nofo.doc

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FBMS Project Charter

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.663 Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions I. Description of Funding Opportunity

The USFWS Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office (PIFWO) is developing a statewide habitat suitability model (HSM) for two seabirds species; the threatened Newell’s shearwater (Puffinus newlli; NESH) and endangered Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis; HAPE). Very little is known about the distribution of both species, as they come to land nocturnally and nest in underground burrows in remote, rugged terrain. Threats to both species are similar and include light attraction and fallout, collision with power lines, predation, and habitat degradation. These pressures have resulted in a serious decline in both species, particularly for NESH. A priority action in the Newell’s Shearwater, Hawaiian Petrel, and Band-Rumped Storm-Petrel 5-Year Action Plan is to determine the current distribution of these species. The output of the model will be used to identify suitable habitat and prioritize survey and management sites for these species. Model validation from on the ground assessment of model outputs is a key component of completion and utility of the HSM.

PIFWO is soliciting applications from qualified candidates to ground-truth model outputs. Model outputs will be geographic information systems (GIS) layers that identify potential suitable habitat. Ground-truthing will involve collaborating with Service biologists and seabird experts to select the most probable sites for HAPE and NESH occurrence from the model outputs, and travel to those remote locations for habitat assessment. Each island in the Main Hawaiian Islands will be evaluated. Data collected at each location will include, among other variables, habitat description (e.g., dominant vegetation, topographic and biotic complexity), assessed suitability for HAPE and NESH nesting, signs of seabird presence such as burrows, feathers, or carcasses, and signs of predators of these two species. Overall site suitability for ungulate and predator-proof fencing will also be assessed. Data will be collected and entered into geographic information systems (GIS), and a written report that describes the findings at each site will be prepared.

II. Award Information One cooperative agreement in the amount of $98,694.56 will be available in fiscal year 2015. Field work is anticipated to start in May and be completed by late November, coinciding with the breeding season of both species. PIFWO will be substantially involved in projects under this funding opportunity. In particular, PIFWO will be responsible for the following: designing the sampling regime and reporting requirements to best validate the HSM.

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

All potential applicants are eligible. U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organizations must provide a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.

Applicants are expected to have demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the involved endangered and threatened seabird species and their preferred habitat, including having worked with the species in the field and holding a currently valid Endangered Species Act permit, issued by the Service, authorizing them to work with these species. Applicants should have experience surveying for listed seabirds and evaluating listed seabird habitat. Applicants should be familiar with the Hawaiian plant species and communities, and topographic features where these listed seabird species are most likely to occur. Applicants should also have demonstrated knowledge of Environmental Systems Research Institute GIS software. Successful applicants should be able to use global positioning system (GPS) equipment and the ability to read maps and aerial photographs and accurately document work. Experience working in remote, densely forested, high elevation areas in Hawaii is also required.

Federal law mandates that all entities applying for Federal financial assistance must have a valid Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). See Title 2of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 25 for more information. Exemptions: The SAM registration requirement does not apply to individuals submitting an application on their own behalf and not on behalf of a company or other for-profit entity, state, local or Tribal government, academia or other type of organization.

A. DUNS Registration

Request a DUNS number online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. U.S.-based entities may also request a DUNS number by telephone by calling the Dun & Bradstreet Government Customer Response Center, Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 8 PM CST at the following numbers:

U.S. and U.S Virgin Islands: 1-866-705-5711

Alaska and Puerto Rico: 1-800-234-3867 (Select Option 2, then Option 1)

For Hearing Impaired Customers Only call: 1-877-807-1679 (TTY Line)

Once assigned a DUNS number, entities are responsible for maintaining up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet.

B. Entity Registration in SAM Register HYPERLINK "" in SAM online at http://www.sam.gov/. 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 that their information is up to date and in synch 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.

C. Excluded Entities Applicant entities 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, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program.

D. Cost Sharing or Matching:

Not required.

IV. Application Requirements To be considered for funding under this funding opportunity, an application must contain:

A. A completed, signed and dated Application for Federal Assistance form Individuals applying on their own (unrelated to any business or non-profit organization s/he may own or operate in her/his own name) must use the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance-Individual form (http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=12). All other applicants to discretionary programs and for single source awards must use the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance form (http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15). 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.

B.

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. Goal(s), objectives, specific project activities, anticipated outputs and outcomes can also be included in this section.

C.

Project Narrative

1.

Statement of Need: Describe why this project is necessary (significance/value) and include supporting information. Summarize previous or on-going efforts (of you/your organization, and other organizations or individuals) that are relevant to the proposed work. Explain the successes or failures of past efforts and how your proposed project builds on them. If you have received funding previously (from the Service or any other donor) for this specific project work or site, provide a summary of the funding, associated activities and products/outcomes.

2.

Project Goals and Objectives: State the long-term, overarching goal(s) of the program/project. State the objectives of the project. Objectives are the specific outcomes to be accomplished in order to reach the stated goal(s). The project objectives must be specific, measurable, and realistic (attainable within the project’s proposed project period).

3.

Project Activities, Methods and Timetable: List the proposed project activities and describe how they relate to the stated objectives. Activities are the specific actions to be undertaken to fulfill the project objectives and reach the project goal(s). The proposed project activities narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the activities and the proposed project costs. For projects being conducted within the United States, the narrative must provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. For projects being conducted on the high seas, the narrative should provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with Section 7 of Endangered Species Act. Provide a detailed description of the method(s) to be used to carry out each activity. Provide a timetable indicating roughly when activities or project milestones are to be accomplished. Include any resulting tables, spreadsheets or flow charts within the body of the project narrative (do not include as separate attachments). The timetable should not propose specific dates but instead group activities by month for each month over the entire proposed project period.

4.

Stakeholder Coordination/Involvement: As applicable, describe how you/your organization has coordinated with and involved other relevant organizations or individuals in planning the project, and detail if/how they will be involved in conducting project activities, disseminating project results and/or incorporating your results/products into their activities.

5.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation: Detail the monitoring and evaluation plan for the project. Building on the stated project objectives, which must be specific and measurable, identify what you will measure (i.e., quantitative/quantifiable indicators) and how you will measure (i.e., methods, sample size, survey tools). Reference the stated project timetable (i.e., process indicators) and budget information (i.e., input indicators). Identify the products/services to be delivered and how/to whom they will be delivered (i.e., output indictors). Detail the expected direct effect(s) of the project on beneficiaries (i.e., outcome indicators). Include any available questionnaires, surveys, curricula, exams/tests or other assessment tools to be used for project evaluation. Describe the resources and organizational structure available for gathering, analyzing and reporting monitoring and evaluation data. If applicable, describe how project participants and beneficiaries will participate in monitoring and evaluation activities. Describe how findings will be fed back into decision making and project activities throughout the project period.

6.

Description of Entities Undertaking the Project: Provide a brief description of the applicant organization and all participating entities and/or individuals. Identify which of the proposed activities each agency, organization, group, or individual is responsible for conducting or managing. Provide complete contact information for the individual within the organization that will oversee/manage the project activities on a day-to-day basis. If eligibility for funding is based in whole or in part on the qualifications of key personnel, provide for each key person a brief (1-2 pages) but descriptive overview of their education, experience and other skills that make them qualified to carry out the proposed project. To prevent unnecessary transmission of Personally Identifiable Information, do not include Social Security numbers, the names of family members, or any other personal or sensitive information including marital status, religion or physical characteristics on the description of key personnel qualifications.

7.

Sustainability: As applicable, describe which project activities will continue beyond the proposed project period, who will continue the work or act on the results achieved, and how and at what level you expect these future activities will be funded.

8.

Literature Cited

9.

Map of Project Area: Map should clearly delineate the project area and be large enough to be legible. Label any sites referenced in the project narrative.

D.

Budget Form Complete the Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A) or Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF 424C) form. Use the SF 424A if your project does not include construction and the SF 424C if the project includes construction or land acquisition. The budget forms are available online at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15. When developing your budget, keep in mind that financial assistance awards and subawards are subject to the cost principles in the following Federal regulations, as applicable to the recipient organization type:

· 2 CFR Part 220, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions

· 2 CFR Part 225, Cost Principles for States and Local Governments

· 2 CFR Part 230, Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations

· 45 CFR Part 74, Appendix E, Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts with Hospitals

· 48 CFR 1, Subpart 31.2, Contracts with Commercial Organizations Links to the full text of these Federal cost principles are available on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/grants/.

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 appears on the first page of this funding opportunity.

E. Budget Justification In a separate narrative titled “Budget Justification”, 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. For personnel salary costs, include the base-line salary figures and the estimates of time (as percentages) to be directly charged to the project. Describe any item that under the applicable Federal Cost Principles requires the Service’s approval and estimate its cost.

Required Indirect Cost Statement: All applicants except individuals applying for funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate must include in the budget justification narrative one of the following statements and attach to their application all required documentation as detailed in the following table:

· No indirect cost rate

· Charges all costs directly

· Is not an individual

· Has an indirect cost rate

· Has an approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) with their Federal cognizant agency covering part/all of the proposed project period

· Is not an individual

· Has an indirect cost rate

· Has established a NICRA in the past, but do not have an approved rate covering part/all of the proposed project period

· May or may not have recently submitted a new NICRA proposal to cognizant agency. If not, will do so within the required timeframe, in the event an award is made

Indirect Cost Statement: Our indirect cost rate is [insert a description of the rate]. We have established a NICRA in the past but it expired. [Insert one of the following statements: “We submitted a new NICRA proposal to our cognizant agency on [insert date].” OR “In the event an award is made we will submit a NICRA proposal to our cognizant agency immediately and no later than 90 calendar days after the award is made”. We understand that:

· Although the Service may approve a budget that includes an estimate of indirect costs based on our stated rate, that approval will be contingent on our establishing a NICRA.

· Recipients without a NICRA are prohibited from charging indirect costs to a Federal award.

· Failure to establish a NICRA during the award period will make all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs under the award unallowable.

· We will not be authorized to transfer any unallowable indirect costs to the amount budgeted for direct costs or to satisfy cost-sharing or matching requirements without the prior written approval of the Service.

We may not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized by legislation.

Copy of most recently expired NICRA and, when applicable, a copy of any NICRA proposal submitted to the cognizant agency that is currently pending approval.

· Is not an individual

· Has an indirect cost rate

· Has never established a NICRA in the past

· Will submit a NICRA proposal to cognizant agency within the required timeframe, in the event an award is made Indirect Cost Statement: Our indirect cost rate is [insert a description of the rate]. We have never established a NICRA. In the event an award is made we will submit a NICRA proposal to our cognizant agency immediately and no later than 90 calendar days after the award is made. We understand that:

· Although the Service may approve a budget that includes an estimate of indirect costs based on our stated rate, that approval will be contingent on our establishing a NICRA.

· Recipients without a NICRA are prohibited from charging indirect costs to a Federal award.

· Failure to establish a NICRA during the award period will make all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs under the award unallowable.

· We will not be authorized to transfer any unallowable indirect costs to the amount budgeted for direct costs or to satisfy cost-sharing or matching requirements without the prior written approval of the Service.

We may not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized by legislation.

None at the time of application. In the event an award is made, recipient must submit a copy of their approved NICRA before charging indirect costs to the award.

· Is not an individual, state, local or Federally-recognized Indian tribal government

· Has never established a NICRA in the past

· Cannot charge all costs directly

· Will not be able to meet the requirement to submit a NICRA proposal within 90 calendar days after award, in the event an award is made Indirect Cost Statement: We have never established a NICRA in the past and will not be able to meet the requirement to submit a NICRA proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award, in the event an award is made. In the event an award is made we request as a condition of award to charge a flat indirect cost rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). We understand this rate will apply for the life of the award, including any future extensions for time, and that the rate cannot be changed even if we do establish a NICRA at any point during the award period. We understand that MTDC is defined as all salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and subawards and subcontracts up to the first $25,000 of each subaward or subcontract (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards and subcontracts under the award). We understand that MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward and subcontract in excess of $25,000.

None.

Applicants who are individuals applying for funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate are not eligible to charge indirect costs to their award. If you are an individual applying for funding, do not include any indirect costs in your proposed budget.

For more information on indirect cost rates, see the Service’s Indirect Costs and Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements guidance document on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/grants/.

Negotiating an Indirect Cost Rate with the Department of the Interior:

For organizations without a NICRA, you must have an open, active Federal award to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to your 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

2180 Harvard Street, Suite 430

Sacramento, CA 95815

Phone: 916-566-7111 Email: ics@nbc.gov

Internet address: http://www.aqd.nbc.gov/Services/ICS.aspx

F.

Statements Regarding A-133 Single Audit Reporting: Following OMB Circular A-133 (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/a133/a133_revised_2007.pdf), all U.S. states, local governments, federally-recognized Indian tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $500,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in a fiscal year must submit an A-133 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 regarding if your organization was/was not required to submit an A-133 Single Audit report for the organization’s most recently closed fiscal year and, if so, state if that report is available on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse Single Audit Database website (http://harvester.census.gov/sac/). Include these statements at the end of the Project Narrative in a section titled “A-133 Single Audit Reporting Statements”.

G.

Assurances Include the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form available online at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15. Use the Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) if the project does not involve construction. Use the Assurances for Construction Programs (SF 424D) if the project does involve construction or land acquisition. Signing this form does not mean that all items on the form are applicable. The form contains language that states that some of the assurances may not be applicable to your organization and/or your project or program.

H.

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 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 project AND the project budget exceeds $100,000, complete and submit the SF LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying.

Application Checklist

· Evidence of non-profit status: If a non-profit organization, a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.

· SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance: A complete, signed and dated SF 424, SF 424-Mandatory, or SF 424- Individual form

· Project summary

· Project narrative

· Timetable

· Description of key personnel qualifications

· A-133 Single Audit Reporting statement: If a U.S. state, local government, federally-recognized Indian tribal government, or non-profit organization, statements regarding applicability of and compliance with OMB Circular A-133 Single Audit Reporting requirements

· SF 424 budget form: A complete SF 424A or SF 424C Budget Information form

· Budget justification

· Federally-funded equipment list: If Federally-funded equipment will be used for the project, a list of that equipment

· NICRA: When applicable, a copy of the organization’s current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

· SF 424 Assurances form: Signed and dated SF 424B or SF 424D Assurances form

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

Failure to provide complete information may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of the application.

V. Submission Instructions SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 26, 2015 Intergovernmental Review: Before submitting an application, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the following website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/) 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 the 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. The official list of designated entities is posted on the website. Contact your 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 listed on the website have chosen not to participate in the review process.

Download the Application Package linked to this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov to begin the application process. Downloading and saving the Application Package to your computer makes the required government-wide standard forms fillable and printable. Completed applications may be submitted by mail, by email, electronically through Grants.gov, or as otherwise described in the Grants.gov funding opportunity. Please select ONE of the submission options:

To submit an application by mail:

Number all pages of your printed application. Mail one, single-sided, unbound copy (do not staple or otherwise permanently bind pages) of your complete application to the Service program point of contact identified in the Grants.gov funding opportunity.

The required SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your organization’s authorized official. The Signature and Date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov”. Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms.

To submit an application by e-mail:

Format all of your documents to print on Letter size (8 ½” x 11”) paper. Format all pages to display and print page numbers. Scanned documents should be scanned in Letter format, as black and white images only. Where possible, save scanned documents in .pdf format. E-mail your application to the Service program point of contact identified in the Grants.gov funding opportunity.

The required SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your organization’s authorized official. The Signature and Date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov”. Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms.

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW

Criteria: To be considered for funding, applications must clearly demonstrate the applicants’ expertise with the subject species and their habitats.

Successful applicants must have:

· demonstrated the capacity of the organization and the qualifications of key personnel to accomplish project objectives, and are evident from the attached biological sketch (CV);

· outlined a clearly defined set of objectives, methods and activities, described in enough detail, and apply the best scientific and technical skill available within the allotted budget;

· included a well-organized timetable of activities, which can be accomplished during the project’s anticipated timeframe;

· a minimum of 10 years’ experience working in Hawaiian conservation biology, with at least five years’ working with Newell’s shearwaters and/or Hawaiian petrels;

· experience coordinating complex conservation projects with multiple agencies and non-governmental entities in Hawaii;

· direct experience evaluating site suitability in Hawaii for predator-proof fencing

· expert knowledge of Hawaii vegetation communities;

· demonstrated ability to work in remote, rough terrain;

· training, experience, and ability to travel by helicopter to remote sites

Review and Selection Process:

All application packages will be reviewed by a team of biologists at the FWS Field Office level. The applications will be evaluated on the general and specific criteria described above.

VII. Award Administration 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 document. 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. Applicants whose projects are not selected for funding will receive written notice, most often by e-mail, within 30 days of the final review decision.

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.

Domestic applicants subject to the SAM registration requirement (see Section III B.) who receive a waiver from receiving funds through ASAP must maintain current banking information in SAM. Domestic applicants exempt from the SAM registration requirement who receive a waiver from receiving funds through ASAP will be required to submit their banking information directly to the Service program. However, do NOT submit any banking information to the Service until it is requested from you by the Service program!

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.

Award Terms and Conditions: Acceptance of a financial assistance award (i.e., grant or cooperative agreement) 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 Federal regulations applicable to Service awards are available on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/grants/. 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 below.

Recipient Reporting Requirements:

Interim financial reports and performance reports may be required. Interim reports will be required no more frequently than quarterly, and no less frequently than annually. A final financial report and a final performance report will be required and are due within 90 calendar days of the end date of the award. 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.

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:

· 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.

· 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 document the reporting and reporting frequency applicable to the award.

VIII. Agency Contacts Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office

Ecological Services Program

300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122

Honolulu, Hawaii 96825

Contact: Megan Laut, Vertebrate Recovery Coordinator

Phone: (808) 792-9400 IX. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. A response to this Notice of Funding Availability is required to receive funding. A Federal agency 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. OMB has approved this collection. You may send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mailstop 222, Arlington, VA 22203.