F25AS00099_Competitive State Wildlife (C-SWG) Grant Program_Funding Announcement.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Funding Opportunity

F25AS00099_FY 2025 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program_Funding Opportunity Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number

F25AS00099

Table of Contents

BASIC INFORMATION

National contact:

Regional contacts:

ELIGIBILITY

Cost Sharing Requirement

GET READY TO APPLY

Required System Registrations

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Goals

Program Description

Award Limits and Partnership Requirements

Multi-State Projects: Administrative Options and Matching Requirements

Changes from the FY 2024 Announcement

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Legislative Authority

Type of Award

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION

Applications Content and Format

Application Documents

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

Address to Request Application Package

Submission Dates and Times

Submission Instructions

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Eligibility Review

Merit Review

C-SWG Program Guidelines and Criteria

Plan Enhancement Subprogram Guidelines and Criteria

Review and Selection Process

Risk Review

AWARD NOTICES

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

Administration and National Policy Requirements

Reporting

BASIC INFORMATION

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: F25AS00099

Assistance Listing Number(s): 15.634

Estimated Total Program Funding: $7,200,000

Expected Number of Awards: 30

Award Ceiling: $1,000,000

Award Floor: $25,000

Cost Sharing Required?

Yes Closing Date for Applications: 02/25/2025

Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed due date.

U.S. states and local governments may be required under Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs to submit their application to their State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for review. For more information, see the Intergovernmental Review SPOC List.

OMB Control Number: 1018-0100

Have Questions?

National contact:

Paul Van Ryzin Phone: 720-498-0335 Email: paul_vanryzin@fws.gov

Regional contacts:

Region 1 Lia McLaughlin Phone: 503-724-8017 Email: lia_mclaughlin@fws.gov Covering: Idaho, Oregon, Washington Chris Swenson Phone: 503-720-8128 Email: chris_swenson@fws.gov Covering: Hawaii Ruth Utzurrum https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.fws.gov/media/required-notices-and-burden-statement-omb-control-no-1018-0100 mailto:paul_vanryzin@fws.gov mailto:lia_mclaughlin@fws.gov mailto:chris_swenson@fws.gov

Phone: 808-352-3617 Email: ruth_utzurrum@fws.gov Covering: Guam, Northern Mariana Islands Christine Cegelski Phone: 202-251-3943 Email: christine_cegelski@fws.gov Covering: American Samoa Region 2 Will Amy Phone: 512-963-5972 Email: william_amy@fws.gov Covering: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Region 3 Jessica Piispanen Phone: 612-749-2286 Email: jessica_piispanen@fws.gov Covering: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin Region 4 Tera Baird Phone: 404-450-1434 Email: tera_baird@fws.gov Covering: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands

Region 5 Dee Blanton Phone: 978-434-6758 Email: dee_blanton@fws.gov Kyle Welsh Phone: 413-270-2259 Email: kyle_welsh@fws.gov Covering: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Region 6 Amanda Horvath Phone: 720-646-6299 Email: amanda_horvath@fws.gov Covering: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming Region 7 John Warzybok Phone: 907-227-6943 Email: john_warzybok@fws.gov Covering: Alaska mailto:ruth_utzurrum@fws.gov mailto:christine_cegelski@fws.gov mailto:william_amy@fws.gov mailto:jessica_piispanen@fws.gov mailto:dee_blanton@fws.gov mailto:kyle_welsh@fws.gov mailto:amanda_horvath@fws.gov mailto:john_warzybok@fws.gov

Region 8 Casey Nelson Phone: 612-849-3941 Email: casey_nelson@fws.gov Covering: California, Nevada Executive Summary The Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program provides Federal cost sharing awards to help the State, Territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and their associations design and implement proactive conservation programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats. Proactive approaches to conservation help recipients and their conservation partners avoid more prescriptive Federal regulatory requirements associated with species listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Eligible activities include conservation planning and implementation. Planning activities include strategic enhancements to a State or Territory Wildlife Action Plan (Plan) that address best practices identified in this announcement. Implementation activities are those carried out to execute an approved Plan. Priority for use of these funds must be placed on species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) and/or their habitats.

This announcement provides complete information on preparing and submitting an application, including details on award Tiers, partnership requirements, and the maximum Federal share of an award. The award Tiers are intended to encourage partnerships dedicated to cross-jurisdictional conservation efforts supporting landscape-scale conservation. Information on the C-SWG Program and the Plan Enhancement Subprogram is provided separately. Tables showing the Tier limits and requirements are available here.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible Applicants State governments

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility Please note that ONLY the State, Territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and the four regional associations of fish and wildlife agencies (NEAFWA, SEAFWA, MAFWA, and WAFWA) are eligible to apply. All other entities including but not limited to academic institutions, non-profit or for-profit organizations, private landowners or other individuals, or local units of government are not eligible to apply.

Applications are reviewed for eligibility based on criteria provided in the “Application Review Information” section of this announcement, under “Eligibility Review.”

Restrictions and Requirements for Non-U.S. Entities or Projects

• We do not fund countries supporting terrorism subject to U.S. sanctions.

• We do not fund countries under U.S. Treasury sanctions without licenses.

• You must get all required approvals for work outside the U.S. We are not responsible for your compliance with local rules.

mailto:casey_nelson@fws.gov https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WSFRP/State+Wildlife+Grant+Program?preview=%2F26837115%2F287703046%2FCompetitive+SWG+and+Plan+Enhancement+Funding+Tiers+Table.pdf https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/ http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Pages/default.aspx

• For projects over $500,000, you may need to comply with 2 CFR 175.105(b) before we make an award.

Cost Sharing Requirement Cost Sharing Required?

Yes For awards made to eligible recipients in the continental States, Hawai'i, the District of Columbia (D.C.), and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Federal share may not exceed 75 percent of the total project cost. The total project cost includes the requested Federal funds plus the required 25 percent matching share and any additional voluntary matching funds or other resources identified in your application. In accordance with 48 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1469(a), Amendment of Subsection (d), and the DOI Policy Advisory Notice on the waiver of cost sharing requirements for certain insular areas, Service Regional Directors shall waive this cost sharing requirement for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Cost sharing or matching requirements are provided in 2 CFR 200.1 and 2 CFR 200.306. You must provide detailed information about matching contributions in your application. You may meet the requirement through contributions from a third party. A third party is any individual or organization other than you as the applicant, such as a partner or subrecipient. For your proposed match to be allowable, it must meet all the criteria listed in 2 CFR 200.306(b). Each recipient is responsible for the full amount of the match identified in your application, including any amount provided by one or more third parties. You must document all third party contributions with a signed letter of commitment. The letter must detail the amount of matching cash and/or the value of any in-kind contributions identified in your application.

GET READY TO APPLY

Required System Registrations Unique Entity Identifier and SAM.gov Registration

Before applying, all applicants except individuals applying as a natural person must be registered in SAM.gov. During the SAM.gov registration the entity will obtain their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

The SAM.gov registration process can take several months. If your organization is not already registered in SAM.gov, begin the registration process as soon as possible.

To register in SAM.gov, go to the SAM.gov website and use the available resources to complete registration.

• Financial assistance registrants must review and certify compliance with the SAM.gov “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications”.

• Already registered? You already have a Unique Entity ID. Before applying, check that your “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications” on SAM.gov is complete. Remember to renew your registration every year to keep it active while you have an award or application in progress. You can update your registration whenever you need, including during renewal.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-175 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2009-title48/pdf/USCODE-2009-title48-chap10-sec1469a.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2009-title48/pdf/USCODE-2009-title48-chap10-sec1469a.pdf https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WTK/Director%27s+Orders-Rules-Policy-Interim+Guidance?preview=/5931146/244514836/DOI-PGM-PAN-2023-0001%20Insular%20Area%20Matching%20Funds%20Waiver%20-%20FINAL%20-%2010-12-2022.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=049305c173b88964e96991aafabcf1f4&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML#se2.1.200_11 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306#p-200.306(b) https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

• Need help? For additional information and contact information on the SAM.gov Help page.

GRANTS.GOV

This program accepts application through Grants.gov so once you receive your UEI return to Grants.gov to register with Grants.gov. Please allow for 30 days to register and set up a Workspace in Grants.gov. See Submission Instructions section below for additional details.

GRANTSOLUTIONS

This program accepts application through GrantSolutions.gov. You must register with GrantSolutions. See Submission Instructions.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Goals

• Intended short-term and intermediate outcomes include: 1. protection and enhancement of populations of recipient-identified animal species of greatest conservation need and their habitats through implementation of Service-approved State and Territory Wildlife Action Plans; and 2. significant advancements in the utility, accessibility, and scientific integrity of the Wildlife Action Plans.

Long-term program outcomes may include favorable listing decisions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These include outcomes resulting in part from data collection and conservation actions conducted by recipients and shared with the Service and/or NMFS that lead to: 1. determinations that species are not warranted for Federal listing; 2. down-listing of species protected under the ESA (from endangered to threatened); and 3. de-listing of species protected under the ESA due to recovery (removed from Federal listing).

Program Description References to “you” in this announcement refer to the eligible State, Territory, or District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies or the four regional associations of fish and wildlife agencies. References to “we” or “us” in this announcement refer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service).

The Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program provides Federal cost sharing awards to help you and your partners implement projects for the benefit of wild animal species and their habitats. Eligible activities include:

• Implementing actions that benefit species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) and/or habitats identified in your Plan

• Surveys, monitoring, and related activities to determine whether to include species as SGCN in your Plan

• Activities to address emerging wildlife issues, and/or

• Plan Enhancement Subprogram activities consistent with one or more of the themes provided in this announcement.

https://sam.gov/content/help https://sam.gov/content/help https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration

Ineligible activities include wildlife education, outreach, and law enforcement activities, unless they are minor or incidental components that are critical to the success of your project. The program requires most recipients to contribute non-federal resources, as detailed in the “Eligibility” section of this announcement.

This announcement contains instructions to apply for both a traditional C-SWG Program and a Plan Enhancement Subprogram award. The maximum Federal share of awards, scoring criteria, and application requirements differ for each, so we recommend you read this announcement carefully to make sure your application is eligible and complete. You may submit one or more applications to the C-SWG Program and the Plan Enhancement Subprogram concurrently.

However, you cannot request funding for the same project from both the C-SWG Program and the Plan Enhancement Subprogram. You must submit a separate application for each project, and you must meet all the requirements described in this announcement in each application.

Although intended as Service policy and not regulation, you may wish to review the Service Manual Part 517 FW 10 for more information, including steps for identifying and documenting emerging wildlife issues.

C-SWG Program This program supports the design and strategic implementation of proactive conservation actions that can help avert more prescriptive Federal regulatory requirements associated with listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A core principle of the C-SWG Program is the utilization of effective partnerships that demonstrate a spirit of cooperation and sharing of knowledge and resources to achieve shared conservation goals.

We encourage you to engage with partners in planning, executing, and evaluating your conservation project. Award recipients commonly partner with other fish and wildlife agencies, Tribes, Federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, private landowners, and international entities. Awards issued under the C-SWG Program often include objectives for direct management of SGCN and their habitats, biological research, monitoring, and conservation planning.

General information on the State Wildlife Grant Program is available here. Answers to frequently asked questions are provided toward the end of this section below. We encourage you to contact your CI Regional Office if you have additional questions about this announcement.

Plan Enhancement Subprogram This Subprogram supports Plan improvements recommended in the following reports: Best Practices for State Wildlife Action Plans (Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2012) and Leading At-Risk Fish and Wildlife Conservation: A Framework to Enhance Landscape-Scale and Cross-Boundary Conservation Through Coordinated State Wildlife Action Plans (Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2021). These include Plan updates that substantially improve the utility, accessibility, and/or scientific integrity of your Plan, especially those that are urgent or time sensitive. Routine or general Plan modifications that you would normally implement through a Major or Minor Revision are not prioritized for funding under this Subprogram. We strongly recommend that you contact your CI Regional Office for guidance prior to developing your Plan Enhancement application. Plan modifications proposed under this Subprogram must be explicitly linked to at least one of the following themes:

https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/517fw10 https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/517fw10 https://www.fws.gov/program/state-wildlife-grants/about-us https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/3215/1856/0300/SWAP_Best_Practices_Report_Nov_2012.pdf https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/3215/1856/0300/SWAP_Best_Practices_Report_Nov_2012.pdf https://www.fishwildlife.org/download_file/view/4429/354 https://www.fishwildlife.org/download_file/view/4429/354

Climate Adaptation: We support the compilation of climate adaptation information and development of climate-smart strategies for conservation of SGCN and/or their habitats. Such activities may include but are not limited to:

• Identifying best management practices to address climate-related threats to SGCN, their habitats, or ecological processes that affect them;

• Identifying climate-resilient priority conservation areas for SGCN/habitats;

• Implementing large-scale climate change vulnerability assessments for multiple

SGCN/habitats; or

• Aligning Plan strategies with the report, Advancing the National Fish, Wildlife, and

Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy into a New Decade, or with another peer-reviewed, published climate adaptation strategy.

Classification and Prioritization: We support projects that will result in improved Plan classification and prioritization methods, especially those that advance large-scale, multi-jurisdictional SGCN conservation. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Revising Plan criteria for identifying or prioritizing SGCN/habitats, or working with other jurisdictions to adopt a unified SGCN/habitats selection or ranking procedure;

• Adopting a unified nomenclature, standard lexicon, or other approach for classification or prioritization of Plan elements. For example: NatureServe’s natural heritage methodology, N. Salafsky’s unified conservation threats and actions, or the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.

Mapping: We support use of digital mapping technologies and techniques to delineate geographic areas presenting the best opportunities for conservation. Partnerships of two or more fish and wildlife agencies may use program funds to align and unify geospatial information or systems across jurisdictional boundaries. We encourage use of a common platform that can be shared across fish and wildlife agencies and/or regional associations of fish and wildlife agencies.

Database Enhancements: We support efforts to develop, expand, or enhance databases for housing, analyzing, and/or sharing Plan element or project performance information.

Plan Accessibility: We support efforts to improve the accessibility of Plan information. You may use funds to digitize Plan information, making it readily available to conservation partners and the public. You may repackage and deliver Plan data to local or regional entities engaged in land-use planning or development, so that data is more accessible and relevant to towns, counties, industry, or others.

Plan Evaluation: We support efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of a Plan, to determine the degree to which your agency or division is meeting your Plan’s goals and objectives, and/or to develop strategies to improve your Plan.

The Office of Conservation Investment C-SWG Program and Plan Enhancement Subprogram awards are administered through the Service’s Office of Conservation Investment (CI). CI’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. CI's vision is of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that offer recreation, economic activity, and other societal benefits, in addition to https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/4216/1161/3356/Advancing_Strategy_Report_FINAL.pdf https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/4216/1161/3356/Advancing_Strategy_Report_FINAL.pdf https://www.natureserve.org/conservation-tools/standards-methods/natureserve-core-methodology https://www.natureserve.org/conservation-tools/standards-methods/natureserve-core-methodology https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18544093/ https://www.iucnredlist.org/ https://www.fws.gov/program/office-conservation-investment sustainable ecological functions. CI’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. The C-SWG Program and Plan Enhancement Subprogram align with CI's mission, vision, and guiding principle.

Wildlife TRACS (Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species) is the accomplishment reporting system used by CI to capture the results of conservation actions and related activities funded by our grant programs. As outlined in this announcement, Project Statement information and performance data must be entered into TRACS as authorized under 2 CFR 200.102(c), 200.202, 200.301, and 200.329. Because this is a competitive program, and we typically select a portion of the applications we receive each year, we recommend that you do not enter TRACS information before you receive a notice of an award.

Adaptive Management

Whether you apply for a traditional C-SWG Program or Plan Enhancement Subprogram award, we encourage you to design and manage your project within an adaptive management framework. Adaptive management in the context of natural resources conservation involves the integration of design, management, and monitoring to systematically test your assumptions in order to adapt and learn. Adaptive management is a form of structured decision-making that requires careful goal setting, identifying management objectives and causal hypotheses, taking action, measuring results, and evaluating, documenting, interpreting, and sharing outcomes of management actions.

We utilize the Strategic Habitat Conservation framework to improve our ability to define desired biological outcomes and articulate the consequences of site-scale actions on landscape-scale functions. Other, similar adaptive management frameworks may be used. For more information, see:

• Strategic Habitat Conservation: Final Report of the National Ecological Assessment Team (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey, 2006)

• The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (The Conservation Measures Partnership, 2013)

• Measuring the Effectiveness of State Wildlife Grants (Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2011)

Award Limits and Partnership Requirements In 2018, the Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies collaborated to establish the award Tiers and associated partnership requirements described in detail below. The Tiers are intended to encourage partnerships dedicated to cross-jurisdictional conservation efforts supporting landscape-scale conservation. The requirements for the C-SWG Program and the Plan Enhancement Subprogram differ, as described in this section. Simplified tables showing the requirements for the C-SWG Program (Table 1) and the Plan Enhancement Subprogram (Table

2) are available here.

C-SWG Program: Award Limits, Tiers, and Partnership Requirements The maximum Federal portion of an award increases from $250,000 to $1 million per award based on the number of fish and wildlife agencies actively participating in a project. Partnership requirements of the contiguous, lower 48 States (including the District of Columbia) differ from https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1102&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1102&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.202 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.301 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR36520e4111dce32/section-200.329 https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/document/id/904/ https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/document/id/904/ https://conservationstandards.org/ https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/3815/2278/1426/FINAL_Effectiveness_Measures_report.pdf https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WSFRP/State+Wildlife+Grant+Program?preview=%2F26837115%2F287703046%2FCompetitive+SWG+and+Plan+Enhancement+Funding+Tiers+Table.pdf requirements of Alaska and the island jurisdictions (Hawai'i, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

These differing requirements address resource limitations and/or geographic isolation of the island jurisdictions and Alaska.

You must provide documentation that a project partner is an active participant. An active participant is a project partner (not including your agency or association) that is requesting and/or matching at least 10 percent of the total project cost. A fish and wildlife agency active participant is a partnering fish and wildlife agency that is requesting and/or matching at least 10 percent of the total project cost. Fish and wildlife agency active participants are not limited to adjacent States.

C-SWG Tier 1 Maximum Federal Portion of an Award: $250,000 Fish and wildlife agencies of the contiguous States must apply with at least one active participant, which may be any State or non-state entity. Alaska and the island jurisdictions do not need an active participant to apply at this Tier. Associations must apply with at least one fish and wildlife agency active participant.

C-SWG Tier 2 Maximum Federal Portion of an Award: $500,000 Fish and wildlife agencies of the contiguous States must apply with at least one other State fish and wildlife agency active participant. Alaska and the island jurisdictions may apply with any active participant, including any State or non-state entity. Associations must apply with at least two fish and wildlife agency active participants.

C-SWG Tier 3 Maximum Federal Portion of an Award: $750,000 Fish and wildlife agencies of the contiguous States must apply with at least two other fish and wildlife agency active participants. Alaska and the island jurisdictions must apply with at least two active participant partners, including any State or non-state entity. Associations must apply with at least three fish and wildlife agency active participants.

C-SWG Tier 4 Maximum Federal Portion of an Award: $1,000,000 Fish and wildlife agencies of the contiguous States must apply with at least three other fish and wildlife agency active participants. Alaska and the island jurisdictions must apply with at least three active participants, including any State or non-state entity. Associations must apply with at least four fish and wildlife agency active participants.

As applicable, identify all active participants in your project, so we can verify the maximum award you are eligible to receive. All active participants must be documented in your Project Narrative, budget, and budget narrative along with a brief justification for the Tier under which you are applying.

Plan Enhancement Subprogram: Award Limits, Tiers, and Partnership Requirements Documentation of active participants is not required.

Plan Enhancement Tier 1 – Single-State/Territory Projects Maximum Federal Portion of an Award: $150,000

Single fish and wildlife agencies are eligible to apply. Associations must apply on behalf of at least one fish and wildlife agency. Partners and active participants are not required.

Plan Enhancement Tier 2 – Multi-State/Territory Projects Maximum Federal Portion of an Award: $300,000

Partnerships of two or more fish and wildlife agencies are eligible to apply. Associations must apply on behalf of two or more fish and wildlife agencies.

To ensure that sufficient communication and coordination occurs among your partners, we require any partnering fish and wildlife agency to provide you with a signed letter indicating that the agency consents to you as the Lead Entity applying for a Plan Enhancement award on its behalf. The letter also must describe how each partnering agency will utilize project results in its next Plan revision or Comprehensive Review.

Multi-State Projects: Administrative Options and Matching Requirements Projects involving two or more fish and wildlife agencies are submitted by a designated Lead Entity. The Lead Entity must ensure that the application includes details on the contributions of each fish and wildlife agency and any other contributing partner. If we select your project for an award, there are two options for administration of program funds. You must identify the option you choose in your application.

Option 1: The application is submitted by a Lead Entity that receives a single award and issues one or more subawards to their identified subrecipient(s). The Lead Entity, subrecipient(s), and/or any other contributors may provide any portion of the required match. The Lead Entity agrees to provide the match identified in the project budget when it submits the application.

Option 2: The application is submitted by a Lead Entity, and it identifies one or more recipients that will receive a separate award. Each recipient is responsible for providing the required match.

Each recipient agrees to provide the match identified in each project budget when it submits the application.

If you use Option 2 and your project is selected for an award, each recipient identified in your application must submit a complete application, including the SF-424, budget, budget narrative, Project Narrative, Standard Objectives, and compliance information reflecting the portion of work it will complete. Since project selection occurs after the original application deadline, your CI Regional Office will provide you information on how and where your recipient(s) must submit their application. The Lead Entity and each partnering recipient is responsible for the financial and performance reporting requirements for their separate award, including any funds disbursed through subawards or contracts. Each recipient must also identify a TRACS point of contact and complete TRACS data entry for their award.

Please note that a Lead Entity using Option 2 must submit an executive summary paragraph for the overall project (including work completed by partnering recipients) as part of their final performance report, using the TRACS Multi-Award Linkage Tool (MALT). The MALT combines the separate performance reports that each partnering recipient enters in TRACS.

Online training on how to use the MALT in a multi-state project using Option 2 is available at the CI Training Portal, Course 12.

https://wsfrtraining.fws.gov/course/index.php?categoryid=3

Changes from the FY 2024 Announcement

1. Reformatting and reorganizing throughout the announcement using the updated

GrantSolutions announcement template.

2. Editing in compliance with Office of Management and Budget guidelines to simplify this announcement.

3. “Application Review Information”: Criterion 2 is modified to remove reference to unscheduled species because this information is no longer published by the Service.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Will grant applications from a single State or Territory be considered for funding? Yes, a single recipient may apply under Tier 1. Tables providing the partnership requirements to qualify for all C-SWG Program and Plan Enhancement Subprogram funding Tiers are available here.

Contact your CI Regional Office if you need guidance or more information.

What is the minimum and maximum Federal share of awards in the C-SWG Program?

There is no minimum Federal share. The maximum Federal share varies from $250,000 (Tier 1) to $1 million (Tier 4), depending on the number of partners you choose to involve in your project.

What is the minimum and maximum Federal share of awards in the Plan Enhancement subprogram? There is no minimum Federal share. The maximum Federal share is either $150,000 or $300,000, depending on whether you are proposing a single-state (Tier 1) or multi-state (Tier 2) project.

Do all recipients need to provide match? No. Matching requirements must be waived for the Territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (see 48 U.S.C. 1469(a), Amendment of Subsection (d) and the DOI Policy Advisory Notice on the waiver of matching fund requirements for insular areas).

How do I calculate the minimum required match? Divide your total Federal request by three.

For example, if your total Federal request is $500,000, divide this amount by three, equaling $166,667.

Will the C-SWG Grant Program continue in future years? Funding for the C-SWG Program and the Plan Enhancement Subprogram is appropriated annually by Congress. There is no assurance that funds will be appropriated in subsequent years.

How must a Project Narrative document an emerging issue? Your application must identify the wildlife species benefiting from your project, identify and describe the emerging conservation issue, and commit your agency to monitoring the effectiveness of proposed actions.

Your application also must include a signed letter from your agency stating that the next version of your Plan will include the species as an SGCN if it remains a priority.

What activities are eligible for funding under this program? The C-SWG Program is designed to help you meet the conservation needs of animal SGCN and habitats identified in your Plan. Eligible activities are described in Table 10-1 of the Service Manual Chapter 517 FW 10, State Wildlife Grants – Mandatory Subprogram, available here.

What are the compliance requirements for activities funded under this program? You must comply with all applicable Federal laws and regulations as a condition of acceptance of an https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WSFRP/State+Wildlife+Grant+Program?preview=%2F26837115%2F287703046%2FCompetitive+SWG+and+Plan+Enhancement+Funding+Tiers+Table.pdf https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WTK/Director%27s+Orders-Rules-Policy-Interim+Guidance?preview=/5931146/244514836/DOI-PGM-PAN-2023-0001%20Insular%20Area%20Matching%20Funds%20Waiver%20-%20FINAL%20-%2010-12-2022.pdf https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WTK/Director%27s+Orders-Rules-Policy-Interim+Guidance?preview=/5931146/244514836/DOI-PGM-PAN-2023-0001%20Insular%20Area%20Matching%20Funds%20Waiver%20-%20FINAL%20-%2010-12-2022.pdf https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/517fw10 award. This includes 2 CFR 200, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and any other applicable requirements under State and Federal law, regulation, or policy. The Service, in cooperation with recipients, must address ESA, NEPA, and NHPA requirements prior to obligating funds in an award. CI Regional Office staff can assist you in understanding the procedures and documentation necessary for meeting these Federal requirements.

Are there Project Narrative formatting requirements? Your Project Narrative must be formatted to fit on 8.5” X 11” paper, with maximum 1" margins at the top, bottom, and sides.

Include page numbers at the bottom beginning with the first page. Fonts must be no less than 12-point Arial, Times New Roman, or other commonly used font. These requirements ensure each applicant's Project Narrative does not exceed the 15-page limit.

Where should an applicant submit an application? Applications should be submitted through GrantSolutions. We recommend you also submit, via email, a single document in PDF format containing your entire proposal to your CI Regional Office prior to the deadline, in case you experience difficulties with the system. If your agency does not use GrantSolutions, you may submit your application through Grants.gov.

Who announces the awards? The Service Director approves awards based on ranking criteria published annually in this announcement. CI Headquarters publishes a national media release announcing the awards. The CI Regional Office uses GrantSolutions to notify recipients of an award.

What must be done during the period of performance if a change in objectives or approach is needed? The CI Regional Office determines whether proposed changes may be allowed.

Because this is a competitive program, each application is judged to be complete with all costs needed to accomplish the proposed objectives. Typically, you must still meet your original objectives, and the resulting benefits must be equivalent or greater. If you cannot complete the approved objectives, the award is terminated and unexpended funds revert to the Service. You must submit a final report within 90 days of the termination date. We may require that you repay expended funds if the final financial status and performance reports indicate that you did not achieve any portion of your objectives.

Who has the authority to terminate an award? Awards may be terminated by the Service Director or by mutual agreement of your agency director and CI Regional Manager.

What is included within the 15-page limit for the Project Narrative, and what is not?

Included: narrative text, any graphs or tables within the text, location description, project leader information, responses to ranking criteria, and any other information necessary for project scoring. Not included: Federal forms, project abstract summary, budget and budget narrative, separately attached maps, photos, diagrams, drawings, citations, appendices, or letters of commitment, and any statements pertaining to indirect costs, audits, overlap/duplication, lobbying, or conflict of interest.

Is there a page limit for my entire application? Please limit your application to 50 pages. Any additional information beyond 50 pages may not be considered when reviewing your application or your application may be rejected.

What resources are available to help with project design and proposal development? You may benefit from information in the report, Measuring the Effectiveness of State Wildlife Grants (AFWA, 2011). See CI's Standard Project Statement Wiki for example Project Narratives.

Contact your CI Regional Office if you need assistance or more information.

Ranking criteria provide extra points for certain classes such as amphibians. Are projects targeting birds, mammals, and fish still eligible? Yes, any project targeting an animal SGCN, another animal species impacted by an emerging issue, or a species you are evaluating for potential designation as an SGCN is eligible.

Is student tuition an eligible cost? Yes. Tuition remission and other forms of compensation paid as, in addition to, or in lieu of wages to students performing necessary work are allowable, provided that compensation meets the criteria in 2 CFR 200.466. Costs for student compensation should be clearly justified by including a cost analysis comparing alternative hiring arrangements such as hiring seasonal staff. Your justification must also demonstrate that the compensation plan is the most cost-effective option for meeting project objectives. Your cost analysis should provide justification for all related tuition costs, including any stipends that students may be receiving in addition to tuition remission.

Are pre-award costs eligible? Yes. Pre-award costs are those incurred prior to the effective date of your award that are necessary for efficient and timely performance of proposed activities.

Such costs may be eligible for reimbursement or use as match with written approval from your CI Regional Office. Pre-award costs are generally limited to those that are directly pursuant to the negotiation and in anticipation of the pending award, and they must be otherwise allowable if they were incurred after the date of the Federal award (2 CFR 200.458). Costs from a previous project do not meet the criteria for eligible pre-award costs because they are not directly pursuant to the negotiation and in anticipation of the pending award.

Are costs related to education/outreach or law enforcement eligible? Yes, with limitations.

The activities must constitute a minor portion of a project and be necessary for completing your objectives. These costs may not exceed 10 percent of the total project cost. Examples include an activity intended to increase the public’s knowledge or understanding of wildlife, instruction in wildlife conservation and management, or distribution of educational materials. The limit also applies to costs for providing general information to the public about conservation and management programs, actions, or activities (517 FW 10.13). Activities identified under the TRACS Technical Assistance strategy are not subject to this limit.

Buy America Preferences for Infrastructure Projects

This program has Federal funding for infrastructure projects. Buy America preferences apply to Federal awards for infrastructure projects in the United States. Reference 2 CFR Part 184 - Buy America Preferences for Infrastructure Project for further guidance.

More information: https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/FWS-Buy-America- Preference-for-Infrastructure.pdf

Legislative Authority Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Public Law 118-42 (H.R. 4366, 118th Cong., Div. E, Title I) and prior-year appropriations acts. The Fiscal Year 2025 C-SWG Program appropriation was not confirmed at the time this announcement was published. The Antideficiency Act (31 https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/3815/2278/1426/FINAL_Effectiveness_Measures_report.pdf https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WSFR/Standard+Project+Statements https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.466 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.458 https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/517fw10 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-184 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-184 https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/FWS-Buy-America-Preference-for-Infrastructure.pdf https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/FWS-Buy-America-Preference-for-Infrastructure.pdf

U.S.C. § 1341) prohibits the Office of Conservation Investment from awarding or obligating program funds until authorized by Congress.

Type of Award Projects will be funded through:

Funding Instrument G (Grant)

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION

Applications Content and Format Application Documents Applicants must submit the following forms with their application as specified below.

Instructions for accessing and submitting application forms are provided in the Submission Instructions section of this document below. For instructions on completing form fields, see the form instructions on the Grants.gov Forms Repository.

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance Note: For applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Representative’s signature (or electronic equivalent) on the Application for Federal Assistance form also represents their certification of the statements in Appendix A to 43 CFR 18-Certification Regarding Lobbying

Required from all applicants

SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

Required for non-construction projects

SF-424C: Budget Information – Construction Programs Required for construction projects

SF-429 (Cover Page & Attachment B), Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish Real Property Note: The SF-429 forms are only available in the Grants.gov Forms Repository. Applicants must download the form and include the completed form as an application attachment.

Required if requesting to acquire, improve, or furnish real property.

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Required if requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funds and the applicant has used or plans to use funds other than Federal appropriated funds for lobbying related to the proposed project.

Project Abstract Summary (OMB 4040-0019). Must include, in plain language:

• Award purpose, Required from all applicants https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository.html https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18#Appendix-A-to-Part-18 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18#Appendix-A-to-Part-18 https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository.html

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement

• Activities to be performed,

• Expected deliverables or outcomes,

• Intended beneficiaries, Subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award) Budget Narrative Required from all applicants

Project Narrative Your Project Narrative must include all the information necessary for us to review and score your application, as detailed in this section. Note that certain requirements that apply only to the C-SWG Program or the Plan Enhancement Subprogram are clearly identified. Separate criteria used to score your application for the C-SWG Program and the Plan Enhancement Subprogram are included in the “Merit Review” section of this announcement. Within your Project Narrative, identify your response to each criterion. For example, at the conclusion of the sentence or paragraph in which you describe your project objective(s), add “(Criterion Three)” or “(C3)” so reviewers can easily locate your responses. Alternatively, you may provide a table showing each criterion and page number(s) where you provide your responses.

Need: Identify the need for the proposed project within the purpose of the C-SWG Program or Plan Enhancement Subprogram. Your statement of need should address all the following subelements:

For C-SWG Program applicants only, identify at least one targeted SGCN that will benefit from your proposed conservation actions, and describe the need for conservation actions to address it/them. Provide references with page numbers to the Plans of all partnering fish and wildlife agencies demonstrating that your project objective(s) are documented as needs and align with Plan actions for targeted SGCN. If your Plan is only available online, provide one or more links to the online Plan and include the full URL. Identify any species named in the Service’s National Domestic Listing Workplan that you expect will benefit from your proposed conservation activities; and

For C-SWG Program applicants only, provide baseline data and information, as available, on the current status and condition of targeted SGCN and/or habitats.

For Enhancement Subprogram applicants only, identify the theme, and explain and justify the need for your proposed Plan modifications. Describe how the modifications will substantially improve your Plan. Emphasize and explain modifications that are urgent or time-sensitive, if applicable. Include a citation or link to the Plan or Plans to be addressed in your project. You do not need to identify targeted SGCN/habitats.

Objectives: The Service created Standard Objectives to document accomplishments consistent with the C-SWG Program’s authorizing legislation and related policy and guidance. You must use one or more of the Standard Objectives in the TRACS Performance Matrix. Note that Standard Objectives are grouped by “Strategy,” contain quantifiable units of measure, and some contain specific activities that you must identify. An example in the Standard Objective format is:

https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-05/national-domestic-listing-workplan-2024.pdf https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-05/national-domestic-listing-workplan-2024.pdf https://wsfrtraining.fws.gov/pluginfile.php/406/mod_page/content/280/TRACS%20Performance%20Matrix_V21%2007032024.pdf

“Conduct 4 investigations on Oregon Spotted Frog by 12/31/2026” Strategy: Research, Survey, Data Collection and Analysis Objective: Conduct Investigations Unit of Measure: Number of Investigations Activities: Fish and Wildlife Species Data Acquisition & Analysis Target Species: Oregon Spotted Frog

CI’s Training Portal contains TRACS resources and job aids and example project statements that utilize Standard Objectives. We encourage you to work with your CI Regional Office in advance if you have questions about the use of Standard Objectives in your Project Narrative.

For multi-state projects only: if you are using administrative Option 2 (separate awards to fish and wildlife agency partners), be aware that you must identify separate objectives, or elements of objectives, for each award. Please develop your objectives with this in mind.

Approach: The approach identifies activities to be used in meeting your objectives, including specific procedures, methods, schedules or timelines, key personnel, and cooperators. Provide a description of your proposed actions in sufficient detail, so we can evaluate compliance needs for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the ESA, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Your approach should address all the following subelements:

1. Provide the name, work address, and work telephone number of the principal investigator(s). Do not attach résumés or curriculum vitae or include personal or sensitive information.

2. Describe relevant protocols and procedures with reference to applicable peer-reviewed literature, as…