OOI Fisheries Final 2025 01 22.pdf

Outreach of Interest (OOI) Announcement

INSTRUCTIONS

Partnerships for Aquatic and Watershed Restoration (PAWR)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

Federal Award Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS)

Outreach of Interest Announcement Title: Partnerships for Aquatic and Watershed Restoration

(PAWR)

Opportunity/Announcement Number: USDA-FS-R13-2024-24-22-FSH

Assistance Listing Number: 10.699 Partnership Agreement Outreach

Instrument Type: Other

Key Points

OOI response deadline: February 7, 2025; 10:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).

USDA Forest Service will send an auto-response upon receipt of your package submission.

USDA Forest Service will send each applicant a follow-up message within one month of package receipt.

Fisheries Program| USDA Forest Service (usda.gov)

Contact us: opega@usda.gov.

Please ensure that when you complete your forms for this proposal (SF- 424, Narrative Statement…etc.) that you "Save As" and give your file a new name. DO NOT “Print to PDF”. Once you have saved your forms under a new name, you will upload those forms into the attachment document.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/naturalresources/fisheries/about.shtml mailto:accessga@usda.gov

Table of Contents I. Request for Proposal Overview

A. Objective B. Funding

II. Agency Overview A. Background B. Partnership Agreements with the USDA Forest Service

III. Initiative Overview and OOI Intent A. Program Overview B. Statement of Work C. Project Priorities

IV. Legislative Authorities V. How to Respond

A. Eligible Responders B. Content and Grants.gov Submission C. System for Award Management (SAM) registration

VI. OOI Announcement A. Forms

VII. Response Notice Timeline A. The agency will send an auto-response when response submissions have been received B. The agency will send a personalized follow-up message within one month of receiving responses to this OOI

I. Request for Proposal Overview

A. Objective This outreach of interest (OOI) functions as an outreach mechanism to cultivate relationships and connect with potential partners. This OOI is intended to solicit responses to explore future projects meeting the needs and interests of potential partners through partnership agreements within legislative authority with USDA Forest Service.

USDA Forest Service is looking to address aquatic and watershed restoration needs and empower local communities and partners to assist with implementation of activities.

Partnerships will help to address restoration needs through projects that support watershed restoration to improve water quality, improve aquatic organism passage, or improve efficiencies for aquatic restoration activities on lands managed by USDA Forest Service. The agency seeks to actively involve both new and current partners in restoration efforts.

Your submission signals an opportunity for USDA Forest Service to explore with you your ideas/projects/programs and federal funding opportunities. USDA Forest Service is committed to fostering a strong, collaborative partnership that benefits local communities, improves watershed health and ecological integrity, and transportation infrastructure resilience. These collaborations are vital for accelerating watershed restoration, establishing shared priorities, expanding capacity, and ensuring resilient landscapes.

B. Funding This OOI is non-funded and non-competitive. The intent of this OOI is to gauge your interest, feedback and/or your proposed projects ideas and concepts.

II. Agency Overview

A. Background The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service delivers world-class science, technology, and land management to sustain the Nation's forests and grasslands in collaboration with communities and our partners. USDA Forest Service manages 193 million acres of land, including 154 national forests, 20 national grasslands, 1 national tallgrass prairie, 7 research stations, and 81 experimental forests and ranges, as well as other special areas, in support of its’ mission “to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.”

As the lead federal agency in natural resource conservation, USDA Forest Service provides leadership in the protection, management, and use of the nation's forest, rangeland, and aquatic ecosystems. Through implementation of land and resource management plans, the agency ensures sustainable ecosystems by restoring and maintaining species diversity and ecological productivity that helps provide recreation, water, timber, minerals, fish, wildlife, wilderness, and aesthetic values for current and future generations of people. As a values-based, purpose driven and relationship-focused organization, USDA Forest Service emphasizes working in collaboration with communities and our partners; providing access to resources and experiences that promote economic, ecological, and social vitality; connecting people to the land and one another; and delivering world-class science, technology, and land management.

USDA Forest Service believes in service — to each other and the planet; the interdependency of people and nature; that conservation means we protect, preserve, and restore public lands for the people and enjoyment; that diversity is key—people and cultures, experiences, and ecosystems; and safety underpins everything we do.

B. Partnership Agreements with the USDA Forest Service Partnership agreements are entered into in support of USDA Forest Service mission. The USDA Forest Service may approach or be approached by a potential partner to enter into a partnership agreement that results in a joint accomplishment of work benefiting both organizations. The principal purpose of partner agreements is the creation of partnerships in support of projects of mutual interest and mutual benefit to each party. Mutual interest exists when both parties benefit in the same qualitative way from the objectives of the agreement. If one party independently has an interest in a project that is shared by the other party, and both parties pool resources to obtain the result of the project, mutual interest exists. Most of FS authorities requires a mutual interest agreement.

Partnership agreements are considered non-assistance agreements and are not considered grants or cooperative agreements as those terms are used in the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements, 31U.S.C. 6301 et seq. USDA Forest Service engages partnership work through a range of legislative authorities (see Section IV, Legislative Authorities).

Award Procedures The Forest Service has general authority to negotiate and enter into different types of partnership arrangements, including but not limited to Stand-Alone Agreements, or Master Agreements with tiered Supplemental Project Agreements (SPAs) or a combination thereof.

Partnership agreements and their supporting documentation are both negotiated and drafted in collaboration with prospective partners prior to entering into a funding arrangement.

Discussions cover at a minimum, the appropriate statutory authority; a description of the project, including methodology and technical specifications; contributions and the responsibilities of the parties; financial plan; the period of performance; monitoring and accomplishments reporting. Regardless of who initiates discussions, all elements of a project are subject to negotiation. Any party may terminate the agreement at any time.

Except for provisions necessary for legal compliance, all elements of a partnership agreement are subject to negotiation and modification. Both parties are expected to negotiate, resolve, and document differences in cost and/or proposed work in writing. None of the parties should perform work outside the scope of the existing instrument or in excess of the funding prior to the execution of a formal modification.

Project Length Awards under this announcement are typically 1 to 5 years in length. Projects of greater complexity may be awarded for a longer period, not to exceed 5 years.

Cost Share Match Requirements and Match Reductions or Waivers

For partnership agreements, the partner's contribution should not be less than 20 percent of the total project cost, unless allowable under a reduction or waiver (see below). The matching amount should be consistent and commensurate with the project scope, size, and/or benefits received. The partner may satisfy the matching requirement by providing cash, real or personal property, services, and/or in-kind contributions, such as volunteer labor. Cash and third-party in-kind matches must consist of eligible costs.

Cash match is from the applicant’s budget, such as personnel salary, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, and supplies, or cash provided by another party. Source of cash match cannot be derived from another Federal award. Cash donated or provided to a cooperator, specifically for that project is an in-kind contribution.

In-Kind match is a non-cash contribution of value. A non-Federal entity’s in-kind match must meet the following criteria:

• Are verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records;

• Are not included as contributions for any other Federal award;

• Are necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives;

• Are not paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award, except where the Federal statute authorizing a program specifically provides that Federal funds made available for such program can be applied to matching or cost-sharing requirements of other Federal programs;

• Are provided for in the approved budget when required by the Federal awarding agency;

and

• Conform to the Forest Service handbook (FSH1509.11), manual (1580) and/or other applicable federal laws and regulations.

Supplemental Guidance for Match Waivers and Match Reduction: The Forest Service may reduce or waive the minimum 20 percent cooperator match requirement for a project that serves an underserved/disadvantaged community or is a tribal sovereign.

Indirect Cost Indirect costs are approved for reimbursement or as a cost-share requirement and have an effective period applicable to the term of master and supplemental agreements. Expenses that are necessary for the operation of an organization, but not specifically identified with or traceable to a specific program or output, that is, not a direct cost but rather a cost distributed across many programs or outputs. Often referred to as “overhead,” or in the Forest Service as “burden,” indirect costs are incurred as part of general management and administrative support of an organization, and may include office and personnel expenses, computers, and utilities.

III. Initiative Overview and OOI Intent

A. Program Overview USDA Forest Service strives to sustainably manage the nation’s watersheds, including rivers and their ecological integrity to provide myriad services to the American people on 193 million acres of forest, grasslands, and waterways. Through federal law and regulations, USDA Forest Service has major responsibilities for the public’s waterbodies, including protecting and restoring water quality, hydrologic and ecologic function, conserving aquatic biodiversity, and managing fish, wildlife, and plant habitats that depend on healthy and naturally functioning waterways, adjacent riparian areas, and uplands.

USDA Forest Service accomplishes much of this work by initiating and developing partnerships with effective and dedicated partners, to achieve mutual goals in the science-based protection and watershed restoration that benefit aquatic habitat, native fish populations, water quality, ecological function, aquatic biodiversity, education, aquatic-based recreation, and resilience.

B. Statement of Work Watershed protection was a central tenet underlying the establishment of the USDA Forest Service as specified in the Organic Act of 1897 with the intention of forest reserves to “secure favorable conditions of water flows” among other criteria. The 193 million acres of forest and grasslands encompassing the National Forest System contain over 220,000 miles of fishable waters, over 4,900 miles of designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, and more than 5 million acres of lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands, which serve as the source of drinking water supply to nearly one-fifth of the United States population, and harbor many threatened, endangered, and economically valuable biota dependent on the health of these waterways.

Annually, USDA Forest Service accomplishes many miles and acres of restoration activities in watersheds and on streams and rivers within the National Forest System to address historic and more recent impacts from mining, roads, grazing, dams, wildfire, and invasive species.

Restoration activities can provide ecological, social, and economic benefits to local communities and the recreating public, as well as enhance resilience.

High-priority restoration activities include:

1. Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) Restoration

a) Stream Simulation Culvert and Bridge Projects

b) Irrigation Diversion Replacement or Relocation and Screen Installation or

Replacement

2. Stream and Habitat Restoration

a) Large Wood (LW), Boulder, and Gravel Placement

i. Large Wood and Boulder Projects

ii. Porous Boulder Weirs and Vanes

iii. Engineered Log Jams (ELJ)

iv. Constructed Riffles

v. Gravel Augmentation

vi. Tree Removal for Large Wood (LW) Projects

b) Legacy Structure Removal

c) Off- and Side-Channel Habitat Restoration

d) Streambank and Floodplain Restoration

e) Set-back or Removal of Existing Berms, Dikes, and Levees

f) Reduction/Relocation of Recreation Impacts

g) Livestock Fencing, Stream Crossings, and Off-Channel Livestock Watering

h) Road and Trail Erosion Control and Decommissioning:

i) Riparian Vegetative Planting

j) Beaver Habitat Restoration

k) Removal or mitigation of aquatic invasive species

1. Aquatic Organism Passage Restoration

Activities related to the removal of culverts or bridges, replacement of culverts or bridges with properly sized culverts and bridges, replacement of damaged culverts or bridges, resetting existing culverts that were improperly installed or damaged, stabilizing and providing passage over headcuts, irrigation diversion replacement or relocation, and irrigation intake screen installation or replacement. Such projects will take place where fish passage has been partially blocked or eliminated through road construction, stream degradation, and outdated diversion or screening methods.

a) Stream Simulation Culverts and Bridges: Activities associated with the replacement of culverts and bridges with properly sized culverts and bridges for aquatic organism passage, or activities associated with the resetting of existing passable culverts or bridges that were improperly installed or damaged. All road-stream crossing structures shall simulate stream channel conditions, when possible, per USDA Forest Service policy (FSH 7709.56b_65) and this guidance document: Stream Simulation: An Ecological Approach to Providing Passage for Aquatic Organisms at Road-Stream Crossings (USDA- Forest Service 2008a).

b) Irrigation Diversion Replacement or Relocation and Screen Installation or Replacement: Activities associated with the replacement or relocation of small irrigation diversion structures that are aquatic species passage barriers, and discharges associated with the placement of screens on unscreened or improperly screened irrigation diversion structures. The relocation of existing irrigation diversion structures must allow for more natural stream dynamism and evolution with design considerations to reduce attraction by aquatic species.

2. Stream and Habitat Restoration

a) Large Wood (LW), Boulder, and Gravel Placement Activities related to LW and boulder placement, porous boulder structures and vanes, Engineered Log Jams (ELJs), constructed riffles, gravel augmentation, and tree removal for LW projects. Such activities will occur in areas where channel structure is lacking due to the historic removal of large wood, and riparian timber harvest, and in areas where gravel supplies are low due to anthropogenic disruptions. These projects will occur in stream channels and adjacent floodplains to increase channel stability, rearing habitat, pool formation, spawning gravel deposition, channel complexity, hiding cover, low-velocity areas, and/or floodplain function.

i. LW and Boulder Projects: LW and boulders shall be placed in areas where they would naturally occur and in a manner that closely mimics natural accumulations for that stream type. Boulder placement may not be appropriate in low-gradient meadow streams. Structure types shall simulate disturbance events to the greatest degree possible and include, but are not limited to, log jams, debris flows, windthrow, and tree breakage.

ii. Porous Boulder Structures and Vanes: Activities associated with the construction of porous boulder structures and vanes. Included are low-profile structures comprised of boulders that partially span the channel, unless installed in bedrock-dominated channels. These structures and vanes can be utilized to redirect the channel thalweg, control channel alignment, alter and maintain the width-to-depth ratio of the channel, and/or concentrate low flow into a deeper, narrower channel thereby improving fish passage in otherwise flat-bottomed channels.

iii. Engineered Log Jams (ELJ): Activities associated with the construction of ELJ. ELJs are a type of LW structure that includes an anchoring system, such https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm91_054564.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm91_054564.pdf as rebar pinning, ballast rock, or vertical posts to create an interlocking mass for restoring physical and biological conditions critical to aquatic processes and organisms. ELJ shall be designed to provide resistance from expected hydraulic forces. To the extent practical, ELJ should be designed to simulate stable natural log jams and can be either naturally stable due to LW size and/or stream width or anchored in place using rock or piles (driven into a dewatered area or the streambank, but not in water).

iv. Constructed Riffles: Activities associated with the construction of riffles that can be used as grade control features, improve floodplain connectivity or repair discontinuities in stream gradient. Construction techniques can vary, but typically include an appropriately graded mix of gravels, cobbles with fines washed in to maintain surface flow.

v. Gravel Augmentation: Activities associated with the placement of gravel into stream channels and at tributary junctions in a manner that mimics natural debris flows and erosion to support spawning habitat for fish. Gravel augmentation typically occurs in areas where the natural gravel supply has been limited by past land use practices.

vi. Tree Removal for LW Projects: Activities associated with the removal of trees that would be used for LW projects where trees may be felled and/or pushed/pulled directly into a stream and/or floodplain and may be stockpiled in upland for future instream restoration projects.

b) Legacy Structure Removal: Activities associated with the removal of channel-spanning weirs, legacy habitat structures, earthen embankments, subsurface drainage features, spillway systems, outfalls, pipes, instream flow redirection structures (e.g., drop structure, gabion, groin), or similar devices used to control, discharge, or maintain water levels. Legacy structures may include past projects, such as LW, boulder, rock gabions, and other in-channel and floodplain structures.

Removal projects will be implemented to reconnect stream corridors, floodplains, estuaries, reestablish wetlands, improve aquatic organism passage, and/or restore more natural channel and flow conditions.

c) Off- and Side Channel Habitat Restoration: Activities associated with reconnecting historic side channels with floodplains by removing off-channel historic fill and channel plugs. New side channels and alcoves can be constructed in geomorphic settings that will accommodate such features. This activity category typically applies to areas where side channels, alcoves, and other backwater habitats have been filled or blocked from the main channel, disconnecting them from most if not all flow events.

d) Streambank and Floodplain Restoration: Activities associated with bank shaping and installation of coir logs or other soil reinforcements as necessary to support streambank restoration and riparian vegetation. Activities include installing LW, planting trees, shrubs, and herbaceous cover as necessary to restore ecological function in riparian and floodplain habitats, or a combination of these methods. Such actions are intended to restore streambanks that have been altered through road construction, improper grazing, invasive plants, and other anthropogenic activities.

e) Set-Back or Removal of Existing Berms, Dikes, and Levees: Activities designed to reconnect historic fresh-water deltas to inundated stream channels with floodplains, and historic estuaries to tidal influence. Such projects will take place where estuaries and floodplains have been disconnected from adjacent rivers through drainpipes and anthropogenic fill.

f) Reduction/Relocation of Recreation Impacts: Activities intended to close, better control, or relocate recreation infrastructure and use along streams and within riparian areas, where these activities are in U.S. waters. Projects include those activities that result in discharges of dredged or fill into waters of the U.S. related to the removal, improvement, or relocation of infrastructure associated with designated campgrounds, dispersed campsites, day-use sites, foot trails, and off-road vehicle (ORV) roads/trails.

The primary purpose is to eliminate or reduce recreational impacts on aquatic resources, restore riparian areas and vegetation, improve streambank stability, and/or reduce sedimentation into adjacent streams.

g) Livestock Fencing, Livestock Stream Crossings, and Off-Channel Livestock Watering: Activities related to the construction of livestock fences and livestock stream crossings to prevent riparian grazing and provide controlled livestock access in areas where streams would be impaired by these activities. Such projects promote a balanced approach to livestock use in riparian areas, reducing livestock impacts on streambanks, protection of channel substrates, and improving water quality.

h) Road and Trail Erosion Control and Decommissioning: Activities associated with hydrologically closing or decommissioning roads and trails, including culvert removal in streams; removing, installing, or upgrading cross-drainage culverts; upgrading culverts on non-fish-bearing steams; constructing water bars and dips; reshaping road prisms;

vegetating fill and cut slopes; removing and stabilizing of side-cast materials; grading or resurfacing roads that have been improved for aquatic restoration with gravel, bark chips, or other permeable materials; contour- shaping of the road or trail base;

removing road fill to native soil levels; soil stabilization; and tilling compacted surfaces to reestablish native vegetation.

i) Riparian Vegetative Planting: Activities where the planting of native riparian plant species is utilized to restore streamside areas, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and achieve other environmental benefits. Restore or enhance important riparian functions including shade for reducing stream temperatures, increasing streambank stability, providing woody debris for the stream, enhancing sediment retention and water filtering, supplying litter for aquatic organisms in the stream, providing complex aquatic habitat, and maintaining riparian habitat for amphibians, birds, and other wildlife. This could include passive activities such as removing grazing livestock, active weed suppression, or intensive cultivation to encourage natural regeneration of present or reproducing species on site.

j) Beaver Habitat Restoration: Activities associated with the construction of Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA), Vertical Post Structures (VPS), and Post Assisted Log Structures (PALS). BDA are permeable, channel-spanning structures with a constant crest elevation, constructed with a mixture of woody debris and fill material to form a pond upstream of the structure and mimic a natural beaver dam.

PALS and VPS consist of woody materials of various sizes pinned together with untreated wooden posts driven into the substrate to mimic natural wood accumulations.

k) Removal or Mitigation of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS): Activities managing the impacts of AIS, including identification, physical removal, habitat modification, or pesticide use where permitted. Control and management options include eradication (manual, chemical, biological, or mechanical), which is generally only possible when a new introduction is detected early, and the distribution and population are low;

containment to slow the spread by utilizing a barrier or screen to limit access; and mitigating impacts to particular activities or resources or monitoring and managing established populations to keep populations below a threshold of ecological or economic effect.

C. Project Priorities USDA Forest Service is interested in the following areas/efforts:

• Improve fish and aquatic organism passage (Stream Simulation Guidance) and migration connectivity.

• Improve water quality and quantity; utilize the Watershed Condition Framework to guide watershed restoration.

• Aquatic and watershed restoration to assist with the Wildfire Crisis Strategy (Wildfire Crisis Implementation Plan).

• Restoring resilient landscapes; aquatic organism passage, road decommissioning, floodplain restoration, and low tech processed-based restoration all are important adaptation measures to improve watershed resilience, ecological integrity and transportation infrastructure resilience.

• Support the conservation of native aquatic species.

Summary Improving watershed health can contribute to supporting the agency’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy by creating healthier and more resilient landscapes. By recognizing the importance of collaboration, trust, and the involvement of partners, these strategies and initiatives aim to restore and protect our forests, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and create more resilient future forests for our natural resources and communities.

IV. Legislative Authorities USDA Forest Service engages partnership work through a range of Legislative Authorities.

• Cooperative Funds and Deposits Act of 1978, Public Law 94-148 as amended. 16 USC 565a-1

• Wyden Amendment (Public Law 105-277, Section 323 as amended by Public Law 109-54, Section 434, and permanently authorized by Public Law 111-11, Section 3001)

• Interior and Related Appropriations Act of 1992, Public Law 102-154

• Public Land Corps Healthy Forests Restoration Act, Public Law 109-154, 16 U.S.C. 1701

638 Tribal Forestry Protection Act, Title 2018 Farm Bill P.L. 115-334, Section 8703, 25 U.S.C. 3115.

• Stewardship End Result Contracting, Public Law 108-148 §604. 16 USC 6591c.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm91_054564.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/naturalresources/watershed/condition_framework.shtml https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Wildfire-Crisis-Implementation-Plan.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Wildfire-Crisis-Implementation-Plan.pdf

• Good Neighbor Authority: Agricultural Act of 2014, Pub. L. 113-79, section 8206 as amended, 16 USC 2113a

• Agriculture Conservation Experienced Service (ACES) Program, 2014 Farm Bill, Public Law 113-79, Section 8302

• Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986, Public Law 96-480, 15 U.S.C. 3710a

• National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, Public Law 95-

113, 7 US Code 3318 and 3319a

V. How to Respond

A. Eligible Responders Eligible responders include for profit; non-profits; institutions of higher education; federal, state, local, and Native American tribal governments; organizations and special purpose districts (public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, school districts, and ports.)

B. Content and Grants.gov Submission

• Submit SF 424, Narrative Statement form, and the attachment form through grants.gov or the opega@usda.gov Inbox. Submissions should be in .pdf or .doc format. Section VI:

Forms section of this document includes forms for your use. For other feedback, use the grants.gov “attachments” form.

• Respond by: February 7, 2025; 10:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).

• Grants.gov submission is preferred. A grants.gov applicant account is required for submitting interest through grants.gov Home | Grants.gov. See Grants.gov organization registration page for registration guidance.

Note: After registering, please choose “subscribe” in grants.gov. By subscribing to OOI Opportunity Number: USDA-FS-R13-2024-24-22-FSH you will be notified of any updates and notifications.

Grants.gov provides customer support 24/7 via toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. In addition, grants.gov has video tutorials available.

• Once registered in Grants.gov search for OOI Opportunity Number: USDA-FS-R13-2024- 24-22-FSH United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.

Note: System for Award Management (SAM) registration is required to submit any application across the federal government through grants.gov. SAM registration is a lengthy process. If you are not currently registered in SAM, we strongly recommend registration.

• No hardcopy applications will be accepted.

• For questions related to OOI opportunity: USDA-FS-R13-2024-24-22-FSH, please contact USDA Forest Service: opega@usda.gov.

C. System for Award Management (SAM) registration SAM.gov registration is required for submitting responses in SAM.gov (SAM.gov | Home), registration is free. The approval process for a new or renewal SAM registration can take several months. If you are awaiting SAM registration and cannot submit through grants.gov, please send your application to: opega@usda.gov.

mailto:opega@usda.gov https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:accessga@usda.gov https://sam.gov/content/home mailto:opega@usda.gov

VI. OOI Announcement USDA Forest Service is committed to fostering strong, collaborative partnerships. By working together, we all can maximize the impact of restoration and habitat enhancement efforts on national forests.

Your submission signals an opportunity for USDA Forest Service to explore with you the ideas/projects/program in your submittal and your feedback.

Submission: For submission procedures, please see Section V: How to Respond.

A. Forms If you would like to provide interest or feedback, you can respond using the forms located within the Grants.gov website. In addition, direct links are provided below.

• SF-424 Form: Application for Federal Assistance (OMB 4040-0001)

• Attachments Form: “Attachments Form” (attach documents for submission into

Grants.gov using this form)

• Narrative Statement Form: Home | Grants.gov. Search using the following opportunity number USDA-FS-R13-2024-24-22-FSH.

• Please ensure that when you complete your forms for this proposal that you

"Save As" and give your file a new name. DO NOT “Print to PDF”. Once you have saved your forms under a new name, you will upload those forms into the attachment document.

Note: If you receive an error when opening a form, it may indicate that you have either opened the PDF file with an incompatible version of Adobe PDF software or you have opened the PDF file with a browser that has a built-in PDF viewer that is not compatible with Grants.gov. Save the form on your computer and then open the most up-to-date Adobe PDF software and open the saved file on your computer.

If you do not have a compatible version of Adobe PDF software, please reference the steps below to download a compatible version.

1. Go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/

2. Under STEP 1, select your operating system.

3. Under STEP 2, select your preferred language.

4. Under STEP 3, select the version of compatible software you want to download.

5. Under OPTIONAL OFFERS, you may check or uncheck these offers based on your preference.

6. Click on the DOWNLOAD NOW button to begin the download of the software.

VII. Response Notice Timeline A. The agency will send an auto-response when response submissions have been received.

B. The agency will send a personalized follow-up message within one month of https://grants.gov/forms/form-items-description/fid/713 https://www.grants.gov/forms/form-items-description/fid/540 https://www.grants.gov/ http://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/ receiving responses to this OOI.

This is not a grant announcement. It is a non-funded, non-competitive outreach of interest (OOI) announcement to gauge applicants’ interest in the Forest Service program of work. Responding to this OOI will not give an advantage to any organization or individual for any possible subsequent award action. Not responding to this OOI does not preclude participation in any future funding opportunity announcement, if any is issued.