F20AS00005 FY20 SFR NOFO FINAL 9.30.2019.pdf

Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program Fiscal Year 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Notice Overview

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

Funding Opportunity Title Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 15.605

Authorizing Legislation Dingell‐Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, 16 U.S.C. §777 et seq.

Announcement Type Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2020

Funding Opportunity Number

F20AS00005

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement We are collecting this information in accordance with the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 (Dingell‐Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act), 64 Stat. 430 as amended; 16 U.S.C. § 777‐777m. Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to evaluate your application for potential award of Federal funding through this program 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 OMB control number. We estimate that it will take you about 40 hours to complete an initial application, 3 hours to revise the terms of an award, and 8 hours to prepare and submit performance reports, including time to maintain records, and gather information. 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 (expires: 7/31/2021)

Submission Deadline and Other Information State applicants can continuously apply for funding up to the application deadline. The deadline for receipt is August 31, 2021, 11:59 p.m. PDT. The Service recommends that you submit your application early enough to address any unforeseen technical complications and verify that all documents have been received by your Regional WSFR Office before the deadline. The Service will not consider applications received after the deadline.

Contents Notice Overview

Federal Agency Name

Funding Opportunity Title

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

Authorizing Legislation

Announcement Type

Funding Opportunity Number

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

OMB Control Number

Submission Deadline and Other Information

I. Description of Funding Opportunity

II. Award Information

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants

DUNS Registration

Entity Registration in SAM (System for Award Management)

Excluded Entities

Prohibition Regarding Internal Confidentiality Agreements

Cost Sharing or Matching

IV. Application Requirements

Application for Federal Assistance

Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish

Project Statement

Need

Purpose

Objectives

Results or benefits expected

Approach

Relationship with other grants

Timeline of activities

For CMS States

Budget Form

Budget Narrative

Match and other partner contributions

Program Income

Equipment

Useful life

Multipurpose Projects

Required Indirect Cost Statement

Negotiating an Indirect Cost Rate with the Department of the Interior

Single Audit Reporting Statements

Assurances

Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Application Checklist

V. Submission Instructions

Intergovernmental Review

Submission Instructions

VI. Award Administration

Award Notices

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Domestic Recipient Payments

Transmittal of Sensitive Data

Award Terms and Conditions

Financial and Performance Reports

Significant Developments

Other Mandatory Disclosures

VII. Agency Contacts

Attachment A: Department of Interior Award Provisions

I. Description of Funding Opportunity

References to “you” in this NOFO refer to the State, Commonwealth, or Territorial agency completing the application and any subrecipient, if applicable. References to “we,” “our,” or “us” in this NOFO refer to the Service.

The Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 (Dingell‐Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act), 64 Stat. 430 as amended; 16 U.S.C. § 777‐777n, except e‐1 and g‐1, was enacted on August 9, 1950. It was modeled after the Pittman‐Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to create a parallel program for management, conservation, and restoration of sport fishery resources. The Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program (SFR) is funded by revenues collected from excise taxes on sport fishing equipment, electric outboard motors, import duties on fishing tackle, yachts and pleasure craft, and a portion of gasoline tax attributable to motorboats and small engines.

Revenues are deposited into and apportioned from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. SFR provides funding to restore, conserve, manage, or enhance sport fish populations and the public use and benefits from these resources; to educate the public about aquatic resources; and to provide boating access to public waters. Monies are apportioned annually following a legislatively established formula to each of the eligible participants (State fish and wildlife agencies). Additional information about SFR is available at:

http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SFR/SFR.htm.

WSFR’s mission is to work through partnerships to conserve and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. WSFR’s vision is of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that offer recreation, economic activity, and other societal benefits, in addition to sustainable ecological functions. WSFR’s guiding principle is that society benefits from conservation‐based management of fish and wildlife and their habitats and opportunities to use and enjoy them. SFR aligns with WSFR’s mission, vision, and guiding principle, and supports three of the Department of the Interior’s priorities including:

1) Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt;

2) Utilizing our natural resources; and

3) Restoring trust with our local communities.

II. Award Information

SFR provides Federal grant funding to the 50 States, and the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and Territories of the United States (hereafter, “State” or “States”) of America for land acquisition, boating access development, research projects, operations and maintenance of public fishing areas, hatchery and lake construction and maintenance, sport fish population management, fishing habitat improvements, coordination projects, and aquatic resource education. These activities restore or manage sport fish populations and provide public access to these resources. For a complete list of activities eligible for funding through this program, please see Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 80.51.

Information on SFR annual apportionments are available on our website:

https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SFR/SFR_Funding.htm. The SFR apportionment is determined based on the following:

1. It is a formula‐based apportionment;

2. Forty percent of a State’s annual apportionment is based on land and water area of the State and 60 percent is based on the number of paid fishing license holders in that State;

3. No State, Commonwealth, the District of Columbia, or territory may receive more than five percent or less than one‐third of one percent of each year's total apportionment;

4. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico receives one percent;

5. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands each receive one‐third of one percent; and

6. The State fish and wildlife agency must furnish a certification of the number of paid fishing license holders on an annual basis.

States may be paid up to 75 percent of project costs through the program. A maximum of 15 percent of the apportionment can be used for aquatic resource education or outreach and communication. However, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S.

Virgin Islands are not limited to the 15 percent cap imposed on the 50 States ‐ each of these entities may spend more on these activities with the approval of the appropriate Regional Director. A minimum of 15 percent of the apportionment must be used for boating access.

States within a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region may allocate more or less than 15 percent in a fiscal year, if the total Regional allocation averages at least 15 percent over a five‐year period. Funds are available for a period of two years. Any funds not obligated by the Service within two years are returned to the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund for re‐ apportionment among the States in the following year’s apportionment. Only State fish and wildlife agencies may apply for and receive grants under this program.

Ineligible activities include law enforcement, public relations activities to promote the fish and wildlife agency, activities conducted for the primary purpose of producing income, and activities, projects, or programs that promote or encourage opposition to the regulated taking of fish, hunting, or the trapping of wildlife. See 50 CFR 80.54.

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants Participation is limited to State, District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or Territorial agencies with lead management responsibility for fish and wildlife resources in the United States of America. States, Commonwealths, and Territories must pass laws (assent legislation) for the conservation of fish and wildlife. The law(s) must require that revenue from hunting and fishing licenses be only used for the administration of the State fish and wildlife agency. If you are uncertain of your eligibility, please contact your Regional WSFR Office (see Section VII, Agency Contacts).

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 2 CFR 25 for more information.

DUNS Registration Request a DUNS number online at Dun & Bradstreet Registration. For technical difficulties, contact Dun & Bradstreet by email at: govt@dnb.com, or by calling the Government Customer Resource Center at voice phone: 866‐705‐5711 or TTY line: 877‐807‐1679 (hearing impaired customers only). Obtaining a DUNS number is free for all entities doing business with the Federal government. Once assigned a DUNS number, entities are responsible for maintaining up‐to‐date information with Dun & Bradstreet.

Be aware that starting in December 2020, the DUNS number will no longer be the official identifier for doing business with the U.S. Government. Over the next 18 months, the General Securities Administration (GSA) will start a new, non‐proprietary Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to be requested in, and assigned by SAM (SAM.gov). Visit the GSA Unique Entity Identifier Update web page for the latest information on this transition. This transition will not change the applicability of existing requirements for either obtaining an entity identifier or completing the full SAM.gov registration. Entities currently exempt from obtaining an entity identifier and/or completing full SAM.gov registration will continue to be exempt from those.

Entity Registration in SAM (System for Award Management) Register in SAM online at the SAM website. 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.

Note: The official U.S. Government website address for SAM is https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

There is no cost to register in or access SAM. There are third‐party vendors who charge a fee in exchange for registering entities in SAM; please be aware that you can register to do business with the U.S. Government for free directly in SAM at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

Excluded Entities Applicant entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding requested under this Federal program. We conduct a review of the SAM Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award.

Prohibition Regarding Internal Confidentiality Agreements If you require your employees or your contractors to sign an internal confidentiality agreement or statement that prohibits or otherwise restricts your employees or contractors from lawfully reporting waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement official of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information, you are ineligible to compete for or receive a SFR award. See Pub. L. 113‐ 235, Title VII, Division E, Section 743 for more information.

Cost Sharing or Matching States may be paid up to 75 percent of project costs through the program. You must provide at least 25 percent of the project costs from a non‐Federal source. The non‐Federal share may come from license fees. Matching and cost‐share requirements are discussed in 50 CFR 80.84, 50 CFR 80.85, and 2 CFR 200.306. According to 50 CFR 80.84, the Regional Director must waive the first $200,000 of match required by each program or subprogram that provides funds for a project in a grant awarded to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

You may meet your required non‐Federal cost share or match through contributions from a third‐party. A third‐party is any individual or organization other than the State applicant, such as a partner, that is not receiving grant funds. Match must be necessary and reasonable for accomplishing the proposed project objective(s). As the primary State recipient, you are responsible for the full amount of the non‐Federal match proposed, including any amount provided by one or more third parties as listed on the Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance.

You may attribute some or all your allowable indirect costs as voluntary committed cost‐sharing or matching; however, you may only charge to the Federal award the indirect costs calculated against the allowable direct costs charged to the Federal award.

IV. Application Requirements

You can download the application package for SFR on Grants.gov here: Application Forms. If you have trouble accessing the online forms, please contact one of the Regional WSFR Offices (see VII. Agency Contacts).

Applications must be formatted to fit 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 must be no less than 12 point Arial, Times New Roman, or another commonly used font.

To be considered for funding under this funding opportunity, an application must contain:

Application for Federal Assistance Submit a completed, signed and dated Application for Federal Assistance form (Standard Form 424). Note that the proper forms are part of the Grants.gov application package for this NOFO.

Do not include other Federal sources of funding, requested or approved, in the total entered in the “Federal” funding box on the Application for Federal Assistance form. Enter only the amount requested under this program in the “Federal” funding box. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the total funding entered in the “Other” box.

Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish When you request our approval to acquire real property with Federal funds under the award, with matching funds under the award, or as an in‐kind match contribution, the Standard Form SF‐429‐B, Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish, must be completed. As an alternative, the applicant or recipient may use an alternate standardized data collection format if we approve or direct its use. The applicant or recipient must submit the SF 429‐B whenever it requests our approval of a specific acquisition of real property, regardless of whether the request occurs at the time of application, during the period of performance, or as a pre‐award cost.

Project Statement Applicants applying for awards on a project‐by‐ project basis are required to provide a project statement containing the elements required by 50 CFR 80.82 and listed below. In general, the project statement must provide sufficient information so reviewers may verify that the proposed activities are eligible for funding and substantial in character and design (see 50 CFR 80.56). Any images should be appended rather than included within the narrative project statement.

Project statements submitted in response to this NOFO must use standard objectives consistent with TRACS Grant Performance System requirements. Please see the WSFR Standard Project Statement Wiki for general examples and guidance. We encourage you to work with your Regional WSFR Office if you have questions about formatting your objectives for entry in the TRACS Grant Performance System.

Need Explain why the project is necessary and how it fulfills the purpose of SFR.

Purpose State the ultimate purpose for the proposed project and link the purpose to the demonstrated need.

Objectives Identify specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time‐bound (SMART) objectives to be accomplished during the project period, and base them on the need. Please use WSFR’s Standard Objectives when designing your project. We encourage you to work with your Regional WSFR Office if you have questions about formatting your objectives for entry in the TRACS Grant Performance System. Also, please see the WSFR Standard Project Statement Wiki for more details and examples.

Results or benefits expected Describe the expected results or benefits from accomplishing the objectives.

Approach Describe the approach to be used in meeting the objectives:

a. Describe the methods, designs, and/or procedures to be used to achieve the objectives, key personnel and cooperators, and provide a description of the activities in sufficient detail so we are able to evaluate compliance with NEPA, section 7 of the ESA, and section 106 of NHPA. If proposed actions require permits, provide information on the progress of obtaining permits. If permits have been issued or compliance has been completed by another Federal agency, provide copies in the application package. Use a planned approach, appropriate procedures, and accepted principles of fish and wildlife conservation and management, research, or education;

b. Identify the project officer, or principal investigator for research projects, including their name, work address, and work telephone number. To prevent unnecessary transmission of Personally Identifiable Information, do not include Social Security numbers, the names of family members, or any other personal or sensitive information including marital status, religion, or physical characteristics on the description of key personnel qualifications; and

c. Geographic location – Describe the location(s) where activities would occur. Maps or other geographic aids are encouraged and may be attached. Please include geographic coordinates in degrees, minutes, and seconds, if relevant and available.

Relationship with other grants Describe any relationship between the proposed project and other related work funded by Federal grants that is planned, anticipated, or underway.

Timeline of activities Describe significant milestones in completing the project and any accomplishments to date.

For CMS States A project statement may not be required for applicants who are applying for awards under a comprehensive management system (CMS). Applicants considering submitting an application under a CMS should contact their Regional WSFR Office for details (see Section VII., Agency Contacts). CMS applications must submit the information required in 50 CFR 80.81, provide adequate description of activities to allow WSFR staff to evaluate the 25 items in 2 CFR 200.407 requiring prior written approval, and provide a description of the activities in sufficient detail so WSFR staff are able to evaluate compliance with NEPA, ESA, and NHPA.

Budget Form Complete the Budget Information for Non‐Construction Programs (SF‐424A) form, or the Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF‐424C) form, or submit a budget table that provides a similar or greater level of budget detail. You may use the SF‐424A if your project does not include construction or land acquisition, and the SF‐424C if the project includes construction or land acquisition. The SF‐424A and SF‐424C budget forms, should you choose to use them, are published along with this NOFO at Grants.gov. When developing your budget, keep in mind that financial assistance awards and subawards are subject to the Federal Cost

Principles in 2 CFR 200, as applicable to the recipient organization type. If the project budget includes multiple Federal funding sources, you must show the funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other requested or secured Federal sources of funding on the budget form. For example, enter the funds requested from this Federal program in the first row of the Budget Summary section of the form and then enter funding related to other Federal programs in the subsequent row(s). Be sure to enter each Federal program’s CFDA number in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number for this Federal program is 15.605.

Budget Narrative In a separate narrative titled “Budget Narrative,” explain and justify all requested budget items/costs. Detail how the SF 424 Budget Object Class Category totals were determined and demonstrate a clear connection between costs and the proposed project activities. The justification for each budget category should be a brief general description of the costs that makeup that category, yet provide enough detail to demonstrate that the applicant has a financial plan for implementation of the proposed objectives. For example, under personnel costs include the total number of staff and the various job titles (classifications) anticipated to be charging to the project. Describe any item that under the applicable Federal cost principles in 2 CFR 200.407 that requires the Service’s approval and estimate its cost (e.g., pre‐award costs, capital improvements and expenditures, real property acquisitions, equipment purchases, etc.). In addition to your Budget Narrative, address the following:

Match and other partner contributions Identify the cash and third‐party in‐kind contributions that a partner, or other entity contribute to the project and describe how the contributions directly and substantively benefit completion of the project. For third‐party in‐kind contributions, include the source, the amount, and the valuation methodology used to arrive at the total.

Program Income Program income is gross income received by the grantee or subrecipient and earned only as a result of the grant during the grant period. Estimate the amount of program income that the project is likely to generate. If necessary, indicate the method or combination of methods (deduction, addition, or matching) of applying your expected program income. The Regional Director’s approval is required for the additive or matching method. Indicate whether the agency wants to treat income that it earns after the grant period as either license revenue or additional funding for purposes consistent with the grant terms and conditions or program regulations.

Equipment Equipment means tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per‐unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non‐Federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000 (see 2 CFR 200.33). Grantees and subrecipients must follow the requirements at 2 CFR 200 when acquiring equipment under an award, with emphasis on 200.313, 200.317 through 200.326, and 200.439.

Useful life Propose a useful life for each capital improvement that costs at least $25,000 to build, acquire, or install (see 50 CFR 80.2), and reference the method used to determine the useful life of a capital improvement with a value greater than $100,000 (see 50 CFR 80.82(c)(5)).

Multipurpose Projects A grant‐funded project or facility is multipurpose if it carries out the purposes of: (a) a single grant program under the Acts; and (b) another grant program under the Acts, a grant program not under the Acts, or an activity unrelated to grants. You must allocate costs in multipurpose projects based on the uses or benefits for each purpose that will result from the completed project or facility, and must also describe the method used to allocate costs.

Required Indirect Cost Statement You must include one of the following statements and attach any required documentation identified in the applicable statement: “We are:

a. A U.S. State agency 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. A copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification is attached, or on file with the Regional WSFR Office.

b. A U.S. State agency receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We are required to prepare and retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation to support those costs.

c. A U.S. State agency that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made.

d. A U.S. State agency that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. However, in the event an award is made, we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68. We understand that the 10 percent de minimis rate will apply for the life of the award, including any future extensions for time, and that the rate cannot be changed even if we do establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period

e. A U.S. State agency that will charge all costs directly.”

Please take note of the following:

Recipients without an approved indirect cost rate are prohibited from charging indirect costs to a Federal award. Accepting the 10percent de minimis rate as a condition of award is an approved rate.

Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period of performance renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award.

Recipients may only charge the indirect costs calculated against the allowable direct costs charged to the Federal award.

Recipients must have prior written approval from the Service to transfer unallowable indirect costs to amounts budgeted for direct costs or to satisfy cost‐sharing or matching requirements under the award.

Recipients are prohibited from shifting unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

For more information on indirect cost rates, see the Service’s Indirect Costs and Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements guidance document. See also 2 CFR 1402.414 for the policies, procedures, and decision‐making criteria for using an indirect cost rate that differs from the recipient’s or a subrecipient’s negotiated rate, or its approved rate for our awards.

Negotiating an Indirect Cost Rate with the Department of the Interior Entities that do not have a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) must first have an open, active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your cognizant agency, your indirect cost rate will be negotiated by the Interior Business Center (IBC). For more information, contact the IBC at:

Indirect Cost Services Acquisition Services Directorate, Interior Business Center U.S. Department of the Interior 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 7‐400 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916‐930‐3803 Email: Through this email web form.

Internet address: Link to Indirect Cost Services Webpage.

Single Audit Reporting Statements As required in 2 CFR 200, Subpart F, a non‐Federal entity that expends $750,000 or more during the non‐Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards must have a single or program‐specific audit conducted for that year. All U.S. State applicants must provide a statement regarding whether your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the

State’s most recently closed fiscal year and, if so, state if that report is available on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse Single Audit Database website and provide the Employer Identification Number (EIN) under which that report was submitted. Include these statements at the end of the Project Statement in a section titled “Single Audit Reporting Statements.”

Assurances If not already on file with your Regional WSFR Office, include the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form. The form is available online and published with this NOFO at Grants.gov. Use the Assurances for Construction Programs (SF‐424D) form for construction projects, or the Assurances for Non‐Construction Programs (SF‐424B) form for non‐construction projects.

Signing this form does not mean that all items on the form are applicable. The form contains language that states that some of the assurances may not be applicable to your organization and/or your project or program.

Assurances include that you will give us, the Comptroller General of the United States and other appropriate parties, through any authorized representative, access to and the right to examine all records, books, papers, or documents related to the award; and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or agency directives.

Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Under 31 U.S.C. § 1352, an applicant or recipient must not use any federally appropriated funds (both annually appropriated and continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a grant or cooperative agreement award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award.

Lobbying is defined as influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the award. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR 18, Appendix A‐ Certification Regarding Lobbying. If you/your organization have/has made or agrees to make any payment using non‐appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with this proposal AND the Federal share exceeds $100,000, complete and submit the SF‐LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form available in the Grants.gov Workspace or WSFR’s Financial Assistance Wiki Forms Page. See 43 CFR 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures You 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 notifying us, in writing, of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by subrecipients. A conflict that must be reported is if any employees of the applicant, recipient, subrecipient, or contractors, are related to, married to, or have a close personal relationship with any Federal employee in the grant program or who otherwise may have been involved in the review and selection of the award.

The term employee means any individual engaged in the performance of work pursuant to the Federal award. You may not have a former Federal employee as a key project official, or in any other substantial role related to your award, whose participation puts them out of compliance with the legal authorities addressing post‐Government employment restrictions. You must also notify us, in writing, of any outstanding, unresolved matters with the Government Accountability Office or Office of Inspector General when you submit a proposal and throughout the life of the award. Unresolved items are those items that that do not have a corrective action plan approved by us and remain open. See the United States Office of Government Ethics website more information on these restrictions. We will examine each conflict of interest disclosure based on its particular facts and the nature of the project and will determine if a significant potential conflict exists. If it does, we will work with the recipient to determine an appropriate resolution. Failure to disclose and resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies us may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338 Remedies for Noncompliance, including termination of the award.

Application Checklist Failure to provide complete information may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of the application.

□ SF‐424, Application for Federal Assistance: A complete, signed and dated SF‐424.

□ SF‐429‐B, Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish, if applicable

□ Budget Information or SF‐424 form: A complete SF‐424 Budget Information form (424‐A or SF 424‐C as appropriate), or a budget spreadsheet providing a similar, or greater, level of budget detail.

□ Project Statement

□ Budget Narrative

□ Required Indirect Cost Statement

□ NICRA: A statement regarding the status of the agency’s Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, and if applicable, a copy of the organization’s current NICRA.

□ Single Audit Reporting Statement: Note whether your State was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for your most recently closed fiscal year and, if so, state if that report is available on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse Single Audit Database website. You do not need to attach a copy of your Single Audit report.

□ SF‐424 Assurances form: Signed and dated SF‐424B or SF‐424D Assurances form if annual assurances are not already on file with the Regional WSFR Office.

□ SF‐LLL form: If applicable, completed SF‐LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form.

□ Conflict of Interest statement, when applicable.

V. Submission Instructions

Submission deadline: Grant application packages are due to your Regional WSFR Office (see Section VII, Agency Contacts) on or before August 31, 2021, 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Intergovernmental Review Before submitting an application, United States State and local government applicants should determine whether their application is subject to the State intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental review of Federal Programs.” E.O.

12372 was issued to foster intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. The E.O. allows each State to designate an entity to perform this function. You may contact the State’s designated entity for more information on the process the State requires to be followed when applying for assistance. States that do not have a designated entity have chosen not to participate in the review process.

Submission Instructions For electronic submissions, download the Application Package linked to this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov to begin the application process. Using the “Search Grants” tab, enter Funding Opportunity Number F20AS00005. Downloading and saving the Application Package to your computer makes the required Government‐wide standard forms fillable and printable. The project narrative and budget narrative must be attachments in the following formats: Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, or Microsoft Excel. Completed applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.

Go to the Grants.gov “Apply for Grants” page for an overview of the process to apply through Grants.gov. You must complete the Grants.gov registration process before submitting an application through Grants.gov. Registration can take between three to five business days, or as long as two weeks if all steps are not completed in a timely manner.

Important note on Grants.gov application attachment file names: Please do not assign application attachments file names longer than 20 characters, including spaces. Assigning file names longer than 20 characters may create issues in the automatic interface between Grants.gov and the Service’s financial assistance management system.

Please note that we will be moving to a new a grant application software in the future, and your Region will provide additional information if needed.

For mail or email submissions, the required SF‐424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your organization’s authorized official. The signature and date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre‐populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov.” Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms. The completed grant application package must be mailed or emailed to the appropriate Regional WSFR Office.

VI. Award Administration

Award Notices Applicants submitting eligible and complete proposals will receive written notice in the form of a notice of award document. Notices of award are typically sent to recipients by e‐mail. If e‐ mail notification is unsuccessful, the documents will be sent by courier mail. Award recipients are not required to sign or return the notice of award. The notice of award document will include instructions specific to each recipient on how to request payment. If applicable, the instructions will detail any additional information or forms required and where to submit payment requests.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements 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. Administration of SFR is governed by 50 CFR 80.

Applicants must provide satisfactory assurance of their present and ongoing ability to provide access to, and to produce to any Federal auditor or other proper party all records, books, papers, or documents related to this award and that they currently have a proper accounting system in accordance with the financial management guidelines for Federal awardees. See 2 CFR 200.302 and 200.303. This includes in‐place systems and inclusion and application of flow‐down requirements to ensure that all subrecipients for which the applicant will be a pass‐through entity (see 2 CFR 200.74) are similarly accountable and transparent in documenting that Federal or State expenditures under or pertinent to this award are reasonable, allowable, and allocable and that any assets are properly safeguarded, accounted for, and used for authorized purposes.

In accepting Federal funds, compliance with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies including environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and applicable executive orders must be satisfied before we can approve a grant and make funding available.

The recipient and any subrecipients are responsible for complying with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) and its implementing regulations at 2 CFR 25, Universal Identifier and System for Award Management and 2 CFR 170, Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information. See also the statutory requirements for whistleblower protections at 10 U.S.C 2324 and 2409 and 41 U.S.C. 4304, 4310 and 4712.

When acquiring real property, the recipient and subrecipient are responsible for complying with the requirements of 49 CFR 24 and 2 CFR 1402.329. If a person knowledgeable of the local real estate market determines that the property has a low value and the valuation is not complex, the acquisition may qualify for the use of a waiver valuation under 49 CFR 24.102. If it doesn’t qualify for a waiver valuation, an appraiser must develop an opinion of market value in an appraisal that conforms to both the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisition, 6th edition, 2016 (Yellow Book), and the Uniform Standards of Professional

Appraisal Practice (USPAP). The appraisal must be recommended by a qualified real property appraiser. Both the appraiser must be licensed or certified by the State or States where the real property is located. The review appraiser must also have a professional license or certification that is issued or accepted by the State where the property is located.

Domestic Recipient Payments Prior to award, we will contact you/your organization to either enroll in the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system or, if eligible, obtain a waiver from the Department of the Interior.

Transmittal of Sensitive Data You are responsible for ensuring any sensitive data sent to us is protected during its transmission and delivery. We strongly recommend that you use the most secure transmission and delivery method available. We recommend the following digital transmission methods:

secure digital faxing; encrypted emails; or emailing a password‐protected zipped or compressed file attachment in one email followed by the password in a second email. We strongly encourage you to use a courier mail service when sending sensitive data in paper copy. You may also contact us and provide any sensitive data over the telephone.

Award Terms and Conditions Acceptance of a financial assistance award from us carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions applicable to the award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application approved by us and are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated into the notice of award either by direct citation or by reference to the following:

Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation; and special award terms and conditions.

The Federal regulations applicable to Service awards are available online here. If you do not have access to the Internet and require a full text copy of the award terms and conditions, contact the Service point of contact identified in the Agency Contacts section below. See the Service’s “Financial Assistance Award Terms and Conditions” for the administrative and national policy requirements applicable to Service awards. The “Department of the Interior (DOI) Award Provisions” attached to this Funding Opportunity also apply to Service awards (Attachment A).

All financial assistance awards are subject to Federal financial administration requirements.

Applicants must provide satisfactory assurance of their present and ongoing ability to provide access to and to produce to any Federal auditor or other proper party all records, books, papers, or documents related to this award and that they currently have a proper accounting system in accordance with the financial management guidelines for Federal awardees. See 2 CFR

200.302 and 200.303. This includes in‐place systems and inclusion and application of flow‐ down requirements to ensure that all subrecipients for which the applicant will be a pass‐through entity (see 2 CFR 200.74) are similarly accountable and transparent in documenting that Federal or State expenditures under or pertinent to this award are reasonable, allowable, and allocable and that any assets are properly safeguarded, accounted for, and used for authorized purposes.

If you have had questioned costs or any other Office of the Inspector General, or other single‐ audit equivalent, "audit findings" (see 2 CFR 200.516) under your WSFR grant within the last five (5) years, then special considerations ("specific conditions") may apply if you receive an award under this NOFO. See 2 CFR 200.205 and 207. Those conditions may include, but not be limited to, limitation on advance payment, a requirement to provide evidence of acceptable performance or documentation before further disbursement, and additional detailed financial reporting and/or heightened project monitoring. See 2 CFR 200.207(b).

Similarly, if you receive an award under this NOFO and a subsequent audit results in audit findings with respect to this award, then we may apply specific conditions during the term of this award. See 2 CFR 200.338 and 200.207(b).

The regulations at 2 CFR 200.315 and 2 CFR 1402.315 apply to information produced or otherwise resulting from a financial assistance award from the Department of the Interior. This includes data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, valuation products or other scientific assessments in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual. The Federal Government has the right to:

(1) Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, produced under a Federal award; and

(2) Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, for Federal purposes.

There was recently a Final Rule published for 50 CFR 80 that impacts some of the terms included in this NOFO. If you have questions, see Section VII for your Regional WSFR Office contact.

Financial and Performance Reports Interim financial and performance reports may be required no more frequently than quarterly, and no less frequently than annually. A final financial report and a final performance report will be required and are due within 90 calendar days of the end date of the award. We will specify in the notice of award document the reporting and reporting frequency applicable to the award.

You must use the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report for financial reporting, available on the Internet at: Post Award Reporting Forms.

Performance reports must contain: 1) a comparison of actual accomplishments with the goals and objectives of the award as detailed in the approved scope of work; 2) a description of reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and 3) any other pertinent information relevant to the project results.

Electronic submission of performance information using the TRACS Grant Performance System may be required, as detailed in the terms and conditions of the award.

Significant Developments Events may occur between the scheduled performance reporting dates that have significant impact upon the supported activity. In such cases, you are required to notify us in writing as soon as the following types of conditions become known (2 CFR 200.328(d)):

Problems, delays, or adverse conditions that will materially impair the ability to meet the objective of the Federal award. This disclosure must include a statement of any corrective action(s) taken or contemplated, and any assistance needed to resolve the situation.

Favorable developments that enable meeting time schedules and objectives sooner or at less cost than anticipated or producing more or different beneficial results than originally planned.

Other Mandatory Disclosures You and your subrecipients must disclose, in a timely manner and in writing, to us or pass‐ through entities all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting this award. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (See 2 CFR 200.113, 2 CFR Part 180, and 31 U.S.C. 3321).

VII. Agency Contacts

We administer SFR, and you may learn about the national‐level program by contacting:

Christina Milloy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program 703‐862‐5761, christina_milloy@fws.gov

For specific information and application details, contact your Regional WSFR Office. Note that the Department is moving to Unified Regional Boundaries. Please continue to seek guidance based on the list below unless notified otherwise when final guidance is available. You can find information on the Unified Region’s on the Department’s website:

Region 1 ‐ American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington: r1fa_grants@fws.gov, 503‐231‐6128

Region 2 ‐ Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas: fw2fa@fws.gov, 505‐248‐7450