NFWF Program FY 18 NOFO final.docx

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Grant Program:

Fiscal Year 2018 Notice of Funding Opportunity Notice Overview Federal Agency Name Department of the Interior, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Funding Opportunity Title NFWF-USFWS Conservation Partnership 2018 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 15.663 Announcement Type Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Funding Opportunity Number

F18AS00310

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement We are collecting this information in accordance with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act P. Law 110-325, October 2008 (16 U.S.C. 3701-3710). Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to evaluate your application for potential award of Federal funding through this program 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 Office of Management and Budget control number. We estimate that it will take you about 37 hours to complete an initial application, 3 hours to revise the terms of an award, and 8 hours to prepare and submit performance reports, including time to maintain records, and gather information. 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) Submission Deadline and Other Information United States non-profit, non-governmental organizations that are statutorily established by the U.S. Congress to encourage, accept, and administer private gifts for the benefit of, or in connection with, the activities of the Service are eligible to apply for this fund and must provide a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.

The Service recommends you submit your application early enough to address any unforeseen technical complications, and verify all documents have been received by your WSFR Headquarters Office before the deadline. Applications should be formatted to print on 8.5” X 11” paper, with 1” margins at the top, bottom, and both sides, and page numbers at the bottom of the page. Fonts should be legible, i.e., preferably 12 point Arial, Times New Roman, or other commonly used font. Please number your pages starting with the Project Statement.

Contents

I. Description of Funding Opportunity The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intends to issue a Single Source Grant Agreement Award without competition to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for efforts to cooperatively develop and lead conservation initiatives. The purpose of the funding is to leverage public and private funds to accelerate efforts towards priority conservation goals. This program builds on the existing efforts of the Service and the Foundation.

WSFR’s mission is to work through partnerships to conserve and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. WSFR’s vision is of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that offer recreation, economic activity, and other societal benefits, in addition to sustainable ecological functions. WSFR’s guiding principle is that society benefits from conservation-based management of fish and wildlife and their habitats and opportunities to use and enjoy them. The Foundation’s conservation initiatives aligns with WSFR’s mission, vision, and guiding principle, and supports two of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior’s priorities including:

1) Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt through land acquisition promoting protection and enhancement of high-priority coastal wetland ecosystems;

2) Utilizing our natural resources by allowing fish- and wildlife-based recreation and public use and enjoyment, as appropriate;

II. Award Information There will be one single source grant awarded for $6,825,664 to the Foundation. The Foundation was established by the U.S. Congress in 1984, to help conserve and manage natural resources. The Foundation will seek to raise additional funds from other Federal agencies and the private sector to match Service funds and implement on-the-ground conservation projects.

Projects can include:

Acquisition of a real property interest (e.g., conservation easement or fee title) from willing sellers or partners for long‐term conservation;

Restoration, enhancement, or management of ecosystems; or A combination of acquisition, restoration, enhancement, and management.

All projects must ensure long‐term (at least 20 years) conservation of resources.

Award Amount The Service expects that $6,825,664 will be available through the NFWF-USFWF Conservation Program (Program) in FY 2018.

Funding Restrictions Eligible Activities

1. Acquisition of a real property interest in coastal lands or waters from willing sellers or partners, provided that the terms and conditions will ensure the real property will be managed for long-term conservation; and The restoration, enhancement, or management of ecosystems, provided that restoration, enhancement, or management will be administered for long-term conservation.

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements Eligible Applicants United States non-profit, non-governmental organizations that are statutorily established by the U.S. Congress to encourage, accept, and administer private gifts for the benefit of, or in connection with, the activities of the Service are eligible to apply for this fund and must provide a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are uncertain of your agency’s eligibility, please contact the WSFR Office (see Section VIII, Agency Contacts).

Federal law mandates all entities applying for Federal financial assistance must have a valid Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). See Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 25 for more information.

DUNS Registration Request a DUNS number here. For technical difficulties, contact Dun & Bradstreet by email at: govt@dnb.com or by calling the Government Customer Resource Center at voice phone: 866-705-5711 or TTY line: 877-807-1679 (hearing impaired customers only). Obtaining a DUNS number is absolutely free for all entities doing business with the U.S. Government. Once assigned a DUNS number, entities are responsible for maintaining up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet.

Entity Registration in SAM Register in SAM online. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly urged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and in sync with changes that may have been made to DUNS and IRS information. Foreign entities who wish to be paid directly to a United States bank account must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM.

Note: The official U.S. Government website address for SAM is https://www.sam.gov/. There is NO COST to register in or access SAM. There are third-party vendors who charge a fee in exchange for registering entities in SAM; please be aware that you can register to do business with the U.S. Government FOR FREE directly in SAM.

Excluded Entities Applicant entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM 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, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program. The Service conducts a review of the SAM exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award.

Cost Sharing or Matching Federal cost share for the NFWF-USFWS Conservation Program is 1:1. In-kind contributions may not be used to meet match requirements.

IV. Application Requirements You can apply for this Program in the Grants.gov Workspace by entering Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00310 on the Search Grants page. If you have trouble applying, you can contact one of the Service WSFR Office (see Section VIII, Agency Contacts).

To be considered for funding under this funding opportunity, an application must contain:

Standard Form (SF)-424 A completed Application for Federal Assistance form (SF-424). Do not include other Federal sources of funding, requested or approved, in the total entered in the “Federal” funding box on the Application for Federal Assistance form. Enter only the amount being requested under this program in the “Federal” funding box. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the total funding entered in the “Other” box. Ensure the SF-424 forms are the most current version and not expired.

Project Summary Briefly summarize the project in one page or less. Include the title of the project, geographic location, and a brief overview of the need for the project. Goals, objectives, specific project activities, anticipated outputs and outcomes can also be included in this section.

Project Statement Applicants applying for awards on a project-by-project basis are required to provide a project statement containing the elements required by 2 CFR 200 and listed below. You may combine your responses as necessary; separate headings or sections for responses to each element are not required. Provide information in the Project Statement that shows the proposed activities are eligible for funding and substantial in character and design.

As noted, some responses are not required within the Project Statement, and may be provided within other sections of your application.

Identify and describe:

Need The need for the proposed project(s) within the purpose of the Program.

Objectives Discrete, quantifiable, and verifiable objectives to be accomplished during a specific time period. Objectives reference specific outcomes to be accomplished in order to reach the stated goal(s). The project objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable within the period of performance, realistic, and time-bound.

Expected Results Expected results or benefits from accomplishing the objectives.

Project Location Maps or other geographic aids may be attached. Please include GPS Coordinates in degrees, minutes, and seconds, if available (maps and other diagrams may be provided separately from the Project Statement).

Useful Life Propose a useful life for each capital improvement with a value greater than $100,000 identified in this application and reference the method used to determine it (for more information, see Useful Life in 2 CFR 200). Please note that budget-related responses may be provided in the Budget Narrative.

Allocation of Costs Identify the method used for allocating costs in multipurpose projects and facilities. Please note budget-related responses may be provided in the Budget Narrative.

Other Federal Grants Describe any relationship between this project and other work funded by Federal grants that is planned, anticipated, or underway.

Timeline Describe significant milestones in completing the project and any accomplishments to date.

Compliance For projects conducted in the United States, a description of the activity in sufficient detail so Service staff are able to evaluate compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and all other applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies.

Relationship to Other Projects List other current, interrelated coastal acquisition, restoration, enhancement and management actions, the agencies involved, the relationship to the proposed grant, and how the application fits into comprehensive natural resource plans for the area.

Public Involvement and Interagency Coordination A description of public involvement or interagency coordination on any conservation project that has occurred or is planned that relates to the application (specify the organizations or agencies involved and dates of involvement).

Budget Form Complete the Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) form, Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF-424C) form, or submit the equivalent or greater level of information in another format through the Grants.gov Workspace. You may use the SF-424A if your project does not include construction or land acquisition and the SF-424C if the project includes construction or land acquisition. When developing your budget, keep in mind financial assistance awards and sub-awards are subject to the Federal cost principles in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, as applicable to the recipient organization type. Links to the full text of the Federal cost principles are available on the Internet here.

Note on Multiple Federal Funding Sources: If the project budget includes multiple Federal funding sources, you must show the funds being requested from this Federal program separately from any other requested/secured Federal sources of funding on the budget form. For example, enter the funds being requested from this Federal program in the first row of the Budget Summary section of the form and then enter funding related to other Federal programs in the subsequent row(s). Be sure to enter each Federal program’s CFDA number in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number for this Federal program is 15.663.

Budget Narrative In a separate narrative titled “Budget Narrative,” explain and justify all requested budget items/costs. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Object Class Category totals were determined and demonstrate a clear connection between costs and the proposed project activities. The justification for each budget category should be a brief general description of the costs that make up that category, yet provide enough detail to demonstrate the applicant has a financial plan for implementation of the proposed objectives. For example, under personnel costs include the total number of staff and the various job titles (classifications) anticipated to be charged to the project. Describe any item that requires the Service’s approval and estimate its cost (e.g., equipment and other capital expenditures, pre-award costs, etc.; see 2 CFR 200.407). Also include:

1. In-Kind Match – Include the source, the amount, and the valuation methodology used to arrive at the total;

Program Income, if any – Include the source, amount, and the requested method of crediting the program income (e.g. deductive or additive); and When applicable, for any organization charging indirectly, a copy of a current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). You may submit a copy of your agency’s NICRA annually to your WSFR Headquarters Office.

Required Indirect Cost Statement Recipients that do not have an approved indirect cost rate cannot charge indirect costs to their Federal award. All applicants except individuals applying for funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate must include in the budget narrative one of the following statements and attach to the application any required documentation identified in the applicable statement:

“We are:

1. 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. A copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification is attached (or on file with the WSFR Headquarters Office);

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 are required to prepare and retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation to support those costs;

A [insert your organization type; U.S. States and local governments, please use one of the statements above or below] 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: “A copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement is attached. 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 “A copy of our current, approved rate agreement is attached.”];

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. 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;

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is lower than 10%. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate; must be lower than 10%]. However, in the event an award is made, we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat indirect cost rate of [insert rate; must be lower than 10%] of [insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68]. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing immediately if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher. Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, in the event an award is made, we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing immediately if we do establish an approved 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 such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by the Service; or A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.”

All applicants are hereby notified of the following:

· Recipients without an approved indirect cost rate are prohibited from charging indirect costs to a Federal award. Accepting a flat de minimis rate as a condition of award is an approved rate.

· Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award.

· Recipients may not charge to their Service award any indirect costs calculated against the portion of total direct project costs paid by any other Federal funding source or non-Federal partner.

· Recipients must have prior written approval from the Service to transfer unallowable indirect costs to amounts budgeted for direct costs or to satisfy cost-sharing or matching requirements under the award.

· Recipients are prohibited from shifting unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

For more information on indirect cost rates, see the Service’s NICRA guidance document.

Entities that do not have a NICRA must first have an open, active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your cognizant agency, your indirect cost rate will be negotiated by the Interior Business Center (IBC). For more information, contact the IBC at:

Indirect Cost Services Acquisition Services Directorate, Interior Business Center U.S. Department of the Interior 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 7-400 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-930-3803 Email: Through Interior Business Center’s web form Internet address: Interior Business Center - Indirect Cost Negotiation Services Single Audit Reporting Statements As required in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Subpart F, 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 entity’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit Report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. All U.S. State, local government, federally-recognized Indian tribal government and non-profit applicants must provide a statement indicating whether your organization was required to submit a Single Audit Report for the organization’s most recently closed fiscal year and, if so, state whether that report is available on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse Single Audit Database website and provide the EIN under which that report was submitted. Include these statements in a section titled “Single Audit Reporting Statements.”

Assurances Use the Assurances for Construction Programs (SF-424D) for construction and land acquisition projects. Use the Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) for all other projects. The form includes a statement that some of the assurances may not be applicable to your organization and/or your project or program. Signing this form does not make you or your organization subject to laws that are otherwise not applicable to you or your organization. Changing, crossing out, or making notations on the form before signing has no impact on the applicability of law.

Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Under Title 31 of the United States Code, Section 1352, an applicant or recipient must not use any federally-appropriated funds (both annually appropriated and continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a grant or cooperative agreement award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is defined as influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with the award. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If you/your organization have/has made or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with this proposal and the Federal share exceeds $100,000, complete and submit the SF LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form available in the Grants.gov Workspace or WSFR’s Financial Assistance Wiki Forms Page. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures Applicants must notify the Service in writing of any actual or potential conflicts of interest that are known at the time of application or that may arise during the life of this award, in the event an award is made. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the recipient, the recipient’s employees, or the recipient’s sub-recipients in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests. Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the applicant, the applicant’s employees, or the applicant’s future sub-recipients in the matter. Applicants must notify the Service in writing in their application if any key project personnel, including sub-recipient and contractor personnel, are known to be related to, married to, or have a close personal relationship with any Federal employee in or associated with the program to which you are applying for funding or who otherwise may be involved in the review and selection of the application. Upon receipt of such a notice, the Service program, in consultation with their Ethics Counselor, will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the applicant to reduce or resolve the conflict. Failure to disclose and resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Service may result in the project not being selected for funding.

Required Overlap/Duplication Statement Applicants must provide a statement that addresses if there is any overlap between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated projects in terms of activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If any overlap exists, applicants must provide a description of the overlap in their application. Applicants must also state if the proposal submitted for consideration under this program is/is not in any way duplicative of any proposal that was/will be submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal). If such a circumstance exists, applicants must detail when the other duplicative proposal(s) were submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when funding decisions are expected to be announced. If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be duplicative of the funding requested from the Service, applicants must notify the Service point of contact for this funding opportunity immediately.

Application Checklist

· SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

· Project Summary

· Project Statement (7 page limit)

· Completed SF-424A, SF-424C, or equivalent budget information

· Budget Narrative

· When applicable, provide a copy of your organization’s current NICRA

· Indirect Cost Statement

· Single Audit Reporting statement

· Completed SF-424B or SF-424D Assurances form

· If applicable, provide a completed SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form

· Conflict of Interest Disclosure, when applicable

· Required Overlap/Duplication Statement

· Responses to Ranking Criteria (20 Page Limit)

· Drawings/Maps/Photographs (No Page Limit) Failure to provide complete information may cause delays in approval, or rejection of the application.

V. Submission Instructions Submission Deadline Grant application packages are due to WSFR Headquarters Office (see Section VIII, Agency Contacts) on or before Friday, August 31, 2018, by 11:59 PM (PDT). The Service recommends you submit early enough to address any unforeseen technical complications. All letters of financial commitment are due with the application by the deadline.

Intergovernmental Review Before submitting an application, U.S. State and local government applicants should visit this website to determine whether their application is subject to the State intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental review of Federal Programs.” E.O. 12372 was issued to foster intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. The E.O. allows each State to designate an entity to perform this function. Applicants may contact the State’s designated entity for more information on the process the State requires to be followed when applying for assistance. States that do not have a designated entity have chosen not to participate in the review process.

Electronic Submission Instructions

1. Go to Grants.gov Workspace.

4) Click the “Apply for a grant using Workspace” button and read the instructions provided.

5) The following are items that need to be done before a grant application package can be submitted electronically through Grants.gov Workspace:

a. Applicants must register as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and have a user ID and password. The applicant can register here;

b. Applicants must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view files on the web. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader here.

6) Standard forms such as the SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-424C, and SF-424D are fillable forms in Grants.gov Workspace.

7) All forms and attachments mentioned above must be submitted through the Grants.gov Workspace application.

Important note on Grants.gov Workspace application attachment file names: Please do not assign application attachments file names longer than 20 characters, including spaces. Assigning file names longer than 20 characters may create issues in the automatic interface between Grants.gov and the Service’s financial assistance management system.

Applicants are also encouraged to email a single file in PDF format comprising their entire application package as a backup. The file should include required documents in the following order: Standard Forms (SF-424, SF-424C, SF-424D), Budget Narrative, Project Statement, maps and photos, and any letters of financial commitment. The file should be emailed to the WSFR Headquarters contact (see contact information in section VIII, Agency Contacts) by the deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with their WSFR Headquarters contact prior to submission to ensure applications are eligible and complete.

For further information or questions on electronic submission, contact your WSFR Headquarters Office.

VI. Application Review Criteria: This Single Source Award is being awarded in accordance with DOI Policy 505 DM 2.14 B(4). See Additional Information of Eligibility Section.

Review and Selection Process: This Single Source Award is being awarded in accordance with DOI Policy 505 DM 2.14 B(4). See Additional Information of Eligibility Section.

Prior to participating in any review or evaluation process, all staff and peer reviewers, evaluators, panel members, and advisors must sign and return to the program office point of contact the “Department of the Interior Conflict of Interest Certification” form. For a copy of this form, contact the Service point of contact identified in the Agency Contacts section below.

Each fiscal year, for every entity receiving one or more awards in that fiscal year, the Service conducts a risk assessment based on eight risk categories. The result of this risk assessment is used to establish a monitoring plan for all awards to the entity in that fiscal year. The Service’s risk assessment form is available on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-2462.pdf.VII. Award Administration Information Award Notices Following review, applicants may be requested to revise the project scope and/or budget before an award is made. Successful applicants will receive written notice in the form of a notice of award document. Notices of award are typically sent to recipients by e-mail. If e-mail notification is unsuccessful, the documents will be sent by courier mail (e.g., FedEx, DHL or UPS). Award recipients are not required to sign/return the notice of award. Acceptance of an award is defined as starting work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the Service. The notice of award document will include instructions specific to each recipient on how to request payment. If applicable, the instructions will detail any additional information/forms required and where to submit payment requests.

Domestic Recipient Payments Prior to award, the Service program office will contact you/your organization to either enroll in the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system or, if eligible, obtain approval from the Department of the Interior to be waived from using ASAP.

Transmittal of Sensitive Data Recipients are responsible for ensuring any sensitive data being sent to the Service is protected during its transmission/delivery. The Service strongly recommends that recipients use the most secure transmission/delivery method available. The Service recommends the following digital transmission methods: secure digital faxing; encrypted emails; emailing a password protected zipped/compressed file attachment in one email followed by the password in a second email; or emailing a zipped/compressed file attachment. The Service strongly encourages recipients sending sensitive data in paper copy to use a courier mail service. Recipients may also contact their Service Project Officer and provide any sensitive data over the telephone.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements Applicable executive orders must be satisfied before the Service can approve an award and make funding available. In accepting Federal funds, applicants must comply with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies. Evidence of compliance with the NEPA, NHPA, ESA, Clean Water Act (CWA), and other Federal laws must be provided if selected for award.

All financial assistance awards are subject to Federal financial administration requirements. The Service contacts will work with applicants to ensure that all financial arrangements comply with these requirements.

To find out more about these rules, including administrative requirements and cost principles, please review 2 CFR 200. These regulations apply to all recipients.

Award Terms and Conditions Acceptance of a financial assistance award from the Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions applicable to the award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to and approved by the Service and are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated into the notice of award either by direct citation or by reference to the following: Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation; and special award terms and conditions. The Service’s standard award terms and conditions are available here. If you do not have access to the Internet and require a full text copy of the award terms and conditions, contact the Service point of contact identified in the Agency Contacts section (Section VIII).

Recipient Reporting Requirements Final Reports Recipients are required to submit final financial and performance reports no later than 90 calendar days after the award period of performance end date or termination date, whichever comes first. For awards lasting 12 months or less, the final report will be the only financial and performance report required, except in unusual circumstances or if waived.

Interim Reports For awards that last longer than 12 months, recipients are required to submit interim financial and performance reports no less frequently than annually and no more frequently than quarterly, except in unusual circumstances or if waived. Requiring a higher frequency of reporting (e.g., quarterly) than annual reporting will be based on the Service’s assessment of higher or other unusual circumstance. Quarterly and semiannual interim reports are due within 30 calendar days of the reporting period end date. Annual interim reports are due within 90 calendar days of the reporting period end date.

Recipients must use the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report for financial reporting, available on the Internet on WSFR’s Financial Assistance Wiki Forms Page.

Performance reports must contain: 1) a comparison of actual accomplishments with the goals and objectives of the award as detailed in the approved scope of work; 2) a description of reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and 3) any other pertinent information relevant to the project results.

Significant Developments: Events may occur between the scheduled performance reporting dates that have significant impact upon the supported activity. In such cases, recipients are required to notify the Service in writing as soon as the following types of conditions become known (2 CFR 200.328(d)):

· Problems, delays, or adverse conditions that will materially impair the ability to meet the objective of the Federal award. This disclosure must include a statement of any corrective action(s) taken or contemplated, and any assistance needed to resolve the situation; and/or

· Favorable developments that enable meeting time schedules and objectives sooner or at less cost than anticipated or producing more or different beneficial results than originally planned.

The Service will specify in the notice of award letter the required reporting frequency applicable to the award.

Financial and performance reporting requirements and retention and access requirements are specified in 2 CFR Part 200 (Subpart D) and in the Service Manual Chapters of Financial and Performance Reporting Guidance, 516 FW 1 and 516 FW 2.

Other Mandatory Disclosures The non-Federal entity or applicant for a Federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Non-Federal entities that have received a Federal award including the term and condition outlined in 2 CFR 200, Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (See also 2 CFR Part 180, 31 U.S.C. 3321, and 41 U.S.C. 2313).

2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters is applicable to awards with a total Federal share of more than $500,000, except those to individuals and foreign public entities.

VIII. Agency Contacts The NFWF-USFWS Conservation Program is administered by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. National level program information can be obtained by contacting:

Service Headquarters Stephanie Rickabaugh U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: WSFR Falls Church, VA 22041 703‐358‐2214