L21AS00538 Full Announcement.pdf

Bureau of Land Management

AKSO - BLM Alaska State Office

L21AS00538

07/01/2021

Table of Contents A. Program Description

A1. Authority

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

B2. Expected Award Amount

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates

B4. Number of Awards

B5. Type of Award

B6. Additional Funding Information

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

C3. Other

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

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

D4. Submission Dates and Times

D5. Intergovernmental Review

D6. Funding Restrictions

D7. Other Submission Requirements

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

E2. Review and Selection Process

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F3. Reporting

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

G1. Program Technical Contact

G2. Program Administration Contact

G3. Application System Technical Support

H. Other Information

A. Program Description A1. Authority Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), 43 USC § 1737(b) Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Agreements, 16 USC § 1011 (b)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 15.236

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its cooperative government and nongovernmental conservation partners, mitigate hazards to protect public health and safety, and restore watersheds for resources, recreation, fish, wildlife and domestic animals, and return lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources. Extractive industry activities of the past, including both underground and surface mining and oil and gas drilling, have left degraded watersheds on public lands throughout (State). Unreclaimed sites pose an environmental threat to groundwater, surface water and soil as well as create a risk to the health and safety of public land users.

Mitigation measures are implemented through core programs such as:

Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program, which addresses physical safety hazards and water quality through restoration of abandoned hardrock mines.

Orphan Well Program, which remediates oil and gas wells improperly abandoned, and seeks to plug them in accordance with state regulations and rules;

Educational outreach about the potential dangers posed to the public and recreationists from AML and orphaned well sites.

BLM’s AML program identifies and inventories abandoned hardrock mines and addresses those mines that pose a risk to public safety, human health, and the environment. Specifically, BLM’s AML program addresses physical safety hazards through a variety of closure methods including fencing, signing, backfilling, installation of bat-friendly grates, etc. The AML program addresses risks to human health and the environment from heavy metal-contaminated surface water, soil, sediments, air and groundwater through a variety of response actions. The AML and Natural Resource Damage and Restoration (NRD) programs also restore abandoned hardrock mines sites and restores the Nation's watersheds impacted by abandoned mines through a risk-based, watershed wide approach that uses partnerships to effectively leverage funding and facilitate projects; and reduces environmental degradation caused by abandoned mines to ensure compliance with all applicable soil, water, and air quality standards, and applicable Federal, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/43/1737#b https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/1011

State, Tribal, and local laws and regulations.

Many oil and gas wells are left “orphaned” without proper plugging and abandonment. An ‘orphan’ well is a well that has no responsible or liable party and insufficient bond coverage for plugging and surface reclamation. Orphan well sites occurring on public lands, when not properly plugged, and reclaimed, have the potential to cause health, safety, and environmental concerns. Hydrocarbons, salts, and other reservoir fluids may migrate via unplugged wells. Specifically, there have been examples of orphaned wells flowing salt water and trace amounts of methane to the surface outside the original wellbore, thereby threatening contamination of farmland, range land, waterways, ponds, underground aquifers and drinking water wells. Unreclaimed well pad locations or well access roads may contribute to surface erosion that causes sediment to migrate into adjacent waterways and cause slope instability. The unstable nature of these unmitigated sites may also harbor state listed and noxious weeds. Unplugged wells may also threaten contamination of petroleum reserves with the possible migration of water and salts into these reserves. The potential for uncontrolled surface seeps from orphaned wells exists, and can increase the risk and ferocity of wildfires on public lands by providing hydrocarbons as additional fuel. In addition, as unplugged wells deteriorate over time, they can also present physical safety hazards by caving in on themselves.

The objective of the Orphan Well Project is to remediate abandoned oil and gas wells to ensure the protection of public health and safety by eliminating known and potential sources of groundwater, surface water and air contamination, removing unnecessary well site infrastructure, and reclaiming land disturbance associated with oil and gas development. Site specific performance goals will be identified for each project funded and ultimate costs will be determined by approved site closure plans. Projects may involve a single orphan well, or a group of associated wells; while each orphan well location will require well plugging, other necessary work will be site dependent such that each site may need slope reconstruction, road/pipeline/electrical removal, production facilities removal and/or reseeding.

The BLM estimates there are over 100,000 abandoned mines and a significant number of orphaned wells located on BLM-administered land. Many of which will need some type of mitigation action to protect human health and the environment, increase public safety and reduce liabilities by eliminating or minimizing risk. In compliance with all applicable soil, water and air quality standards, and Federal State, Tribal and local laws and regulations, the BLM seeks to develop partnerships with States, local governments, Tribal Nations, and voluntary environmental and citizen groups in order to protect public health and safety, address impaired watersheds for resources, recreation, fish and wildlife and domestic animals. In addition, BLM seeks to return lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources.

To provide financial assistance, through cooperative agreements as a partnership to protect surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment and air from unreclaimed mining and drilling sites, safeguard dangerous mine sites to protect the physical safety of public land users, and restore sites. The cooperative partner(s) will remediate eligible and prioritized human safety risks and environmental impacts associated with selected mine sites and will address, in consultation with BLM (e.g., as identified in pre-design/on-site meetings), reclamation of other features associated with these sites.

Project Outcomes:

Identify and prioritize abandoned mines and orphaned wells that most affect at-risk resources and functioning ecosystems.

Prioritize orphaned well site physical safety closure projects in a manner that is centrally focused on achieving cost-savings.

Develop methods to reclaim and restore sites impacted by past mining and/or drilling.

Reclaim abandoned mine lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources.

Reduce inventory of unreclaimed abandoned mines and orphaned wells.

Reduce liabilities by eliminating or reducing risks posed by abandoned mines and orphaned wells Reduce environmental degradation caused by abandoned mines and orphaned wells.

Establish partnerships, where possible, with States, local governments, Tribes, and voluntary environmental and citizen groups to pool resources and expertise to address abandoned mines.

Integrate abandoned mine land support into land use planning efforts.

Apply the "polluter pays" principle applied to achieve cost avoidance/cost recovery for funding AML projects wherever possible Assure that remediation actions are effective and that lessons learned through post-project monitoring and study benefit risk- and pollution-reducing efforts Educate the public about the potential dangers posed by abandoned mines and the actions the BLM takes to address those dangers.

Provide public outreach and education to interested stakeholders about the potential dangers posed by abandoned mines and orphan wells.

The following program legislation authority, BLM Manuals, etc. are applicable to this program:

1. Endangered Species Act, 16 USC 1535

2. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – BLM Handbook 1790-1

3. National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 16 USC 470, as amended through December 19, 2014, as codified in Title 54 USC, Subtitle III, Division A, Subdivision 2 Chapter 3023 § 302304. Contracts and cooperative agreements, (b)

4. National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 16 USC 470, as amended through December 19, 2014, as codified in Title 54 USC, subtitle III, Division A, Subdivision 2 Chapter 3027—Historic Preservation Programs and Authorities for Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations

5. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980

(CERCLA)

6.. Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 (TGA)

7. Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978

8. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 9601, et seq.), including but not limited to sections 104, 107, 111(i), and 122.

9. Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 2701, et seq.), including but not limited to sections 1006 and 1012.

10. Federal Water Pollution Control Act or Clean Water Act (CWA), as amended (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251, et seq.), including but not limited to section 311(f).

This program continues to advance the Department of the Interior’s priorities to address the climate crisis, restore balance on public lands and waters, advance environmental justice, and invest in a clean energy future. The BLM’s AML Program and Orphan Well Project support these priorities by focusing efforts in the following areas: 1) environmental compliance, and the identification, inventory, cleanup and remediation of legacy contaminated sites and features; 2) immediate response to releases of hazardous substances, wastes and materials onto public lands;

3) mitigation of priority AML and Orphan Well contaminated and physical safety sites and features; 4) improving all BLM environmental programs via an environmental management system including environmental audits; and, 5) providing program training and awareness.

Through these focused efforts, BLM will also strengthen Environmental Justice (EJ) actions to ensure fair treatment and meaningful involvement of EJ and disadvantaged communities/stakeholders during the CERCLA and RCRA planning and cleanup processes. The AML Program and Orphan Well Project will contribute to the conversation and restoration of approximately 30% of our lands and waters by the year 2030 by reducing the contamination levels. Additionally, this will help ensure that public land users are not at risk from the dangers of legacy mining and oil and gas activities.

All proposed projects submitted under this funding announcement must state a benefit to the public.

B. Federal Award Information B1. Total Funding Estimated Total Funding $ 80,000

B2. Expected Award Amount Maximum Award $ 80,000 Minimum Award $ 5,000

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates Projects funded through this NOFO will start once funding is secured and awards issued.

Agreements are not effective until fully executed with signature from the BLM Grants Management Officer (GMO).

Agreement terms for funded projects are estimated to range between one and three years and are determined based on the period of performance as stated on the project proposal.

https://www.doi.gov/ourpriorities

B4. Number of Awards Anticipated Number of Awards The actual number of awards will depend on the number of meritorious applications and the availability of appropriated funds. Awards will be based out of district or field offices where the project occur.

B5. Type of Award Funding Instrument Type CA - Cooperative Agreement Award cannot be finalized, until awardee completes their enrollment in the Department of the Treasury, ASAP System. See following website: http://www.fms.treas.gov/asap.

If your organization is not enrolled in ASAP, contact the GMO in Section G2. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts of this funding opportunity.

The recipient should expect Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have substantial involvement in the project. Substantial involvement may include, but not be limited to, such things as:

Joint collaboration between the BLM and recipient in carrying out management, development, implementation, and evaluation of the proposed work.

Training of recipient personnel.

Review and approval by the BLM of one stage of work prior to the start of the next stage.

Review and approval by the BLM of modifications or sub-awards prior to their award.

Participation in selecting recipient project staff.

Directing or redirecting of recipient work by the BLM because of relationships to other projects.

Ability to immediately halt work because of failure to meet agreement objectives; and Close monitoring and/or operational involvement in the proposed work.

B6. Additional Funding Information Funding for projects is not guaranteed and is subject to the availability of funds. Evaluation of proposals is based on the criterion in this NOFO. In appropriate circumstances, BLM reserves the right to partially fund proposals in discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If BLM chooses to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process. Funded proposals through this competitive NOFO is not a guarantee of future funding.

When or if additional funding becomes available, BLM reserves the right to issue additional awards under this NOFO through the next fiscal year. These awards will not require further competition. Any additional selections will be made in accordance with the terms of this NOFO http://www.fms.treas.gov/asap and BLM policy. Only Grants Management Officers can bind the Federal Government to the expenditure of funds.

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Applicants 00 – State governments 01 – County governments 02 – City or township governments 04 – Special district governments 05 – Independent school districts 06 – Public and State controlled institutions of higher education 07 – Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) 12 – Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education 13 – Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education 20 – Private institutions of higher education 11 – Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) 08 – Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Additional Information on Eligibility Individuals and For-Profit Organizations are ineligible to apply for awards under this NOFO.

This program NOFO does not support entities hiring interns or crews. The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993, 16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II-Public Lands Corps, is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to “hire” interns. Therefore, eligible Youth Conservation Corps may only apply for projects developed under NOFO 15.243 – BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands.

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement No Percentage of Cost Sharing / Matching

C3. Other Excluded Parties: BLM conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The Bureau cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package This NOFO includes all information, documents, and electronic addresses needed to submit an application through www.Grants.gov. Paper copies may be requested by contacting (insert GMO contact information).

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

DO NOT MERGE INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS INTO A SINGLE PDF FILE

1. Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance

Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, must be complete, and signed and dated. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box, and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see the “Budget Narrative” section below).

2. SF-424(A or C), Budget Information

Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form. Complete either the SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs or the SF-424C, Budget Information for Construction Programs, as applicable to your project. BLM does not normally fund construction projects, so contact the BLM program expert prior to submitting your project. All required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. Please note: Show funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other Federal sources of funding. In the “Budget Summary” section, use the first row for funding requested from this Federal program. Use subsequent row(s) for other Federal funding. Enter each Federal program’s CFDA number(s) in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number(s) for this Federal program appears on the first page of this Funding Opportunity.

3. SF 424(B & D), Assurances

NOTE: In accordance with Office of Management and Budget Memo, M-18-24, dated September 5, 2018, these forms are optional through January 1, 2020. At this time, your assurances statements will be maintained in your SAM registrations.

4. Project Proposal

(Suggested format, Attachment A Project Proposal template may be used when submitting your proposal.) The project proposal must be no longer than 15 pages, with a typeface no smaller than 11-point, and have at least one (1) inch margins on all sides. The 15-page limit http://www.Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html includes all text, figures, references, and vitae, but does not include the Budget Detail (Attachment B).

Application narrative requirements may include:

Project title Statement of need Goals and objectives Public and program interest of the BLM Activities Methods Timetable or milestones Information to support environmental compliance review requirements. (NOTE:

Projects under wildlife management, the native plant program, threatened and endangered species habitat conservation - the narrative should provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973)

Description of stakeholder coordination or involvement Required project monitoring and evaluation plan, including how you will measure project performance and assessment tools to be used Information on key project personnel Anticipated future funding needs Details and supporting documentation on the project location Other program or project-specific narrative requirements

All proposals are confidential.

5. Budget Detail and Narrative (Attachment B- Suggested Format)

Describe and justify requested budget items and costs. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Information, Object Class Category totals were determined. For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of time. Describe any item of cost that requires prior approval under the Federal cost principles. See 2 CFR 200.407 “Prior written approval (prior approval)” for more information. If equipment purchased previously with Federal funds is available for the project, provide a list of that equipment and identify the Federal funding source. Include detailed descriptions of all cost justifications (see BLM’s suggested format Attachment B for more detail). Additionally, provide any cost sharing and matching funds in the same level of detail as the federal funds. The budget narrative submitted with the application must match the dollar amounts on all required forms.

Budget items must be reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary to the supported activity. Refer to 2 CFR §200, for applicable administrative requirements and cost principles.

If your proposal period of performance is for multi-year or multiple year funding, you must provide a budget and budget justification for the full amount of the project. Show each year in a separate column on the SF-424A and use a separate column for listing any https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9557df1830f0558e853e91c94dd8a3ff&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1407&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl matching funds. Applicants must ensure that no Federal or non-Federal grant funds will be expended for in-kind goods or services, for purposes of providing transportation, travel, and other expenses for any Federal employee.

NOTE: Budget Detail and Narrative form (Attachment B) is a suggested format to present the breakdown of your estimated costs, by category, needed to accomplish project activities. If you elect to use a different format, all information requested on Attachment B must be included. Estimated costs must be documented in sufficient detail to determine reasonableness. Include a description of any cost share (cash, in-kind, etc.) listed.

Additionally, for multi-year budgets, please describe in your budget detail justification any items to be purchased or expended that may be specific to a particular year of the proposed project.

Lump sum costs are not acceptable in any category, without a detailed breakdown of how the cost were determined. Profit or fees are not allowable.

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

(a) Applicability.

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

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

(b) Notification.

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

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

(c) Restrictions on lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR part 18 and 31 U.S.C. 1352.

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

(e) Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=3c0a3568dd4b12f5c90e52f45f93528b&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=pt2.1.1402#se2.1.1402_1112 any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR part 180).

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

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

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

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement

Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”.

If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regards to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. When overlap exists, your statement must end with “We understand that if at any time we receive funding from another source that is duplicative of the https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=683823273fc0da6a1060883eda593fb8&mc=true&node=pt43.1.18&rgn=div5 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=683823273fc0da6a1060883eda593fb8&mc=true&node=pt43.1.18&rgn=div5 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html funding we are requesting from the Bureau of Land Management in this application, we will immediately notify the Bureau of Land Management point of contact identified in this Funding Opportunity in writing.”

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration: This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate) or any entity with an exception approved by the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet and then register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application. Federal award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. We may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. There is no cost to register with Dun & Bradstreet or SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with Dun & Bradstreet and SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free.

Obtain a DUNS Number

Request a DUNS Number through the Dun & Bradstreet website. For technical difficulties, send an email to the D&B SAM Help Desk. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com. The Grants.gov “Obtain a DUNS Number” webpage also provides detailed instructions. Once assigned a DUNS number, your organization must maintain up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants must enter their DUNS number in the “Organizational DUNS” field on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form.

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM)

Register on the SAM.gov website. “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov Register with SAM page also provides detailed instructions. You can also contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been to the entity’s DUNS or IRS information.

D4. Submission Dates and Times BLM requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. Grants.gov automatically generates an electronic date and time stamp in the system upon application receipt.

Grants.gov sends an acknowledgement of receipt with the date and time stamp and a unique mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com

Grants.gov application tracking number to the authorized representative by email. This email from Grants.gov serves as your proof of timely submission.

Due Date for Applications 07/01/2021 Application Due Date Explanation Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due dates.

Open from June 1, 2021 through July 1, 2021

Applications must be submitted in English.

Late applications will not be accepted or reviewed.

D5. Intergovernmental Review Prior to application submission, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the OMB Office of Federal Financial Management website and view the “State Point of Contact (SPOC) List” to determine whether their application is subject to the state intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

States not on the list do not participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are located within a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency. If your state is on the list, contact the designated entity for more information on the state’s prior review requirements for Federal assistance applications.

D6. Funding Restrictions Any partners submitting a construction, reconstruction, repair, or restoration of paved or permanent roads or parking area projects under the Good Neighbor Authority - 16 USC §2113a

(b) (1) (A) are not allowed under this program.

Any Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network partners submitting a project is subject to the CESU indirect cost rate cap (currently 17.5%).

The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency for indirect costs, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your organization’s cognizant agency, the Interior Business Center will negotiate your indirect cost rate. Contact the Interior Business Center by phone 916-930-3803 or using the IBC Email Submission Form. See the IBC Website for more information.

Organizations must have an active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award. Recipients must have prior written approval from the BLM to use amounts budgeted for direct costs to https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/ https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/contact-us https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/contact-us https://www.doi.gov/ibc/services/finance/indirect-cost-services satisfy cost-share or match requirements or to cover unallowable indirect costs. Recipients shall not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

Required Indirect Cost Statement to be submitted with Application All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application, and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

A U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding each year with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. Attached is a copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification.

A U.S. state or local government entity receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We have prepared and will retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation.

A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, do not use this statement] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. [Insert either: “Attached is a copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made.” or “Attached is a copy of our current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.”]

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted or does not have a current indirect cost rate proposal from our cognizant agency. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% to be charged against modified total direct project costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.68. We understand that we must notify BLM in writing if we establish a negotiated rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by BLM.

A [insert your organization type] that is submitting this proposal for consideration under the “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”, which has a Department of the Interior-approved indirect cost rate cap of 17.5%. If we have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must apply this reduced rate against the same direct cost base as identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement per 2 CFR §1402.414.

If we do not have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must charge indirect costs against the modified total direct cost base defined in 2 CFR §200.68 “Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)”. We understand that we must request prior approval from BLM to use the 2 CFR 200 MTDC base instead of the base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. We understand that BLM approval of such a request will be based on: 1) a determination that our approved base is only a subset of the MTDC (such as salaries and wages); and 2) that use of the MTDC base will still result in a reduction of the total indirect costs to be charged to the award. In https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0bb1f5386f36f965f85dc05b2ad8a804&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5&se2.1.200_168 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=301d2113ecd423372a0181d3002e13a1&mc=true&node=se2.1.1402_1414&rgn=div8 accordance with 2 CFR §200.405, we understand that indirect costs not recovered due to a voluntary reduction to our federally negotiated rate are not allowable for recovery via any other means.

A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.

D7. Other Submission Requirements BLM requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. Grants.gov automatically generates an electronic date and time stamp in the system upon application receipt.

Grants.gov sends an acknowledgement of receipt with the date and time stamp and a unique Grants.gov application tracking number to the authorized representative by email. This email from Grants.gov serves as your proof of timely submission.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

Depending on proposed work, applications selected for funding may be required to submit the following as a condition of award:

Health and Safety Plan Quality Assurance Plan Sampling and Analysis Plan Community and Stakeholders Involvement Plan Subrecipient Plan (tasks to be performed by other partner organizations, contractors, consultants, universities, etc.)

Applicants are encouraged to submit documentation for the above plans when applying. If not included in the in the application, funded projects will be required to submit to the BLM no later than 30 days after award any necessary planning documents.

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria Merit Review Criteria Maximum Points: 0 Applications eligible for merit review will be evaluated by an ad hoc evaluation team assembled to review, rate, rank, and recommend applications for award using the below evaluation criteria.

Evaluation teams are made up of two or more qualified personnel familiar with the program and certified to have no conflict of interest with any persons or organizations applying for award.

Reviews are handled as confidential documents. Once award decisions are made, applicants may request in writing a written summary of the evaluation of their application/proposal.

Proposals will be evaluated, scored, and ranked by appropriate BLM staff experts in the program's field of study.

The government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals which do not meet the https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html requirements of this NOFO and which are determined to be outside the scope of the authority under which this NOFO is posted.

Project must assist BLM in meeting one or more of the Department of Interior priorities, as well as one of the following priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration:

Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which directs the Department and other federal agencies to prioritize efforts to reduce climate pollution; support climate resilience; support land conservation and biodiversity efforts, including the 30 by 30 initiative; maximize clean energy development and deployment; and leverage partnerships with youth and service corps to create conservation and resilience jobs in support of the Civilian Climate Corps initiative.

Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, which affirms the Department’s responsibility to advance equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity through its policies and procedures and directs federal agencies to allocate resources in a manner that helps address historic inequities to underserved communities and individuals, as defined by the order.

Executive Order 14002: Economic Relief Related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which directs federal agencies to allocate resources in a manner to address the current economic crisis resulting from the pandemic.

Executive Order 14005: Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America’s Workers, which calls on federal agencies to ensure that terms and conditions of financial assistance awards maximize the use of goods, products, materials and services produced or offered in the United States.

Award will be made to responsive, responsible applicants submitting proposals, which conform to the funding opportunity NOFO and are most advantageous to the Government considering the evaluation factors listed below.

First Level Screening --Basic Eligibility Applications will be screened by the Grants Management Officer to ensure that applications meet basic eligibility requirements. Depending on the specifics of the funding opportunity, screening may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Submission is timely;

Program and/or legislative authority requirements are met; and Complete and properly executed required application package documents are included.

Applications must satisfy basic eligibility screening requirements to be considered for further review.

Second Level Evaluation -- Merit Review Evaluation Eligible applications will be evaluated in an objective and unbiased manner using the following merit review criteria:

https://www.doi.gov/ourpriorities

Proposals will be evaluated on strengths or weaknesses for each merit review criterion and rated “Exceeds” “Meets” or “Does not meet” expectations with highest importance on (NOTE:

choose one of the following that your state will rank highest) Statement of Need, Technical Approach, Public Benefit, Qualifications/Past Performance.

Each of these ratings is defined as follows:

Exceeds – The proposal exceeds the criteria factors without any deficiencies.

Meets – The proposal meets criteria factors with few, or only minor, deficiencies.

Does not meet – The proposal does not meet the criteria factors, or there are significant deficiencies identified.

APPLICANT STATEMENT OF NEED

Mission and objectives, including achievable project goals and how they relate to Abandoned Mine Land or Orphaned Well sites Objectives of the project DOI priorities that will be met

APPLICANT TECHNICAL APPROACH

Development and management plans Techniques, processes, and methodologies Data collection, analysis, and means of interpretation Significant outputs and expected outcomes Clear milestones and measurement criteria Tasks to be performed by other partner organizations, subrecipients, contractors and/or consultants Project monitoring and evaluation plan including monitoring of subrecipients, contractors, consultants, volunteers, etc.

Coordination with State, Federal, and local stake holders/representatives and your organization’s “Community and Stakeholders Involvement Plan” Environmental compliance plan How project performance will be measured and assessment tools to be used Measurable expected outcomes Describe if your organization has the following plan(s) in place to start implementing your project within 30 days of award Health and Safety Plan Quality Assurance Plan Sampling and Analysis Plan Subrecipient Plan (tasks to be performed by other partner organizations, contractors, consultants, universities, etc.)

PUBLIC BENEFIT AND PROGRAM INTEREST OF THE BLM

Direct Public Benefit Projects in which the BLM receives the indirect benefit of response and restoration activities at Abandoned Mine Land or Orphan Well sites.

APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS/PAST PERFORMANCE

Key project personnel experience and qualifications Special skills, licenses and/or permits held Experience working with NEPA and CERCLA regulations Experience with development and/or implementation of AML physical safety hazard mitigation, AML environmental response and site restoration, and Orphaned Well remediation and site restoration.

Qualifications of any subrecipients, contractors, and/or consultants Experience with federally funded assistance agreements within the last three to five years Similar successfully completed projects at AML and Orphan Well sites Unique qualifications

LEVERAGING OF RESOURCES

(Will be considered in the review process as a tiebreaker among applications with equivalent scores after evaluation against all other factors) A proposal that demonstrates effective partnerships to share resources and expertise.

Third Level Review Pre-award Clearance and Budget Approvals Prior to award, the BLM will evaluate the risk posed by applicants as required in 2 CFR

200.205. BLM programs document applicant risk evaluations using the DOI “Financial Assistance Recipient Risk Assessment” form. Prior to approving awards, the BLM is required to review and consider any information about or from the applicant found in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System. The BLM will consider this information when completing the risk review. The BLM uses the results of the risk evaluation to establish monitoring plans, recipient reporting frequency requirements, and to determine if one or more of the specific award conditions in 2 CFR 200.207 should be applied the award.

If the results of all pre-award reviews and clearances are satisfactory, an award of funding will be made once the agreement is finalized. If the BLM determines that a Federal award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the Federal award.

Budget review is based on the following:

Budget line items must be allowable, allocable, reasonable in price, and appropriate for the level of effort needed to accomplish the project.

Budget details and narrative must provide adequate explanation of, and justification for, each estimated cost.

Requested equipment must be justified and necessary for completion of the project.

Cost Sharing/Matching funds must not come from Federal sources.

Final Review of Selected Applicants:

Final review will be made by management to determine if the selected proposed project(s) are in line with DOI and BLM current priorities. This process may take a few months to finalize.

Maximum Points: 0 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d2dcc90ae005f2663e1f736225b6211a&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d2dcc90ae005f2663e1f736225b6211a&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8

E2. Review and Selection Process Prior to award, the program will review any applicant statement regarding potential overlap or duplication between the project to be funded and any other funded or proposed project in terms of activities, funding, or time commitment of key personnel.