FY18 TWG NOFO_FINAL_PRISM_Extend to 9-29-17.pdf

OMB Control Number: [1018-0109] Expiration Date: [11/30/2018]

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement. We are collecting this information in accordance with Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113). Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to conduct a competitive review and select projects for funding. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We estimate that it will take applicants under this program about 37 hours to complete an application. We estimate it will take recipients under this program about 3 hours to complete required reporting and 8 hours for required recordkeeping. All burden estimates include the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather data needed and complete and review the submission. You may send comments on the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native American Programs and Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

Tribal Wildlife Grants Program Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.639

Funding Opportunity Number: F17AS00211

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Dates: Grant application packages for fiscal year (FY) 2018 must be submitted to the appropriate Regional Office (see table on pages 12 and 13) no later than *September 29, 2017 (*Note: the previous application closing date of September 1, 2017, for FY 2018 Tribal Wildlife Grants, was extended to September 29, 2017, because the FY 17 Tribal Wildlife Grants Awards announcement occurred much later than anticipated.).

I. Description of Funding Opportunity Background: The Tribal Wildlife Grants (TWG) Program is part of a program providing wildlife conservation grants (known as the State Wildlife Grants Program) to States and to the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Tribes under provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, for the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat and species of Tribal cultural or traditional importance, including species that are not hunted or fished. TWG originates from the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Pub. L. 107-63), when Congress first specified that the Service use a portion of the funds under the State Wildlife Grants Program to establish a competitive grant program available to federally recognized Tribes.

This language allows the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), to establish a separate competitive Tribal grant program, known as TWG, which would not be subject to the provisions of the formula-based State Wildlife Grant Program, or other requirements of the State Wildlife Grant Program portion.

Eligible Projects: Projects that initiate, develop or implement activities or programs that benefit wildlife and their habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished. Activities may include, but are not limited to:

● Planning for conservation of fish and wildlife, and their habitats

● Conservation management actions for fish and wildlife, and their habitats

● Field and laboratory research related to fish and wildlife resources

● Natural history studies

● Fish passage

● Habitat mapping or evaluation

● Field surveys and population monitoring

● Conservation easements

● Restoration of habitat

● Management of invasive species

● Public education relevant to the proposed project

Applicants are encouraged to work with Service staff in developing proposal applications and should address all scoring criteria listed below in section VI.

Additional information about the Tribal Wildlife Grants Program is on the web at http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/grants.html.

Since its inception in 2003, the competitive Tribal Wildlife Grants Program has awarded more than $76 million to Native American Tribes, providing support for more than 445 conservation projects. In fiscal year 2016, 104 proposals were received and 29 awards issued; in fiscal year 2017, 74 proposals were received and 25 awards were issued; and, in fiscal year 2018, an estimated 110-130 proposals are expected to be received and about 20-30 awards are expected to be issued.

If you do not have access to the Internet and would like to receive information by mail, contact the Service point of contact identified in the Agency Contacts section below.

II. Award Information

A. Competitive Grants: The TWG Program is funded through annual appropriations of Congress. There is no assurance that it will be funded this year or in subsequent years.

Congress may appropriate an estimated $4 million for the FY 2018 TWG Program. In anticipation of potential funding, the Service requests applications for competitive grants.

B. Funding Limitations:

a. The Service will award grants up to a maximum of $200,000 for a single project.

There is no grant award minimum.

C. Funding Restrictions:

a. Under certain conditions, TWG funds may be used to fund public education and law enforcement activities. In order for an education or law enforcement objectives to be eligible for TWG funding, these activities must constitute a minor portion of a grant’s project, and must be critical to the project’s success. “Minor” is considered no more than 10 percent of a project’s cost.

b. TWG funds may be used to conduct environmental reviews, habitat evaluations, permit reviews related to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and other environmental compliance activities only when they are directly related to the proposed project and are indicated in the proposal application.

c. Generally, only expenses incurred and budgeted during the grant period are reimbursable; the grant period begins with the effective date established at the time the grant is approved. However, a Tribe may request reimbursement for pre-award costs for certain necessary expenses detailed in the grant. Pre-award costs are those incurred prior to the effective date of the award where such costs are necessary to comply with the proposed delivery schedule or period of performance. Such costs are allowable only if the grant is awarded and only to the extent that they would have been allowable if incurred after the date of the award and only with the written approval of the awarding agency (2 CFR 200.458).

d. TWG funds cannot be used to conduct activities to comply with a Biological Opinion or for mitigating fish and wildlife habitat losses, where the obligation to mitigate is incurred by another Federal agency, State agency, or private entity; nor may the value of property purchased with TWG Program funds be used for similar purposes..

However, TWG funds can be used to implement conservation recommendations.

e. Projects may be proposed on lands other than those that are held in Tribal trust status.

For projects that propose to conduct work off of trust lands, the Service requires assurance that, if awarded, the recipient has permission to conduct the activities proposed through a contract with the landowner. A contract would not be required where a Tribe retains treaty rights so long as the proposed activities are pursuant to those treaty rights.

f. In-kind/outside contributions and partnerships are not required. However, projects that include in-kind/outside contributions, or partnerships may score higher in the ranking process. Any partners providing funds or in-kind services must be listed in the proposal with a letter of support or commitment from each.

g. Proposals should be written for the shortest duration needed to accomplish project objectives. Grants may be extended if necessary. A project proposal that is a part of a longer-term initiative will be considered but the objectives, benefits, and tasks of the proposed project must stand on its own merits, as there are no assurances that additional funding will be awarded in future years for associated or complementary projects.

h. TWG appropriated funds cannot be used for land acquisition.

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants: Eligibility is limited to federally recognized Tribal governments listed in the current Federal Register Notice of Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is the official listing of all federally recognized tribes in the U.S. pursuant to Section 104 under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-454; 108 Stat. 4791-4792). The most recent Notice was published in the Federal Register, 81, FR 5019 (January 29, 2016), Tribal organizations and other entities may participate as sub-grantees or contractors to federally recognized Tribes. This http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl information is available at http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/ under the heading Tribal Leaders Directory.

Applicant Tribes must bring all administrative and fiscal reporting for open TWG grants up to date in order to be eligible to apply for new funds. Applicants will be notified within five business days upon receiving proposals noting any outstanding reporting issues that need to be addressed. Tribes will then have thirty days to bring these grants into compliance. Proposals from Tribes that have not brought past due reports (e.g., interim or final performance reports, or interim or final financial status reports) up to date in this 30-day period will be found ineligible and excluded from further consideration in the FY 2018 TWG cycle.

When an applicant is carrying two or more active TWG projects while applying for another, the Service has an administrative obligation to verify that there are no correctable problems in implementing the existing awards. The Service will review the reasons why those grants are still open before proceeding with further consideration. Tribes that demonstrate their effective use of TWG funds will not be affected. Tribes that have taken no significant action on any one of their two or more preexisting awards will not be considered eligible to apply for new TWG funds until the problem is resolved. Possible resolutions might be for the Tribe to demonstrate progress in the agreed upon activities of an inactive grant, demonstrate that the assertion of “no action” is incorrect, or the Tribe may cancel the grant so that the obligated funds may be recovered and made available to other Tribes in the next grant cycle.

Federal law mandates that all entities applying for Federal financial assistance must have a valid Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).

A. DUNS Registration: Request a DUNS number online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

U.S.-based entities may also request a DUNS number by telephone by calling the Dun & Bradstreet Government Customer Response Center, Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 8 PM CST at the following numbers:

U.S. and U.S Virgin Islands: 1-866-705-5711 Alaska and Puerto Rico: 1-800-234-3867 (Select Option 2, then Option 1) For Hearing Impaired Customers Only call: 1-877-807-1679 (TTY Line)

Once assigned a DUNS number, entities are responsible for maintaining up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet.

B. Entity Registration in SAM: Register in SAM online at http://www.sam.gov/. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly urged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure that their information is up to date and in sync with changes that may have been made to DUNS and IRS information. Foreign entities who wish to be paid directly to a United States bank account must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM. For SAM assistance, call: 1-866-606-8220.

C. Excluded Entities: Tribal applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://www.sam.gov/ as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program.

D. In-kind/outside Contributions: Matching funds and partnerships are not required.

However, projects that include matching funds, in-kind contributions, or partnerships may score higher in the ranking process. Any partners providing funds or in-kind services must be listed in the proposal with a letter of support or commitment from each. Applicants may attribute some or all of their allowable indirect costs as voluntary committed cost-share/match, however recipients may only charge to the Federal award the indirect costs calculated against the allowable direct costs charged to the Federal award. Recipients may not charge to the Federal award indirect costs calculated against: 1) any portion of the recipient’s direct costs that are proposed as voluntary committed cost-share/match; or 2) any portion of the direct costs charged to any other Federal or non-Federal partner.

E. Period of Availability: Tribal Wildlife Grants Program fiscal year 2018 funds, if any, are available for obligation, after being appropriated by Congress and approved by the President.

IV. Application Requirements To be considered for funding under this funding opportunity, an application must contain the following (Note: proposal applications should not exceed 24 pages in its entirety):

A. Standard Form (SF) 424: A completed, signed and dated Application for Federal Assistance form must be submitted. Do not include other Federal sources of funding, requested or approved, in the total entered in the “Federal” funding box on the Application for Federal Assistance form. Enter only the amount being requested under this program in the “Federal” funding box. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the total funding entered in the “Other” box.

B. Cover Letter: The cover letter transmits the project proposal and briefly states its main features.

C. Cover Page: Include the following information in the upper RIGHT corner of the cover page: Name of Tribe, Project Title, Federal (TWG) Funds Requested, Project Start Date, Project End Date, Project Contact’s Name and job title, Project Contact’s Phone Number, Project Contact’s E-mail Address, and Date. It also may include Tribal logo, seal and/or photo.

D. Project Summary: The project summary describes the main project objectives, deliverables and type and duration of activity that will take place if the Service funds the program and should not be longer than one-half page.

E. Project Narrative: The project narrative clearly identifies the problems that the proposal will correct or help solve for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat, including species of Tribal cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished. It must articulate the following information:

a. Need: The need for the proposed project(s) within the purpose of the Program;

b. Objectives: Identification of clear, discrete, quantifiable goals and performance measures,deliverables and verifiable objectives to be accomplished during a specific time period (include proposed time line chart or table). Objectives are the specific outcomes to be accomplished in order to reach the stated goal(s). The project objectives should be specific, measurable, and realistic (attainable within the project’s proposed project period);

c. Results: Expected results or benefits from accomplishing the objectives;

d. Methodology: The methodology/approach or activities to be used in meeting the objectives, including specific procedures, methods, schedules, key personnel, and cooperators or partners;

e. Monitoring Plan: A description of the monitoring activities and how the project results will be collected and assessed;

f. If applicable, indicate number of impacted acres and/or miles of stream or shore line;

g. Environmental Compliance: A description of the activity in sufficient detail is needed so Service staff are able to evaluate compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (NOTE: this is a new requirement.);

h. Project Location: Maps or other geographic aids may be attached. Please include GPS Coordinates in degrees, minutes, seconds, if available;

i. Partnership: Describe partnerships with other Tribes, organizations, or agencies.

F. Budget Form or *Budget Table: Complete the Budget Information for Non- Construction Programs (SF 424A) or Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF 424C) form. Use the SF 424A if your project does not include construction and the SF 424C if the project includes construction or land acquisition. The budget forms are available online at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15. When developing your budget, keep in mind that financial assistance awards and subawards are subject to the Federal Cost Principles found at 2 CFR 200.

*Note: you may also choose to develop a separate detailed budget table in a format of the applicant’s preference.

Multiple Federal Funding Sources: If the project budget includes multiple Federal funding sources, you must show the funds being requested from this Federal program separately from any other requested/secured Federal sources of funding on the budget form. For example, enter the funds being requested from this Federal program in the first row of the Budget Summary section of the form and then enter funding related to other Federal programs in the subsequent row(s). Be sure to enter each Federal program’s CFDA number in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number for this Federal program appears on the first page of this funding opportunity.

http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=79c08964cb7d085db2981d7e7b306fff&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5

G. Budget Narrative: In a separate narrative titled “Budget Narrative”, explain and justify all requested budget items/costs. Detail how the SF 424 Budget Object Class Category totals were determined and demonstrate a clear connection between costs and the proposed project activities. For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of time (as percentages) to be directly charged to the project. Describe any item that under the applicable Federal Cost Principles requires the Service’s approval and estimate its cost.

Include a list of all Federally-funded equipment and indicate why it is necessary for achieving the goals and objectives of the project. Various activities or components of each project should be broken down by cost and by cooperator. In discussing match (including cash or in-kind), include the source, the amount, and the valuation methodology used to arrive at the total. If there will be any program income, include the source, amount, and the requested method of crediting the program income (i.e. deductive or additive). Any partners providing funds or in-kind services must be listed in the grant proposal with a letter of commitment and support from each.

Required Indirect Cost Statement (Note: this is a new requirement.): All applicants must include in the budget justification narrative one of the following statements and attach to their application any required documentation identified in the applicable statement:

“We are:

1. A Tribal 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. A copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification is attached.

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

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

4. A Tribal government entity that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. However, in the event an award is made, we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimus indirect cost rate of 10% of modified total direct costs as defined in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, section

200.68. We understand that the 10% de minimus rate will apply for the life of the award, including any future extensions for time, and that the rate cannot be changed even if we do establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

All applicants are hereby notified of the following:

● Recipients without an approved indirect cost rate (includes accepting the 10% de http://www.ecfr.gov/ http://www.ecfr.gov/ minimus rate, when eligible) are prohibited from charging indirect costs to a Federal award.

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

● Only the indirect costs calculated against the Federal portion of the total direct costs may be charged to the Federal award. Recipients may not charge to their Service award any indirect costs calculated against the portion of total direct costs charged to themselves or charged to any other project partner, Federal and non-Federal alike.

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

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

For more information on indirect cost rates, see the guidance document on the Internet at https://www.doi.gov/ibc/services/finance/indirect-cost-services.

H. Statements Regarding Single Audit Reporting: Following 2 CFR 200, Subpart F, all Tribes expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in a fiscal year must submit a single audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. All Tribes must provide a statement regarding whether your organization was/was not required to submit a single audit report for the organization’s most recently closed fiscal year and, if so, state if that report is available on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse Single Audit Database website (https://harvester.census.gov/facweb). Include these statements at the end of the Project Narrative in a section titled “Single Audit Reporting Statements.”

I. Assurances: Include the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form available online at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15. Use the Assurances for Non- Construction Programs (SF 424B) if the project does not involve construction. Use the Assurances for Construction Programs (SF 424D) if the project does involve construction.

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

J. Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: Under Title 31 of the United States Code, Section 1352, an applicant or recipient must not use any federally appropriated funds (both annually appropriated and continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a grant or cooperative agreement award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is defined as influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress connection with the award. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-https://www.doi.gov/ibc/services/finance/indirect-cost-services https://harvester.census.gov/facweb

Certification Regarding Lobbying. If you/your organization have/has made or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with this project AND the project budget exceeds $100,000, complete and submit the SF LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying.

K. Tribal Resolution of Support: A signed Tribal resolution of support should be included in the proposal application from the appropriate Tribal governing body, or an official signed letter from an individual with delegated Tribal authority stating their support for the proposal application will be accepted. The designation letter to sign grant reporting documents does not extend to providing support for proposal applications. If a signed Tribal resolution of support is not included in the proposal application, one will be required should the proposal be successfully awarded.

L. Response to Criteria: A separate table or response to the scoring criteria is highly recommended.

Application Checklist

□ SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance: A complete, signed and dated SF 424, SF 424-Mandatory, or SF 424- Individual form.

□ Cover Letter

□ Cover Page

□ Project Summary

□ Project Narrative

□ Single Audit Reporting statement: If a U.S. state, local government, federally-recognized Indian Tribal government, or non-profit organization, statements regarding applicability of and compliance with Single Audit Reporting requirements (2 CFR 200.501)

□ SF 424 Budget Form (or personalized budget table): A complete SF 424A or SF 424C Budget Information form.

□ Budget Narrative Justification

□ Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: When applicable, a copy of the Tribe’s current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement should be included in the proposal application.

□ SF 424 Assurances form: Signed and dated SF 424B or SF 424D Assurances form.

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

□ Tribal Resolution of Support: A signed Tribal resolution of support should be included in the proposal application from the appropriate Tribal governing body, and/or an official signed letter from an individual with delegated Tribal authority stating their support for http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=788241a31dbe4156aa17ec9893ffc55e&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5%20-%20sp2.1.200.f http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=788241a31dbe4156aa17ec9893ffc55e&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5%20-%20sp2.1.200.f the proposal application will be accepted.

□ Response to Criteria: A summarized table or response to the scoring criteria.

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

Note: Applicants are encouraged to work with Service staff in developing proposal applications and should address all scoring criteria listed below in section IX.

V. Submission Instructions SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Grant application packages for fiscal year 2018 must be e-mailed (or uploaded to Grants.gov), postmarked/received on or before September 29, 2017, and submitted to the appropriate Regional Office (see table on pages 12 and 13).

Download the Application Package linked to this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov to begin the application process. Downloading and saving the Application Package to your computer makes the required government-wide standard forms fillable and printable. Completed applications may be submitted by mail, by email, electronically through Grants.gov, or as otherwise described in the Grants.gov funding opportunity. If applying through Grants.gov, you may also submit a single document (PDF) containing the entire proposal to your U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional office (see pages 11 and 12).

1. Electronic Submission Instructions:

a. Go to www.grants.gov

b. Click the “Apply for Grants” tab and use the CFDA number (15.639) to search for the funding opportunity.

c. The following are items that need to be done before a grant application package can be submitted electronically through Grants.gov:

i. Applicants must register as an Authorized Organization Representative

(AOR) and have a user ID and password. The applicant can register on the web at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html;

ii. Applicants must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view files on the web.

You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader at http://get.adobe.com/reader/.

d. Standard forms such as SF 424, SF 424A, SF 424B, SF 424 C, and SF 424D are fillable forms on Grants.gov. The project narrative and budget narrative must be attachments in one of the following formats: MS Word, Adobe PDF, or MS Excel.

e. All forms and attachments mentioned above must be submitted with the grant application package.

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

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

2. Mail or Email Submission Instructions:

a. Applicants can obtain forms, in PDF fillable/printable formats, from the WSFR

Toolkit at http://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WTK/Toolkit+Homepage.

b. The required SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your Tribal authorized official. The Signature and Date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov”. Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms.

c. The completed grant application package must be mailed or emailed to the appropriate U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in the below table:

States by

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region

Regional Contact Information

Where to Send TWG Project Proposal Application

Region 1:

Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

Nathan Dexter (Native American Liaison)

(503) 736-4774, Nathan_Dexter@fws.gov

Barbara Behan (TWG)

(503) 231-2066 Barbara_Behan@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Eastside Federal Complex 911 NE 11th Avenue Portland, OR 97232-4181 r1fa_grants@fws.gov

Region 2:

Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

Joseph Early (Native American Liaison)

(505) 248-6602 Joe_Early@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native American Liaison P.O. Box 1306 500 Gold Avenue, SW Albuquerque, NM 87103 fw2fa@fws.gov

Region 3:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin

Chuck Traxler (Assistant Regional Director – External Affairs)

(612) 713-5313 Charles_Traxler@fws.gov

Nick Palaia (TWG)

(612) 713-5387 Nick_Palaia@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native American Liaison 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990 Bloomington, MN 55437-1458 R3fedaid@fws.gov http://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WTK/Toolkit+Homepage mailto:Nathan_Detxter@fws.gov mailto:Barbara_Behan@fws.gov mailto:r1fa_grants@fws.gov mailto:Joe_Early@fws.gov mailto:fw2fa@fws.gov mailto:Charles_Traxler@fws.gov mailto:Nick_Palaia@fws.gov mailto:R3fedaid@fws.gov

Region 4:

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Tennessee

Tim Binzen (acting Native American Liaison)

(413) 253-8731 Timothy_Binzen@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native American Liaison 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 240 Atlanta, GA 30345 r4federalassistance@fws.gov

Region 5:

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

Tim Binzen (acting Native American Liaison)

(413) 253-8731 Timothy_Binzen@fws.gov

Richard Zane (TWG)

(413) 253-8506 Richard_Zane@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native American Liaison 300 Westgate Center Drive Hadley, MA 01035 fw5fareports@fws.gov

Region 6:

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming

Anna Munoz (Assistant Regional Director - External Affairs)

(303) 236-4510 Anna_Munoz@fws.gov

Denise Sanchez (TWG)

(303) 236-2985 Denise_Sanchez@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native American Liaison 134 Union Blvd., P.O. Box 25486 Denver, Colorado 80225 303-236-5420 fw6_fagrants@fws.gov

Region 7:

Alaska

Crystal Leonetti (Alaska Native Affairs Specialist)

(907) 786-3868 Crystal_Leonetti@fws.gov

Kyle James (TWG)

(907) 786-3696 Kyle_James@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Native Affairs Specialist 1011 East Tudor Road MS-261 Anchorage, AK 99503 AK_TWG@fws.gov

Region 8:

California, Nevada and Klamath Basin

Richard Adkins (Native American Liaison)

(916) 978-5025 Richard_Adkins@fws.gov

Damion Ciotti (TWG)

(530) 889-2327 Damion_Ciotti@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat Restoration Division 2800 Cottage Way, W-1729 Sacramento, CA 95825 R8fa_grants@fws.gov

VI. Application Review

Criteria: The following scoring criteria will be used to evaluate and rank each proposal on a scale of 0-100. Applicants should address as many of these criteria in their proposal applications as possible.

mailto:Timothy_Binzen@fws.gov mailto:r4federalassistance@fws.gov mailto:Timothy_Binzen@fws.gov mailto:Richard_Zane@fws.gov mailto:fw5fareports@fws.gov mailto:fw6_fagrants@fws.gov mailto:Crystal_Leonetti@fws.gov mailto:Kyle_James@fws.gov mailto:AK_TWG@fws.gov mailto:Richard_Adkins@fws.gov mailto:Damion_Ciotti@fws.gov mailto:Laura_valoppi@fws.gov

RESOURCE BENEFIT (30 points max.)

What are the expected benefits to Tribal fish and wildlife and their habitat, including species that are of cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished if this program is successfully completed?

a. Extent to which the project will reduce or restore losses to fish, wildlife, and plant species or their habitats.

b. Extent to which the project will carry out research or monitoring needed to restore or manage fish, wildlife and plant species or their habitats.

c. Extent to which the project addresses a fish and wildlife resources priority identified by a Tribe or other entity in a management or recovery plans.

d. Duration for which the project protects or manages a fish and wildlife resource priority.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES (18 points max.)

To what extent does the proposal identify obtainable and quantifiable performance measures and a means to monitor, evaluate, and report on these measures compared to an initial baseline? The measures should be specific, clear and provide demonstrable benefits to the target species.

a. Extent to which the project produces measurable results for habitat and/or species.

b. Extent to which the project identifies a baseline and identifies anticipated measurable post-project accomplishments.

c. Extent to which the project implements high priority items and is part of a comprehensive management approach.

WORK PLAN (10 points max.)

Are the program activities and objectives well-designed and achievable?

a. Extent to which the project tasks and work products are clearly established and support Tribal goals/objectives.

b. Extent to which the project schedule is achievable.

c. Extent to which the proposal clearly defines and establishes accountability of the applicant.

BUDGET (10 points max.)

Are all major budget items justified in relation to the program objectives and clearly explained in the narrative description?

a. Extent to which all parts of the Budget Narrative and Budget Tables are clear, concise, and complete.

b. Extent to which the Budget Narrative and associated Budget Table(s) accurately reflect all costs.

c. Extent to which the project leverages technical support and/or financial resources provided through a partnership.

CAPACITY BUILDING (20 points max.)

To what extent does the program increase the grantee’s capacity to provide for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat?

a. Extent to which the project contributes to Tribal self-sufficiency in fish and wildlife resource management.

c. Extent to which the project results in the creation or improvement of Tribal wildlife ordinances and/or enforcement.

d. Extent to which the project improves fish and wildlife management capabilities through infrastructure development and training.

OUTREACH, PARTNERSHIP AND DATA SHARING: (12 points max.)

To what extent does the applicant display commitment to the project through outreach, partnerships and data sharing?

a. Extent to which the project clearly demonstrates outreach actions within the proposal.

b. Extent the project involves partnerships with other Tribes, organizations, or agencies.

c. Extent the project builds data or information in a format that is sharable with other data systems, Tribes, organizations, or agencies.

Review and Selection Process: The following information provides detailed information on how the Service reviews and selects TWG proposals using a two-step process at the regional and national level.

Regional Review and Ranking

Establishing Regional Review Teams

Each Service Region will establish a team to score proposals, consisting of at least four knowledgeable and qualified individuals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or another federal agency. Prior to participating in any review or evaluation process, all staff and peer reviewers, evaluators, panel members, and advisors must sign and return to the program office point of contact the “Department of the Interior Conflict of Interest Certification” form. For a copy of this form, contact the appropriate regional Service point of contact identified in the table above.

Receiving Proposal Applications

TWG grant proposals are either submitted by mail to the office of the Regional Director, by email to appropriate regional contact above, or submitted electronically through Grants.gov..

Upon physical receipt, proposals should be date-stamped and delivered to the appropriate regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact. Proposal applications must be postmarked and/or received on or before the closing date for acceptance as identified in the announcement.

No facsimile copies of the proposal application will be processed or accepted.

Screening and Accepting a Proposal for Consideration

Prior to accepting a proposal for consideration the regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will determine if it is complete and meets the requirements of the authorizing legislation.

The regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will ensure the proposal application is complete and addresses the information in the Application Checklist above.

If a proposal package is incomplete, the regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact may inform an applicant of any required information that is missing so that the applicant may provide the missing information by the closing date or resubmit for the next Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact determines whether the applicant Tribe is in compliance on previously awarded grants. Tribes not in compliance with existing grants may be ineligible to apply for new grants.

Multiple Proposals

Tribes may submit multiple proposals under the TWG program. However, no single Tribe may be funded for multiple projects within a given fiscal year that exceed the maximum allowable amount of $200,000. If multiple proposals exceed this amount, the highest scoring will be accepted and the other(s) will be ruled ineligible.

Rejecting a Proposal

Proposals that do not meet all eligibility requirements may be rejected and applicants will be notified by the regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact in a letter that explains why the proposal was rejected. The regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will retain copies of all submitted proposals in their respective Regional Office.

Regional Review Team

The regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will prepare copies of the proposals that pass the screening process and are recommended for evaluation for use by the Regional Review Team (Team). The regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will coordinate activities of the Team, but will not score proposals at the Regional level.

Proposals will be scored independently by Team members and according to the established criteria values published in this notice of funding opportunity. Individuals evaluating each proposal will sign and date the completed Scoring Sheet and return it to the NAL.

Regional Ranking

Once all proposals have been evaluated, the regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will ensure that all proposals and scores are accurately entered into an Excel database. All Scoring Sheets will be collected by the regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact and saved as part of the administrative record.

The regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will average the scores for each proposal to develop regionally ranked TWG proposal lists - with the highest average score being (# 1), the second highest (#2), and etc. The Regional ranking lists must be approved by the Team. In order to close out all scoring committee activities, regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact are encouraged to convene their scoring committees (in person or by conference call) to review and discuss the final regional ranking before the list is submitted to their respective Regional Director for approval.

Tie Breakers

If two proposals have the same score, regional Native American Liaison or TWG contact will determine priority based on the average scores of individual criteria. The Resource Benefit criteria are used first to break ties. If the Resource Benefit scores are the same, the tie breaker process moves to the Capacity Building criteria and then the Performance Measures criteria.

Top Tier Proposals

Top tier proposals bypass the national scoring process and are automatically placed on the list of recommended proposals submitted to the Director. The two highest scoring TWG proposals are considered “Top Tier” proposals at the regional level. However, Regional Directors have the option of elevating any eligible proposal to “Top Tier” status if they feel justified in doing so. If this occurs, Regional Director “Top Tier” selections will be moved to the highest rank and all other proposals will be adjusted down as necessary.

National Review and Ranking

Top Tier Proposals at the National Level

Top Tier Proposals are designated by the Regional Directors and bypass the national review and ranking process and are accepted into the pool of “recommended proposals.”

Merging Regional Ranked Lists

All Regional average scores or rank are converted to a Regional percentile. This serves to eliminate any systematic application of the scoring criteria unique to a region. For example: if a Region received seven proposals scoring 92, 90, 87, 85, 80, 77, and 70, they would be ranked 1 through 7 respectively. The highest scoring proposal, 92, is the best of seven, or (7/7) = 100%.

The next highest 90 is ranked sixth out of seven, or (6/7) = 86%; and so on – with the remaining five proposals being assigned 71%, 57%, 43%, 29%, and 14%. The regionally ranked lists are then merged into a single national pool of eligible proposals based on these percentiles.

Identifying Proposals to be Selected for the National Panel

Based on the amount of funds received under the TWG program annually the past several years, lack of personnel, administrative budgetary constraints, and amount of time it would take to score the number of those proposals falling under the regional ‘Top Tier” proposals, the Service will not re-score at the National level. Instead, through the process described above under

“Merging Regional Lists” and using the regional rank, an equitable percentage based on the best proposals in each region and the amount of funds left remaining after “Top Tier” proposals, will move forward for funding recommendation at the National level.

Director’s Selection of Proposals to be Funded

Once the National Panel has completed the funding recommendations, the final award list is presented to the Service Director for approval and concurrence.

VII. Award Administration

A. Award Notices: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director or his/her designee approves or disapproves grant proposals. Regional Offices are responsible for notification of grant approval to the applicant. Following review, applicants may be requested to revise the project scope and/or budget before an award is made. Successful applicants will receive written notice in the form of a notice of award document. Notices of award are typically sent to recipients by courier mail (e.g., FedEx, DHL or UPS) or e-mail.

Award recipients are not required to sign/return the Notice of Award document.

Acceptance of an award is defined as starting work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the Service. The notice of award document will include instructions specific to each recipient on how to request payment. If applicable, the instructions will detail any additional information/forms required and where to submit payment requests.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

a. Compliance with environmental laws such as the ESA, NEPA, and NHPA must be satisfied before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can approve a grant proposal.

b. In accepting Federal funds, applicants must comply with Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200.

c. All organizations must obtain a DUNS number, a unique identifying number, before applying for Federal funds. Only private individual landowners are exempted. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

d. Tribes must have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). Register in SAM online at http://www.sam.gov/. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly urged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure that their information is up to date and corresponds with changes that may have been made to DUNS and IRS information. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://www.sam.gov/ database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program. For SAM assistance, call: 1-866-606-8220.

e. Tribes must complete and submit an Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system Participation Form. If you have an existing account with another Federal agency, please indicate your ASAP ID on the form. For further instructions visit the FA Wiki.

f. Acceptance of a financial assistance award (i.e., grant or cooperative agreement) from the Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions applicable to the award. Awards are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated into the notice of award either by direct citation or by reference to the following: Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation;

and special award terms and conditions. The Federal regulations applicable to Service awards are available on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/grants/ . If you do not have access to the Internet and require a full text copy of the award terms and conditions, contact the Service point of contact identified in the Agency Contacts section below.

C. Transmittal of Sensitive Data: Recipients are responsible for ensuring any sensitive data being sent to the Service is protected during its transmission/delivery. The Service strongly recommends that recipients use the most secure transmission/delivery method available. The Service recommends the following digital transmission methods: secure digital faxing; encrypted emails; emailing a password protected zipped/compressed file attachment in one email followed by the password in a second email; or emailing a zipped/compressed file attachment. The Service strongly encourages recipients sending sensitive data in paper copy to use a courier mail service. Recipients may also contact their Service Project Officer and provide any sensitive data over the telephone.

D. Recipient Reporting Requirements: Interim financial reports and performance reports are required.