F19AS00298 NOFO.doc

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FBMS Project Charter

Sea Duck Joint Venture FY2020 Competitive Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: F19AS00298 Federal Program: Department of the Interior, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, Migratory Bird Management Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, CDFA 15.637 Authorizing Legislation: This funding opportunity is made under the authority of Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956; 16 U.S.C. 742.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE October 12, 2019; 5:00PM Alaska Standard Time Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: We are collecting this information in accordance with the authorizing legislation identified above. Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to conduct a competitive review and select projects for funding and, if awarded, to evaluate performance. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. We estimate that it will take you on average about 25 hours to complete an initial application, about 3 hours to revise the terms of an award, and about 8 hours per report to prepare and submit financial and performance reports, including time to maintain records and gather information. Actual time for these activities will vary depending on program-specific requirements. You may send comments on the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

OMB Control Number: 1018-0100 (Expiration Date: 7/31/2021)

I. Program Description

The Sea Duck Joint Venture (SDJV) is a conservation partnership under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). Its mission is to promote the conservation of North American sea ducks by providing greater scientific knowledge and understanding of sea duck biology and ecology to support more effective management. The joint venture is composed of federal and state/provincial wildlife agencies in Canada and the U.S., as well as non-governmental organizations and other entities committed to sea duck conservation. Joint venture projects are accomplished through efficient public/private partnerships and cooperative funding.

The SDJV is coordinated and administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Canadian Wildlife Service. Primary funding is provided to the SDJV through U.S. Congressional appropriations; some of this funding is made available through competitive grants to solicit partnerships that can address priority science needs of the SDJV. This funding opportunity is made under the authority of Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956; 16 U.S.C. 742.

SDJV funding supports both the USFWS and Department of Interior (DOI) missions, and the DOI Secretary’s priorities related to conservation stewardship, natural resource use, and striking a regulatory balance. One of the reasons for the SDJV is to prevent further listings of sea duck species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as two sea duck species are already listed as threatened in the U.S. Funded projects contribute sound science about sea duck populations and habitat needs, helping to ensure species remain healthy and avoid ESA listing. Maintaining healthy sea duck populations support waterfowl hunting opportunities for U.S. hunters, with locally important harvest in coastal areas of the Atlantic, Great Lakes and Pacific regions. For example, U.S. hunters take approximately 90-95% of the scoters harvested in North America.

The SDJV has evolved from a broad-based science program aimed at basic understanding of this least-known group of waterfowl species, to strategies and objectives focused on several programmatic elements most needed by managers to make informed decisions about sea duck conservation. The SDJV science program is focused on: (1) Delineation of sea duck populations throughout their annual cycle as a basis for management programs; (2) Development of methods to reliably assess the status and trends of sea duck populations; (3) Determining essential population dynamics parameters of sea duck species to support development of models for management applications; (4) Improvement of harvest assessments and development of management guidelines for sustainability; and (5) identification of important habitats and key sites for conservation. The joint venture’s strategies and priorities are outlined in a strategic plan, implementation plans and other reports and products http://seaduckjv.org/.

The SDJV has invested considerable time and resources toward delineating biogeographic populations that are needed to frame management units for multiple sea duck species. While there likely will be better definition of populations in the future, we do not anticipate major alterations of current population patterns as determined by geographic range maps, telemetry, band recovery and genetic data. Therefore, we now seek to more directly address management topics related to these populations. As such, this RFP focuses on acquiring parameters, at a broad scale, for basic population modeling that can be used to assess management options, in particular harvest. The four key pieces of information needed for population modeling and associated harvest management are: (1) population size and trend, (2) recruitment rates, (3) survival rates, and (4) estimates of harvest and other sources of mortality. With this RFP, there is greater interest on studies that apply at larger scales than on site-specific studies at non-randomly selected locations.

The SDJV will accept proposals for the following priority science needs in FY2020:

A. Science Need: Assessment of monitoring programs for American Common Eider across key periods of the annual cycle (breeding, molting, wintering) to determine best approaches to reliably measure abundance and trends for management.

Background: The current American Common Eider (Somateria mollisima dresseri) population is estimated at around 250,000 birds (NAWMP 2018) and is the most commonly harvested sea ducks in several coastal regions of eastern Canada and U.S. Local trends in the Maritime Provinces and the Northeastern States show declining numbers of eiders. Although the distribution of American Common Eider has been well described in the past, some recent shifts have occurred during molting and wintering. Relative abundance is known in some part of its range, but there is no comprehensive monitoring program for this subspecies. Various state, federal and provincial agencies have intermittently conducted breeding surveys over the past 40 years within their jurisdictions in southeastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. Long-term ground counts have been done along the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and within the St. Lawrence estuary, Quebec. The U.S. component of the wintering population has been partially surveyed on the Midwinter Inventories, and recent surveys in Canada have covered the Canadian component.

Desired Product: A primary goal of the SDJV is to develop and test methods to reliably assess the abundance and trends of sea duck populations over time as a basis for long-term monitoring and harvest management. Analysis of historic surveys and development of an efficient comprehensive survey are needed to establish a benchmark for annual indexing abundance and trend for the entire ACOEI population. Primary topics that need to be addressed are: (1) the most effective season and geographic coverage for a survey; (2) most effective platform(s) and economical logistic plan; (3) representative and repeatable sampling design; and (4) sound statistical analysis that can address sources of bias and variance. Favorable survey designs will contribute to establishment of population objectives that guide management priorities.

B. Science Need: Develop an integrated monitoring plan for Great Lakes waterfowl, based on recent reviews and synthesis of previous surveys in the U.S. and Canada, and identified management issues affecting wintering waterfowl and their important habitats.

Background: Sea duck use of the Great Lakes, particularly the Lower Great Lakes, during spring migration, fall migration and winter has increased considerably over the past few decades. In general, there is limited information about sea duck abundance and distribution and limited research for this group of waterfowl in the Great Lakes region. There are several major regional concerns for sea ducks, including commercial development projects, water quality and contaminants and outbreaks of diseases—all challenges that require sound baseline knowledge about seasonal abundance and distribution of sea ducks. In 2017, a wide range of stakeholders were convened to evaluate current information on sea ducks on the Great Lakes in relation to the needs for monitoring and conservation management. The product of that conference (Straub and Schummer 2018) provides a substantial body of comments and ideas that should be used to advance planning and implementation of projects to monitor sea duck use of the Great Lakes to guide regional management efforts (e.g., harvest and habitat programs), evaluate Great Lakes waterfowl in relation to continental resources and to support important habitat restoration and protection initiatives (e.g., Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes Joint Venture).

Desired Product: The SDJV encourages continued collaboration among the contiguous wildlife agencies in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the Mississippi Flyway Council, to develop integrated and adaptive management plans and conservation initiatives for sea ducks and other waterfowl. In particular, the joint venture supports the development of a comprehensive monitoring program for the region, in conjunction with a catalogue of key sites and habitat protection needs.

C. Science Need: Develop or refine techniques to estimate detection probabilities, misidentification rates, and count biases during aerial sea duck surveys. Evaluate methods to improve the accuracy and reliability of aerial, boat and ground survey methods, especially aspects relevant to sea and diving ducks and for areas outside of traditional survey areas.

Background: Historically, estimates of abundance for sea duck populations has been hampered by (1) the absence of surveys over vast breeding areas and offshore wintering areas not covered by traditional aerial and ground surveys; (2) surveys that are ineffectively timed to seasonal phenology of sea duck; (3) errors in species identification and aggregate estimation of species groups (goldeneyes, scoters, mergansers); (4) the need for accurate detection rates and visibility correction factors relevant to large and complex environments (tundra, taiga, marine waters, complex coastlines); and (5) comparability among fixed-wing, helicopter, boat and shore surveys.

The SDJV has invested in studies that are exploring survey methods for challenging environments, means to reduce bias and increase accuracy for survey platforms and provide implications for continental survey coverage—essential issues impeding meaningful estimates of abundance and trends for sea duck populations. Recent SDJV funded studies include work on coastal wintering birds (https://seaduckjv.org/pdf/studies/pr81.pdf; https://seaduckjv.org/pdf/studies/pr136.pdf), surveys of molting aggregations (http://seaduckjv.org/pdf/studies/pr82.pdf) and experimental surveys of remote breeding grounds in Canada (http://seaduckjv.org/pdf/studies/pr115.pdf; http://seaduckjv.org/pdf/studies/pr154.pdf Desired Product: The SDJV is seeking studies on effective survey designs for sea ducks, sources of error and bias in aerial, ground and boat surveys; and analytical tools that improve estimation of abundance. Rather than local or specific projects, we are interested in synthesis of methods that will provide broadly applicable criteria for survey designs, standard operating procedures and analytical tools that will result in reliable population indexing and a basis for long-term monitoring and management planning. Development of survey standards and assessments of geographic scope of sea duck surveys will be an important contribution to the currently ongoing review of the North American Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) aimed at improving the scope, diversity and efficiency of continental surveys.

D. Science Need: Develop and/or evaluate methods for efficiently automating counts of birds in aerial photographs of flocks, including birds with varying distributions and density patterns, and uniform vs. dimorphic plumages.

Background: At times during their annual cycle, sea ducks gather in aggregations that are difficult to enumerate (staging, molt and winter) and often are found in smaller groups distributed over large areas on the water. Surveys of some waterfowl species have increasingly tested photographic techniques to obtain more accurate indices of abundance. Such surveys often result in large numbers of photographs in which birds must be counted, often manually or with the use of counting software such as Photoshop, which is labor intensive, slow, and costly. Computer-automating counts in photographs would reduce cost and time commitments, but previous efforts have met with varying success. Sea ducks are particularly challenging because species are dimorphic (i.e., males are mostly or partly white, with females and subadults mostly brown) and occur in large flocks during the nonbreeding season when many surveys occur.

Desired Product: The Sea Duck Joint Venture is interested in methods or software for counting birds in flocks that can be applied to a variety of species and survey (photographic) conditions. A suitable method would provide high correlation between automated counts and manual counts. We would entertain an approach wherein different software packages are compared and contrasted, providing recommendations, possibly by species or situational grouping (e.g., dense dimorphic flocks versus scattered birds with uniform plumage), and a cost-benefit analysis allows users to estimate relative time requirements and cost factors (e.g., development of scripts, photo processing time versus time for manual counting).

E. Science Need: Determine recruitment rates for the American Common Eider (ACOEI) and identify likely mechanisms that may be limiting recruitment. This research will need to examine elements that could affect fecundity (e.g. breeding propensity, clutch size, nest success, hatching success), as well as duckling survival rates and primary sources of mortality.

Background: Recent concerns about declines in American common eiders and assessments of current and potential harvest indicate that the abundance of ACOEI is most influenced by adult survival, as well as several components of fecundity (clutch size, hatching success and duckling survival). Fecundity and recruitment are collectively expressed in the ratios of juvenile to adult wings in samples submitted by hunters (age ratio). Substantial uncertainty and wide probability distributions are associated with age ratios, likely reflecting annual hatching success and duckling survival that may differ across the breeding range.

Current knowledge of demographic parameters for this subspecies (Gulf of Maine, Maritimes, and the St. Lawrence Estuary in Quebec), suggests a very limited growth potential for this segment of the ACOEI population and a high potential for overharvest of birds that originate from this portion of their breeding range. Studies directed toward quantifying and reducing uncertainty in recruitment parameters, determining spatial and temporal variation of recruitment, and describing factors affecting recruitment would be most useful. Results would inform a more robust population model, as well as an assessment of sustainable harvest levels. This information is a high priority for the SDJV and Atlantic Coast managers.

Desired Products: The SDJV will consider proposals to investigate topics related to ACOEI productivity, with a goal of identifying management actions that would improve recruitment. The SDJV is interested in studies that will: (1) measure key parameters of fecundity and identify means to reduce uncertainty in estimates; (2) provide estimates of duckling survival from different portions of the ACOEI range; (3) determine whether duckling survival is currently limiting population growth; (4) determine whether predator control or other management actions can improve duckling survival; and (5) determine whether climate regime shifts in the Gulf of Maine and the Maritimes are affecting the apparent low population growth potential. Studies that lead to applied strategies (e.g., management of predators, disturbance and harvest guidelines) are desirable, as well as approaches involving multiple sites that may be applicable to other colonies or populations.

F. Science Need: Determine annual adult survival rates for scoters (Black, Surf, White-winged) in eastern and western North America.

Background: To date, estimates of survival and longevity of scoters primarily have been based on hunter harvest returns of banded scoters. Currently, available banding and recovery data for scoters is extremely limited as a result of relatively small-scale and intermittent banding efforts at a few widely separated locations. In addition, recovery and recapture data are scarce, largely derived from recoveries by hunters in a context of low harvest and low hunter participation. The initiation of larger and longer-term capture and banding efforts of scoters would provide insightful information but has its limitations due to the costs and effort required to perform sea duck banding projects and the dependency on hunters reporting banded birds.

Desired Products: The SDJV supports increased banding of scoters at every opportunity and across the widest range of breeding areas. There is value in considering development of a large-scale banding plan and a cooperative network to share data and collaborate on analyses. There are other approaches to estimating survival rates through emerging technology and analytical methods—these innovations are important and highly valued by the joint venture.

G. Science Need: Test feasibility of determining age and sex ratios (over a broad range) using ground surveys and/or aerial photos on fall/wintering areas to obtain an index of annual productivity for some species (e.g., Surf Scoter, Black Scoter) Background: Assessing annual productivity of waterfowl is difficult, requiring access to aggregations of birds at the right times and appropriate locations for visual or photographic classification. The accuracy of observations is dependent on getting large representative samples of a known target population that is transient, and detectability of adults vs. juveniles and females in dimorphic species. Interpretation of age and sex ratios is confounded by changing patterns and duration of migrations, and, in fall and winter, by ongoing harvests that are changing the composition of subject populations (e.g., reducing vulnerable juveniles and selected males) cumulatively into and during winter. Even the traditionally used age and sex ratios in the harvest reflect the result of hunter selection bias, population attrition during fall and nominal estimates derived over hunting seasons several months long.

Desired Product: The potential value of measuring sex and age ratios in sea ducks is high if sources of bias can be addressed. The SDJV strongly supports efforts to improve the accuracy and utility of composition surveys designed to sample appropriately defined populations of interest, with accurate classification techniques, sampled with sufficient effort either locally or across a range of locations and resulting in findings that are interpreted in light of factors that have acted on populations throughout their annual cycles.

H. Science Need: Improve harvest estimates for American Common Eider and other sea ducks in the U.S. and Canada by increasing the amount and quality of information from hunters from which the size and composition of the harvest is estimated. The level and composition of the harvest, derivation and distribution of the harvest and an assessment of the values and concerns of stakeholders are all necessary elements of an effective harvest strategy and regulatory framework.

Background: Traditionally, most information used to estimate harvests of waterfowl have come from voluntarily responses by hunters to harvest surveys and occasional field checks. National and state mail questionnaires poll a sample of hunters to determine rates of hunting participation; days in the field; harvests of geese, ducks, sea ducks; and other basic data. From average harvests per day and the number of active hunters, total harvest of taxonomic classes (geese, ducks, etc.) and hunter activity are estimated by state, province and country. Parts Collection Surveys (PCS) in the U.S. and Canada determine the species, age and sex composition of the harvest from samples of duck wings and goose tails and apply the proportions to total harvests.

Though the traditional harvest surveys are quite effective for most waterfowl, they are dependent on getting good survey participation—but they do not provide sufficient data on sea duck harvests for a variety of reasons: (1) sea duck hunters represent a small portion of all waterfowl hunters so sea duck hunters must be identified and they must be responsive to surveys; (2) sea duck harvest is small (especially for some species) compared to other ducks, so few wings occur annually in the PCS—this both precludes accurate annual estimates of species harvest and sex and age composition. In essence, most data on sea duck hunters and their harvest are not adequate for analyses.

Desired Product: There are several approaches that can improve estimates of ACOEI harvest that are primarily derived from information collected from hunters through harvest surveys: (1) The first challenge is identifying sea duck hunters—state and national surveys needs to maximize efforts to build a large sample frame of sea duck hunters—either from voluntary data collection or mandatory permit/registration systems; (2) sea duck hunters must be encouraged to participate (personally of through guides) in harvest surveys—a broad outreach program can demonstrate the value of survey data to population monitoring and perpetuating hunter opportunity and local traditions; (3) the quantity of wing samples in the annual PCS must be increased to provide reliable age and sex ratios that indicate annual productivity of sea ducks; (4) studies of differential vulnerability of sex and age classes to harvest are needed to interpret age ratios and obtain estimates of productivity survival that are unbiased by hunter selectivity; and (5) more effective engagement of managers, hunters and guides is needed to disseminate conservation status information, gather information on factors that influence hunter activity and harvest and public perceptions about sea duck hunting.

I. Science Need: Investigate and test methods of assessing the origin and composition of sea duck harvests, either at broad scales or for defined hunting regions. Investigate application of increased marking, genetic or isotope analyses or other approaches to estimating the contribution of sea duck breeding stocks to harvests in the Atlantic Flyway (particularly for eiders). The SDJV and managers have made it a high priority to assess both the production and survival of breeding stocks and to apply those conditions and trends in models for managing mixed stocks on staging and wintering areas.

Background: For most sea duck species and populations, long-term data on productivity and survival are scarce or lacking, precluding reliable information on population status in needed to evaluate harvests and regulatory strategies. Harvest data, parts collections and other material samples from sea ducks represent mixed stocks that differ across staging an wintering areas and change through hunting seasons. Without information on the status of source populations (direct or indirect) it is difficult to interpret the impacts of harvest or develop population models or sound harvest management strategies.

Desired Product: The SDJV and management agencies need new approaches and increased efforts to (1) determine the origin and distribution of sea duck populations; (2) measure population recruitment either directly from breeding areas or indirectly from post-breeding; and (3) apply methods to interpret data on the composition of harvests in relation to breeding stocks.

J. Science Need: Expand and improve surveys and studies to estimate levels and composition of subsistence harvests of sea ducks in the U.S. and Canada.

Background: For many species of sea ducks, subsistence hunting by indigenous inhabitants of the north comprises a majority of the annual harvest. Historically, subsistence harvest information was developed from cultural and anthropological studies, without much quantitative data on size or composition of the harvest. During the 1970s and 1980s, more focused subsistence harvest surveys were conducted in Alaska and across northern Canada, providing some general estimates of the harvest of swans, geese, ducks and other wildlife. Since then, the coverage and level of effort has increased to document subsistence harvest in relation to land claim settlements and co-management agreements in Canada, and to assess spring and summer harvests of birds first authorized in Alaska in 2003. The Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council established a statewide harvest survey in 2001 that has evolved into an efficient survey of all rural communities that rely on waterfowl throughout the year. Despite the growing emphasis on documenting these important harvests and expanding regional data collections, there are still large geographic gaps in survey coverage and frequency in northern and eastern Canada. In addition, North American sea ducks populations are subject to harvest in Greenland, Russia and other areas of northeast Asia. Data on harvests of eiders in Greenland have been essential in understanding the dynamics of shared populations. Data from Russia and Asia, however, are scarce and largely focused on few local areas.

Desired Product: Data on the level, composition and seasonality of subsistence harvests are considered essential to the SDJV and management agencies because integration with traditional survey data from fall and winter is necessary to quantify the effects of all harvest on populations. In addition, regional survey data illustrate the nature and importance of diverse harvest traditions across North America that inform regulatory and other management programs. Our understanding of harvest effects would be greatly enhanced by more comprehensive coverage and frequency of subsistence harvest surveys in remote regions; collection of reliable information on the age, sex and species composition of the harvests; local conditions and practices that affect sea duck harvests and direct involvement of subsistence communities in biological and ecological studies of local sea ducks.

K. Identify and characterize attributes of key wintering and staging areas for Long-tailed Ducks at flyway or continental scale.

Background: Long-tailed ducks are somewhat unique among sea ducks because they have a circumpolar distribution, exhibit little geographic structuring of population units and they show less fidelity to breeding and wintering areas than most waterfowl. As a consequence, conservation of long-tailed ducks is based on the abundance, trends and distribution of the species as a whole in North America. The variable distribution and mobility of the species warrants management and conservation of all major use areas and an understanding of key habitat attributes that support staging and wintering aggregations along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Great Lakes coasts, as well as important wintering areas in Asia and Greenland.

Desired Product: The SDJV is very interested in ecological studies that investigate the habitat attributes, food resources and deleterious effects on use from adjacent activities for key use areas. Habitat use models that could be applied to a broad range of sites would be highly valued. Basic ecological information is needed to evaluate sites, but conservation and management strategies are also needed. Ideally, studies should support collaboration with wildlife agencies, non-governmental organizations, regional conservation initiatives and habitat joint ventures of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

II. Federal Award Information

The SDJV expects to have up to $400,000 available to support projects in FY2020. One or more awards may be issued in the form of Cooperative Agreements, Grants, or Intra-agency Agreements. One, multiple, or no awards may be made for each of the science needs identified in this Notice. Awards may range in amounts from $5000 to $200,000; most awards in previous years have been in the $20,000 to $40,000 range. We anticipate that notification of awards will occur in December 2019. Projects will be considered for multi-year funding up to 5 years, contingent on demonstration of progress and availability of funds. Awards may be made under this Notice to other federal agencies. Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are eligible to compete with applications for new awards.

A cooperative agreement award requires substantial involvement on the part of the USFWS for the successful completion of the project. USFWS involvement may include, but is not limited to, direct participation in the project, reviewing and approving one stage of work before another stage can begin, directing or redirecting the work because of interrelationships with other projects, reserving the right to halt an activity if detailed performance specifications are note met. Actual FWS substantial involvement will be determined for each project and final tasking will be determined before the official award is executed.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants: No restrictions; all potential applicants are eligible.

U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organizations must provide a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.

Applicants must ensure that activities occurring outside the United States are coordinated as necessary with appropriate U.S. and foreign government authorities and that any necessary licenses, permits, or approvals are obtained prior to undertaking proposed activities. The Service does not assume responsibility for recipient compliance with the laws and regulations of the country in which the work is to be conducted.

Federal law 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 System for Award Management (SAM). See Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 25 for more information. Exemptions: The SAM registration requirement does not apply to individuals submitting an application on their own behalf and not on behalf of a company or other for-profit entity, state, local or Tribal government, academia or other type of organization.

Federal Award may not be made to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements additionally if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Service is ready to make the award, the Service may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

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)

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.

All applicants (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR §25.110(b) or (c) or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR §25.110(d) is required to:

1. Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;

2. Provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and

3. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

Register HYPERLINK "" 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 their information 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 directly to a United States bank account must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM.

The Service conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The Service cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing including in-kind costs is encouraged but is not required. Applicants may attribute some or all of their allowable indirect costs as cost-share/match, however recipients may only charge to the Federal award the indirect costs calculated against the allowable direct costs charged to the Federal award. Recipients may not charge to the Federal award indirect costs calculated against: 1) any portion of the recipient’s direct costs; or 2) any portion of the direct costs charged to any other Federal or non-Federal partner.

C. Other Eligibility Criteria State Sponsors of Terrorism: This program will not fund projects in in countries determined by the U.S. Department of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism and therefore are subject to sanctions restricting receipt of U.S. foreign assistance and other financial transactions.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions: This program will not fund projects in countries subject to comprehensive sanction programs administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control without proper licenses.

In-Country Licenses, Permits, or Approvals: Entities conducting activities outside the U.S. are responsible for coordinating with appropriate U.S. and foreign government authorities as necessary to obtain all required licenses, permits, or approvals before undertaking project activities. The Service does not assume responsibility for recipient compliance with the laws, regulations, policies, or procedures of the foreign country in which they are conducting work.

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration: This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name) or any entity with an exception approved by the Service under 2 CFR 25.110(d). All other applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet and then register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application. Federal award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. The Service may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the Service is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Prohibition on Issuing Awards to Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements: Domestic (U.S.) non-Federal entities requiring their employees or contractors to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements that prohibit, or otherwise restrict, such employees or contractors from lawfully reporting waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information are not eligible to compete for or receive a Federal award. See Pub. L. 113-235, Title VII, Division E, Section 743 for more information.

Excluded Parties: The Service conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The Service cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

IV. Application Requirements

A. Requesting Paper Application Package

Applicants that wish to receive a paper application should request one from: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sea Duck Joint Venture, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. For information regarding paper submissions, contact the Sea Duck Joint Venture at (907) 786-3908. Applicant should request paper applications sufficiently in advance of the deadline for submission (see below).

B. Application Form and Content Requirements Applicants must submit the following:

1. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. Individuals applying as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name), must complete the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance-Individual form. All other applicants must complete the standard SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance must be complete, and signed and dated. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box, and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see the “Budget Narrative” section below).

2. SF-424, Assurances Applicants must submit the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form. Complete either the SF-424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs or the SF-424D, Assurances for Construction Programs, as applicable to your project. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The SF-424 Assurances forms include a statement that some of the assurances may not be applicable to your organization and/or your project or program. Signing the required SF-424 Assurances form does not make you or your organization subject to laws that are otherwise not applicable to you or your organization. Changing, crossing out, or making notations on the form before signing has no impact on the applicability of law.

3. Project Summary

a. Project Title

b. Description of the Entities Conducting the Project

c. Target Species and Science Topic

d. Project Abstract: In less than one page, summarize the need for the project, objectives, approaches to the work and anticipated products and outcomes.

4. Project Narrative

a. Statement of Need: Describe why this project is necessary (significance/value) and include supporting information. What new information will be generated by the study that you are proposing and how will it help solve the problem outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity? Provide some perspective about how your work will contribute to overall management or conservation of sea ducks or the species. Summarize previous or on-going efforts (of you/your organization, and other organizations or individuals) that are relevant to the proposed work. Explain the successes or failures of past efforts and how your proposed project builds on them. If you have received funding previously (from the Service or any other donor) for this specific project work or site, provide a summary of the funding, associated activities and products/outcomes.

b. Project Goals and Objectives: State the long-term, overarching goal(s) of the project. Clearly state the objectives of the project. Objectives are the specific outcomes to be accomplished in order to reach the stated goal(s). The project objectives must be specific, measurable, and realistic (attainable within the project’s proposed project period).

c. Project Activities, Methods and Timetable: List the proposed project activities and describe how they relate to the stated objectives. Activities are the specific actions to be undertaken to fulfill the project objectives and reach the project goal(s). The proposed project activities narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the activities and the proposed project costs. Specify sample sizes and provide power analyses if applicable; describe specific statistical treatments intended to demonstrate success. For projects being conducted within the United States, the narrative must provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Provide a detailed description of the method(s) to be used to carry out each activity. Provide a timetable indicating roughly when activities or project milestones are to be accomplished. Include any resulting tables, spreadsheets or flow charts within the body of the project narrative (do not include as separate attachments). The timetable should not propose specific dates but instead group activities by month for each month over the entire proposed project period.

d. Stakeholder Coordination/Involvement: As applicable, describe how you/your organization has coordinated with and involved other relevant organizations or individuals in planning the project, and detail if/how they will be involved in conducting project activities, disseminating project results and/or incorporating your results/products into their activities or if not applicable to your proposal please mark this is Not Applicable.

e. Project Monitoring and Evaluation: Detail the monitoring and evaluation plan for the project. Building on the stated project objectives, which must be specific and measurable, identify what you will measure (i.e., quantitative/quantifiable indicators) and how you will measure (i.e., methods, sample size, survey tools). Reference the stated project timetable (i.e., process indicators) and budget information (i.e., input indicators). Describe how and when the results of the project be made available to the management community, scientific community, or other stakeholders.

f. Description of Entities Undertaking the Project: Provide a brief description of the applicant organization and all participating entities and/or individuals. Identify which of the proposed activities each agency, organization, group, or individual is responsible for conducting or managing. Provide complete contact information for the individual within the organization that will oversee/manage the project activities on a day-to-day basis.

g. Sustainability: As applicable, describe which project activities will continue beyond the proposed project period, who will continue the work or act on the results, and how and at what level future activities will be funded. Iif not applicable to your proposal please mark this is Not Applicable.

h. Literature Cited: Provide citations for literature related to the need for the project in relation to previous work, specific methods for data collection and analysis and literature that will be relevant to interpreting the value of findings and products.

i. Map of Project Area: Map should clearly delineate the project area and be large enough to be legible. Label any sites referenced in the project narrative or, if not applicable to your proposal please mark this is Not Applicable.

5. SF-424, Budget Information

Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form. Complete either the SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs or the SF-424C, Budget Information for Construction Programs, as applicable to your project. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles as detailed in the Service’s “Financial Assistance Award Terms and Conditions”. Please note: Show funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other Federal sources of funding. In the “Budget Summary” section, use the first row for funding requested from this Federal program. Use subsequent row(s) for other Federal funding. Enter each Federal program’s CFDA number(s) in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number(s) for this Federal program appears on the first page of this Funding Opportunity.

6. Budget Narrative

Describe and justify requested budget items and costs. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Information, Object Class Category totals were determined. For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of time. Describe any item of cost that requires prior approval under the Federal cost principles. See 2 CFR 200.407 “Prior written approval (prior approval)” for more information. If equipment purchased previously with Federal funds is available for the project, provide a list of that equipment and identify the Federal funding source. Joint Ventures under the NAWMP are founded on the principles of leveraging Congressionally appropriated funds by forming public-private partnerships that apply cooperative funding to accomplish priority conservation projects. Though “matching” funds are not required to qualify for SDJV funding, it is important that applicants clearly identify all of the sources of funding for the project (including in-kind contributions), and how that funding will be used in relation to use of SDJV funds. Projects that are to be funded collaboratively with partners and those that most efficiently use SDJV funds will be rated most favorably.

7. Indirect Costs: Individuals

Individuals applying for and receiving funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate are not eligible to charge indirect costs to their award. If you are an individual applying for funding, do not include any indirect costs in your proposed budget and skip the next section.

8. Indirect Costs: Organizations

The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency for indirect costs, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your organization’s cognizant agency, the Interior Business Center will negotiate your indirect cost rate. Contact the Interior Business Center by phone 916-930-3803 or using the IBC Email Submission Form. See the IBC Website for more information.

Organizations must have an active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award. Recipients must have prior written approval from the Service to use amounts budgeted for direct costs to satisfy cost-share or match requirements or to cover unallowable indirect costs. Recipients shall not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

Required Indirect Cost Statement

All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application to the Service, and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

· A U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding each year with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. Attached is a copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification.

· A U.S. state or local government entity receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate].