FY24 Small Grants Instructions August 2023.pdf

MB-FWS-Migratory Birds NAWCA 2024 US Small Grants

FY 2024

Announcement Title: F24AS00012 – NAWCA 2024 US

Small Grants

Application Due Date: October 12, 2023, 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/

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL SUCCESSFUL

MAJOR CHANGES/UPDATES FROM THE FY2023 SMALL GRANT INSTRUCTIONS

PROJECT OFFICER’S PAGE

PROPOSAL SUMMARY (1 PAGE LIMIT)

FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE (3 PAGE LIMIT)

WORK PLAN AND TIMETABLE (2 PAGE LIMIT)

SMALL GRANTS EVALUATION QUESTIONS (5 PAGE LIMIT)

SCORING TABLE

EVALUATION QUESTION FORMAT

EVALUATION QUESTION A

EVALUATION QUESTION B

EVALUATION QUESTION C

EVALUATION QUESTION D

EVALUATION QUESTION E

EVALUATION QUESTION F

EVALUATION QUESTION G

TRACT TABLE AND FINAL TITLEHOLDER SUMMARY

PARTNER CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS

PARTNER CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT TEMPLATE

MAPS OF PROJECT AREA AND TRACT(S)

PROJECT AREA MAP EXAMPLES

TRACT MAP EXAMPLES

GIS SHAPEFILE INSTRUCTIONS

STANDARD FORM-424S AND PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARY INSTRUCTIONS

ATTACHMENTS

PROPOSAL EXAMPLES BY SECTION

FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE EXAMPLE

EVALUATION QUESTION A TABLE EXAMPLE

EVALUATION QUESTION B TABLE EXAMPLE

EVALUATION QUESTION C TABLE EXAMPLE

EVALUATION QUESTION F TABLE EXAMPLE

TRACT TABLE EXAMPLE

APPENDIX

A. BIRD CONSERVATION REGIONS AND EVALUATION QUESTION C PRIORITY NAWCA NON-WATERFOWL SPECIES

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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.

These proposal instructions are applicable to U.S. Small Grant Proposals submitted by October 12, 2023.

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 components, and recipient(s) 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).

Proposal Outline Template and Other Information We recommend you prepare the Financial Plan Table and Tract Table before developing the rest of the proposal. These will provide a reference to ensure that the proposal data is consistent throughout all sections. For Proposal Outline Template and other information visit:

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

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 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, you can identify the Joint Venture 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/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline

4 | P a g e where your project is located and direct contact to your Joint Venture Coordinator by visiting https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures.

Applying for a NAWCA US Small Grant If your organization is registered in https://www.grantsolutions.gov,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 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 the Standard Form-424s and Project Abstract Summary Instructions section of the proposal instructions 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) and shapefiles to nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov

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

Note to ALL Applicants: Grantsolutions.gov, Grants.gov and SAM.gov are free websites. Do not pay for https://www.fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures https://www.grantsolutions.gov/ https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/public/pdf/QuickSheetDirectedAnnouncement.pdf mailto:nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov

5 | P a g e 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) On April 4, 2022, the DUNS number was replaced by the Unique Entity ID (UEI). You must have an active System for Award Management (SAM.gov) registration to apply through GrantSolutions, to receive an award and to be able to receive funds. We strongly encourage applicants to initiate this process at least six weeks before the application deadline. 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.gov registration at least every 12 months and ensure that all information is current. All active SAM.gov registrants will have their Unique Entity ID (UEI) automatically assigned and viewable within SAM.gov.

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 you do not receive a response or if the response did not resolve the issue, please ask that the ticket be escalated.

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).

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

Proposal Deadlines The U.S. Small Program consists of one submission cycle. Complete proposals must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern Time, October 12, 2023. We highly recommend that you submit proposals before the deadline in case there are any technical difficulties or unforeseen circumstances that may cause a delay in submitting the proposal.

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 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

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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 2024.

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.

Partner Contribution Statements We will only accept properly formatted Partner Contribution Statements as verification of partner 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.

MAJOR CHANGES/UPDATES FROM THE FY2023 SMALL GRANT INSTRUCTIONS

• Projects that include a statewide project area with to be determined (TBD) tracts may indicate

“statewide” instead of listing all counties within the state.

• Total indirect costs can be lumped in the Financial Plan Table. Indirect Cost Rate tables for each tract are no longer required.

• Evaluation Questions section page limit has increased to 5 pages maximum to accommodate new tables:

o Question A- New Table.

o Question C- New Table.

o Question D-New Table.

• In addition to the project area map, individual tract maps are now required. Examples have been provided in the maps section of these instructions. The GIS shapefile must also include the project area and individual tract polygons.

• On January 1, 2022, DOI implemented the project abstract summary for all applications in www.grantsolutions.gov. See the Standard Form-424s and Project Abstract Summary Instructions section for completion guidance.

• SF-424 completion guidance has been updated to complement GrantSolutions application process.

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

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PROJECT OFFICER’S PAGE

To download the full Proposal Outline Template, visit:

Please do not include a cover/transmittal letter at the beginning of the proposal. The Project Officer’s page must be the first page of the proposal. Do not adjust margins on the Project Officer’s Page. The information below in italics is intended to assist you as you complete 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

1. State(s):

2. County(ies): In alphabetical order. Note: If the project area includes the entirety of a state and there are to be determined (TBD) tracts in the proposal, please list the state and indicate “statewide” instead of listing all counties within that state. If the project area includes the entirety of a state but all tract locations are known, then provide the list of counties that the tracts are located in.

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. 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. Please note, this will be the only person DBHC communicates with regarding the project.

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:

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:

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

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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______________

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).

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 FY2024 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 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.

https://sam.gov/content/exclusions

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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.

PROPOSAL SUMMARY (1 page limit)

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 consistent with 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. Start the Proposal Summary on a new page.

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

3. The Proposal Summary must follow the format provided in the Proposal Outline exactly and must not exceed one page. All margins must be 1 inch. Failure to adhere to margin requirements will affect eligibility of your proposal.

4. Format must be a PDF version.

5. Font size: 11 point and Font type: Times New Roman. Failure to adhere to font size requirements will affect the eligibility of your proposal.

6. 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. All other information is left justified, without indentation, except for financial totals on the right side of the page, which are right justified.

3. Type the header for each paragraph category in all capital letters (e.g., COUNTY(IES), STATE(S), 10 | P a g e

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT(S)).

• Note: If the project area includes the entirety of a state and there are to be determined (TBD) tracts in the proposal, please list the state and indicate “statewide” instead of listing all counties within that state. If the project area includes the entirety of a state but all tract locations are known, then provide the list of counties that the tracts are located in.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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. These are referred to as non-additive or non-add acres. Non-add acres should also be indicated if project activities are occurring on a property that has been part of a previous NAWCA project.

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

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Other $1,000

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

9. PROPOSAL PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION: Summarize the proposed goals and objectives to be completed during the two-year project period. Ideas to include but are not limited to:

• What activities are being proposed?

• Where will the activity (ies) be located (e.g., on a Refuge, private land, near a conservation area)?

• Is a Joint Venture involved and/or benefiting?

10. NEW PARTNERS: Identify partners who have never previously participated in any NAWCA grant.

FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE (3-page limit)

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

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.

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. Pre-agreement costs are not authorized for any work that requires environmental clearances.

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

1. 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.

• 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.

• Export the Excel version to a PDF and insert it into the Proposal Outline after the Proposal Summary page.

2. Identify each tract (or logical groupings of tracts) 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 grant/match acres. Entirely non-match tracts and activities should not be included in the table.

3. For all grant expenditures, list the partner that will be spending grant funds on the same line item.

4. You may show grant and one partner’s contribution on one line for the same tract if that partner will be receiving grant funds, but do not combine different partner contributions on the same line.

For example, if there are 10 separate partners contributing to fee acquisition for a particular tract, then there should be 10 separate partner entries for that tract. Add lines to the table as needed. In the Financial Plan Table Example, multiple lines were added under Land Costs: Fee Acquired to demonstrate separate lines for each partner. In the example, lines were added under “Land Costs: Fee Acquired” because different tracts are affected, and they should not be lumped.

5. Separate match funds into "Old" (spent prior to proposal submission) and "New" (to occur after proposal is submitted and during the Grant Agreement period).

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

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6. Include indirect costs as one line-item total and in the tract ID column include tract(s) claiming indirect costs.

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

8. For acres being acquired, restored, enhanced, or established by pooling both grant/match funds and non-match funds, and in which NAWCA will acquire an undivided interest in those acres, list the total costs in either grant or match in the table, as appropriate. Do not pro-rate acres between grant or match (See item 2 for clarification on when to include non-match).

9. 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:

• Federal grant funds or “new” matching funds,

• Property (e.g., land structures, dikes, levees, earthen dams, equipment, supplies) that will be purchased with Federal grant or matching funds, or

• Property committed as “new” match.

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

10. 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!

WORK PLAN AND TIMETABLE (2-page limit)

A. Project Description and Scope of Work

Provide short summaries containing all 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-groundwork 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

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:

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

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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 grant activities to be completed either during the project period (2 years) or during the pre-agreement period, which begins the day after the proposal is received by USFWS and ends when the award is received. Reminder: Pre-agreement costs are not authorized for any work that requires environmental clearances.

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

• Add or delete activity rows as necessary Timetable of Project Funding Type Completion Date

Pre-Grant Period Activities

Project 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

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SMALL GRANTS EVALUATION QUESTIONS (5 pages limit)

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act specifies criteria to be used to evaluate proposals. The criteria are captured in the following seven 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-dependent Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) from the appropriate State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP); 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 on all tracts?

Answer the questions as follows:

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

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

Tables are also available in Excel workbook format: https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-table-template. 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. Select the best methods to provide as much information as possible (such as giving species, abundance and seasonal use information in a table followed by a narrative, where applicable), while adhering to format and proposal length guidelines. When sufficient data does not exist, use estimates for determining the number of species benefits or abundance.

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 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title16/chapter64&edition=prelim https://www.fws.gov/media/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-us-small-outline

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A. Waterfowl 3 B. Wetland Types 2

Subtotal 5 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

EVALUATION QUESTION FORMAT

EVALUATION QUESTION A

How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of waterfowl habitat?

To assist you with developing Question A, contact the Migratory Bird Joint Venture for your project’s area for guidance on completing this section. Complete the table below using the waterfowl species lists provided, indicating the species that will be affected by grant and match work (do NOT include non-match). Under “Explanation of Benefits”, succinctly explain how the proposal will impact waterfowl species. If the proposal is a phase of an ongoing project, address only the current phase activity/acreage.

A. High priority 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.

B. Other priority 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.

C. Other waterfowl: (List up to 5 other waterfowl species from the following list)

Duck Species: Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Common Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, King Eider, Steller’s Eider, Spectacled Eider, Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Muscovy Duck, Masked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Western Barrow’s Goldeneye, Eastern Barrow’s Goldeneye, Western Harlequin Duck, Eastern Harlequin Duck, Hawaiian Duck, Laysan Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mexican Duck, Ruddy Duck, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Hooded Merganser Canada Goose Populations: Atlantic, Lesser, Aleutian, North Atlantic, Vancouver, Taverner’s Mississippi Valley, Shortgrass Prairie, Pacific, Rocky Mountain, Eastern Prairie, Tallgrass Prairie, Atlantic Flyway Resident, Mississippi Flyway Giant, Western Prairie/Great Plains, Hi-Line Lesser Snow Goose Populations: Western Central Flyway, Mid-Continent, Western Arctic, Greater Snow Goose, Ross’s Goose Greater White-fronted Goose: Mid-Continent, Western High Arctic Brant, Eastern High Arctic Brant, Emperor Goose, Hawaiian Goose https://fws.gov/partner/migratory-bird-joint-ventures

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Tundra Swan Populations: Eastern, Western Trumpeter Swan Populations: Rocky Mountain, Interior, Pacific Coast, Mute Swan

For the species listed above and using the table format below (see Evaluation Question A Table Example) estimate if sufficient data is available, how many individuals/pairs will use the grant and match tracts after the proposal is completed and for what life cycle stage(s).

Species Numbers Estimated

Life Stage (Breeding, Migration, Wintering)

Explanation of Benefits (Identify individual tracts)

High Priority

Species (under each category, add additional rows for each applicable species)

Other Priority

Species (under each category, add additional rows for each

Other

Species (choose up to 5 species in this category, add additional rows for each

If tracts are not yet identified, briefly explain what procedure will be used to ensure that high quality habitat is targeted.

EVALUATION QUESTION B

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

Provide a brief narrative to describe upland habitats (e.g., cropland, grassland, forest) and the relationship to wetlands and migratory bird conservation (i.e., reason for including in proposal).

Complete the following “Status, Types, and Acres of Wetlands” table (see Evaluation Question B Table Example).

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• 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.

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

OR NON-MATCH ACRES IN THIS TABLE.

• For both sections, only use those activity rows required with your proposal. Please ensure the acreage totals provided in Evaluation Question B match those totals provided on the summary page.

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.

ACTIVITY AND

TRACTS IN THE

PROPOSAL

STATUS, TYPES, AND ACRES OF WETLANDS

Note: Types subsidiary to types listed below have the same status.

UPLANDS TOTAL 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 Tract Tract 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.

EVALUATION QUESTION C

https://www.fws.gov/program/national-wetlands-inventory

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

How will the completed project benefit nongame migratory birds, particularly those listed in the tables in Appendix A or in the National Bird Conservation Plans listed below?

Note:…