of Adobe Reader.

V. Application Review Information

A. Criteria and Available Point Values

Possible scores for coastal and inland State applications are equal, with the exception of the “Survey/Plan” ranking criterion. This is due to legislative changes to the Clean Vessel Act of 1992, Public Law 102‐587, title V, subtitle F (106 Stat 5039). The Act was amended by Public Law 109‐59, title X, § 10131, August 10, 2005 (119 Stat 1931) stating that priority consideration shall be given to applications that: (A) provide for public/private partnership efforts to develop and operate pumpout stations and waste reception facilities, and (B) propose innovative ways to increase the availability and use of pumpout stations and waste reception facilities. Priority for a coastal State that proposes constructing and renovating pumpout stations and waste reception facilities in accordance with a coastal State’s plan was removed. We plan to revise 50 CFR 85 to reflect this change in the near future.

Criteria for reviewing and ranking CVA applications are in the Final Rule for CVA (50 CFR 85.30).

Please see Appendix A to this document for frequently asked questions about the CVA ranking criteria. The following criteria must be addressed to receive points. Applications will be ranked and recommended for funding based on individual scores obtained by adding ranking criteria points. Please list each ranking criterion individually and provide a concise explanation for each one. Partial points may be awarded for each ranking criterion, so we highly recommend that applicants provide detailed information to inform reviewers how the proposed project addresses each ranking criterion. If you do not address a ranking criterion, you may receive 0 points for that ranking criterion.

Scoring for coastal grantees/States:

• Survey/Plan (50 points)

• If your State doesn’t have a survey or a plan, are you proposing to complete one? If yes, 50 points.

• Construction/Renovation of Pumpouts or Dump Stations (10 or 20 points)

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• Are you proposing to construct or renovate pumpout or dump stations in accordance with your State’s plan approved under section 5603(c) of the Clean Vessel Act? If yes, 20 points.

• Are you proposing to construct or renovate pumpout or dump station and your State doesn’t have a plan or your proposed projects are not in accordance with your State’s plan approved under section 5603(c) of the Clean Vessel Act? If yes, 10 points.

• Partnership (10 points)

• Will you have a public/private partnership in developing and/or operating the proposed pumpout or dump stations? If yes, 10 points.

• Innovative Approach (5 points)

• Will you use innovative ways to increase the availability and use of pumpout and dump stations? If yes, 5 points.

• Education (5 points)

• Are you proposing to include an education/information component? Or, does your

State have an active, ongoing education program? If yes, 5 points.

• Sensitive Area (5 points)

• Will your project benefit waters that are most likely to be affected by the discharge of sewage from vessels? If yes, 5 points.

• Low Pumpout Ratio (5 points)

• Will the project be completed in areas with many vessels and few pumpouts or dump stations? If yes, 5 points.

Scoring for inland grantees/States:

• Construction/Renovation of Pumpouts or Dump Stations (10 or 20 points)

• Are you proposing to construct or renovate pumpout or dump stations in accordance with your State’s plan? If yes, 20 points.

• Are you proposing to construct or renovate pumpout or dump station and your State doesn’t have a plan or your plans are not in accordance with your State’s plan? If yes, 10 points.

• Partnership (10 points)

• Will you have a public/private partnership in developing and/or operating the proposed pumpout or dump stations? If yes, 10 points.

• Innovative Approach (5 points)

• Will you use innovative ways to increase the availability and use of pumpout and dump stations? If yes, 5 points.

• Education (5 points)

• Are you proposing to include an education/information component? Or, does your

State have an active, ongoing education program? If yes, 5 points.

• Sensitive Area (5 points)

• Will your project benefit waters that are most likely to be affected by the discharge of sewage from vessels? If yes, 5 points.

• Low Pumpout Ratio (5 points)

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• Will the project be completed in areas with many vessels and few pumpouts or dump stations? If yes, 5 points.

Summary Scoring Table for CVA Applications:

Criteria Maximum Points Coastal State Inland State

(1) Survey/Plan 50 0

(2) Construct/renovate with plan or 20 20

(2) Construct/renovate without plan 10 10

(3) Partnership 10 10

(4) Innovative approach 5 5

(5) Education 5 5

(6) Sensitive area 5 5

(7) Low pumpout ratio 5 5 Total possible points 100 50

B. Review and Selection Process

Project selection is a three‐step process: application acceptance, application ranking, and application selection.

• Application receipt ‐ The Regional WSFR Offices determine agency eligibility and whether applications are complete, substantial, and contain only activities that are eligible. Applications that are ineligible are returned to the State agency. Revision and resubmission of returned applications is allowable up until the identified deadline for application submittals.

• Application ranking ‐ Once an application is received and determined to be eligible by the Regional WSFR Office, they forward the application to the Service WSFR Headquarters Office, which coordinates the review and ranking of the applications.

Representatives from the Service WSFR Headquarters Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and Coast Guard are invited to review and rank the applications and make funding recommendations to the Service Director.

• Application selection ‐ The awards are approved by the Service Director. Successful applicants will receive a letter informing them that their application was awarded funding and the amount of the award.

C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

We expect to announce the awards by June 2015.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

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Successful applicants will receive a letter informing them that their application was awarded funding, the amount of the award, and the remaining process needed to complete the grant award. The Service will also publish on its website a national press release announcing the awards.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

When a project is awarded funding, compliance with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies, including environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act, and applicable executive orders must be satisfied before the Service can approve an award and make funding available.

In accordance with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006, eligible State agencies, as prime recipients, must register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) at http://www.sam.gov. Eligible State agencies and sub‐award recipients must also obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number through http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

All financial assistance awards are subject to Federal financial administration requirements. The Regional WSFR Offices will work with applicants to ensure that all financial arrangements comply with these requirements.

To find out more about the rules, including administrative requirements and cost principles, you can review them on the WSFR Toolkit.

The rules that apply to different grant recipients are:

Table 1. Federal Financial Administrative Guidance ** Categories of Recipients Specific Rules and Guidance Individuals, private firms, and non‐profits excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No.

A‐122

‐ Federal Acquisition Subpart 31.2 ‐ 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying) ‐ 48 CFR 31 (Contracts with Commercial Organizations)

Non‐profit organizations covered under OMB Circular No. A‐122

‐ 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying) ‐ 2 CFR 215 (Administrative Requirements for Grants) ‐ 2 CFR 230 (Cost Principles) ‐ OMB Circular No. A‐133 (Audits)

Educational Institutions (even if part of a State or local government)

‐ 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying) ‐ 2 CFR 220 (Cost Principles) ‐ 2 CFR 215 (Administrative Requirements for Grants)

States, local governments and Tribes ‐

‐ 43 CFR 12 (Administrative and Audit Requirements and Cost Principles for Assistance Programs) ‐ 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying) ‐ 2 CFR 225 (Cost Principles) ‐ OMB Circular No. A‐102 (Grants and Cooperative

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Agreements) ‐ OMB Circular No. A‐133 (Audits)

** The Department of Interior will implement the new Federal regulations specific to financial administration of grant s and cooperative agreements found in 2 CFR late 2014. These new regulations will supersede the previous regulations upon implementation by the Department of Interior.

3. Reporting

See reporting requirements, including retention and access requirements, in 43 CFR 12.

Additional details regarding new requirements, guidance, consequences, etc. are available in the document “Interim Guidance for Financial and Performance Reporting.” Electronic submission of performance information may be required, as will be detailed in the terms and conditions of the award.

VII. Agency Contacts

The Service administers the Clean Vessel Act Grant Program. National level program information can be obtained by contacting:

Christy Vigfusson U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

MS: WSFR

5275 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041‐3803 703‐358‐1748 Christy_Vigfusson@fws.gov

If Christy is unavailable, contact: Lisa Van Alstyne, Lisa_Van_Alstyne@fws.gov

For project specific information and details to apply, contact your Regional WSFR Office:

Region 1 ‐ American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii

Edward Flinn Curren, Edward_Curren@fws.gov, 808‐792‐9572

Region 1 ‐ Idaho, Oregon, and Washington:

Karla Drewsen, Karla_Drewsen@fws.gov, 503‐231‐2389

Region 2 ‐ Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas: :

Susan MacMullin, Susan_MacMullin@fws.gov, 505‐248‐7476

Region 3 ‐ Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin:

Julie Morin, Julie_Morin@fws.gov, 612‐713‐5156

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Region 4 ‐ Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the U.S. Virgin Islands:

Scott White, Scott_White@fws.gov, 404‐679‐7113

Region 5 ‐ Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia:

Alberto Ortiz, Alberto_Ortiz@fws.gov, 413‐253‐8406

Region 6 ‐ Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming: Eddie Bennett, Eddie_Bennett@fws.gov, 303‐236‐8165

Region 7 ‐ Alaska:

Mary Price, Mary_Price@fws.gov, 907‐786‐3982

Region 8 ‐ California and Nevada:

Bart Prose, Bart_Prose@fws.gov, 916‐978‐6152

VIII. Other Information

The Federal government is not bound to fund any project until the Service Regional WSFR representative has approved the award.

OMB Control Number 1018‐0109, Expiration date Sept. 30, 2015

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. We will use the information that we collect to evaluate applications submitted to acquire funding for Clean Vessel Act Grant Program funds. Your response is required to receive funding. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. We estimate that it will take an average of 40 hours to complete the application. The average estimated annual burden associated with writing and submitting required performance reports is 6 hours. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042‐PDM, Arlington, VA 22203.

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 14 mailto:Scott_White@fws.gov mailto:Alberto_Ortiz@fws.gov mailto:Eddie_Bennett@fws.gov mailto:Mary_Price@fws.gov mailto:Bart_Prose@fws.gov

Frequently Asked Questions about CVA Applications:

Q1: Is an inspection or a monitoring program to ensure pumpouts installed with CVA funds are in working order an eligible activity?

A: Yes. An inspection or a monitoring program to ensure pumpouts installed with CVA funds are in working order is an eligible activity as long as it doesn’t include law enforcement.

Q2: Is creating and/or revising a coastal State’s plan an eligible activity?

A: Yes. A coastal State may apply for and receive funding to create and/or revise their State plan in accordance with the Technical Guidance. However, points for the first ranking criterion are only awarded to coastal States creating a plan that have no existing plan.

Please note, that inland States may not receive funding to create and/or revise their State plan (as dictated by the Clean Vessel Act of 1992).

Q3: Which financial categories should I include in my application budget?

A: You should include the following categories, by cooperator and project location/facility:

1. Administration costs, including personnel (whether contractual or employee), fringe benefits, and travel;

2. Equipment, supplies, and construction costs;

3. Education program costs;

4. Operation and/or maintenance costs; and

5. Indirect costs, if applicable.

You may include other categories of eligible costs that you feel support your activities. Ineligible costs may disqualify your application.

Q4: How long must I maintain a pumpout or dump station that I build with CVA funds?

You are responsible for maintaining the pumpout or dump station for its useful life, assuring that it is serving the intended purpose of the project. You should propose and identify a useful life of the pumpout or dump station in your application. For information about useful life and methodologies to determine the useful life, see Service Manual Chapter 522 FW 18 and contact your Service Regional WSFR Office.

Q5: Are operation and maintenance funds eligible costs?

Yes. You may include operation and maintenance activities in your application. They can be either for a specific location or for an overall CVA operation and maintenance program for the State.

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 15

Q6: May I charge more that $5 as a usage fee for each pumpout or dump station?

The regulations limit the fee that you may charge for use of a CVA funded facility to $5 or less.

However, if the Service approves your written request for an increase, you may charge a higher fee. The operator must retain, account for, and use CVA usage fees to defray operation and maintenance costs for the useful life of the facility.

Q7: Where can I get more information about CVA and applying for funds?

You can contact your Service Regional WSFR Office. Contact information is listed above.

Q8: Are boats used for the primary purpose as a residence eligible as recreational vessels through CVA?

No, to qualify as a recreational vessel for CVA, the vessel must be (a) manufactured for operation, or operated, primarily for pleasure; or (b) leased, rented, or chartered to another for the latter’s pleasure.

Q9: Are commercial vessels eligible as recreational vessels through CVA?

To qualify as a recreational vessel for CVA, the vessel must be (a) manufactured for operation, or operated, primarily for pleasure; or (b) leased, rented, or chartered to another for the latter’s pleasure.

FY 2015 Clean Vessel Act NOFA 16