Foa_Content_of_L21AS00235 Amended.pdf

Bureau of Land Management

ORSO - BLM Oregon State Office

L21AS00235

04/23/2021

Table of Contents A. Program Description

A1. Authority

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

B2. Expected Award Amount

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates

B4. Number of Awards

B5. Type of Award

B6. Additional Funding Information

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

C3. Other

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

D4. Submission Dates and Times

D5. Intergovernmental Review

D6. Funding Restrictions

D7. Other Submission Requirements

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

E2. Review and Selection Process

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F3. Reporting

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

G1. Program Technical Contact

G2. Program Administration Contact

G3. Application System Technical Support

H. Other Information

A. Program Description A1. Authority

SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF DETERMINATION ACT OF 2000,

Public Law 106-393 (16 U.S.C. 500) as amended by the “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021” (Public Law 116-94)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 15.234

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements Since 2000, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Program provides Federal funds to counties that traditionally have been supported by timber payments. These payments make up for the loss in timber payments caused by the decline in timber harvest on Federal lands that occurred in the 1990s. There are three separate “titles” under this legislation:

i. Title I – Secure Payments for States and Counties containing Federal Land

ii. Title II - Special Projects on Federal Land

iii. Title III – County Funds.

This opportunity is strictly for Title II funds of the Act, which are administered by the federal government and in this specific instance, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The purposes of this Act are (1) to stabilize and transition payments to counties to provide funding for schools and roads that supplements other available funds; (2) to make additional investments in, and create additional employment opportunities through, projects that - (A)(I) improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure, (ii) implement stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems; and (iii) restore and improve land health and water quality; (B) enjoy broad-based support; and (C) have objectives that may include - (i) road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration; (ii) soil productivity improvement; (iii) improvements in forest ecosystem health;(iv) watershed restoration and maintenance; (v) the restoration, maintenance, and improvement of wildlife and fish habitat;(vi) the control of noxious and exotic weeds; and

(vii) the reestablishment of native species; and (3) to improve cooperative relationships among -

(A) the people that use and care for Federal land; and (B) the agencies that manage the Federal land.

Title II funds are managed by Federal agencies. The Act defines a wide variety of activities occurring on Federal or private land that can be accomplished with Title II funds. However, the project must benefit Federal lands (defined as O&C and/or Coos Bay Wagon Road land or National Forest lands/resources or resources. A fifteen-member Resource Advisory Committee

(RAC) representative of three distinctive categories, appointed by the Secretary of Interior, reviews the project applications and recommends to the Secretary, or designee, which projects should be funded. More often than not, the designee for the Secretary is known as the BLM Designated Federal Officer (DFO), which is often a BLM District Manager unless otherwise noted.

This program continues to advance the Administration’s priorities to create a conservation stewardship legacy while generating revenue and utilizing our natural resources. BLM’s continued commitment to reduce and streamline its processes and procedures to serve its customers and the public better and faster across all its program areas. These reforms allow the Bureau to realign time and resources to completing important on–the-groundwork.

Program Strategic Goals: BLM has an opportunity to work with a partner organization and enjoy broad-based support through the Secure Rural Schools Act, Title II program including but not limited to the following types of activities:

Road and Trail Maintenance

Increase and enhance access to public lands and waters.

Increase and enhance hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities.

Increase and enhance recreational shooting opportunities.

Improve inventory, assessment and planning on public lands and waters.

Improve management, administration, and monitoring of public lands and waters.

Provide enriched visitor services, information, interpretation and education.

Enhance community-supported partnerships in tourism and marketing.

Protect visitor health and safety.

Improve motorized and non-motorized trails including trail construction and maintenance, comprehensive travel and transportation inventory and assessment, planning management and monitoring.

Forest Health Improvement; Watershed Restoration & Maintenance; Soil Productivity Improvement and Control of Noxious Weeds

Inventorying and documenting locations of noxious weeds and other invasive species.

Using an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM) approach to determine the most effective method of weed control (herbicides, grazing, mechanical removal etc.).

Selecting the most effective and targeted herbicide for treatment.

Stabilization and rehabilitation of disturbed areas.

Implementation and monitoring of weed control and site rehabilitation measures.

Conducting post treatment monitoring to determine effectiveness.

Prioritization and treatment of target undesirable plant species or groups of species to be controlled or contained within a specific geographic area.

Monitoring and evaluation of treatments, site rehabilitation, outreach activities and integrated weed management strategies to determine rate of success and to inform future efforts.

Development and dissemination of public education and outreach activities and materials.

Promoting public engagement and learning opportunities, through resources education and outreach programs, events, and products.

Adaptive management for controlling new weed species and use of new and approved treatments.

Improve forest health and resilience to wildfires, insects, disease, and drought.

Sustainable harvest of forests and woodlands to produce a continuous supply of wood products and biomass for renewable energy.

Salvage dead and dying timber to reduce fuels, in balance with the need for wildlife habitat, watershed function, and soil stability, while supporting local economies.

Commercial and personal use opportunities to harvest products such as firewood, Christmas trees, boughs, greenery, medicinal plants, fence posts, and pinyon pine nuts from forests and woodlands.

Forest and watershed restoration services carried out on Federal land, non-Federal land.

Fish Habitat Restoration; Wildlife Habitat Restoration; Reestablish Native Species and Conservation Education

Development and/or implementation of watershed management plans.

Increased local capacity to protect and enhance aquatic habitat, water quality, promote water conservation, and sustain the present health of the watershed.

Improvements in the resiliency of ecosystems, communities, and economies in the watershed.

Improvements in the hydraulic and geomorphic conditions of streams.

Removal of invasive plants and animals to enhance fish habitat, water quality and the physical characteristics of the stream.

Inventory, modernize and/or develop infrastructure such as culverts and diversion structures in order to improve fish and other aquatic organism passage.

Provide a forum for enhanced communication among diverse stakeholder groups along the watershed.

Conserve and enhance aquatic and riparian habitats for native and desired non-native species.

Provide resources for recreational and subsistence fishing opportunities including increasing public access and infrastructure, such as fishing piers, for public enjoyment and outreach, education and job mentoring activities for youth, families, and veterans.

Protect and stabilize both lotic and lentic aquatic and riparian habitats.

Implement projects to reduce erosion, salinity and sediments.

Collect and analyze water resources data needed to maintain, protect and restore water resources effectively.

Inventory, assess, monitor, and improve aquatic, riparian, and wetland habitat quality and quantity.

Address the immediate threats from aquatic invasive species, including quagga and zebra mussels.

Influencing water temperature or improving the timing or volume of available flows at particular locations to improve aquatic conditions.

Monitor surface and groundwater quality.

Conduct baseline inventories and assessments critical to many public land uses and ongoing monitoring programs.

Engage citizen-scientists and students in monitoring and directed research of various

BLM dependent aquatic and riparian species and their habitats.

Develop and assist with Bureau aquatic invasive programs including: mapping, control, prevention, education, data analysis, ecological modeling and risk assessments, biosecurity, eDNA surveillance, etc.

Restoring or improving acres of wildlife habitat or reducing threats to habitat or species;

Completing wildlife projects to further wildlife conservation (e.g., water developments, wildlife-friendly fence modifications, etc.);

Monitoring and inventorying wildlife populations and habitats;

Assessing wildlife habitat and verifying the achievement of resource management goals and objectives;

Performing outreach/education projects to facilitate wildlife stewardship and conservation;

Protecting, preserving, and restoring various wildlife populations residing on BLM in coordination and collaboration with state agencies and the FWS;

Increasing public knowledge of wildlife depending on BLM in some or all of their life cycle;

Increasing public awareness of the value of wildlife that depend on BLM managed public lands habitats;

Providing complete, current and accurate information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat of wildlife that depend on BLM managed public lands to increase professional and public knowledge and understanding of these resources;

Engaging citizen-scientists and students in monitoring and directed research of various BLM dependent species, and their habitats;

Collecting data and other information to assess threats to wildlife populations dependent on BLM public lands.

Conserve and recover federally-listed and Bureau Sensitive Species;

Increase public knowledge of BLM Special Status species;

Increase public awareness and understanding of BLM Special Status species and their habitats on public and private lands;

Provide complete, current and accurate information on the distribution and abundance of

BLM Special Status species and their habitats to increase professional and public knowledge and understanding of these resources;

Engage citizen-scientists and students in monitoring and directed research of various BLM Special Status species and their habitats;

Collect data and other information to assess threats and species/habitat responses to proactive conservation and recovery efforts for BLM Special Status Species.

Fuels Management/Prevention

Accomplish Fuels Management Activities on federal and non-federal land.

Develop and implement fire education, training, and/or community action plans/programs Conduct Community Wildfire Protection Assessment and planning activities Develop and Implement short and long term Monitoring and Maintenance Plans for hazardous fuels reduction, community fire education and training, and community action programs.

All Federal laws, policies, and BLM Manuals, etc. are applicable to this program, such as (but not limited to):

1. Endangered Species Act, 16 USC 1535, PL 93-205, Section 6 as amended by PL 97-

304. Section 1535.

2. Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, 16 USC § 6805(a

3. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – BLM Handbook 1790-1

4. PL 104-208, Section 124 (Wyden Amendment)

5. Clean Water Act FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT, as amended through P.L. 107–303, November 27, 2002

All awards under this funding opportunity must benefit the general public

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding Estimated Total Funding $ 3,100,000

B2. Expected Award Amount Maximum Award $ 100,000 Minimum Award $ 20,000

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates Projects funded through this NOFO will start once funding is secured and awards issued.

Agreements are not effective until fully executed with signature from the BLM Grants Management Officer (GMO).

Agreement terms for funded projects are estimated to range between one and five years and are determined based on the period of performance as stated on the project proposal.

Projects cannot be funded for more than a three-year period.

B4. Number of Awards Anticipated Number of Awards The actual number of awards will depend on the number of meritorious applications and the availability of appropriated funds. Awards will be based out of district or field offices where the project occur.

B5. Type of Award Funding Instrument Type CA - Cooperative Agreement Award cannot be finalized, until awardee completes their enrollment in the Department of the Treasury, ASAP System. See following website: http://www.fms.treas.gov/asap.

If your organization is not enrolled in ASAP, contact the GMO in Section G2. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts of this funding opportunity.

The recipient should expect Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have substantial involvement in the project. Substantial involvement may include, but not be limited to, such things as:

Joint collaboration between the BLM and recipient in carrying out management, development, implementation, and evaluation of the proposed work.

Training of recipient personnel.

Review and approval by the BLM of one stage of work prior to the start of the next stage.

Review and approval by the BLM of modifications or sub-awards prior to their award.

Participation in selecting recipient project staff.

Directing or redirecting of recipient work by the BLM because of relationships to other projects.

Ability to immediately halt work because of failure to meet agreement objectives; and Close monitoring and/or operational involvement in the proposed work.

B6. Additional Funding Information Funding for projects is not guaranteed and is subject to the availability of funds. Evaluation of proposals is based on the criterion in this NOFO. In appropriate circumstances, BLM reserves the right to partially fund proposals in discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If BLM chooses to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process. Funded proposals through this competitive NOFO is not a guarantee of future funding.

When or if additional funding becomes available, BLM reserves the right to issue additional awards under this NOFO through the next fiscal year. These awards will not require further competition. Any additional selections will be made in accordance with the terms of this NOFO and BLM policy. Only Grants Management Officers can bind the Federal Government to the expenditure of funds.

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Applicants 20 – Private institutions of higher education 21 – Individuals 13 – Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education 12 – Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education 11 – Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) 08 – Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities 07 – Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) 06 – Public and State controlled institutions of higher education 05 – Independent school districts 04 – Special district governments 02 – City or township governments 01 – County governments 00 – State governments Additional Information on Eligibility For-Profit Organizations are not eligible to apply for awards under this NOFO

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement No Percentage of Cost Sharing / Matching

C3. Other Excluded Parties: BLM conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The Bureau cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package This NOFO includes all information, documents, and electronic addresses needed to submit an application through www.Grants.gov. Paper copies may be requested by contacting Shelli Timmons at srtimmons@blm.gov.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

DO NOT MERGE INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS INTO A SINGLE PDF FILE

1. Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance

Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, must be complete, and signed and dated. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box, and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see the “Budget Narrative” section below).

2. SF-424(A or C), Budget Information

Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form. Complete either the SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs or the SF-424C, Budget Information for Construction Programs, as applicable to your project. BLM does not normally fund construction projects, so contact the BLM program expert prior to submitting your project. All required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. Please note: Show funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other Federal sources of funding. In the “Budget Summary” section, use the first row for funding requested from this Federal program. Use subsequent row(s) for other Federal funding. Enter each Federal program’s CFDA number(s) in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number(s) for this Federal program appears on the first page of this Funding Opportunity.

3. SF 424(B & D), Assurances

NOTE: In accordance with Office of Management and Budget Memo, M-18-24, dated September 5, 2018, these forms are optional through January 1, 2020. At this time, your assurances statements will be maintained in your SAM registrations.

4. Project Proposal

(Suggested format, Attachment A Project Proposal template may be used when submitting your proposal.) The project proposal must be no longer than 15 pages, with a typeface no smaller than 11-point, and have at least one (1) inch margins on all sides. The 15-page limit includes all text, figures, references, and vitae, but does not include the Budget Detail (Attachment B).

Application narrative requirements may include:

Project title

Statement of need Goals and objectives Public and program interest of the BLM Activities Methods Timetable or milestones Information to support environmental compliance review requirements. (NOTE:

Projects under wildlife management, the native plant program, threatened and endangered species habitat conservation - the narrative should provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973)

Description of stakeholder coordination or involvement Required project monitoring and evaluation plan, including how you will measure project performance and assessment tools to be used Information on key project personnel Anticipated future funding needs Details and supporting documentation on the project location Other program or project-specific narrative requirements

All proposals are confidential.

5. Budget Detail and Narrative (Attachment B- Suggested Format)

Describe and justify requested budget items and costs. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Information, Object Class Category totals were determined. For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of time. Describe any item of cost that requires prior approval under the Federal cost principles. See 2 CFR 200.407 “Prior written approval (prior approval)” for more information. If equipment purchased previously with Federal funds is available for the project, provide a list of that equipment and identify the Federal funding source. Include detailed descriptions of all cost justifications (see BLM’s suggested format Attachment B for more detail). Additionally, provide any cost sharing and matching funds in the same level of detail as the federal funds. The budget narrative submitted with the application must match the dollar amounts on all required forms.

Budget items must be reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary to the supported activity. Refer to 2 CFR §200, for applicable administrative requirements and cost principles.

If your proposal period of performance is for multi-year or multiple year funding, you must provide a budget and budget justification for the full amount of the project. Show each year in a separate column on the SF-424A and use a separate column for listing any matching funds. Applicants must ensure that no Federal or non-Federal grant funds will be expended for in-kind goods or services, for purposes of providing transportation, travel, and other expenses for any Federal employee.

NOTE: Budget Detail and Narrative form (Attachment B) is a suggested format to present the breakdown of your estimated costs, by category, needed to accomplish project activities. If you elect to use a different format, all information requested on Attachment B must be included. Estimated costs must be documented in sufficient detail to determine reasonableness. Include a description of any cost share (cash, in-kind, etc.) listed.

Additionally, for multi-year budgets, please describe in your budget detail justification any items to be purchased or expended that may be specific to a particular year of the proposed project.

Lump sum costs are not acceptable in any category, without a detailed breakdown of how the cost were determined. Profit or fees are not allowable.

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

(a) Applicability.

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

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

(b) Notification.

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

(2) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by subrecipients.

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

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

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

Single Audit Reporting Statement All U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit

Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized Indian tribal government, and non-profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Official’s signature on the appropriate SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form also represents the entity’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Applicants and recipients must not use any federally appropriated funds (annually appropriated or continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a Federal award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any U.S. agency, a Member of the U.S. Congress, an officer or employee of the U.S. Congress, or an employee of a Member of the U.S. Congress connection with the award. Applicants and recipients must complete and submit the SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”form if the Federal share of the proposal or award is more than $100,000 and the applicant or recipient has made or has agreed to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with the application or award. The SF-LLL form is available with this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement

Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”.

If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regards to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. When overlap exists, your statement must end with “We understand that if at any time we receive funding from another source that is duplicative of the funding we are requesting from the Bureau of Land Management in this application, we will immediately notify the Bureau of Land Management point of contact identified in this Funding Opportunity in writing.”

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration: This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate) or any entity with an exception approved by the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet and then register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application. Federal award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. We may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. There is no cost to register with Dun & Bradstreet or SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with Dun & Bradstreet and SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free.

Obtain a DUNS Number

Request a DUNS Number through the Dun & Bradstreet website. For technical difficulties, send an email to the D&B SAM Help Desk. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com. The Grants.gov “Obtain a DUNS Number” webpage also provides detailed instructions. Once assigned a DUNS number, your organization must maintain up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants must enter their DUNS number in the “Organizational DUNS” field on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form.

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM)

Register on the SAM.gov website. “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov Register with SAM page also provides detailed instructions. You can also contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been to the entity’s DUNS or IRS information.

D4. Submission Dates and Times BLM requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. Grants.gov automatically generates an electronic date and time stamp in the system upon application receipt.

Grants.gov sends an acknowledgement of receipt with the date and time stamp and a unique Grants.gov application tracking number to the authorized representative by email. This email from Grants.gov serves as your proof of timely submission.

Due Date for Applications 04/23/2021 Application Due Date Explanation

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 12:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due dates.

Open from December 23, 2020 – April 23, 2021 12:00 PM EST

Round One – Applications Due: February 23, 2021 12:00 PM EST

Round Two – Applications Due: April 23, 2021 12:00 PM EST

Applications must be submitted in English.

Late applications will not be accepted or reviewed.

D5. Intergovernmental Review Prior to application submission, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the OMB Office of Federal Financial Management website and view the “State Point of Contact (SPOC) List” to determine whether their application is subject to the state intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

States not on the list do not participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are located within a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency. If your state is on the list, contact the designated entity for more information on the state’s prior review requirements for Federal assistance applications.

D6. Funding Restrictions Any partners submitting a construction, reconstruction, repair, or restoration of paved or permanent roads or parking area projects under the Good Neighbor Authority - 16 USC §2113a

(b) (1) (A) are not allowed under this program.

Any Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network partners submitting a project is subject to the CESU indirect cost rate cap (currently 17.5%).

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

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

Required Indirect Cost Statement to be submitted with Application All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application, and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

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

A U.S. state or local government entity receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We have prepared and will retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation.

A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, do not use this statement] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. [Insert either:

“Attached is a copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement. 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.” or “Attached is a copy of our current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.”]

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date.

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is lower than 10%. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate; must be lower than 10%]. However, if we receive an award 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 indirect cost rate of [insert rate; must be lower than 10%] against [insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against modified total direct costs as defined in §2 CFR 200.68]. We understand that we must notify BLM in writing if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher. Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, if we receive an award 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% to be charged against modified total direct project costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.68. We understand that we must notify BLM in writing if we establish a negotiated rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by BLM.

A [insert your organization type] that is submitting this proposal for consideration under the “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”, which has a Department of the Interior-approved indirect cost rate cap of 17.5%. If we have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must apply this reduced rate against the same direct cost base as identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement per 2 CFR §1402.414. If we do not have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must charge indirect costs against the modified total direct cost base defined in 2 CFR §200.68 “Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)”. We understand that we must request prior approval from BLM to use the 2 CFR 200 MTDC base instead of the base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. We understand that BLM approval of such a request will be based on: 1) a determination that our approved base is only a subset of the MTDC (such as salaries and wages); and 2) that use of the MTDC base will still result in a reduction of the total indirect costs to be charged to the award. In accordance with 2 CFR §200.405, we understand that indirect costs not recovered due to a voluntary reduction to our federally negotiated rate are not allowable for recovery via any other means.

A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.

D7. Other Submission Requirements BLM requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. Grants.gov automatically generates an electronic date and time stamp in the system upon application receipt.

Grants.gov sends an acknowledgement of receipt with the date and time stamp and a unique Grants.gov application tracking number to the authorized representative by email. This email from Grants.gov serves as your proof of timely submission.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria Merit Review Criteria Maximum Points: 0 Applications eligible for merit review will be evaluated by an ad hoc evaluation team assembled to review, rate, rank, and recommend applications for award using the below evaluation criteria.

Evaluation teams are made up of two or more qualified personnel familiar with the program and certified to have no conflict of interest with any persons or organizations applying for award.

Reviews are handled as confidential documents. Once award decisions are made, applicants may request in writing a written summary of the evaluation of their application/proposal.

Proposals will be evaluated, scored, and ranked by appropriate BLM Staff expert in the program's field of study.

Projects then will be referred to the appropriate RAC for review and final recommendation to the Secretary of Interior (or as delegated to the Designated Federal Officer ( DFO) at the BLM) for funding.

The Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals which do not meet the requirements of this funding opportunity announcement and which are determined to be outside the scope of the authority under which this announcement is posted.

Project must assist BLM in meeting one or more of the Department of Interior priorities.

Award will be made to responsive, responsible applicants submitting proposals, which conform to the funding opportunity announcement and are most advantageous to the Government considering the evaluation factors listed below.

First Level Screening --Basic Eligibility

Applications will be screened by the Grants Management Officer to ensure that applications meet basic eligibility requirements. Depending on the specifics of the opportunity, screening may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Submission is timely;

Program and/or legislative authority requirements are met; and Complete and properly executed required application package documents (Section IV. B.

10 APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION) are included

Applications must satisfy basic eligibility screening requirements to be considered for further review.

Second Level Evaluation -- Merit Review Evaluation

Eligible applications will be evaluated in an objective and unbiased manner using the following merit review criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated on strengths or weaknesses for each merit review criterion and rated “Exceeds” “Meets” or “Does not meet” expectations with highest importance on Public Benefit.

Each of these ratings is defined as follows:

Exceeds – The proposal exceeds the criteria factors without any deficiencies.

Meets – The proposal meets criteria factors with few, or only minor, deficiencies.

Does not meet – The proposal does not meet the criteria factors, or there are significant deficiencies identified.

APPLICANT STATEMENT OF NEED

Mission and objectives, including what the project is expected to achieve and how it relates to Recreation and Visitor Services Objectives of the project DOI priorities met

APPLICANT TECHNICAL APPROACH

Development and management plans Techniques, processes, and methodologies Data collection, analysis, and means of interpretation Significant anticipated accomplishments Clear milestones and measurement criteria Tasks to be performed by other partner organizations, subrecipients, contractors and/or consultants Environmental compliance plan Project monitoring and evaluation plan including monitoring of subrecipients, contractors, consultants, volunteers, etc.

How project performance will be measured and assessment tools to be used Measurable expected outcomes

PUBLIC BENEFIT AND PROGRAM INTEREST OF THE BLM

Direct Public Benefit Projects in which the BLM receive the indirect benefit of conservation activities.

APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS/PAST PERFORMANCE

Key project personnel experience and qualifications Stakeholder coordination or involvement Qualifications of any contractors, subrecipients and/or consultants Experience with federally funded assistance agreements within the last three to five years Similar successfully completed projects Unique qualifications

LEVERAGING OF RESOURCES

(Will be considered in the review process as a tiebreaker among applications with equivalent scores after evaluation against all other factors) A proposal that demonstrates effective partnerships to share resources and expertise.

Third Level Review Pre-award Clearance and Budget Approvals Third Level Review is actually the RAC recommendation process – identified earlier in this NOFO/FOA. Then the Fourth Level Review is the Pre-award Clearance and Budget Approvals.

Prior to award, the BLM will evaluate the risk posed by applicants as required in 2 CFR

200.205. BLM programs document applicant risk evaluations using the DOI “Financial Assistance Recipient Risk Assessment” form. Prior to approving awards, the BLM is required to review and consider any information about or from the applicant found in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System. The BLM will consider this information when completing the risk review. The BLM uses the results of the risk evaluation to establish monitoring plans, recipient reporting frequency requirements, and to determine if one or more of the specific award conditions in 2 CFR 200.207 should be applied the award.

If the results of all pre-award reviews and clearances are satisfactory, an award of funding will be made once the agreement is finalized. If the BLM determines that a Federal award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the Federal award

Budget review is based on the following:

Budget line items must be allowable, allocable, reasonable in price, and appropriate for the level of effort needed to accomplish the project

Budget details and narrative must provide adequate explanation of, and justification for, each estimated cost.

Requested equipment must be justified and necessary for completion of the project Cost Sharing/Matching funds must not come from Federal funds

Final Review of Selected Applicants:

Final review will be by Designated Federal Officer (DFO) to determine if the selected proposed project (s) are in line with DOI and BLM current priorities. This process may take a few months to finalize.

E2. Review and Selection Process Prior to award, the program will review any applicant statement regarding potential overlap or duplication between the project to be funded and any other funded or proposed project in terms of activities, funding, or time commitment of key personnel. Depending on the circumstances, the program may request modification to the application, other pending applications, or an active award, as needed to eliminate any duplication of effort, or the Bureau may choose not to fund the selected project.

The BLM may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the Bureau is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Prior to award, the program will evaluate the risk posed by applicants as required in 2 CFR

200.205. Programs document applicant risk evaluations using the Bureau’s “Financial Assistance Recipient Risk Assessment” form. Prior to approving awards for Federal funding in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), the Bureau is required to review and consider any information about or from the applicant found in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System. The Bureau will consider this information when completing the risk review. The Bureau uses the results of the risk evaluation to establish monitoring plans, recipient reporting frequency requirements, and to determine if one or more of the specific award conditions in 2 CFR 200.207 should be applied the award.

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information See the BLM’s General Award Terms and Conditions for the general administrative and national policy requirements applicable to BLM awards. The BLM will communicate any other program- or project-specific special terms and conditions to recipients in their notices of award.

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates Projects funded through this Notice of Funding Opportunity will start once funding is secured and awards issued. Agreements are not effective until fully executed with signature from the BLM Grants Management Officer (GMO).

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices Awards are based on the application submitted to, and approved by, the BLM 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 duration of an agreement is based on the period of performance as stated on the project proposal.

Recipient will be notified by the certifying Grants Management Officer via email…