NAWCA Mx App Instructions for FY2023 English.pdf

NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT:

FY2023 MEXICO STANDARD GRANTS PROGRAM

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Notice of Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.623

Submission Deadline: May 18, 2022 (due at 11:59 PM, U.S. Eastern Time)

Description of Funding Opportunity: North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Mexico Grant Program

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

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: We are collecting this information in accordance with the legislative authority listed above. Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to conduct a competitive review and select projects for funding and, if awarded, to evaluate performance. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We estimate that it will take you on average about 80 hours to complete an initial application, including time to maintain records, and gather information. Actual time for these activities will vary depending on program-specific requirements. You may send comments on the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

OMB Control Number: 1018-0100 (Expires: 7/31/2021)

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.

Table of Contents

DESCRIPTION OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY AND AWARD INFORMATION

I. Important changes in these instructions for Fiscal Year 2022

II. Reminders III. Applying for a NAWCA Grant IV. Steps to apply for a grant opportunity in GrantSolutions V. Steps to register in SAM.gov VI. Keys to developing a successful proposal VII. Other Information VIII. Bilingual glossary for NAWCA Mexico IX. Scoring Criteria

PROPOSAL FORMAT GUIDELINES

I. Cover Page II. Project Summary III. The Proposal IV. Budget V. Types of Projects VI. Proposal Annexes

A. 1: Impact on Cultural and Historic Sites A.2: Evaluation and Monitoring B. 1: Maps B.2: Spatial Data/GIS Shapefiles C: Photographs D: List of Previous NAWCA Projects E: Progress Report on current NAWCA projects F: Match Letters G: Letters of Cooperation and Support H: Tract Tables I: SF424 and SF424D J: Organizational Capacity (only new applicants) K: Overlap/duplication of efforts

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I. Suggested Formats II. Project Summary III. Reference Material

Application checklist NAWCA Purpose North American Waterfowl Conservation Regions (Map and list) List of Priority Shorebirds, Waterbirds and Landbirds Key Wetlands: Map of Ramsar sites Key Wetlands for Waterfowl (Map) Key Wetlands for Shorebirds (Map) Key Wetlands for Waterbirds (Map)

DESCRIPTION OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY AND AWARD INFORMATION

The NAWCA Mexico program promotes partnerships between public agencies and groups interested in: a) protecting, improving, restoring, and managing an appropriate distribution and diversity of wetland ecosystems and other habitats for wetlands-associated migratory birds and other fish and wildlife in North America; b) maintaining and improving the current distributions of wetlands-associated migratory bird populations; and c) maintaining an abundance of waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) and other populations of wetlands-associated migratory birds consistent with the objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, Waterbird Conservation Plan for the Americas, Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan, and other international obligations contained in the treaties and migratory bird conventions and other agreements with Canada, Mexico, and other countries.

Proposals to the NAWCA Mexico program should demonstrate how the activities of partners would encourage sustainable and effective programs for the long-term conservation of wetlands-associated migratory birds. NAWCA funds wetlands conservation projects that include one or more of these: a) the acquisition of property containing wetlands ecosystems and associated habitats, including water rights, where the acquired land will be administered for its long-term conservation and for the benefit of migratory birds, fish, and other wildlife that depend on it; b) restoration, enhancement, or management of wetlands ecosystems and associated habitats, where these activities will be conducted on lands and waters that will be administered for their long-term conservation and for the benefit of migratory birds, fish, and other wildlife that depend on them; or c) in Mexico only, activities that involve technical training, education, sustainable-use studies, or organizational infrastructure-building needed to develop or strengthen wetlands conservation and management capabilities.

A proposal may request up to $1,000,000 in grant funds; few proposals request more than $500,000.

Important changes in these instructions for the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) cycle

1. Although this funding opportunity is advertised on grants.gov, you must apply directly within www.grantsolutions.gov; we explain how in these instructions.

2. You must include a project abstract summary in GrantSolutions; we explain how in these instructions.

3. We explain that the FWS is reconstructing its website; if a link is broken, please visit https://www.fws.gov and search for the document you need.

4. In the section, “Description of Migratory Bird Resources and other wildlife”, we specify that you may indicate up to 10 priority species each for waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, and landbirds.

5. In the section, “Other wetland dependent species”, we added “resident birds” and eliminated “the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species list, or the PIF species list”.

6. We replaced the three separate bird lists from prior announcements with a single list, “Priority migrant, wetland-associated shorebirds, waterbirds and landbirds listed in the U.S. Endangered Species Act (June 2021) or on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Birds of Conservation Concern (2021)”.

7. We clarify the eligibility of in-kind and “old” match; we explain it in these instructions.

8. We specify that the acreage conversion factor is 1 hectare = 2.47 (U.S.) acres.

9. We clarify the distinction between restoration and enhancement.

10. We suggest that you submit a copy of your proposal as a courtesy to the Sonoran Joint Venture if your project sites are in the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa or

Nayarit, or in the Sierra Madre Occidental Bird Conservation Region in Chihuahua and Durango;

we explain how in these instructions.

11. We have added tips to the section “Keys to developing a successful proposal”.

12. We highlighted the eligibility criteria document, available at https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/MexicanEligibilityCriteria.pdf.

13. There are other changes; please read the full document carefully.

Reminders

The English version of these application instructions is the official version. A Spanish translation is provided as a courtesy.

You must submit your proposal through GrantSolutions.gov for it to be eligible; merely sending an email with your proposal is not sufficient. In addition to submitting it through GrantSolutions.gov, you should also email all elements of the proposal, combined into a single PDF file, to dbhc@fws.gov (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Bird Habitat Conservation), lurbano@semarnat.gob.mx and miguel.flores@semarnat.gob.mx.

GrantSolutions and SAM.gov are free services. Do not pay for your registration and do not provide any information to scammers who may contact you.

The proposal must be submitted in English. Please also submit a copy in Spanish to SEMARNAT/DGVS at lurbano@semarnat.gob.mx, with copies to miguel.flores@semarnat.gob.mx and dbhc@fws.gov. The Spanish version will be considered a subordinate version of your proposal; the English version submitted through GrantSolutions will be the official version. (Please do not include the Spanish version in your GrantSolutions application package.) If you only send a Spanish version, your proposal will not be considered. The cost of translation can be included in the budget as an administrative cost.

Describe how you will share any data and information that is produced by your project with the public or with other key organizations. Whenever possible and reasonable, bird survey data should be made public, for example by uploading it to eBird (https://ebird.org/home) or AKN (http://avianknowledge.net).

Eligibility criteria are shown in https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/MexicanEligibilityCriteria.pdf.

Maintenance of a physical structure that was a funded with grant or match in a prior NAWCA or NMBCA project is not an eligible activity. Grantees and partners are responsible for repairing or replacing structures, regardless of whether they fail prematurely or deteriorate sooner than expected. For example, if the construction of a levee was paid for during a NAWCA grant 15 years ago and the useful life of that levee should have been twenty years, you cannot include the cost of repairing or replacing it.

Duplicative work is not an eligible activity. If you propose an activity on a tract that is or was previously part of a NAWCA or NMBCA project, by any grantee organization, you must show that the activity does not duplicate activities that were part of the other project. For example, if NAWCA match funds paid for the restoration of a wetland site in 2009, you cannot propose restoration on the same site in 2022. You could propose a different activity, e.g., treatment of noxious weeds, on the same site. You need to explain that you will not duplicate work on specific tracts, describe how the new activity is complementary, and include a map of current or previous NAWCA and NMBCA project work by any organization in the area (see “C.

Project Description”, and section 12 of the “Tract table”). Unless it is clear to us that an activity is not duplicative, we will not allow it in a project.

If you are acquiring land, protecting land through another legal mechanism, or restoring, enhancing or managing habitat, you must include a Tract Table. We added a more thorough explanation of the information needed in the Tract Table. The table must include the longevity of the work and any retreatments during and after the project period.

Restoration and enhancement are considered unique and different activities under NAWCA;

the hectares to be accomplished under each should be described separately. If a tract will be both restored and enhanced, the number of hectares to be enhanced (that are also restored) should be shown in parenthesis. (See “Definitions of project types”, “Purpose/Project Type”, “Components table”, “Tract table”).

Proposals should demonstrate how the activities of partners will encourage the long-term conservation of wetlands-associated migratory birds.

Restoration/enhancement can only occur on tracts that are protected by a long-term legal mechanism, and the duration of both the legal mechanism and of the restoration/enhancement should be made explicit in the Tract Table. Long-term protection means a minimum of 10 years after the start of the grant project.

Any tract that you acquire with grant or match must be appraised by an independent real property appraiser licensed or certified in Mexico in accordance with Mexican appraisal standards.

There is a new reporting responsibility for tract acquisitions, SF-429 Real Property Status Report forms (applies to fee or easement acquisitions).

Law enforcement is not eligible as a grant or match cost.

Applicants who have never applied to NAWCA for funding must provide additional information. See Annex J.

Match letters must include all items listed, and state that the match contribution does not originate from US Federal funds and have not been used to match any other US Federal grant project.

Letters of support are required from all owners of tracts where restoration, enhancement or management activities will take place; see Annex G.

All proposals must include a “Required Indirect Cost Statement”; see IV.A.22.

Important changes since the Fiscal Year 2017 cycle:

o We created an Eligibility criteria document, available at https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/MexicanEligibilityCriteria.pdf.

o We clarified that a proposal may request up to $1,000,000 in grant funds; few proposals request more than $500,000.

o We clarified that organizations from any country may submit proposals, but all grant and match funds must be spent in Mexico (including administrative or indirect costs).

o We clarified that match contributions from entities not located in Mexico are eligible (except US Federal entities), as long as they are spent in Mexico.

o If you will band birds, we ask for certain information.

o If you are citing an endangered or priority species, specify where it is listed; see III.A.b.

o We revised the scoring criteria in section D, by assigning two points that were previously unassigned.

o We revised maps and bird lists.

o We added a bilingual glossary.

o You are now required to provide a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rates statement and

Conflict of Interest Disclosures.

o We added information about impact on cultural and historic sites, evaluating the success of your activities, ineligible costs, vehicles, Program Income, match cost reporting, and tract tables.

o We ask for more detail about the success of previous phases (Annex D).

o We ask for more detail about the biological and socioeconomic values of wetlands.

o Annual budgets are no longer required.

o The scoring criteria used initially to rank proposals are now shown in this document.

o Applicants must provide a statement that describes any overlaps between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated projects. See Annex L (Required Overlap/Duplication Statement).

o Applicants must discuss the impact of changing environmental conditions in a different section than in prior years.

Applying for a NAWCA Mexico Grant

This funding opportunity is advertised on grants.gov. However, you must apply directly within GrantSolutions, www.grantsolutions.gov; do not apply through grants.gov. To apply, you must first set up a GrantSolutions account, including obtaining the correct user roles within the system. At a minimum, you will need to assign the following two roles within GrantSolutions: “Grantee Principal Investigator” (PI/PD, the project officer or lead) and “Grantee Administrative Officer” (ADO). You must include a project abstract summary in GrantSolutions. This summary should include the total number of acres affected, project location (i.e., Mexican states in which activities take place), benefits to birds, and main activities. You may copy the proposal summary from the first page or your proposal narrative, but note that there is a 4,000-character limit. You must also fill out the SF- 424 and SF-424 D forms in GrantSolutions. (You may omit the SF-424C form.) The narrative portion (your proposal) and supporting documentation should be attached to your GrantSolutions application.

After you complete your application in GrantSolutions, email the application confirmation number, your proposal, and all supporting documents to both U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (FWS/DBHC) at dbhc@fws.gov and to SEMARNAT/DGVS at lurbano@semarnat.gob.mx and miguel.flores@semarnat.gob.mx. If you send us a proposal by email but do not submit your application through GrantSolutions, your proposal will not be eligible.

Grantsolutions.gov, Grants.gov, and SAM.gov are free websites. Do not pay for your registration and do not provide any information to any scammers who may contact you.

The FWS is in the process of a website reconstruction that will affect the FWS links that provide additional information in this document. If a link is broken, please visit https://www.fws.gov and search for “NAWCA Mexico grant standards” or “NAWCA Mexico eligibility criteria” to find those documents.

Steps to apply for a grant opportunity in GrantSolutions:

1. To register for a free 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 assign the roles for your grant, follow the instructions at https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Grant-Recipient-User- Account-Request-Form-2019-Final-.pdf.

4. Please review the training videos and FAQ at www.grantsolutions.gov. Any questions regarding role creation or GrantSolutions in general should be directed to the GrantSolutions Help Desk at https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/contact-us/.

5. Once your organization is set up in GrantSolutions, your organization will be able to apply for directed grant announcements within GrantSolutions. Instructions on applying directly to an announcement within GrantSolutions are found in this document:

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

6. The NAWCA Mexico grant program’s CFDA number and formal name are found on the first page of these instructions.

Steps to register in SAM.gov :

Registering in GrantSolutions requires an active SAM.gov registration.

1. You must have an active System for Award Management (SAM.gov) registration to apply through GrantSolutions.gov, to receive an award, and to be able to receive funds. We strongly encourage applicants to initiate this process at least 6 weeks before our deadline, because it can be a complex process. If your organization is registered with SAM.gov but your status is not listed as “active”, you must update your registration prior to submitting an application. You must renew and revalidate the SAM registration at least every 12 months and ensure that all information is up to date. Additional information in Spanish is at http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/guia-introductoria-para-inscripcion-en-duns-ncage-y-sam.pdf.

2. If your organization is based outside the USA, you will need to go through additional steps in SAM, which could take additional weeks. Only then can you register in GrantSolutions.gov.

For organizations outside the USA, NCAGE Codes are required prior to starting a SAM registration. You can submit your request for an NCAGE Code using the NCAGE Request Tool at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx. Detailed instructions are posted at that site. For additional information, call 1.269.961-4623 or send an email message to NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil. If you are not based in USA and wish to be paid directly to a United States bank account you must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM. Applicants identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding.

3. If you encounter problems with SAM or GrantSolutions, see http://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/neotropical-migratory-bird-conservation-act/how-to-apply.php.

If that page does not help, contact the GrantSolutions or SAM help desks directly.

Keys to developing a successful proposal

These are some elements of a good proposal that facilitate evaluation and selection.

1. Proposals that do not comply with requirements and formats will not be considered.

2. Do not include numbers, hectares, acres, or other measurements in the title. However, if the proposal is for a new phase of a previous NAWCA project, please give the proposal the same name as in the previous phase and add the Roman numeral that pertains to the phase, at the end of the title (e.g., “IV”).

3. Carefully consider the proposal’s goals and objectives. In NAWCA, “goals” are the ultimate results of this project (after the two years of the grant project), while the “objectives” are the intermediate steps necessary to reach that end and will be completed before the end of the two-year grant project. The activities are the actions necessary to complete those objectives:

activities > objectives > goals. There should be fewer goals in comparison to objectives and a lot less in comparison to the number of activities. These concepts are the key for the evaluators to understand the intent of the proposal. Include a single table that presents the goals, objectives, and activities. See the suggested work plan format below.

4. Carefully review the scoring criteria (see “Scoring Criteria” below) that we use to initially rank proposals, and consider each criterion as you develop the various sections of your proposal.

5. Ensure that all activities and costs are eligible. The eligibility criteria document is available at https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/MexicanEligibilityCriteria.pdf.

6. The number of acres under each category that directly affects habitat (protection through a legal mechanism, restoration, enhancement and management) in the tract table must be the same as the acres in the summary, table of components, description of objectives, maps, and shapefiles. Ensure that every acquisition, establishment of legal mechanism, restoration, enhancement and management that has a concrete objective in terms of acres is listed in the tract table. Each tract listed must have a corresponding polygon in one of the maps; use the same name for the polygons on the map and the tract table.

7. Correctly classify any restoration (of habitat that has disappeared or is severely degraded) and enhancement (of habitat that still exists and functions) activities.

8. Your cash match must be at least as high as your grant request; in-kind match does not count towards this minimum.

9. If a match letter does not include every element listed in the match letter section, that match is not eligible.

10. The cost for buying, maintaining or using drones or similar equipment is not allowed.

11. Double-check your arithmetic. All totals and subtotals on the first page, in the table of resources, table of components and match letters must be identical to those in the budget.

12. Include the correct version of your indirect cost statement, even if you do not claim indirect costs.

13. The proposal PDF should include the narrative and all annexes, in a single PDF file, in the same order as that given in these instructions. Show the submission date at the top of the first page. Only shapefiles should be attached separately.

14. Keep your registrations up to date in GrantSolutions.gov and SAM.gov for the next 12 months; if your proposal is selected, these must be active.

Other information

1. If the proposal is approved, all the information and materials presented with the proposal will become part of the official contract between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/DBHC and the applicant and as such will be available in public files.

2. In the process of evaluating the proposals, there are occasions when a new version of the proposal or a new version of the budget may be required. Each new version of the proposal and of the budget tables must be renamed as V1, or V2, etc. and the date of resubmission must be clearly indicated on each document.

3. After receipt of each proposal, a four-digit “project number” will be assigned. Please use this number in all correspondence regarding this proposal and include it in all the budget tables if they are subsequently revised.

4. If your project sites are in the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa or Nayarit, or in the Sierra Madre Occidental Bird Conservation Region (BCR 34, https://nabci-us.org/resources/mexico-bird-conservation-region-map/) in Chihuahua and Durango, we suggest that you submit a copy of your proposal as a courtesy to the Sonoran Joint Venture (https://sonoranjv.org).

5. If your project sites are in states that border the southern frontier of the Rio Grande (Chihuahuan Desert and Tamaulipas Brushlands Bird Conservation Regions; part of the states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Guanajuato or Querétaro), it is suggested that you send a courtesy copy to the Rio Grande Joint Venture. See website: http://www.rgjv.org/about.html.

6. Projects must comply with the NAWCA Mexico grant guidelines, available at https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/MexicanGrantStandards.pdf. (An unofficial, courtesy translation, “Lineamientos para la Administración de Subsidios” is available at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/Lineamientos.pdf.)

7. In the NAWCA Mexico program, we use the following definitions.

Bilingual glossary for NAWCA Mexico:

English Spanish Notes

Landbirds Aves terrestres

These are mostly passerines.

Waterbirds Aves acuáticas que no son ni anátidos ni playeros

There is no single word that translates “waterbirds” into Spanish. The term “aves acuáticas”, as used by most professionals in Latin America, is not synonymous with “waterbirds” as used in the USA (where it includes rails, marshbirds, wading birds, and marine birds, but excludes waterfowl and shorebirds). Rather, that Spanish term includes all birds dependent on wetlands or marine habitats, i.e., it does not exclude waterfowl or shorebirds. According to the 2012 “Desarrollo de la Base Metodológica para el Inventario Nacional de Humedales de México (citing CONANP), an “ave acuática ” is any bird that depends ecologically from a wetland area.

Colonial waterbirds

Aves coloniales que migran desde los

EE.UU.

These include, for example, egrets and herons. Note that the species normally described by this term in the USA are not identical to the species described by this term in Mexico. This is because “colonial” refers to breeding colonies. Neotropical migrants that nest colonially in the USA do not congregate during their non-reproductive season, i.e., during their stay in Mexico (and therefore are not called “colonial” by Mexican professionals). Conversely, resident species that do congregate and breed in Mexico (and therefore are called “colonial” by Mexican professionals) are generally not neotropical migrants.

Waterfowl Anátidos (patos, cisnes, gansos)

Unlike in the USA, “anátidos” is a subset of “aves acuáticas”. Some Mexican publications use the term “aves acuáticas ” to indicate “waterfowl”, but this is not common practice in Latin America.

Wading birds Aves vadeadoras

Shorebirds Aves Playeras Unlike in the USA, “aves playeras”, in Latin America, is considered to be a subset of “aves acuáticas”.

Marine birds Aves marinas

Wetlands Humedales

Uplands Tierras altas adyacentes a los humedales

Scoring Criteria

The following four categories are used to assess the proposal’s activities, objectives and goals in relation to the North American Wetland Conservation Act (the Act) and its application in Mexico:

A. Resource Description (30 points) – One of the purposes of the Act is to maintain current or improved distributions of wetland associated migratory bird populations. This category looks at the bird populations affected to determine to what degree and magnitude the activities of the proposal affect this purpose.

Priority Migratory Waterfowl (see list below) 10 points

Priority Migratory Shorebirds (see list below) 5 points

Priority Migratory Waterbirds (see list below) 5 points

Priority Migratory Landbirds (see list below) 5 points

Other Birds/Wildlife (including MX endemic and listed species) 5 points

B. Project Location (25 points) – Another stated purpose in the Act is to protect, enhance, restore, and manage an appropriate distribution and diversity of wetland ecosystems and habitats. This category evaluates the context of how the proposal fits into the landscape efforts, and if work being completed is appropriate and effective for the proposed sites, as well as whether or not the work contributes to meet migratory bird biological needs and contributes to the greater benefit of ecosystem importance.

Geographic Location (landscape context; see text below) 5 points

Value of Wetlands (Ramsar Map) 5 points

Mexico regional/local impact 3 points

Key wetlands for waterfowl (see two Waterfowl maps) 3 points

Key wetlands for shorebirds (see Map) 3 points

Key wetlands for waterbirds (see Map) 3 points

Key wetlands for landbirds (We have not included a map, but you may include one in your proposal, e.g., IBA/AICA map (http://conabioweb.conabio.gob.mx/aicas/doctos/aicasmapa.html) or WHSRN map (https://whsrn.org/whsrn-sites/map-of-sites/)You may also describe abundance, occurrence, seasonality, percent of total population of species, and relative importance of site in the region or country.)

3 points

C. Project Description (30 points) – This category evaluates the types, benefits, longevity and goals of the proposed activities to illustrate comprehensive and complete implementation. It also considers how the activities address the current and potential future conditions for habitat and migratory birds.

Goals/Tracts Work Plan -project explanation and benefits -quantification of deliverables (e.g., number of acres) -longevity/duration of work/benefits (e.g., years that project is anticipated to function effectively) -goals for each component of the proposal (e.g., enhance habitat for species

X, or promote working lands and grazing to prevent habitat loss, etc.)

-budget/tract (i.e., what is the cost for each project as described)

20 points

Threats (i.e., reasons that the project is needed) 5 points

Changing environmental conditions 3 points

Special Considerations (e.g., unique aspects of the project) 2 points

D. Partnerships (15 points) – The Act encourages partnerships in delivering conservation, recognizing the importance of leveraging funds and gaining broad acceptance and participation in conservation efforts.

Community Participation 3 points

Number and Degree of Participation of Partners 5 points

Match Ratio 3 points

Unique Social Aspects of the Project 4 points

PROPOSAL FORMAT GUIDELINES

Format requirements

1. All elements of the proposal, except shapefiles, should be combined into one, single PDF file. Do not protect it with a password. The filename should be unique and include the acronym of the applicant organization.

2. Set the paper size to 8.5×11 inches. Single space and left-justify the text. Do not use headers, footers, or borders. The font should be no smaller than 11 points and in “Arial” (not “Arial narrow”). Page margins should be half an inch (side, top and bottom).

3. Each page of the proposal must be numbered consecutively, locating the number on the bottom right.

4. All proposal sections must be numbered and organized according to the numbering and organization indicated in the instructions

5. Do not include text from the instructions, other than the title of sections.

6. The cover page should not be in tabular format; do not include any type of borders or other design.

7. The location information on the cover page under 7.A. must be given as latitude and longitude (degrees, minutes and seconds). These coordinates must be precise (at a minimum, provide a central point).

8. The cover page must include two tables: 7.B. Priority location and 10. Table of Resources. Do not add other priority lists in table 7.B.

9. All measurements should be in metric units and their equivalents in the United States (hectares/acres, kilometers/miles, meters/feet, etc.). Please use this conversion factor: 1 hectare = 2.47 (U.S.) acres.

10. Budget tables must show only U.S. dollars and indicate the rate of exchange at the time the proposal was developed.

11. The text in the maps, especially in the legend, should be in English wherever possible.

I. COVER PAGE: FY2021 NAWCA MEXICO PROGRAM PROPOSAL (See suggested cover page format below.)

II. PROJECT SUMMARY

The proposal summary is the principal part on which points are given to each proposal. The summary should give the information necessary for evaluation by the reviewer who needs to understand the purpose of the proposal and the most important details. The rest of the proposal should contain more in-depth information to provide answers to whatever questions remain after review of the summary. It is suggested that the summary be developed after the rest of the proposal has been written so that the author can reflect on all details before writing the summary.

The Project Summary should begin on the second page after the Cover Page and should not exceed a maximum of three pages (pages 2 – 4). If you exceed this page limit, the text will be deleted. This summary should describe how you would conduct the activities of the proposal and the explanation for how they would be implemented. See the suggested summary format below. Provide in-depth information in Section III. Proposal, the last five pages of the proposal.

Throughout the proposal, hectares/acres that are affected by more than one objective must be presented in parentheses to avoid double counting. For example, if a project will protect 800 hectares/1,976 acres through an easement and, among these same acres, restore (400) hectares/

(988) acres, presentation of the hectares/acres to be restored using parentheses will indicate that these hectares/acres are already included in the number of hectares/acres that will be protected. If other hectares/acres will be restored or enhanced that are not included in the hectares/acres already indicated for protection, then those are additional hectares/acres and should not be in parentheses.

Please use this conversion factor: 1 hectare = 2.47 (U.S.) acres.

A. Summary of Objectives

Describe the objectives and activities that are in the work plan in section III.B: Objective I and the activities, Objective II, etc.

B. Table of Components

This table should present details of the cost of each component with NAWCA funds (in U.S.

dollars) and partners\match (in U.S. dollars) as well as the pertinent hectares/acres and responsible party. Please use this conversion factor: 1 hectare = 2.47 (U.S.) acres.

COMPONENT/ACTIVITY NAWCA Match Has./Acres

1 ha = 2.47 acres

Responsible Partner

Protection Ranch 1 (conservation agreement in previous phase)

$... $... 200/494Grantee

Protection Ranch 2 (easement in this phase)

$... $... 800/1,976Partner 1

Enhancement Ranch 1 $... $... (200)/(494)Grantee Management Ranch 2 $... $... (800)/(1,976)Partner 1 Restoration Ranch 2 $... $... (400)/(988Partner 2

TOTALS $... $... xxx

C. Wetland Values (briefly describe)

1. What is the importance of the wetland and the project area for migratory birds?

2. What are the expected benefits for priority migratory birds?

3. What are the biological and socioeconomic values of the wetland? For example, you could refer to publications by RAMSAR, such as the one found at https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/rpb_values_of_wetlands_e.pdf.

III. The PROPOSAL

This section should begin on the fifth page and should not exceed five pages (pages 5-9). If this number is exceeded it will be reduced. Attachments are considered additional pages, not counting toward the total page number.

A. Description of Migratory Bird Resources and other wildlife

a. Migratory Birds: Indicate up to 10 priority species each of waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, and landbirds (maximum of 40 species). Please see lists for each species in the Reference Material section below. Include scientific name and English common name. For each species, highlight the cross-border migration where it occurs, the anticipated numbers of the species in the project area, the location within the project area that the species occurs, the period of their life cycle of use, and the benefits the species will receive from completing the proposed project.

See attached species lists for waterfowl (anatids), shorebirds, waterbirds, and landbirds.

Priority Species

Numbers/Breeder, Migrant

Benefits of project for priority species

Geographic extent/impact

Migratory Waterfowl (anatids)

[Insert species list]

Migratory Shorebirds

Migratory Waterbirds (not including anatids or shorebirds)

Migratory Landbirds

b. Other wetland dependent species: Indicate up to 5 priority species that live in the project area, including resident birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants. Include scientific name and English common name. For each species, highlight the anticipated numbers of the species that will benefit, the location within the project area in which the species occurs, and the benefit the species will receive from completing the proposed project. If you are citing an endangered or priority species, specify where it is listed as endangered or as priority by citing the publication; for example, the Mexican endangered species list:

http://dof.gob.mx/nota_to_imagen_fs.php?codnota=5173091&fecha=30/12/2010&cod_diario=23 4368 http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ http://www.partnersinflight.org/pif-watch-list-species/

OTHER

Species

Numbers/Breeder, Migrant

Benefits of project for Mexico & Endangered species

Geographic extent/impact;

where listed?

Mexico Priority Species:

Endangered Species:

B. Project Location Provide context in the landscape for the project location with respect to the importance of the wetland and the project area and what benefits the project will provide, when completed, to migratory birds. List the priority wetlands and associated uplands for waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds, and landbirds. If any international, regional or local conservation plans have ranked the location as a high priority, please explain. You may refer to additional maps, such as those from WHSRN (https://whsrn.org/whsrn-sites/map-of-sites/) and IBAs (http://conabioweb.conabio.gob.mx/aicas/doctos/aicasmapa.html), or any others that are relevant to your project. You may describe the importance of the wetlands to local communities, such as benefits related to clean water, agriculture, fishing, recreation, eco-tourism, or similar.

C. Project Description

a. The goals, objectives, activities, and products should be identified and explained in terms of foreseen benefits.

b. Goals, objectives, activities, products and work plan should be presented in the “Work Plan Format” shown below.

c. Describe the activities that will be completed within a two-year timeframe with the funds provided (both match and grant funds) and in accordance with the budget tables.

d. Indicate the activities that will be conducted and relate them to the planned goals and objectives (e.g., negotiate easements, conduct biological inventories, monitoring activities, environmental education, develop environmental education materials, management activities, protection and restoration activities).

e. Present the activities that you will develop and the approximate timing and when they will be concluded. The accomplishments will be based on the date of the start date of the project (date of FWS award + 90 days, etc.). It is unnecessary to reference specific dates since the start date cannot be determined prior to an award. Circumstances do exist, however, when the start date may be prior to the beginning of the grant agreement. See the section on Pre-agreement Costs.

f. Provide a detailed description of the activities, including which partner is responsible for each activity as well as requirements that must be completed by personnel and equipment, products that will be generated, etc., indicating the methods and procedures that will be utilized to each end.

g. The objectives should correspond to the cost categories indicated in the budget tables.

h. If you are acquiring land (i.e., buying a tract or obtaining an easement with match or grant funds), protecting land through another legal mechanism, or restoring, enhancing or managing habitat (including fencing and controlling invasives), you must include a tract table in your proposal. All rows of the tract table must be completed, and you should include separate columns for each activity in each tract (enhancement, restoration, fencing, invasives control, etc.). The tract table must include the duration of the activity (the longevity of the work), in years.

For example, you might state, “fences will last 20 years” or “the treatment for invasive plant control will be effective for 5 years” or “the easement is valid for 99 years”. If applicable (e.g., for invasive plant control), also include (in the “duration” row) how many retreatments are planned during and after the project period. See Annex H and the “Suggested Tract Table Format”.

h. Describe what type of activities were carried out on each tract before this project with NAWCA or NMBCA funds or match; if a tract was never affected by NAWCA or NMBCA (under grants to any organization), at any time, specify this. We suggest that you include a map of previous NAWCA and NMBCA project areas and tracts.

i. Long-term protection: NAWCA supports land protection for the long-term, with a minimum period of 10 years for the legal mechanism that offers the protection, where the 10 years of protection start after the initiation of the grant project. Funds may not be utilized for restoration or enhancement if there is no underlying, long-term, legal mechanism to protect the tracts (properties) involved. For example, restoration/enhancement is eligible on tracts protected by 10-year conservation agreements. Therefore, restoration/enhancement on tracts that are protected solely by 5-year Payment for Ecosystem Services agreements (PES, or PSA in Spanish) is not eligible, even if the PES agreements have an option for renewal. Short-term agreements may be eligible as management funded by match, but not as the qualification for the underlying legal mechanism.

j. Describe the long-term goal, beyond the period of implementation of this project. You should describe how the project will be continued (sustainable) after the NAWCA project ends. If additional support will be needed in the future, include that information in this section of the proposal. If the present proposal is one of several phases, explain the role of the NAWCA support.

j. Main threats: Describe the threats to the project area, and explain how the project will address these threats. Describe the urgency of the project. This section should also describe the importance of the project in terms of migratory bird habitat conservation for the long-term in the context of changing environmental conditions by providing responses to the following items.

Explain how threats from changing environmental conditions in the project area were taken into consideration as you developed this proposal.

Describe the resilience of the project habitat that you intend to protect, restore or enhance, in terms of changing environmental conditions.

Describe the environmental elements or aspects of the habitat at the project site that will persevere for the long term in spite of changing environmental conditions.

Classify the vulnerability of the project site proposed in this proposal as High, Medium or Low.

Explain and provide citations for the basis of the information presented in the previous four responses (academic references, reports or other documentation).

k. Special Considerations (if any) and/or Regional Context: Document any special circumstances that distinguish this project from others. The space should be left empty if there are no special considerations. Do not repeat text that previously presented in other sections of the proposal. The information provided should concentrate on the necessity and immediacy of conducting the project. For example, the information could:

describe those special circumstances, such as the importance and opportunity to conduct a project (threatened habitat, critical condition, pressure on a particular species in a category of risk, etc.); or, describe the existing and proposed levels of protection (without protection, Federal lands, protection category of the area, etc.); or, describe other actors working in the area and linkages of the project with these actors.

D. Partnerships:

Describe any community participation or lack thereof. Briefly state any particularly significant or unique benefits provided by the proposal partnerships. Highlight the number and degree of participation of the partners. Is there a partner who is providing a large or unusual match amount? What are some unique social aspects of the project (e.g., recreational access to the area, open to schools, socioeconomic benefits)?

IV. BUDGET

The budget should include a global budget (table A), the unit budget costs (table B), and a budget justification.

The rules for the management and use of NAWCA funds are equally applicable to the matching contributions. See also the Mexico NAWCA Grant Administration Standards at https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/MexicanGrantStandards.pdf and the eligibility criteria at https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/MexicanEligibilityCriteria.pdf.

A. General instructions. Budget tables must be organized by objective and activities. This means that all costs should be linked clearly to an activity under one of the objectives of the project.

Table A - Global budget by objective and activities as listed in the proposal detailing what NAWCA and each of the partners will pay for, in cash and in-kind. (See the Table A Suggested Format.)

Table B - Unit budget costs: For each line item, detail what NAWCA and each partner will pay for, in cash and in-kind. (See the Table B Suggested Format.)

1. Please number each line item to correspond with the same line item across all the budget tables and to the items in the Work Plan.

2. Each budget table should be identified with: Table A or B; the name of the project; the year for which funding is requested; the date of submission (which will be changed with each new version submitted).

3. Express all costs in U.S. dollars.

4. Provide a detailed description of the costs of major activities for each project objective indicated in the work plan indicating what source of funds will pay for each aspect (NAWCA and each partner).

5. The cost estimates should be reasonable and necessary for the adequate and effective accomplishment of the project objectives. Efficient use of funds is advantageous.

6. Indicate the type of funds to be used by each one of the partners for each line item – in cash and in-kind.

7. When a project is part of a larger project or program or a phase of multiple phases, indicate it in the cover letter/email submitted with the proposal. The costs indicated within the proposal should reflect only the cost of this project’s activities (i.e., not combining other phases).

8. Use the best estimates possible for each cost including for per diem, monthly and annual salaries, etc. The formulas used to make these cost estimates should be included in the budget justification.

9. Proposals that request substantial funds for payment of salaries, more than 30% of the budget, will not be considered favorably.

10. Do not include cents. You should round up the number to whole dollars. For large numbers (over one thousand) do not use the format “10.000.” Please use the format “10,000” (i.e., use a comma instead of a period).

11. Ineligible match and grant costs: Law enforcement is not eligible (see “Management of protected or restored/enhanced properties”). Miscellaneous and contingency (unforeseen) costs are not allowed. Food costs are not allowed, except the cost of: 1) meals and refreshments when paid by the host of a conference or similar event where the primary purpose is the dissemination of technical information, and 2) per diem, or actual cost of meals, during travel directly related to specific project objectives. Maintenance of a physical structure that was a funded with grant or match in a prior NAWCA or NMBCA project is ineligible. Duplicative work is ineligible.

12. Other ineligible costs are listed in the “2 CFR 200” (‘Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards’), found at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part200.pdf, particularly under “Subpart E—Cost Principles”.

13. All the budget tables should include grid lines and should not include any highlights or colored text.

14. Subtotals by objective must be included.

15. To the degree possible, budget tables should be contained in one or as few pages as possible.

16. Avoid empty columns or columns that only show zero dollars.

17. Links within budget tables must not be included.

18. To limit the number of columns per budget table, match from partners that provide less than

15% individually must be grouped into a single column. Show partners providing more than 15% in separate columns. When partners have been grouped together, they should be identified in another table that contains just partners and their contributions.

19. The following entities can act as partners: nongovernmental organizations, municipal organizations, private and local entities, universities and research centers and similar international organizations. Mexican State and Federal entities may apply for funding only if they have mechanisms specifically designed to receive funding from the U.S. government.

All grant and match funds must be spent in Mexico (including administrative or indirect costs).

20. The costs for typing, transcription or professional translation of the proposal, and subsequent reports may be included as part of the administration costs.

21. Please verify that all sums in the budget tables are correct. Use the adding function of an Excel table.