nofo southern pine beetle suppression-notice of intent to award-march 23 2015.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Southern Pine Beetle Suppression, Long Island NWR Complex

Notice of Funding Opportunity

I. Description of Funding Opportunity

This is an announcement for issuing a single source financial assistance award to the Northeast Fire Protection Commission and is for notification purposes only.

This is for limited financial support for emergency forestry action to cut down stage 1 and stage 2 pitch pine and other softwood species that are infested with southern pine beetle. There is a very narrow window in which to perform work, since the beetle will be emerging mid to late April.

This portion of the suppression operation is to perform a thinning operation in order to protect the remaining softwood, and to reduce the escape potential to other areas not yet infected.

• Trees have been marked on two units, totaling about 3,200 trees to drop. Total area is about 40 acres, within two target areas of the refuge.

• Trees will be limbed and bucked once on the ground to a height no more than 18 inches above ground.

• Because of specific sawyer needs, training, skill level, and immediate need, this is treated very similar to an emergency wildland fire event, and a readily available workforce of 9 to 12 saws, plus support is needed to complete the dropping of these trees prior to the beetle emergining. Hence our reachout to the Northeast Forest Fire Protection Commission (Compact) to mobilize the necessary saw teams from the various state and Canadian providences with capacity to supply resources with vary short notice.

• Cooperate with one another for their mutual benefit and for the general benefit of the people of the United States of America and for future generations to enjoy the natural and cultural resources of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Project-specific elements: The applicant and subsequent award recipient organization will assist in mobilizing resources to assist U.S. Fish and Wildlife resources at Long Island NWR Complex and those brought in from other refuges to serve as the Incident Management Team. The Compact is the quickest way to mobilize, and pay for expenses incurred by agency members responding to this emergency, short-term need. The expected amount available to do this work is about $150,000 and will be the cost of this Cooperative Agreement.

The Compact was established for just such purposes, to respond with very short notice to emergency events. The Service is a member, and the Service will have substantial involvement throughout this entire suppression operation, and will supply the day-to-day operational assignments and tactics to deploy in meeting the objective of downing 3,200 infested trees.

The proposed agreement will be entered into under the following authorities:

Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, for the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of fish and wildlife species and their habitat (16 U.S.C. 661 and 742 et seq.), Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978, as amended (16 U.S.C.

753).

II. Award Information This will be a cooperative agreement issued as a single-source award. The anticipated amount is approximately $150,000 and is not likely to be renewed in future years. The Service will be substantially involved in projects under this funding opportunity. In particular, the Service will be responsible for the following:

• Regular involvement of Service staff in scheduling and directing priorities;

• Directing or redirecting the work because of interrelationships with other projects;

• Exercising the ability to immediately halt an activity if detailed performance specifications are not met; and

• Limiting recipient discretion with respect to scope of work, organizational structure, staffing, mode of operations and other management processes, coupled with close monitoring or operational involvement during performance under the award.

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements Eligible Applicants:

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.

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

The Compact DUNS number: 077585201

B. Entity Registration in SAM

Register 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 http://www.sam.gov/

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:

Cost sharing is 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. 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 Narrative

1. The Refuge has been assisted by several different agencies upon discovery of Southern Pine Beetle. Principal subject matter experts are Kevin J. Dodds, Michael J.

Simmons, and Marc D. DiGirolomo U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, Durham Field Office. Southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann was detected for the first time on Long Island, New York in October, 2014. SPB represents a significant threat to pitch pines in urban and forested environments and significant tree losses have already been observed.

Unfortunately, it can be expected that SPB populations will expand and cause significant losses to pitch pine on Long Island. Early results from aerial detection surveys and ground surveys suggest a widely distributed population causing extensive tree mortality.

Pure pitch pine and pitch pine-oak forests on Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge will continue to be at risk to SPB unless preemptive management actions are taken. The SPB aerial survey over Wertheim (December, 2014) reiterated 3 main infestations that were found during preliminary survey efforts by refuge staff.

The U. S. Forest Service (USFS) did a ground stand survey at Wertheim on January 13- 14, 2015, and again the week of March 9, which included marking of stage1 and 2 infested trees, along with healthy trees to be thinned out. They were assisted by Service personnel at the Refuge, and Service personnel brought in as an incident management team.

The Long Island NWRC received notification that they will be awarded a grant from the USFS in the amount of $200K for suppression of SPB at Wertheim NWR.

Our objectives are to:

1) Protect T&E species habitat by eliminating brood trees.

2) Protect native pitch pine habitat totaling about 40 acres.

3) Protect adjacent private lands to decrease beetle dispersion and reduce fire hazards.

USDA Forest Service (State and Private) Division of Forest Health Protection has collaborated with Long Island NWR Complex to develop a suppression project to reduce the effects of SPB on agency property. The White Oak trail has a smaller infested area with several uninfested pines in the surrounding area. Suppression and prevention (i.e., stand thinning) will focus on this area with hopes of reducing the stand hazard and preventing or limiting future infestations.

2. Project activities leading up to this need for services:

Having only received word of available grant funding approval, the LINWRC needs to quickly gather personnel and resources to begin suppression activities in March 2015 before SPB emerge, since winter/early spring suppression actions will help to prevent spread (Approximately 600 high priority trees to reduce SPB dispersal).

In addition, personnel and resources are necessary to thin approximately 3200 trees within other locations on the Refuge in order to protect remaining healthy pitch pine as a prevention action. This includes an area in vicinity of T&E as habitat protection.

Marking is completed and work can start beginning March 16 at the earliest, ending prior to beetle emergence within the next 4 to 6 weeks.

An Incident Management Team (IMT) has been selected and has done pre survey needs to facilitate support of saw crews, and the efficient, and safe suppression actions described above to achieve the desired results (objectives).

The Compact is engaged and understands the emergency response resources being requested. It is estimated that 3 to 4 crews composed of 3-sawyers each will be needed for the 4 to 6 week period. This also includes saws, vehicles, etc so the teams are ready to begin on arrival. The Refuge will provide saw/vehicle fuel, housing and a mechanism to purchase/repair equipment during the suppression operation.

The Compact will document crew mobilizations through the use of standard stock Resource Ordering forms, mirroring how the wildland fire community mobilizes resources.

3. Much of this has been covered in the previous sections, and in addition to Forest Service

Forestry and Health resources, there has been substantial involvement from New York State Forestry officials, and local Long Island Pine barren commission. The authority for the USDA Forest Service to provide grant funding for this project:

Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 356; 16 U.S.C. 2101 (as amended).

Section 8 of this act sets forth the basic Federal authority for forest insect and disease management and assigns the primary Federal authority for insect and disease control to the Secretary of Agriculture. The act provides for Federal, State, and private cooperation in managing for forest insects and diseases and the need for Federal leadership and financial assistance on all forest lands. The act does not give Federal agencies the right of entry on non-Federal lands, because such authority is regulated by States.

4. 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.

The Compact was established for just such purposes, to respond with very short notice to emergency events. Member agencies have highly skilled and qualified individuals who meet or exceed federal requirements as Type B Fallers (Sawyers). The sending agencies maintain certification standards that meet or exceed the Federal minimal requirements, and each agency sees that qualified sawyers receive an annual refresher. Individual qualifications are stored and documented within an incident qualifications system, such as IQS and IQCS. In addition, the member agencies promote Incident Command System (ICS) and all assigned resources have training and experience within the ICS structure.

The reason for an organized response structure is to efficiently, and safely perform the falling of trees by multiple sawyers or teams. Our highest priority is to do this safely, hence the high standards of individual qualifications through training and substantial experience. Compact members also train together on a regular basis; as such, agencies within the Compact have similar operational standards to help one another. There is a very short operational window to drop trees if objectives are to be met, and the Compact can mobilize resources within 24 hours or less. The work is viewed as emergency response, the Compact is the most efficient organization locally to respond with the necessary resources requested within a very short mobilization period so as to take advantage of the available work days before the beetles emerge and find new host trees.

C. 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 on the Internet at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15. When developing your budget, keep in mind that 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 at http://www.ecfr.gov/.

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.

D. 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.

Budget Justification The budget provided by Compact will cover the salary and travel costs for the Compact resources that respond to the Long Island NER Complex southern pine beetle suppression operations.

Each Compact agency responding to the mobilization shall bring their own equipment to do the necessary suppression (chainsaws, tools, PPE, etc). Costs for fuel, repair, or replacement parts damaged during the assigned work shall be replaced by the grant funds the refuge receives. In some instances, costs to repair, replace parts upon return to their home unit, may be approved, with proper justification statement.

Wages paid will be the normal individual hourly rate or salary rate. Work day is expected to be 10 hours per day. Labor costs and all other expenses are invoiced to the Compact, which in turn, the Compact will generate an invoice of such expenses reported and submitted to Long Island NWR Complex.

Required Indirect Cost Statement: All costs will be charged directly.No indirect costs

E. 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”.

F. 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.

G. 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.

H. 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 subrecipients 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 http://harvester.census.gov/sac/ 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 subrecipients in the matter. Upon receipt of such a notice, the Service Project Officer 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 resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Service may result in the project not being select for funding.

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 narrative

□ Timetable

□ 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: 30 days

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 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/ 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 or by email. Please select ONE of the submission options:

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

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 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.

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.

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.

Significant Developments Reports: 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.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Recipients are responsible for notifying the Service Project Officer in writing of any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of this award. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the recipient, the recipient’s employees, or the recipient’s subrecipients in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under this 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 Recipient, the Recipient’s employees, or the Recipient’s subrecipients in the matter. Upon receipt of such a notice, the Service Project Officer 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 Recipient, the Recipient’s employee(s), or the Recipient’s Subrecipient(s) that could reduce or resolve the conflict. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Service may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for Noncompliance, including termination of this award.

Other Mandatory Disclosures: Recipients and their subrecipients must disclose, in a timely manner and in writing, to the Service or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting this award. 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 2 CFR 200.113, 2 CFR Part 180, and 31 U.S.C. 3321).

VIII. Agency Contacts Michelle Potter Refuge Manager Long Island Complex 340 Smith Rd Shirley, NY 11967 631-286-0485 x 2112