FY23 Small Grants Instructions FINAL 6-16-22.pdf

MB-FWS-Migratory Birds NAWCA 2023 US Small Grants

FY 2023

Announcement # F23AS00015

Due Date for Application: October 13, 2022 at 11:59pm Eastern Time

Program Authorizing Legislation: North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 USC Ch. 64)

SOLICITATIONS: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) program does not use social media or contact individuals by phone to solicit, review, or make awards. Government staff will NOT call or message you requesting money in order to be eligible for an award. Please report any information and documentation that you have related to such incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov) and your local law enforcement authorities.

https://www.ic3.gov/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION page 3

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL SUCCESSFUL page 3

MAJOR CHANGES/UPDATES FROM THE FY2022 US SMALL GRANTS INSTRUCTIONS page 6

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL page 7

AFTER PROPOSAL SUBMISSION page 7

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS page 9

I. PROPOSAL PROJECT OFFICER’S PAGE page 9

II. PROPOSAL SUMMARY page 11

III. PROPOSAL FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE page 13

IV. WORK PLAN and TIMETABLE page 14

V. SMALL GRANTS EVALUATION QUESTIONS page 16

VI. TRACT TABLE page 21

VII. PARTNER CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS page 22

VIII. MAP(S) OF PROJECT AREA page 23

IX. STANDARD FORM-424 AND SF-424D FORMS page 24

ATTACHMENTS page 26

Appendix A: Sample Partner Contribution Statement page 29

Appendix B: Financial Plan Table Example page 30

Appendix C: Status, Types, and Acres of Wetlands Table Example page 31

Appendix D: Acres by Longevity of Benefits Table Example page 32

Appendix E: Bird Conservation Regions and Proposal Section V-C Priority NAWCA Species page 33

Appendix F: Joint Venture Administrative Areas page 38

Appendix G: Areas Classified as Coastal page 39

INTRODUCTION

The following proposal instructions, associated information, and examples are designed to guide applicants already familiar with the purpose, scope, and expectations of the Small Grants Program in preparing and submitting their application. Therefore, to ensure your project proposal’s eligibility and to improve its funding potential, please be sure you first read all of the information provided on the Small Grants Program’s introductory web page and application instructions overview page, located at:

https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-small.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL SUCCESSFUL

Contact the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (DBHC) with any questions DBHC staff is responsible for reviewing each proposal, proposal component, and recipient for eligibility.

The rules, regulations and policies that govern financial assistance under a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant can be difficult to navigate. It is highly recommended you contact DBHC directly with any questions you may have, especially with questions regarding eligible activities.

A proposal will be automatically ineligible if the margins and font style/size are modified from the Proposal Outline Template, or if the proposal is missing enough sufficient information necessary to consider the proposal complete. To review NAWCA U.S. Eligibility Criteria and Processes, visit:

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal.

Eligibility Criteria Before you begin preparing your proposal, be sure to read the specific guidelines regarding the eligible use of grant and matching funds, eligible sources of match, and funding-use restrictions provided in the U.S. Eligibility Criteria and Processes document located at https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal.

Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not adhere to the eligibility and cost criteria.

If parts of your proposal are not addressed in the Eligibility Criteria or you are uncertain as to your project’s eligibility, please contact the Small Grants Program or NAWCA Small Grants Coordinators:

Rodecia McKnight at 703-358-2266 (rodecia_mcknight@fws.gov) or Anya Rushing at 703-358-2032 (anya_rushing@fws.gov).

Contact a Migratory Bird Joint Venture Before you begin preparing your proposal you are encouraged to contact the coordinator of the Migratory Bird Joint Venture where your project is located. Joint Venture staff can provide valuable input to applicants during project development and proposal writing. In addition, each Joint Venture will review all of the proposal submissions from within their region and provide feedback about each project to the scoring subcommittee. If you are unfamiliar with the Joint Venture system, Appendix F contains a map of the Joint Venture administrative areas that will help you identify the Joint Venture where your project is located and direct contact to your Joint Venture Coordinator at the https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures.

Proposal Outline Template and Other Information We recommend preparing the Work Plan, Financial Plan Table, and Tract Table before developing the rest of the proposal. To aid you in completing the proposal, a blank proposal outline can be downloaded from the Getting Started section here: https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-small https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-small https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-united-states-small-and-standard-grant-proposal mailto:nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov mailto:rodecia_mcknight@fws.gov mailto:anya_rushing@fws.gov https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-small https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-small

Applying for a NAWCA US Small Grant If your organization is registered in https://www.grantsolutions.gov then apply for grant opportunity announcements directly. If you are having issues with submitting an application in GrantSolutions, contact GrantSolutions help desk to confirm roles. See ‘Steps to Setting an Account within GrantSolutions’ below. The instructions to apply for an announcement within GrantSolutions are described below:

https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf

For all non-Federal entities: If a proposal is not submitted through GrantSolutions, then the proposal will be deemed ineligible.

Below is a screenshot of the list of mandatory online forms for a submission:

‘Other’ – location to upload property documents, NICRA, audit reports, and other supporting documents.

‘Program Narrative’ – full proposal that includes partner letters and maps in pdf form.

Project Abstract Summary – must be completed to support award language. See page 29 to complete.

SF-424 – required for all NAWCA applicants.

SF-424A – budget information required on all projects that are non-construction only.

SF-424B – Assurances for non-construction only.

SF-424C – Budget information required for all projects that include construction.

SF-424D – Assurances for construction only.

SF-LLL – Disclosure of lobbying activities – optional.

Note: GIS shapefiles must be emailed. GrantSolutions does not have to ability to accept shapefiles.

After you complete your application, email the application confirmation number (Confirmation number will start with FWS-MB followed by year and six numbers) to nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov

Federal Applicants: email proposal and all supporting documents to nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov

Grantsolutions.gov, Grants.gov and SAM.gov are free websites. Submitting a SAM registration and getting a Unique Entity ID are FREE! Do not pay for your SAM.gov registration or renewal, and do not provide any information to any scammers who may contact you.

Steps to register for SAM.gov + UEI (Unique Entity ID)

NOTE: On April 4, 2022, the DUNS number was officially replaced by the Unique Entity ID (UEI).

You must have an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration to apply through https://www.grantsolutions.gov/, to receive an award, and to be able to receive funds. We strongly https://www.grantsolutions.gov/ https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf mailto:nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov encourage applicants to initiate this process at least 6 weeks before our deadline, because it can be a complex process. If your organization is registered with SAM.gov but your status is not listed as “active,” you must update your registration prior to submitting an application. You must renew and revalidate the SAM registration at least every 12 months and ensure that all information is up to date. All active SAM.gov registrants will have their Unique Entity ID (UEI) automatically assigned and viewable within SAM.gov.

Follow the Sam.gov registration link here to register and obtain your Unique Entity ID (SAM):

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

Steps to Setup Account within GrantSolutions:

1. To register for a user account, visit https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/.

2. In “Request a user account”, go to GrantSolutions Self Registration and click on Electronic User Request Form.

3. To complete your GrantSolutions account setup, someone in your organization needs to be assigned the role of “Grantee Administrative Official/Grantee Authorized Representative”.

4. Once your organization is set up in GrantSolutions, your organization will be able to apply for directed grant announcements within GrantSolutions. Below is a link that explains how to do Apply for a Directed Announcement:

https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf

Help desk Support Please send all GrantSolutions related help desk questions/issues to help@grantsolutions.gov. If needed GrantSolutions will forward the issue to FWS or escalate it up the tiers. If you do not receive a response or if the response did not resolve the issue please ask that the ticket be escalated to Tier 2 or 3.

Very important: enter all requested information under GRANTEE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI/PD) and the GRANTEES ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER” (ADO). Do not forget the username and the correctly spelled email address.

For new applications submit the form without filling in the requested “grant number”.

Formatting Your proposal will be automatically ineligible if the margins and font style/size are modified from the Proposal Outline Template. All margins should be 1 inch and font typeface should be “Times New Roman” Size 11 (excluding tables).

Partner Contribution Statements We will only accept properly formatted Partner Contribution Statements as verification of partner match and non-match. Submitting partner letters that do not follow the format in the guidelines will adversely affect the timely review of a proposal and may result in the contribution being considered as non-match.

Partner Contribution Statements are also required for non-match.

Property Acquisitions Acquisitions have stringent documentation requirements. If your proposal includes property acquisition, including fee simple purchases and conservation easements funded with either grant or matching funds, it is imperative that you review the requirements for real property acquisition assistance stated in the https://www.fws.gov/media/united-states-grant-administration-standards-north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-and https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf mailto:help@grantsolutions.gov https://www.fws.gov/media/united-states-grant-administration-standards-north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-and https://www.fws.gov/media/united-states-grant-administration-standards-north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-and

Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly Activities In 2011, the Department of Interior (DOI) established a policy to ensure and maintain the integrity of scientific and scholarly activities used to inform management and public policy decisions: DOI Policy, 305 DM 3, "Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly Activities". The scientific integrity policy applies to the DOI employees, contractors, grant recipients, and volunteers when they analyze or share scientific information with the public or use DOI’s information to make policy or regulatory decisions. This policy applies to all funding applications received by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant programs. Essentially, the use of false data to leverage grant funds is a direct violation of DOI's scientific integrity policy and requires the refund of any associated federal assistance.

MAJOR CHANGES/UPDATES FROM THE FY2022 SMALL GRANT INSTRUCTIONS

• All Applications must be directly submitted in GrantSolutions.

• All SF-424 forms can be completed within GrantSolutions. SF-424 completion guidance has been updated to complement GrantSolutions application process. See p.23 (IX) for instructions.

• On January 1, 2022, DOI implemented the project abstract summary for all applications in www.grantsolutions.gov. See p.25 of these instructions for completion guidance.

• Change to Unique Entity ID (UEI) number (formerly DUNS) took effect on April 4, 2022.

• Appendix E of priority wetland-associated birds by BCR has been revised based on the results of the 2021 Birds of Conservation Concern report.

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/305_dm_3_final_revised_si_policy_12-16-14.pdf http://www.grantsolutions.gov/

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

Proposal Deadline Small Grants Program applications may be submitted any time prior to the deadline, but must be received by 11:59pm on October 13, 2022 in order to be eligible for consideration.

Submitting your Proposal

1. Proposal MUST be submitted through www.GrantSolutions.gov. Proposal includes one electronic PDF of the narrative proposal, Financial Plan Table, Tract Table, maps, and partner letters.

2. SF-424, SF-424D and SF-424C + Project Abstract Summary must be completed in

GrantSolutions. (See p.23 for instructions).

3. Once application is completed within GrantSolutions, email other supporting documents such as deeds, easements, leases, indirect cost rate agreements (NICRA), audit reports and a .zip file of GIS Shapefiles along with GrantSolutions’ application number (number will starts with FWS- MB2022XXXXXX) to nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov.

Indirect Cost Agreements: If you are requesting grant funds for indirect costs or using indirect costs as match, attach a copy of your current, signed, and approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) and any previously approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement that was used to determine match costs in this proposal. 2CFR 200.414(f) Allows organizations (except state and local government and tribes) to charge up to 10% indirect cost rate indefinitely and not contingent on any intent to get a NICRA, provided that the organization does not have one. Costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both.

Federal agencies only should submit their application directly, via email, to the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation at. Federal agencies do not need to submit a SF-424 and are exempt from the DUNS, SAM, and EIN requirements.

AFTER PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Contact email for questions or concerns: nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov

Receipt Confirmation: You will receive an e-mail response within one week of the submission deadline confirming that your application was received. If you do not receive a confirmation, you should contact one of the program coordinators immediately.

Timeframe: All applications are processed in the weeks following the application deadline. Final decisions regarding project selections will be made by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) at its meeting in February 2023.

Will I hear anything more after the confirmation email? Approximately one month after the submission deadline, we will send the Project Officer comments requesting more information or clarification.

If selected, when will I get access to the grant funds? The Assistance Award (also referred to as the Grant Agreement) is developed by the Service after the Council has made project selections and clearances, payment arrangement steps, and Federal funding appropriations have been met. Instructions http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ for these steps will be issued after the February 2023 meeting. A Division of Bird Habitat Grants Officer will review the documentation. If the Grants Officer finds any problem related to compliance with law, policy, or administrative procedures, s/he will contact the project officer to seek a resolution. After all problems have been resolved, the Grants Officer will send the recipient a signed Agreement. The grant funding period begins on the date stated within your Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient signature is not required.

When can I start incurring costs? Selected proposals will be eligible for pre-agreement costs. You can begin incurring pre-agreement costs at any time after you have submitted your proposal, but you will not be reimbursed until after official agreements are issued.

How will I receive grant funds? Recipients must use the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP). If your project is selected, you will be prompted to set up an ASAP account.

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

To download full Proposal Outline Template, visit: https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline

I. PROPOSAL PROJECT OFFICER’S PAGE (limit to 3 pages)

In the proposal template, do not change the font size or margins. Include all the questions on the Proposal Project Officer’s Page even if the question does not pertain to your proposal.

Note: Do not include a cover/transmittal letter with the proposal. The Project Officer’s Page should be the first page of the proposal. The information below in italics is intended to assist you as you fill out the blank Proposal Outline.

What is the proposal title? Due to database limitations, it is critical that the title be limited to 80 characters (including spaces) and that phased proposals retain the original title with only the phase number changing. Enter a short, descriptive, and unique title, such as “Falcon Bottoms,” “Turtle Bog Marsh,” or “Great Bay.” If the proposal is a phase of an earlier funded proposal, use the same title as the earlier proposal and include the appropriate Roman numeral to denote that this is a subsequent proposal, such as “Falcon Bottoms II.”

What is the date you are submitting the proposal?

What are the geographical landmarks for the proposal?

List Counties and States that the tract(s) are included in; if tract(s) are unknown, then list all of the project area

1. State(s):

2. County(ies): In alphabetical order

3. Congressional District(s): Visit https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography.html for the most up to date list of Congressional Districts or download the Congressional District GIS shapefile (select the most recent year and Congressional Districts).

4. JV(s): Identify the Migratory Bird Joint Venture area(s). Visit the USFWS JV Directory website or download the JV GIS shapefile.

5. BCR(s): Identify the Bird Conservation Region BCR(s). Visit https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ or download the BCR GIS shapefile.

6. Project Location zip code(s):

Project Officer Information:

1. Name: The Project Officer MUST be the primary point of contact for the project and must be affiliated with/employed by the grantee’s organization. List the person who will be managing the project activities, filing reports, and communicating with DBHC.

2. Title:

3. Organization: Full, legal name of Applicant Organization. If the organization entered here is not the grantee organization, please explain. (See the most recent Eligibility Criteria and Processes)

4. Applicant Organization Address: City, State, Zip+4 where available (No P.O. Box Address)

5. Project Officer Address: City, State, Zip+4 where available (No P.O. Box Address)

6. Telephone number: List the numbers at which the Project Officer can be reached, including work and cell numbers.

7. Email address:

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography.html https://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/geo/shapefiles/index.php https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/Reference/Profile/143054 https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ https://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/nabci-bird-conservation-regions/

8. Additional contacts: We require a single Project Officer, but please list another contact who may communicate with us pre- or post- award about the project if the Project Officer is unavailable.

Provide name(s), email(s), and phone number(s).

9. Unique Entity ID (UEI)Number:

How many more proposals are planned for the same proposal area?

Will any of the NAWCA funds requested as part of this proposal be received or spent by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service or another Federal agency? Yes/No If yes, which agency(ies) will receive these funds and what is the fund amount:

Agency_______________________ Amount______________ (add additional lines as necessary and include accounting code if possible)

Is Federal non-match involved in your proposal? Yes/No DBHC will need to ensure the Federal program approves of NAWCA claiming an interest in the total achievements. Please provide contact information for the Federal non-match program in order to confirm that the two Federal programs are compatible to pool costs and achievements. See the U.S. Eligibility Criteria and Processes document for further information regarding pooling of non-federal funds.

Does this proposal include acquisition activities that will add to the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)? Yes/No If yes, please indicate which NWRS program the acquisition(s) will be added to: National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and which one(s), Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) and which one(s), or Small Wetland Acquisition Program (SWAP).

Are carbon sequestration credits involved in your proposal? Yes/No If yes, please highlight and provide details in the appropriate financial plan narrative/work plan section.

Include information about whether the credits will generate program income (Described in Grant Administration Standards).

Will any portion of any tract or activities associated with any tract be used to satisfy wetland or habitat mitigation requirements under Clean Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Water Resources Development Act, ecological service credits or other related statutes now or in the future? Yes/No If yes, please highlight and provide details in the appropriate financial plan narrative/work plan section.

Have you confirmed that all partners, key personnel, and contractors are eligible to participate in Federal grants? Yes/No Project Officer must confirm that parties are eligible to participate in federal grants by checking the Federal Excluded Parties List at; https://sam.gov/content/exclusions. If an ineligible party participates in a federally funded project, all or a portion of the federal funding may be terminated.

Briefly describe qualifications and experience of key personnel (1-2 sentences per individual) who will be providing project implementation assistance (e.g., financial officer, project officer, key field staff, etc.):

To ensure that the proposal complies with available guidelines and that partners are aware of their responsibilities, the Project Officer certifies to the following statement: I have read the FY2023 Small Grant proposal instructions, eligibility information, and applicable U.S. grant administration policies and informed partners or partners have read the material themselves. To the best of my knowledge, this proposal is eligible and complies with all NAWCA, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, and https://sam.gov/content/exclusions

Federal grant guidelines and the information submitted herein is true and correct. The work in this proposal consists of allowable and eligible work and costs associated with long-term wetlands and migratory bird habitat conservation. If habitat or migratory bird benefits described in the proposal are found to be grossly exaggerated and/or intentionally misleading, the proposal may be declared ineligible or any resulting awards may be fully or partially terminated.

Sign & date

Audit reports. If the applicant organization expended more than $750,000 of federal funds during the last calendar year, please include a copy of your most recent of SF-FAC that was submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. If your organization did not expend more than $750,000 of federal funds last year, please certify that the Single Audit (formerly A-133) was not required.

Required Overlap/Duplication Statement: ATTENTION! Applicants must provide a statement that addresses whether there is any overlap between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated projects in terms of activities, costs, location, or time commitment of key personnel. If any overlap exists, applicants must provide a description of the overlap in their application. Applicants must also state if the proposal submitted for consideration under the program is/is not in any way duplicative of any proposal that was/will be submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal). If such a circumstance exists, applicants must detail when the other duplicative proposal(s) were submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when funding decisions are expected to be announced. If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be duplicative of the funding requested from the Service, applicants must notify the Service point of contact for this funding opportunity immediately. Should an applicant leave out or not provide all relevant information regarding overlap/duplication during the application and scoring phase, the proposal will be deemed ineligible.

This requirement can be a few short sentences explaining whether there is any overlap between or among proposed projects. For instance, you will need to include an overlap statement if you submitted a tract(s) for funding consideration in a NAWCA Small Grants proposal and also submitted that same tract(s) for consideration under a U.S. Standard Grants proposal (or vice versa).

Do you have any comments about, or suggestions for, the NAWCA program? You may provide comments with this proposal, or send them at any time by email to: nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov.

II. PROPOSAL SUMMARY (limit to 1 page)

The proposal summary is the only narrative material provided to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, so it must be descriptive and succinct. We recommend that you write the summary after you have written the rest of the proposal, as this will help to ensure that information in the Summary is the same as in the rest of the proposal. The Proposal Summary must follow the format provided in the blank proposal outline exactly, including margins, spacing, font size, etc.

A. General Requirements

1. The Proposal Summary will be used as a stand-alone document and will be subject to editing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

2. The Proposal Summary must not exceed one page.

3. Margins should be 1 inch.

4. Font typeface: Times New Roman, Size 11.

5. All Proposal Summary totals and Financial Plan totals must agree. Dollar and acreage amounts must be consistent throughout the proposal.

6. The Proposal Summary must follow the format provided in the Proposal Outline exactly.

7. The information in the Proposal Summary must exactly match the information provided elsewhere in the proposal.

B. Specific Requirements

1. Include the project title and state with initial capital letters. If the proposal is a phase of an earlier funded proposal, use the title of the earlier proposal with an appropriate Roman numeral denoting the phase number.

2. Using the prescribed format in the Proposal Outline, provide the requested information for each category. However, do not include categories if no information for that category exists. For instance, if there is no restoration work being done, do not include a “Restored” line in the “ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES” section.

3. COUNTY(IES), STATE(S), CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT(S): Provide a list, in alphabetical order, of the county(ies), state(s), and Congressional District(s) that the project tract(s) are included in; if tract(s) are unknown, then list all of the project area.

4. Enter the total grant amount on the right side of the page, right justified, on the same line as the header “GRANT AMOUNT.” Enter the name of the organization(s) that will be allocated grant funds after the “Allocation:,” header (normally, this will be the Grantee organization and (if applicable) any Federal entity receiving grant funds, which administers the funding as planned in the proposal). Enter the allocation amount after the organization(s) name. Enter the total for MATCHING PARTNERS, and the total for ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES each on the same line as their respective headers, in alignment with the total grant amount.

5. MATCHING PARTNERS: Enter the grantee organization and contribution (if applicable) immediately underneath the category header. List the matching partners and their contributions under the grantee. Provide the full partner name; do not abbreviate. List the individual match contributions in tabular format.

6. GRANT AND MATCH – ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES: Insert the total costs and acreage associated with the grant and match funds to the right on the same line as the header (right justified).

Under the header, list one or more appropriate activities, costs, and acreages from the following activity categories: Fee Acquired; Fee Donated; Easement(s) Acquired; Easement(s) Donated;

Lease(s) Acquired; Lease(s) Donated; Restored; Enhanced; Wetland Established; Other; Indirect Costs. List the activities in that order, but do not list categories in which no activity will take place. After each category listed, indicate the amount being expended in tabular format, then type a slash (/) and the total acreage involved. If building envelope acres are involved with any activities, ensure that these acres are not included in the acreage totals for the proposal.

• Include only those activities, costs, and acres associated with grant or match funds. See the instructions for the Financial Plan Table for contributions from non-match funds.

• If acquired acreage also will be restored or enhanced in the current proposal, place parentheses around the restored or enhanced acreage to show that they have already been accounted for under the acquired category.

In the following simplified example, 100 new acres are to be acquired in Fee Title using grant and/or match funds.

• 80 new acres are to be restored using grant and/or match funds; 20 of the 100 acres acquired in fee in this project are also restored – (20); an additional 30 acres acquired in a previous NAWCA project will also be restored – (30).

• 50 new acres are to be enhanced using grant and/or match funds; 30 of the 100 acres acquired in fee are also enhanced – (30); an additional 40 acres acquired in a previous phase will also be enhanced – (40).

GRANT AND MATCH – ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES $150,000/230 (120) acres

Fee Acquired $75,000/100 acres Restored $34,000/80 (50) acres Enhanced $40,000/50 (70) acres Other $1,000

7. Only include acre values for the following activities: Acquired, Donated, Restored, Enhanced, or

Wetland Established.

8. NON-MATCHING PARTNERS: List all non-matching partners and contributions in the same format as for matching partners. Just list contributions, do not include acres or activities.

9. BRIEF SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Describe the proposed project’s longer term goals and short term (during the two-year project period) objectives; why the work is proposed; who will be doing what activities; where they will be doing the activities (for example, on a Refuge, on private land, near a conservation area); how they will accomplish the work (e.g., building dikes, installing water-control structures); and what, if any, Joint Venture is involved or benefiting.

III. PROPOSAL FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE (1 – 3 pages)

See Appendix B for a Financial Plan Table Example. See the Proposal Outline for Word format template https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline or download an Excel version here: https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-table-template.

Additionally, remember grant funds can only be used to fund activities that occur AFTER the grant proposal is received (pre-agreement period) and/or during the two year grant period.

Activities completed prior to receipt of the proposal are ineligible for grant funding.

Note: Landowner and tract names must be consistent throughout the proposal.

A. General Requirements The proposal should contain a detailed budget table showing total project costs in the following format:

• Identify each tract using a consistent method on all maps and throughout the proposal. Show all costs covered by the grant, each matching partner, and each non-matching partner for all grant/match tracts.

Non-match should not be listed in the table unless it has been pooled with grant/match dollars to accomplish specific grant/match acres. Tracts and activities that are entirely non-match should not be included in the table.

• For all grant expenditures, list the partner that will be spending grant funds.

• Proposals that keep grant administration, overhead, and indirect costs (activities not directly associated with acquisition, restoration, enhancement, or establishment) below 20% of the grant request are more competitive. If your organization has an officially negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) with a US Federal agency, you may use your negotiated rate even when it exceeds 20%. However, having a cost that is lower than the negotiated rate may make your proposal more competitive.

• Financial plan categories must be line items that specifically describe project costs.

• Do not include categories that do not apply to your immediate, 1- or 2-year project.

• Explain any abbreviations in the Financial Plan Table.

• You may show grant and grantee/sub-grantee contribution on one line for the same tract, but do not combine different partner contributions on the same line. For example, if there are 5 separate partners contributing to fee acquisition for a particular tract, then there should be 5 separate partner entries for that tract. Add lines to the table as needed.

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-table-template https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-table-template

• Separate match funds into “Old” (spent prior to proposal submission but not more than 2 years old) and “New” (to occur after proposal is submitted or during the Grant Agreement period).

• Show each private landowner by name, contribution amount, and tract if they are contributing to grant/match acres.

• Below the Financial Plan Table in the Partner Information section, list each sub-grantee who will receive, because of this proposal, any of the following:

o Federal grant funds or “new” matching funds, o Property (e.g., land structures, dikes, levees, earthen dams, equipment, supplies) that will be purchased with Federal grant or matching funds or o Property committed as “new” match.

• Contractors or vendors, and individuals who will be paid for the purchase of goods, construction, planting or services for the purposes of the project are NOT considered sub-grantees.

• Please check the figures listed to ensure they correspond with the budget numbers listed elsewhere in the proposal (in the Project Summary, Financial Plan Table, Partner letters and SF 424(s)). The amounts throughout the proposal must agree!

• You may use a landscape, versus portrait, orientation for the Financial Plan Table page(s) if needed.

B. Financial Plan Table Template

• Use the financial plan template provided in the Proposal Outline, p.4. Modify the number of partner and activity rows as needed. Delete activity rows that do not apply to the proposal.

o Alternatively, you may download and use an Excel version of this table here:

https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-table-template.

o Export the Excel version to a PDF and insert it into the Proposal Outline after the Proposal

Summary page.

IV. WORK PLAN and TIMETABLE (limit to 1-2 pages)

A. Project Description and Scope of Work

Provide short summaries containing all of the following project information:

1. Project need:

2. Purpose, goals, and objectives:

First describe the immediate, one- or two-year project. Include the overall purpose, the number of affected acres of wetlands and wetland-associated uplands with a brief description of how they will be affected, and any other information necessary to convey an understanding of what the project involves and what it will accomplish. Then, if your project is part of a broader effort, explain how this specific project fits into the bigger picture.

3. Identify, by tract, work to be done and by whom: Provide, in detail, activities and on-the-ground work that will be accomplished in order to achieve larger project goals.

4. Holder of NAWCA conservation interest(s) by tract (fee title, easement, lease, etc.):

Answer the above question and state whether your proposal will use grant funds to acquire property and who will hold title. If the title to the property is not being transferred/donated to the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), then confirm that the property in question does not lie within the boundary of a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Waterfowl Production Area (WPA), or Small Wetland Acquisition Program (SWAP). If you are uncertain, you can contact the realty officer at your nearest Refuge. To find information about the Wildlife Refuges in your area, please visit:

https://www.fws.gov/visit-us/refuges.

You can also download GIS shapefiles of the NWRS acquisition boundaries by region at: https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/dae48a3dcd654e7ea09d386cae052eab_0/explore?location=9.2855 38%2C0.000000%2C1.95 https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-table-template https://www.fws.gov/visit-us/refuges https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/dae48a3dcd654e7ea09d386cae052eab_0/explore?location=9.285538%2C0.000000%2C1.95 https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/dae48a3dcd654e7ea09d386cae052eab_0/explore?location=9.285538%2C0.000000%2C1.95 https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/dae48a3dcd654e7ea09d386cae052eab_0/explore?location=9.285538%2C0.000000%2C1.95

5. Identify, by tract, the grantor/seller of conservation interests:

6. For Acquisition projects (including e.g., fee title, easement, contracts, leases), please address the following:

A. If mineral and water rights are severed or included. If severed, please explain:

B. Please identify any existing leases and describe any allowed/prohibited activities resulting from these leases.

C. Describe how the acquisition activities will enable better management, create a restoration opportunity, or if they are needed because the site is currently valuable habitat vulnerable to development. Fee acquisition of lands already protected by a conservation easement must be justified.

7. For Habitat restoration, enhancement, and establishment activities:

A. Identify specific habitat types and plant communities affected by project activities. Those habitat types should be identified in Joint Venture implementation plans or similar documents.

B. If a tract includes invasive species treatments or implementation of any type of fencing material, include answers to these questions:

• What invasive species are present and how will the invasive species be treated (e.g., mechanical or chemical application)? If mechanical, explain what will be done. If chemical application, what kind of chemical will be used and how many applications will be done? If other control methods will be used, please describe.

• What is the expected duration of the treatment(s)?

• Who is responsible for maintaining the invasive species control after the treatment and for how long?

• If working with private landowner(s), is there an agreement involved?

• How will the invasive species treatments affect the acres over time?

• Is the fencing wildlife friendly? If so, how will it improve nearby habitat conditions and not impede wildlife movement? For more information on wildlife friendly fencing, please find the suggested document for reference:

https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/conservation/land-owner-wildlife-resources/mt-fence-guide-second-edition.pdf.

• Who is responsible for maintaining the fencing over time?

8. Equipment: Please list project equipment required to complete project activities and identify if they will be purchased or leased:

9. Expected results and how they will be monitored through the full duration of the benefit period:

B. Timetable Complete the following timetable that highlights the accomplishment of major activities. The timetable should:

• Identify matching activities that were completed before the grant proposal was received (this is called old match and cannot be older than two years before 1 January of the year of proposal submission);

• Identify match and project activities to be completed either during the project period (1 or 2 years) or during the pre-agreement period, which begins the day after the proposal is received by USFWS and ends when the grant agreement is signed; and

• Provide completion dates for old match activities and estimated completion dates for new match/grant activities.

• Add or delete activity rows as necessary.

Funding Type Completion Date Pre-Grant Period Activities https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/conservation/land-owner-wildlife-resources/mt-fence-guide-second-edition.pdf https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/conservation/land-owner-wildlife-resources/mt-fence-guide-second-edition.pdf

Project Period Activities

V. SMALL GRANTS EVALUATION QUESTIONS (3 pages maximum)

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act specifies criteria to be used to evaluate proposals. The criteria are captured in the following eight Small Grants Evaluation Questions.

Question A – How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of waterfowl habitat?

Question B – How does the proposal relate to the national status and trends of wetland types?

Question C – How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of other wetland-associated migratory birds?

Question D – How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of habitat for wetland-associated federally listed or proposed endangered species; wetland associated state-listed species; and other wetland-associated fish and wildlife that are specifically involved with the proposal?

Question E – How does the proposal satisfy the partnership purpose of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act?

Question F – How does the proposal contribute to long-term conservation of wetlands and associated habitats, climate change, and changing environmental conditions? Are there any considerations not previously mentioned in the other Evaluation Questions that should be factored into the evaluation of the proposal?

Question G – To what degree does the proposal allow public access? Is hunting and fishing allowed?

Answer the questions as follows:

1. Answer each question separately. The questions and tables are available in the Word Proposal

Outline. Tables are also available in Excel workbook format. Insert any tables completed in Excel into the Word Proposal Outline in the appropriate places.

2. Answers should cover benefits derived from completed grant – and match – funded work in the proposal that occurred within the past two years and will occur during the two-year Assistance Award period.

3. Be as qualitative and quantitative as possible.

4. Do NOT include benefits to a larger area, such as previous or future phases of the current proposal area.

5. Include all habitat types (not just wetlands).

6. Make sure acreage figures are consistent with those given elsewhere in the proposal.

7. Include only benefits from actions covered by the proposal. For example, if the proposal includes acquisition of sites that need restoration, but restoration is not part of the proposal, do not include restored habitat values in answers to the questions. Note that unless restoration is also included in the proposal, proposals for acquisition of degraded wetlands will be evaluated on the basis of the degraded condition and subsequent resource benefits.

8. Reviewers assign points based on information in the proposal. In addition, reviewers evaluate the questions and the proposal in relation to the group of proposals under review.

SCORING TABLE

Small Grants Evaluation Questions Maximum Points

Waterfowl / Wetlands A. Waterfowl 3 B. Wetland Types 2

Subtotal 5 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title16/chapter64&edition=prelim

Nongame Species C. Nongame and Other Wetland-Associated Migratory Birds 2

D. Federally Endangered Species and Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)

Subtotal 4 Other Considerations E. Partnerships 2 F. Long-Term Conservation and Special Considerations 2 G. Public Access 2

Subtotal 6 Grand Total 15

A. Waterfowl How will the completed project benefit waterfowl? Be sure to reference individual species whenever possible, especially the priority populations/species listed below.

Note: Focus on those species that the project is designed to substantially benefit. Consider the typical geographic range of the population or species; do not cite benefits for species that are casual or accidental in occurrence.

High Priority Populations/Species: Tule Greater White-fronted Goose, Dusky Canada Goose, Southern James Bay Canada Goose, Northern Pintail, Mottled Duck, American Black Duck, Mallard, Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup.

Other Priority Populations/Species: Pacific Greater White-fronted Goose, Wrangel Island Snow Goose, Atlantic Brant, Pacific Brant, Wood Duck, Redhead, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Common Eider, American Wigeon, Cackling Goose.

Other Waterfowl:

B. Wetland Types Complete the following “Status, Types, and Acres of Wetlands” table (see Appendix C for an example of this table).

• For more information about wetland functions, maps, the classification system/types/codes used below, and national and regional status and trends, visit the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) website: https://www.fws.gov/program/national-wetlands-inventory. Contact regional Joint Venture Coordinators for state or regional information. Not all wetland types are listed below, but they are given in the Cowardin report on the NWI website.

• In Section A, list the match and grant acreage by activity for each wetland type or group of types.

• In Section B, list the acreage by type or group of types for each tract. Additionally, indicate the funding source for each tract (grant funds, new match funds, old match funds or a combination).

• DO NOT INCLUDE NON-ADD ACRES (NORMALLY INDICATED WITH PARENTHESES)

OR NON-MATCH ACRES IN THIS TABLE.

• If your proposal is funded, you will be required to submit annual reports that compare actual accomplishments with the acreage figures and habitat types you give here. Additionally, you will be asked for actual accomplishments of your proposal in this format as part of your final report. This data will be used to determine the success of your proposal.

STATUS, TYPES, AND ACRES OF WETLANDS

Note: Types subsidiary to types listed below have the same status. UPLANDS TOTAL https://www.fws.gov/program/national-wetlands-inventory

ACTIVITY AND

TRACTS IN THE

PROPOSAL

DECREASING STABLE INCREASING

NO

TREND

DATA

PEM PFO E2Veg E1 L R M2, PSS, PUB, E2US

PML,

PRB,

E2AB

SECTION A

Fee Easement Lease

ACQUIRED TOTAL

RESTORED

ENHANCED

ESTABLISHED

TYPE TOTALS

STATUS TOTALS

GRAND TOTALS

SECTION B

Tract (funding) Tract (funding) Tract (funding) Funding Categories: (G = Grant, OM = Old Match, NM = New Match, NO = Non-Match) E1 = Estuarine Subtidal, E2US = Estuarine Intertidal Unconsolidated Shore, E2AB = Estuarine Intertidal Aquatic Bed, E2Veg = Estuarine Intertidal Vegetated (E2EM, Intertidal Emergent Marsh, E2FO, Estuarine Forested, and E2SS, Estuarine Intertidal Scrub-Shrub), L = Lacustrine, M2 = Marine Intertidal, PEM = Palustrine Emergent, PFO = Palustrine Forested, PML = Palustrine Moss-Lichen, PRB = Palustrine Rock Bottom, PSS = Palustrine Scrub-Shrub, PUB = Palustrine Unconsolidated Bottom (PUB, Palustrine Unconsolidated Bottom, PAB, Palustrine Aquatic Bed, and PUS, Palustrine Unconsolidated Shore), R = Riverine. Upland category may include restored cropland.

Provide a brief narrative to describe upland habitats (e.g., cropland, grassland, forest) and the…