FY25 Southern Region-IITF LSR RFP Guidance and Instructions.pdf

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Southern Region and International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) FY25 Landscape Scale Restoration Program Competitive Process

Request for Proposals (RFP) with Guidance and Instructions In Collaboration with the Southern Group of State Foresters

Program Purpose:

The Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) program is designed to “encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes” that not only focuses on priority landscapes but may include issues identified in the respective States’ Forest Action Plans. According to the 2018 Farm Bill, “the landscape scale restoration program is to support landscape scale restoration and management that results in measurable improvements to public benefits derived from State and private forest lands” as identified in a State-wide assessment or equivalent restoration strategy.

Authority The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) codified the Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) competitive grant program. With that codification came several programmatic changes. All the programmatic changes within the 2018 Farm Bill are incorporated into the FY 2025 National Guidance and Southern Region Guidance. LSR projects must meet requirements of State, Private, and Tribal Forestry (SPTF) Program Authorities and Office of Management and Budget cost principles.

Allowable authorities for LSR: Forest Stewardship, Rural Forestry Assistance, Urban and Community Forestry, Forest Health Protection, and Community and Private Land Fire Assistance (State Fire Assistance). The authorities for this Request for Proposals may be used singly or in combination.

Ineligible authorities for LSR: Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance, Forest Legacy, Community Forest and Open Space, and Federal Lands Forest Health Management.

Timeline Summary

Call for Proposals August 12, 2024

Pre-proposals due October 2, 2024

Committee / State & Partner review of pre-proposals

October 7 to October 23, 2024

Pre-proposal TEAMS / conference call October 30, 2024

Partners share drafts with State Forester Sponsor December 6, 2024

Full proposals submitted Grants.gov December 13, 2024

Committee reviews proposals January 6 to February 14, 2024

Submission of proposals to Headquarters February 28, 2025

Notification of grant awards Upon Congressional appropriations and FS Headquarters budget approval https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ334/PLAW-115publ334.pdf https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Cooperative%20Forestry%20Assistance%20Act%20Of%201978.pdf https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Cooperative%20Forestry%20Assistance%20Act%20Of%201978.pdf

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On-the-Ground Outcomes on Rural Lands Projects must achieve on-the-ground outcomes on rural, non-industrial private forest land and/or rural State or local government forest land. For the purposes of this program, “rural” means any area other than an urbanized area such as a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants according to the latest census. You may use the LSR Project Planning Tool (Project Eligibility Tab) to confirm if a city or town is rural according to this definition. Projects proposed through this process may extend or expand upon other work supported by Federal funds; however, activities and accomplishments must be tracked and reported separately. Note: While projects may include a component of outreach, education, and/or training as a means to achieve the project goals, it should not be the sole outcome. Projects must be able to deliver at least one Quantitative Accomplishment (QA) category and measurable target (see QA table in this document for acceptable categories and measures).

Funding Funding for LSR is competitive and is not guaranteed unless funding is appropriated by Congress each year.

Eligibility State and territorial forestry agencies or an equivalent state agency, units of local government, Tribes, non-profit organizations (defined as a 501c3), and universities are eligible to submit applications. For-profit entities are not eligible to apply under this competition.

We encourage collaboration between States, Tribes, universities, non-profit organizations, and the USDA Forest Service to avoid eligibility issues. Collaboration and coordination with the Southern Group of State Forester’s Committees and/or the USDA Forest Service is encouraged; however, grant funds can only be used for work on non-federal lands. Please note federal research entities cannot be a sub-recipient of these funds.

Projects must take place in one or more of the following states or territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virgin Islands of the United States, and Virginia.

Eligible land and Tribes: Section 8102 of the Farm Bill identifies land owned by an Indian Tribe in the definition of non-industrial private forest land. According to a recent USDA Legal decision, Indian trust lands held both by Indian tribes and by individual Indians are now eligible for participation in the Landscape Scale Restoration program, as long as they are otherwise eligible under the criteria listed in 16 USC 2109a(d). Indian Tribe is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 USC 5304).

Note: For FY25 there is also a separate national LSR Tribal Request for Proposals (RFP) in which Tribes may apply directly to the US Forest Service for funding: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/355888

Tribal proposals under the Southern Region RFP will be scored with all other proposals. However, Tribal proposals will not count towards the state cap of five and will instead be limited to two (2) Tribal applications per state. State boundaries are being used to help ensure geographical distribution of the funds. The submission state, for purposes of this limitation, will be determined by the location of the https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/7e0ca1a95e134de094c71cb3646372d3?item=1 https://www.southernforests.org/about/sgsf-committees-task-forces https://www.southernforests.org/about/sgsf-committees-task-forces https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title16/pdf/USCODE-2020-title16-chap41-sec2109a.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title25/pdf/USCODE-2020-title25-chap46-sec5304.pdf https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/355888

Page | 3 Updated 8/12/2024 project or, in the case of a project spanning more than one state, the Tribe will work in consultation with the Southern Region to determine the submission state. If a Tribal project is selected for funding through this process, the USDA Forest Service Southern Region will work directly with the Tribe on the grant award.

Process

Step 1: State Forester Sponsorship All applications submitted, except those submitted by Tribes, must have a State Forester sponsor.

Non-tribal partners and organizations must work with a State Forester for agreement and sponsorship of a proposal from the beginning of the process to help prioritize the most competitive and needed projects based on priorities set forth in State Forest Action Plans or equivalent restoration strategies.

Contact information for State Foresters can be found here: https://www.stateforesters.org/who-we-are/our-membership/. It is also highly encouraged that non-state partners and organizations collaborate with Southern Group of State Forester committees on proposal ideas.

(https://www.southernforests.org/about/sgsf-committees-task-forces)

Step 2: Optional Pre-proposal Submission The Southern Region begins the process with a pre-proposal submission. While submittal of a pre-proposal is not required, it does provide an opportunity for potential applicants to receive feedback and increases potential for collaboration on projects. The pre-proposal should provide a summary of the project that describes its scope, expected deliverables, at least one measurable quantitative accomplishment from the QA table, and an approximate total funding request (see pre-proposal template). Pre-proposals should be submitted no later than close of business Wednesday, October 2, 2024, via this google form or to the LSR email (SM.FS.LSR_South@usda.gov). The Competitive Review Team will review pre-proposals and advise states/Tribes if an eligibility problem appears. The pre-proposals will be shared with all states, Forest Service program staff, and applicants. A TEAMS meeting / conference call is scheduled for Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 10 am eastern, to discuss opportunities for collaboration and multistate projects.

Step 3: Non-state / non-tribal organizations share draft proposals with sponsoring State Forester Non-state / non-tribal organizations must share a final draft of their LSR proposal with their sponsoring State Forester to review and prioritize by December 6, 2024.

Step 4: Full Proposal Requirements / Submission in Grants.gov

▪ All final proposals must be submitted in grants.gov by Friday, December 13, 2024 at 11:59 pm

Eastern Time. Information about how to submit a proposal in grants.gov can be found in

Appendix B.

▪ The State Forester and the applicant need to discuss who will submit the application in grants.gov. In most cases, the organization directly receiving the funding will be responsible for submitting the proposal. If multiple partners will receive funding for the same project, the lead state / lead organization would submit the proposal.

https://www.stateforesters.org/who-we-are/our-membership/ https://www.stateforesters.org/who-we-are/our-membership/ https://www.southernforests.org/about/sgsf-committees-task-forces https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMQ_e2kgirJBnlTCwhD_qULVgc1WpkpZaJXcGwWxFxK6eTfg/viewform?usp=pp_url

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▪ States are limited to submitting five single-state project proposals, including partner proposals that the state is sponsoring. There are no limits to the number of multistate projects in which a state can participate as co-applicant. Any project proposal that can clearly describe and illustrate accomplishments and benefits in more than one state can be considered a multistate project, even if all funds are handled by the lead state (all partner states must agree to the application).

▪ No individual state / Tribe will receive more than 15% of the total funds available to the South through this process. If one state has agreed to manage a multistate project and will receive all or most of the funding, for the purposes of eligibility, the dollars allocated for that project will be divided equally between all states involved to calculate the 15%, unless otherwise designated by applicants in their proposals.

▪ Minimum Federal funding request: $30,000

▪ Maximum Federal funding per project (single and multi-state): $600,000 (Note: the per state / per Tribe cap may be under $600,000 as this is dependent on the overall regional allocation each year. Last year the cap was $577,361.

▪ Proposals require a 1:1 match and must be met by eligible and allowable costs and are subject to match provisions in grant regulations (see Federal Regulations Title 2 Part 200.306 and Subpart E for Cost Principles). The match can be a part of the consolidated match option for state forestry agencies if the state is receiving a portion of the project grant funds. Exception:

per national guidance, The Virgin Islands of the United States are not required to provide 1:1 match for a grant of $200,000 or less.

▪ Projects should focus on rural forest land which is also considered non-industrial private forest land, Tribal or State forest land. Non-industrial private forest land is land that meets all of the following criteria:

➢ 1. Is rural (as defined in FSM3800);

➢ 2. Has existing tree cover or is suitable for growing trees; and

➢ 3. Is owned by:

a. Any private individual, group, association, corporation, or other private legal entity, except a landowner or legal entity whose major objective for ownership is commercial timber production, or

b. An Indian Tribe. Note: Indian trust lands held both by Indian tribes and by individual Indians are now eligible for participation in the Landscape Scale Restoration program, as long as they are otherwise eligible under the criteria listed in 16 USC 2109a(d).

▪ Proposals should advance priorities in State Forest Action Plans or an equivalent restoration strategy that;

➢ is complete or substantially complete;

➢ is for a multi-year period;

➢ covers non-industrial private forest land or state forest land;

➢ is accessible by wood processing infrastructure; and https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/FSM-3800-LSR-Final-20201112.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title16/pdf/USCODE-2020-title16-chap41-sec2109a.pdf https://www.stateforesters.org/forest-action-plans/

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➢ is based on the best available science.

▪ Projects are encouraged to prioritize funding and other resources towards one or more objectives identified below, hereinafter referred to as “Landscape Objectives.” Successful projects will, in many instances, address multiple objectives. (Source: National Guidance and Section 8102(e) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018)

➢ Reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires;

➢ Improve fish and wildlife habitats, including for threatened and endangered species;

➢ Maintain and improve water quality and watershed function;

➢ Mitigate invasive species, insect infestation, and disease;

➢ Improve important forest ecosystems;

➢ Measure ecological and economic benefits including air quality and soil quality and productivity.

Quantitative Accomplishments:

Per national direction, quantitative accomplishments (QA) are required. Grant recipients must fill the quantity of at least one category. If multiple categories of accomplishments occur on the same unit (e.g., acre, mile, or tree), choose a primary or principal accomplishment so that each unit is only counted once. Describe cumulative impacts/integration in the proposal (Deliverables and Outcomes) narrative.

Eligible QA categories:

• Economic benefit (forest products): Logs/sawlogs produced that contribute to the forest products industry.

• Economic benefit (forest products): Tons of pulpwood or biomass produced that contribute to the forest products industry.

• Hazardous Fuels Management: Acres treated to reduce or mitigate hazardous fuels including prescribed fire, thinning, and other actions that reduce hazardous fuels and mitigate fire risk.

• Invasive Plant / Weed Management: Infested acres treated for invasive plants including chemical, mechanical, and biological actions that improve forest health conditions. This does not include acres surveyed.

• Insect and Disease Management: Acres treated for insects and disease including through chemical, mechanical, and biological actions that improve forest health conditions.

• Landowner Assistance: Forest landowners reached through technical assistance. Include landowners known to have benefited in some significant and lasting way (e.g., developed or implemented a forest management activity or practice) from the Landscape Scale Restoration project through more than one interaction. This does not include a landowner who simply attended a technical or training session without any follow-up or were spoken to only once, such as over the phone, with no follow-up.

• Stewardship/forest management planning: Acres under a new forest management plan. A forest management plan could include a tribal forest management plan, Forest Stewardship Plan, CAP 106 plan, Tree Farm plan, tax abatement plan, or equivalent state forest management plan, watershed, or a landscape plan. If a landscape plan, the plan must focus on discrete/specific geography such as a watershed and does not apply to a state-wide landscape level plan.

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• Water Quality Enhancement: Acres of trees and seedlings planted to improve water quality including planting to create riparian buffers, floodplain restoration, and other actions that enhance water quality/quantity.

• Water Quality Enhancement: Number of trees, saplings, and/or seedlings planted to improve water quality including riparian buffers, floodplain restoration, and storm water management actions that are non-structural. In the accomplishments narrative section, specify size of trees planted and describe the plan for tree care to maximize survival.

• Water Quality Enhancement (riparian forests): Miles of riparian forest treated to improve water quality including riparian buffer establishment or maintenance and other actions that enhance water quality. This does not include any structural enhancements or construction (e.g., culverts).

• Wildlife Habitat Enhancement: Acres of forest treated to improve wildlife and fish habitat.

Threatened and endangered species that will benefit from project activities should be included in the narrative accomplishments.

• Wildlife Habitat Enhancement: Miles of riparian forest treated to improve wildlife and fish habitat. Threatened and endangered species that will benefit from project activities should be included in the narrative accomplishments.

Impact Areas An impact area is a resolute, discrete geography where on-the-ground activities are accomplished to achieve a desired condition within the time period of the grant. Large projects such as multiple treatments across a watershed or multiple forest ownerships may encompass significant acres while smaller individual site-based activities (e.g., riparian tree planting) might be only a few acres. The Landscape Scale Restoration program does not consider a state boundary or multiple state boundaries as impact areas. Submission of maps with your proposal is not required, but it is encouraged. While it is recognized that exact tract boundaries may not be available, it will still be useful to know the general anticipated area for work on the ground. Having a discrete impact area or areas identified at the time of proposal submission is very helpful for reviewers in understanding the impact area(s) for the project.

Advancing Equity In support of Executive Order 14008 Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad and the Forest Service’s Equity Action Plan, the State, Private and Tribal Forestry Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Program will continue to integrate equity into the competitive grant cycle. This includes promoting equity in the proposal guidance and scoring criteria to ensure Tribes and disadvantaged communities have equitable access to and benefit from the LSR program. Please see appendix A for definitions and resources associated with this section.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to include the following elements in their proposals. Up to six (6) additional bonus points will be added to proposals that meaningfully incorporate these elements:

1) A description of the benefiting community or recipient. For example, a description could include demographics, such as socioeconomic status; or vulnerabilities such as health, economic, environmental, and climate impacts faced by the community. Data or evidence should support the proposal. Applicants may consider utilizing the national tools and datasets listed below or provide more localized knowledge such as tribal, state, or local data, to describe the populations and conditions that the project proposes to benefit.

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When the project locations are not known at the proposal stage, describe if and how equity and serving disadvantaged communities will be considered in selecting project locations/benefiting communities.

2) A description of how the project benefits or engages disadvantaged communities. Benefits may be social, ecological, or economic, for example:

• Forest management actions that benefit disadvantaged communities and/or people, including landowners1 impacted by climate change.

• Applicants or project partners that represent diverse underrepresented groups are actively engaged in project planning/implementation, e.g., minority-led organizations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

• Watershed restoration efforts that improve or protect drinking water supplies in communities with low, high and/or persistent poverty.

• Hazardous fuels or forest health treatments that reduce risk to disadvantaged communities.

• Cultural and/or traditional ecological knowledge integrated into forest management planning and activities.

• Income opportunities (e.g., forest products or fuelwood) or employment generated by the project benefit disadvantaged communities.

Equipment

▪ Purchase of special purpose (technical) equipment greater than $5,000 is allowable with prior approval by the awarding agency office (Forest Service Region). Purchase of supplies valued at less than $5,000 is allowable without prior approval by the awarding agency office. (Note: with the release of the updated OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance on October 1, 2024 it is expected that the equipment threshold will be increased from $5,000 to $10,000 meaning that any item purchased for under $10,000 will be considered “supplies”.)

▪ Equipment approvals will be only granted on equipment associated with the restoration of landscapes. The LSR program is not designed to upgrade equipment or to replace equipment that is outdated unless associated with a new restoration-based project.

Non-Eligible Activities

▪ Activities in census places (cities or towns) with greater than 50,000 inhabitants: Refer to the LSR Project Planning Tool to quickly screen whether a community is eligible based on census data.

▪ Research: Basic research as defined in 2CFR 422.1, “Systematic study directed toward fuller knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind.” Note: Technical transfer, education, and outreach activities associated with applying research can be included in the application. A research entity can be included as a partner and can contribute research as non-match leverage (not funded with the LSR Federal dollars or associated match).

▪ Construction is not an allowable cost (grant or match) under current SPTF Program Authorities or cost principles. Projects that involve requests for funds and/or provides match for construction of new buildings or roads are not eligible. Construction activities completed by private companies and/or state agencies may apply as leverage (not SPTF component or match).

1 Note: Cost-share, reimbursement, and other types of payment directly to private landowners is not allowed for LSR, however, LSR funding (and match) may be used to perform work on private lands.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/7e0ca1a95e134de094c71cb3646372d3?item=1

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▪ Purchasing of land is not an allowable cost with grant funds or the use of partner purchase of land as match.

▪ Purchase of fire department equipment, including fire weather stations and dry fire hydrants.

▪ Small business start-up funding.

▪ Cost-share, reimbursement, and other types of payment directly to private landowners.

However, LSR funding (and match) may be used to perform work on private lands; for example, a state agency or Nonprofit could pay for consulting services or treatment activities to be performed on private lands with permission of the landowner.

▪ Cash and in-kind contributions for project elements that do not fall within SPTF program authorities included in the LSR competitive allocation may not be used as match. Other “nonmatch” leveraged funds do not need to meet the same standards.

Timeline Projects can indicate a multi-year implementation timeframe, up to five (5) years with full funding committed at the time of award. Please note: For grants managed/issued by the USFS, the start dates can be either October 1, 2024 or July 1, 2025. Start dates for grants managed by state forestry agencies will be negotiated directly with them.

Evaluation All projects are evaluated on a 100-point scale using the R8 Competitive Grant Criteria Guidance document.

• State Foresters can assign priority points to 5 projects as follows: Priority 1 – 8 points, Priority 2- 6 points, Priority 3- 4 points, Priority 4- 2 points and Priority 5 – 1 point. State Forester priorities should be emailed to the LSR email SM.FS.LSR_South@usda.gov by January 19, 2024.

• Multistate collaboration is encouraged, and eligible multistate projects will receive five bonus points. However, multistate projects must achieve on-the ground results in well-defined discrete project areas as referenced earlier in this document. Multistate project areas should not encompass whole states or group of states, but rather resolute areas where on the ground impacts result from the project.

• A State Forester may only assign a priority to a multistate project if it is one in which they are designated as the lead state.

• Projects submitted that are Advancing Equity as described earlier in this document will receive up to six bonus points.

Ranking and Recommendations An LSR Competitive Allocation Review Team consisting of five State representatives and five Southern Region SPTF / IITF leaders will collaboratively review, evaluate, and prioritize project applications. A separate two-person team (one federal and one state member) will evaluate and score only the “Advancing Equity” portion of the proposal.

1. Proposals undergo a preliminary review to ensure eligibility and verify requirements.

mailto:SM.FS.LSR_South@usda.gov

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2. The LSR Competitive Grant Review Team completes the review of proposals and develops a recommended ranked list of projects.

3. The recommended list of projects is submitted to the Southern Group of State Foresters’ Executive Director for concurrence and to the Southern Regional Forester for approval.

4. The regionally recommended projects list is submitted to the USDA Forest Service Washington Office by February 28, 2025.

For more specific information on the evaluation process, please review the attached Southern Region and International Institute of Tropical Forestry - Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Evaluation document.

Grant Award Projects selected for funding will receive notification typically around mid to late spring (depending on timing of a signed federal budget or continuing resolution) and will be requested to submit the required grant paperwork to the USFS Southern Region. The grant award process for Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands of the United States will be managed by the International Institute of Tropical Forestry.

Reporting State or lead applicants are required to submit project accomplishments for all participating states in the Landscape Scale Restoration Project (LaSR) database. Accomplishments will be reported annually with a due date of October 15 for this year. Reporting deadlines may vary slightly in subsequent years.

Modifications All efforts should be made to ensure the project is implemented according to the original application and within the requested timeframes. Modification requests should come from the entity that needs to make the change. When requesting modifications, please submit your request through the Forest Service mailbox SM.FS.r8_cpg@usda.gov. It will be directed to the appropriate program manager to get their approval or denial.

The Federal awarding agency may, at its option, restrict the transfer of funds among direct cost categories or programs, functions, and activities for Federal awards in which the Federal share of the project exceeds the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (currently $250,000) and the cumulative amount of such transfers exceeds or is expected to exceed 10 percent of the total budget as last approved by the Federal awarding agency. (See 2 CFR 200.308)

Note: This document includes a summary of parts of the National Guidance. It is NOT meant to substitute the National Guidance. All applicants should also read the National Guidance, which can be found at:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/FSM-3800-LSR-Final-20201112.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/FSM-3800-LSR-Final-20201112.pdf

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Appendix A – “Advancing Equity” Definitions and Resources

Definitions:

The term disadvantaged communities is used in Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40 Initiative, released by OMB in July 2021, provides the following definition.

Community – Either a group of individuals living in geographic proximity to one another, or a geographically dispersed set of individuals (such as migrant workers or Native Americans), where either type of group experiences common conditions. 2

Disadvantaged – The term includes, but is not limited to, communities that experience the following:

• Low income, high and/or persistent poverty

• High unemployment and underemployment

• Racial and ethnic residential segregation, particularly where the segregation stems from discrimination by government entities.

• Linguistic isolation

• High housing cost burden and substandard housing

• Distressed neighborhoods

• High transportation cost burden and/or low transportation access

• Disproportionate environmental stressor burden and high cumulative impacts

• Limited water and sanitation access and affordability

• Disproportionate impacts from climate change

• High energy cost burden and low energy access

• Jobs lost through the energy transition.

• Access to healthcare

In addition to the definition, geographic areas within Tribal jurisdiction should be included.

2 5 CEQ, Environmental Justice: Guidance under the National Environmental Policy Act (Dec. 10, 1997), available at https://ceq.doe.gov/docs/ceq-regulations-and-guidance/regs/ej/justice.pdf.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/M-21-28.pdf

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Resources:

Applicants may use the following national data tools during project planning to understand the characteristics of the communities where the project takes place. National data may be incomplete for Federated Islands and Territories or be less useful when examining large Census block groups. Where possible, applicants are encouraged to further support the national tools and datasets with more refined or local data to enhance your analysis and to provide local knowledge to support your project proposal.

If not using the tools below because the community or individuals falls outside the geographic areas identified in these tools, applicants should describe the tool or data sets they used to identify the disadvantaged community in the proposal. An example of this is a geographically dispersed set of individuals such as migrant workers, Native Americans, or minority forest landowners.

• White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool:

The tool has an interactive map and uses datasets that are indicators of burdens in eight categories: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, and workforce development. The tool uses this information to identify communities that are experiencing these burdens. These are the communities that are disadvantaged because they are overburdened and underserved.

• Persistent Poverty Counties: The USDA Economic Research Service has defined counties as being persistently poor if 20 percent or more of their populations were living in poverty based on the 1980, 1990, and 2000 decennial censuses and 2007-11 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See the ERS County Typology Codes, 2015 Edition.

Appendix B – Instructions for Submitting Proposals through Grants.gov

The Southern Region SPTF is now using Grants.gov to provide a single site to find and apply for LSR competitive grant funding opportunities. Submit all applications for this funding opportunity through Grants.gov. Search for grant Opportunity Number USDA-FS-2025-LSR-SOUTHERN-IITF. Partners and collaborators must submit a final draft of their Grants.gov application to involved State Foresters by COB December 6, 2024. You can find contact information for each State Forester in the member roster available on the National Association of State Foresters website. All applicants must submit proposals to Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern, December 13, 2024. The following section provides guidance on how to submit applications through Grants.gov.

Please read the following instructions carefully and completely. Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and by email at support@grants.gov.

1. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and a Grants.gov account to apply for grants. Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but DUNS and SAM registrations may take several weeks or more to complete. Therefore, ensure you apply for your DUNS and SAM registration promptly.

https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5 https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/county-typology-codes/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.stateforesters.org/who-we-are/our-membership/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

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Complete Grants.gov organization registrations instructions can be found here:

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

a) Obtain a DUNS Number: All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Applicants must enter the DUNS Number in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the SF-424 form.

b) Register with SAM: All organizations must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and SAM registration must be renewed annually.

c) Register with Grants.gov

d) Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the DUNS Number for the organization in the DUNS field while adding a profile.

e) EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization.

f) Track Role Status.

Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role.

2. How to Submit an Application to the USFS Southern Region SPTF via Grants.gov

Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement, you can create individual instances of a workspace. Note: Grants.gov applicants are required to use Workspace to apply online. Package forms must be completed in or downloaded from Workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov using Workspace. For access to complete instructions and training videos, refer to the Grants.gov “Get Started on Your Workspace Application” web page.

a. Create a Workspace: Log in to your Grants.gov account first. Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

b. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the Workspace to work on the application together, complete the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Page | 13 Updated 8/12/2024 errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. For page-specific help: click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page.

Note: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms, you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device then accessed through Adobe Reader. Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software.

c. Submit a Workspace: Submit your application through Workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

d. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a Workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number is listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted Workspace.

Applicant Support: For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to the Grants.gov Training page. Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and by email at support@grants.gov. If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number to track your issue.

3. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, December 13, 2024. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application, serving as proof of their timely submission.

Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by Southern Region SPTF.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:SM.FS.LSR_South@usda.gov

Page | 14 Updated 8/12/2024