FY24 HCPLA FOA_F24AS00055.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FWS - Ecological Services https://www.fws.gov/program/cooperative-endangered-species-conservation-fund

F24AS00055 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: HCP Land Acquisition Fiscal Year: 2024

F24AS00055

Due Date for Applications: 12/13/2023

Table of Contents A. Program Description

A1. Authority

A2. Assistance Listing Number

A3. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements

A4. Funding Opportunity Goals

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

B2. Expected Award Amount

B3. Expected Award Funding and Anticipated Dates

B4. Number of Awards

B5. Type of Award

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

C3. Other

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

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

D4. Submission Dates and Times

D5. Intergovernmental Review

D6. Funding Restrictions

D7. Other Submission Requirements

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

E2. Review and Selection Process

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F3. Reporting

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

G1. Program Technical Contact

G2. Program Administration

G3. Application System Technical Support

H. Other Information

General Information

Summary

FOA History

Award Information

Key Dates

Eligibility Information

Additional Information

A. Program Description A1. Authority 16 U.S.C. §1535

A2. Assistance Listing Number 15.615 A3. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements As many species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) spend at least part of their life cycle on non-Federal lands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) recognizes success in conserving and recovering these species depends largely on working cooperatively with States and Territories (hereafter, “States”).

Section 6 of the ESA authorizes the Service to provide Federal financial assistance to eligible State agencies to support the development and implementation of conservation programs for the benefit of resident listed species. This financial assistance, provided in the form of competitive grants, is made available through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Grant Programs. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) applies specifically to CESCF Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition Grants.

This NOFO fully describes application eligibility, evaluation, and selection. It should be read in its entirety as much of the information has changed from previous years. Given the significant investment of time and money associated with projects funded through this program, we also recommend you coordinate with the appropriate Service contact (Section G) before starting work on a project or application.

Prior to 1982, non-Federal landowners undertaking otherwise lawful activities that were likely to take listed species risked violating section 9 of the ESA, which prohibits the "taking" of a listed species. In the 1982 amendments to the ESA, Congress established a voluntary mechanism under section 10(a)(1)(B) that authorizes the Service to issue to non-Federal entities a permit for the "incidental take" of endangered and threatened wildlife species. An HCP must accompany the application for an incidental take permit to demonstrate how the applicant intends to meet minimization and mitigation commitments to meet the permit issuance criteria under section 10(a)(2)(B) of the ESA. The commitments made by the applicant in the HCP become part of the permit.

In some States, HCPs have become a broad-based, landscape-level planning tool. In addition to conserving listed species, HCPs often include conservation measures for candidate and at-risk species, as well as other rare species in the plan area. By including these species in the HCP, developers and landowners can also help prevent their decline or need for future listing under the ESA. Should a non-listed species that is covered in the HCP become listed during the permit term, the HCP can provide a seamless process to authorize the take to the newly listed species and eliminate the need to amend the permit. Thus, landowners have an incentive to conserve listed species as well as candidate and at-risk species that are likely to be listed in the future.

HCP Land Acquisition Grants

Established by Congress in fiscal year (FY) 1997, the HCP Land Acquisition Grant program was designed to reduce conflicts between the conservation of listed species and competing land uses on specific parcels of land associated with approved and permitted HCPs. Under this program, the Service provides matching grants to States in support of land acquisition projects that will conserve species habitat in perpetuity through fee simple acquisition or the acquisition of permanent conservation easements. The Service considers the use of Federal acquisition dollars by States for habitat protection associated with HCPs to be an important and effective mechanism to promote species recovery, prevent extinction, and preclude the need to list species under the ESA in the future. All land acquired through these grants complements, but does not replace, the mitigation, minimization, and/or monitoring commitments of the HCP. Thus, this work is additive to the conservation commitments entered into when HCPs are permitted and serves as a meaningful way to leverage non-Federal investment in species recovery and connect conservation lands across the landscape.

To be considered for funding under this opportunity, the land proposed for acquisition must benefit at least one eligible species included on an active section 10(a)(1)(B) permit, hereafter “eligible covered species.” The following species are eligible for consideration under this funding opportunity if included on the section 10(a)(1)(B) permit.

Federally listed species: Species listed as threatened or endangered through section 4 of the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Candidate species: Species for which the Service has sufficient information on biological status and threats to propose them as endangered or threatened under the ESA, but for which development of a proposed listing regulation is precluded by other higher priority listing activities. The current list of candidate species is available at:

http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/table/candidate-species.html.

At-risk species: For the purposes of this funding opportunity, at-risk species are those that are the subject of a positive 90-day finding, species that are the subject of a positive 12-month finding but not yet the subject of a proposed rule, species that are the subject of a proposed listing rule but not a final rule, and species included on the National Listing Workplan as of this opportunity's postdate. A full list of at-risk species can be found in the NOFO Attachments. An at-risk species’ appropriate conservation document may include State Wildlife Action Plan, State http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/table/candidate-species.html recovery plan, proposed listing rule (if proposed for listing under the ESA), or similar conservation document.

These grants support the acquisition of land associated with both single-species and multiple-species HCPs. As in previous years, 10 percent of the funding available will be used to support the acquisition of land associated with single-species HCPs.

While all projects must be consistent with the conservation objectives outlined in a species’ most recently approved recovery planning document, those anticipated to significantly contribute to species recovery, preclude listing of a candidate species, or address threats to an at-risk species will be prioritized.

Wildlife TRACS (Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species) is a tracking and reporting system used by the Service to capture information about conservation and related actions funded by its grant programs. TRACS serves as an electronic repository system for all performance, accomplishment, and real property reporting related to these Federal awards.

TRACS highlights program accountability by documenting program accomplishments and results. As outlined in this announcement, if selected for an award, grant and project statement information and performance reporting data must be entered into TRACS as authorized under 2 CFR200.102(c), 200.202, 200.301, and 200.329.

The Service recognizes that, in the exercise of their general governmental powers, States possess broad trustee and police powers over fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats within their borders. Unless preempted by Federal authority, States possess primary authority and responsibility for protection and management of fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. The Section 6 cooperative agreements entered into by the States and Service reflect a common commitment to actively advance the purpose and policies of the ESA, including providing a means to foster relationships with partners, reduce conflicts between listed species and economic development, and promote the long-term conservation of listed species and the ecosystems on which they depend. These grants encourage the cooperative implementation of the ESA by leveraging Federal investment in species recovery and demonstrate the Service’s commitment to cooperative conservation at the local level. Through this collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation, these grants further the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative to conserve, connect, and restore 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030 for the sake of the Nation’s economy, health, and well-being.

A4. Funding Opportunity Goals The primary goal of this program is to promote Federally listed and at-risk species conservation through the acquisition of habitat associated with approved and permitted habitat conservation plans (HCP). All land acquired through these grants complements, but does not replace, the mitigation, minimization, and/or monitoring commitments of the HCP. Thus, this work is additive to the conservation commitments entered into when HCPs are permitted and serves as a meaningful way to leverage non-Federal investment in species recovery and connect conservation lands across the landscape.

B. Federal Award Information https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1102&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1102&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp&SID=049305c173b88964e96991aafabcf1f4&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML&se2.1.200_1202 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp&SID=049305c173b88964e96991aafabcf1f4&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML&se2.1.200_1301 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp&SID=049305c173b88964e96991aafabcf1f4&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML&se2.1.200_1329 https://www.doi.gov/priorities/america-the-beautiful

B1. Total Funding Estimated Total Funding $26,000,000 Total funding available is contingent upon final fiscal year 2024 appropriations.

B2. Expected Award Amount Maximum Award $26,000,000 Minimum Award $10,000

B3. Expected Award Funding and Anticipated Dates Expected Award Funding $26,000,000 Expected Award Date May 30, 2024 The Service may award an estimated $26 million through this opportunity, contingent upon final fiscal year 2024 appropriations. There is no minimum or maximum award amount and applications compete at the national level. As in previous years, 10 percent of available funds will be used to support the acquisition of land associated with single-species HCPs.

In FY 2023, the Service approved $24.08 million through five grants with awards ranging from $1.7 million to $8.9 million.

Applications may address new or ongoing work. If a project supports the continuation of previous or ongoing work, a brief discussion of accomplishments to date and a justification for the continuation of work must be provided. While applications for ongoing work may be approved, funding will be awarded as a new grant with discrete objectives and deliverables. If a project is selected for funding, the Service is under no obligation to provide additional funding in connection with the project in a future competitive award cycle.

The Service intends to make award recommendations within 90 days of the closing date of this opportunity. Following review and approval, the Service’s Regional Offices will make pre-award notifications and outline the process for finalizing awards. The Service intends to make pre-award notifications no later than May 30, 2024, and obligate funds within 120 days. The maximum period of performance (PoP) for a grant awarded through this opportunity is three years, beginning on the effective date established at the time of grant approval or the date of award obligation, whichever is earlier.

Awarded grant funds must be expended in a timely manner or returned to the Service for reallocation through the next competitive award cycle. If an approved project cannot be completed within the award’s PoP, the State may request a one-time extension of up to 12 months with appropriate justification. However, the Service will not consider requests to extend the PoP for projects that received additional consideration under the project readiness evaluation criterion (see Section E1) during merit review. Period of performance extensions will be limited to one year. Any project awarded funding that will not be completed, and from which funds are deobligated, may be eligible for funding in a future competitive award cycle.

The Service will also consider a one-time parcel amendment for projects that did not receive additional consideration under the project readiness evaluation criterion during merit review if the alternative property proposed for acquisition has comparable species benefits and would have been selected for award when measured against the merit review criteria. Requests to amend such awards that will impact project scope or scoring will only be considered with Regional approval and will require elevated review and approval through Ecological Services’ Headquarters Office.

B4. Number of Awards Expected Number of Awards In FY 2023, the Service approved $24.08 million through five grants with awards ranging from $1.7 million to $8.9 million. The average award was $4.81 million. The Service expects to award up to six grants through this opportunity should the average grant amount remain consistent with the previous fiscal year and contingent upon final FY 2024 appropriations.

B5. Type of Award Funding Instrument Type G - Grant Only State agencies that have entered into a Cooperative Agreement pursuant to Section 6(c) of the ESA and have provided the information necessary for the annual renewal (reconfirmation) of their Cooperative Agreement are eligible to apply for funding. Applicants that have not fulfilled both criteria will not be considered. While funding may only be awarded to States, groups such as counties or conservation organizations may work with a State agency that has a cooperative agreement on conservation efforts that are mutually beneficial, as a subgrantee.

C. Eligibility Information C1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Applicants 00 – State governments Additional Information on Eligibility Only State agencies that have entered into a Cooperative Agreement pursuant to Section 6(c) of the ESA and have provided the information necessary for the annual renewal (reconfirmation) of their Cooperative Agreement are eligible to apply for funding. Applicants that have not fulfilled both criteria will not be considered. While funding may only be awarded to States, groups such as counties or conservation organizations may work with a State agency that has a cooperative agreement on conservation efforts that are mutually beneficial, as a subgrantee.

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement Yes Percentage of Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement In accordance with section 6(d) of the ESA, the minimum non-Federal cost share is 25 percent of the total project cost, i.e., the amount requested from the program plus the amount of non‐ Federal cost share. Other funds that are related to the project or are part of a larger project but are not designated as cost share should not be included in the total project costs when calculating minimum non-Federal cost share.

If a proposal involves the collaboration of two or more States, the minimum non-Federal cost share decreases to 10 percent of the total project cost. The project proposal and budget must reflect the work and responsibilities to be carried out by each of the cooperating States. The source(s) of the non-Federal cost share is up to the applicants and may come from more than one source. Each cooperating State is responsible for submitting performance and financial reports related to the joint project. Incomplete work by any one of the cooperating States may result in recovery of Federal funds from all States, if it is determined that the joint cooperative objective will not be accomplished.

In accordance with 48 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1469(a), Amendment of Subsection (d), the required match is waived for each grant awarded to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Non-Federal cost share requirements are detailed in 50 CFR 81.8(b) and allow the cost share to be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, including real property, in accordance with the regulations at 2 CFR 200.306. The amount of non-Federal cost share will be considered in the evaluation and ranking of applications (see Section E).

C3. Other Projects must benefit at least one eligible covered species, as defined in Section A.

The specific parcel(s) of land proposed for acquisition with grant funds, or as non-Federal cost share, must be identified and sufficiently described to facilitate merit review based on the evaluation criteria listed in Section E. Parcels must be individually identified on the SF-429 and SF-429-B b in order to be eligible for funding but can be grouped and described for evaluation purposes at the property or transaction level. If specific properties are not yet identified, applicants may identify an area of land comprised of similar habitat type(s) and supporting a similar suite of species in which an estimated number of acres will be acquired. Applicants must include information on what procedure will be used to ensure that high-quality habitat is targeted for acquisition should funds be awarded.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2009-title48/pdf/USCODE-2009-title48-chap10-sec1469a.pdf

A property may not be submitted for funding consideration under both the HCP Land Acquisition Grant and Recovery Land Acquisition Grant Programs in the same fiscal year.

Applications must include a statement of commitment to funding for, and implementation of, management of the habitat in perpetuity consistent with the conservation needs of the species.

Projects must involve voluntary conservation efforts within the United States.

An application cannot include Service Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) costs.

Neither funding awarded through this opportunity, nor the associated non-Federal cost share, may be used to satisfy regulatory requirements of the ESA, including complying with a biological opinion under Section 7, fulfilling Federal mitigation, minimization, and/or monitoring requirements of an HCP permitted under Section 10, or any other Federal regulatory mitigation requirement (e.g., mitigation for Clean Water Act permits).

State administrative costs must either be assumed by the State or included in the application in accordance with Federal requirements. Applications may not be submitted to cover administrative costs alone.

Federal land acquisition grant programs fund the purchase of land at market value, from willing sellers. Market value must be determined by appraisals performed in accordance with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions, and all other applicable laws and regulations. Appraisals are not required to be submitted as part of the application. Appraisals to Federal standards are required prior to expenditure of funds if the project is selected for funding.

Please be aware that if an appraisal to Federal standards is not provided as part of the application, the amount specified in the pre-award notification will be based on the estimate of the land value as provided in the grant proposal. However, the actual purchase price cannot be greater than the current market value as determined by an appraisal and appraisal review completed to Federal standards. States or other non-Federal partners will be responsible for ensuring that appraisal and title work are completed. The cost of conducting an appraisal(s) and completing title work, in accordance with Federal requirements, must either be assumed by the State or subgrantee (as cost share), or included as part of the Federal request in the project proposal.

Foreign Entities or Projects:

State Sponsors of Terrorism: This program will not fund projects in countries determined by the U.S. Department of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism and therefore are subject to sanctions restricting receipt of U.S. foreign assistance and other financial transactions.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions: This program will not fund projects in countries subject to comprehensive sanction programs administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control without proper licenses.

In-Country Licenses, Permits, or Approvals: Entities conducting activities outside the U.S.

are responsible for coordinating with appropriate U.S. and foreign government authorities as necessary to obtain all required licenses, permits, or approvals before undertaking project https://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm https://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm https://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Pages/default.aspx http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Pages/default.aspx activities. The Service does not assume responsibility for recipient compliance with the laws, regulations, policies, or procedures of the foreign country in which they are conducting work.

Excluded Parties:

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

D. Application and Submission Information D1. Address to Request Application Package Applicants can request paper application packages through the appropriate contact listed below in Section G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts. Information on CESCF grants is also available from the Division of Budget & Technical Support, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS:ES Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, or electronically at https://www.fws.gov/program/cooperative-endangered-species-conservation-fund.

Program Website Link https://www.fws.gov/program/cooperative-endangered-species-conservation-fund

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

All applicants must submit the Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. This form is available with the announcement on Grants.gov and in GrantSolutions. The form must be complete and signed by an Authorized Representative. For all applicants except individuals and commercial entities, the Authorized Representative’s signature on a standard application form submitted to the Service represents their certification that the entity’s financial management system meets 2 CFR §200.302 financial management requirements. The non-Federal entity’s financial management system must be sufficient to:

1. Permit the preparation of required reports;

2. Trace funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that the entity has used such funds per Federal statutes, regulations, and terms and conditions of the Federal award;

3. Provide for the requirements in 2 CFR §200.302(b); and

4. Comply with §200.334 Retention requirements for records, §200.335 Requests for transfer of records, §200.336 Methods for collection, transmission, and storage of information, and §200.337 Access to records.

If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Representative’s signature on or submission of the SF-424 form in GrantSolutions also represents their certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying.

https://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/ https://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/ https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.302 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.302 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.334 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.335 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.336 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.337

When completing the SF-424 Application form, enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in Box 18a, Estimated Federal Funding. Include any other Federal sources of funding in Box 18e. Estimated Other Funding and identify any such sources and amounts in the required Budget Narrative (see below). For individuals applying as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name), do NOT include your Social Security Number on this or any other document to be submitted with your application! When completing the SF-424 Application form, individuals must enter in Box 8b. Employee/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN) the substitute number “444-44-4444.”

Individuals may register in SAM.gov but are not required to have a SAM.gov registration. For individuals without a SAM.gov registration enter in Box 8c. the substitute Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) “KA5HQCLKUVW1".

Project Abstract Summary (OMB Number 4040-0019) Applicants must complete and submit the Project Abstract Summary form. The Project Abstract Summary form must provide a brief award description. The description must be in plain language that the public can understand without viewing the full application proposal. It should include a brief, simple description of the project purpose, activities to be performed, deliverables and expected outcomes, intended beneficiaries, and subrecipient activities, if known at the time of submission.

Do not include personally identifiable, sensitive, or proprietary information in the award description as this is available to the public. Use only English characters, numbers, punctuation, and standard symbols. Use of non-English, non-standard characters (also referred to as special or extended ASCII characters) will result in the award description failing to be reported correctly to USASpending.gov. Award descriptions are limited to 4,000 characters or less. Applicants should check the length of the award description and proofread for proper grammar and spelling.

For applicants applying through Grants.gov: Applicants must download and complete the Grants.gov “Project Abstract Summary” form from the full text announcement. To submit the Grants.gov “Project Abstract Summary” form with the application, applicants must add the form as an attachment to the Grants.gov “Attachments” form that is included in the application package.

For applicants applying through GrantSolutions-Grants Management Module (GS-GMM):

Applicants must enter the information in the Project Abstract Summary screen. Do not upload a document in place of entering the information directly into GS-GMM Project Abstract Screen.

Project Narrative Project narratives should be complete but concise, including only the information necessary to address all stated eligibility and evaluation criteria. Information must be provided for each property (or area) proposed for acquisition, whether with grant funds or non-Federal cost share.

Because lands used for cost share purposes are part of the total project, reviewers must consider both when evaluating and scoring applications.

The project narrative must contain each of the elements described below to prompt applicants to address relevant eligibility and evaluation criteria. Although not required, applicants may consider including response tables to summarize information as it relates to a specific criterion.

Descriptions of eligibility and evaluation criteria, as well as example response tables, are provided below and in Section E. Applicants may also consider alternate methods of identifying responses to evaluation criteria within the project narrative such as inserting “(Criterion 2)” or “(C2)” at the end of the sentence or paragraph containing the information necessary to evaluate the project under criterion 2. Narratives that clearly address all criteria in an organized manner will facilitate application review and scoring.

The Service has implemented an electronic performance reporting system called TRACS

(https://tracs.fws.gov) in order to document recipient performance and for reporting on national program accomplishments that deliver meaningful results consistent with theCESCF Grant Program’s authorizing legislation. If selected for an award, you will be required to enter grant and Project Narrative information in TRACS within 60 calendar days of the latter: (a) the period of performance startdate; or (b) the date the awardwas approved. If you need assistance, please contact your appropriate Regional Office (Section G) or review TRACS Training Options.

• Project Title

• Description of entity(ies) undertaking the project

Identify any entity that will act as a subrecipient and describe their role in meeting project objectives.

• Statement of Need

Describe the need for the proposed project relative to the purposes of the HCP program. Identify the species to benefit from each proposed acquisition (criteria 1 &2) and provide evidence to demonstrate the need for the acquisition such as results from surveys, research, or other data.

Identify the negative results of taking no action (criterion 6).

• Purpose

The purpose describes the desired future state to addresses the need. For example, providing permanent habitat protection to promote listed species recovery while providing regulatory assurances to landowners.

• Objectives

The Service created Standard Objectives to standardize performance reporting and document national accomplishments that deliver results consistent with this program’s authorizing legislation, applicable regulations, and guidance. Your project narrative must only use the Standard Objectives listed in the TRACS Performance Matrix. We encourage you towork with your Regional Office if you have questions about the use of TRACS Standard Objectives in your Project Narrative. Please refer to the Service’s Training Portal site for example project statements that utilize TRACS Standard Objectives.

Objectives reference specific outcomes to be accomplished during the project period pursuant to the stated need. For example, acquiring real property interest (fee title) in 200 acres of occupied habitat by December 20, 2024. Objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable within the period of performance (PoP), realistic, and time-bound. The requested PoP will be considered under evaluation criterion 7.

• Methods/Approach https://tracs.fws.gov/ https://wsfrtraining.fws.gov/mod/page/view.php?id=240&forceview=1 https://wsfrtraining.fws.gov/mod/page/view.php?id=216&forceview=1 https://wsfrtraining.fws.gov/mod/page/view.php?id=216&forceview=1 https://wsfrtraining.fws.gov/mod/book/view.php?id=277&chapterid=104 https://wsfrtraining.fws.gov/mod/book/view.php?id=277&chapterid=104

This section of the narrative should describe the specific conservation actions necessary to accomplish the project objective(s). Include the following information for each property/area proposed for acquisition.

• Property (or area) name/identifier and APNS (if applicable)

• Acreage

• The type of ownership interest (e.g., fee-simple, easement, combination)

• Entity to hold title

• Entity to manage, if different

• Occupancy status/ amount of restoration required to benefit covered species (criterion 4)

• Anticipated Outcomes/ Expected Benefits

This section should address evaluation criterion 3 by describing how the proposed acquisition will benefit species conservation. Describe the acquisition’s potential contribution to recovering listed species, precluding the need to list candidate species, or reducing threats to at-risk species.

Applicants may also provide information on how the proposed acquisition will further Regional and/or National priorities outlined in Section E2.

• Timetable

The project timetable describes significant milestones in successfully completing the project.

Timetables will be used to assess project readiness (criterion 7) and should clearly demonstrate how the project is likely to be accomplished within the period of performance. Include a description of any due diligence completed to date. This section of the project narrative must describe current negotiations regarding the potential sale of the property to assess the likelihood of project success.

• Project Location/ Maps

This section of the narrative should address evaluation criterion 5 by providing a brief description of where the acquisition will occur in relation to existing conservation areas. Attach maps of the properties/area proposed for acquisition to assist reviewers in evaluating habitat connectivity. Photographs that characterize the existing state of the project area are highly recommended although not required.

• Information to support environmental compliance review requirements

The Service has the responsibility for making the final determination regarding compliance with Federal laws.

o National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – provide any information that may be relevant to compliance with NEPA.

o Endangered Species Act (ESA) – provide any information that may be relevant to compliance with the ESA.

o National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) – provide any information that may be relevant to compliance with NHPA, such as locations of historic or cultural properties.

o Other Permits – list and provide the current status of any other required Federal permits

SF-424C, Budget Information for Construction Program Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424C Budget Information form for Construction Programs or Projects. All required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov and in GrantSolutions. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles in 2 CFR 200. Applicants must show funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other Federal sources of funding. Identify any other Federal funding sources and amounts in the required Budget Narrative (see below).

SF-429 Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish Real Property Applicants seeking approval to acquire real property under an award must complete and submit the SF-429, “Real Property Status Report (Cover Page)” and the SF-429-B, “Real Property Status Report Attachment B (Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish)”. These forms are required if the real property is acquired with Federal funds, with recipient cost share or matching funds, or as an in-kind contribution under the award. The SF-429 forms are not available with this announcement on Grants.gov; they are available on the Grants.gov Post-Award Reporting Forms page. Please submit these completed forms as attachments to your application.

Budget Narrative Applicants must include a budget narrative that describes and justifies requested budget items and costs. In your budget narrative, describe how the SF-424 Budget Information, “Object Class Category” totals were determined. For personnel salary costs, generally describe how estimates were determined by identifying what type of staff will support the project and how much time they will contribute to the project (in hours or workdays). Describe any proposed items of cost that require prior approval under the Federal award cost principles, including any anticipated subawarding, transferring, or contracting out of any work under the award. Provide a separate description and total estimated costs for both contractual and subaward costs. If equipment previously purchased with Federal funds is available for the project, provide a list of that equipment and identify the Federal funding source. Identify any third-party cash or in-kind contributions that a partner or other entity will contribute to the project and describe how the contributions directly and substantively benefit completion of the project. For in-kind contributions, identify the source, the amount, and the valuation methodology used to determine the total value. See 2 CFR §200.306 for more information. Please note the prohibitions on certain telecommunications and video surveillance services or equipment in 2 CFR 200.216. The Department of the Interior’s Unmanned Aircraft web page provides a list of approved unmanned aircraft and related equipment and software.

Budget narratives must be sufficiently detailed to show that the project is cost effective and that costs are both necessary and reasonable for accomplishing the purposes of the proposed project.

Indicate whether partial funding of the project is practicable and, if so, what specific portion(s) of the project could be implemented with what level of funding. The budget narrative should provide sufficient detail for reviewers to understand how costs were estimated. Reviewers must be able to clearly see that costs are realistic and are commensurate with the project needs and timeframe. Applications will be disqualified if reviewers cannot determine that applications meet this threshold.

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

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.407 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.407 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#subpart-E https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.216 https://www.doi.gov/aviation/uas/fleet https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B/section-1402.112

a. Applicability.

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

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

b. Notification.

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

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

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

USC §1352.

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

Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR §200.339, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR §180).

Uniform Audit Reporting Statement All U.S. states, local governments, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and non- profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System, in accordance with 2 CFR 200 subpart F. U.S. state, local government, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and non- profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.318 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.318 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2019-title31/pdf/USCODE-2019-title31-subtitleII-chap13-subchapIII-sec1352.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2019-title31/pdf/USCODE-2019-title31-subtitleII-chap13-subchapIII-sec1352.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR86b76dde0e1e9dc/section-200.339 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180 https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx

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

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

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”. If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regard to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. When overlap exists, your statement must end with “We understand that if at any time we receive funding from another source that is duplicative of the funding we are requesting from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in this application, we will immediately notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service point of contact identified in this Funding Opportunity in writing.”

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

This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as an individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own, operate, or work within), or any entity with an exception to bypass SAM.gov registration with prior approval from the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to register as a financial assistance recipient in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). A Federal award may not be made to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update program may determine the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. Federal award recipients must also continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). Entities already registered in SAM.gov should review their registration to confirm that they are registered as a financial assistance recipient, which requires completion of the SAM.gov “Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations”. See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration.

Applicants can register on the SAM.gov website. The “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov “Register with SAM” page also provides detailed instructions. Applicants can contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been made to the entity’s IRS information. If applicable, foreign entities who want to receive payment directly to a U.S. bank account must enter and maintain valid, current banking information in SAM.

D4. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications 12/13/2023 Application Due Date Explanation Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM., ET, on the listed application due date.

This program requires the submission of applications online through GrantSolutions.gov as applicants will receive an acknowledgment of application receipt. GrantSolutions automatically generates an electronic date and time stamp in the system upon application receipt. Applicants are encouraged to verify the completeness of their application package before submission using the checklist provided below.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Project Abstract Summary Form

• Project Narrative

• Maps

• SF-424C, Budget Information

• SF-429 and SF-429-B, Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish Real Property

• Budget…