oppF18AS00095-cfda15.634-instructions.pdf

Competitive State Wildlife Grant Program Fiscal Year 2018 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Notice Overview Federal Agency Name Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR)

Funding Opportunity Title Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 15.634

Announcement Type Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2018

Funding Opportunity Number

F18AS00095

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement We are collecting this information in accordance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law No. 115-141). Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to conduct a competitive review and select projects for funding and, if awarded, to evaluate performance. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We estimate that it will take you about 37 hours to complete an initial application, three hours to revise the terms of an award, and eight hours to prepare and submit performance reports, including time to maintain records, and gather information. You may send comments on the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

OMB Control Number 1018-0109 (Expires: 11/30/2018)

Submission Deadline and Other Information State applicants can continuously apply for funding up to the application deadline. The deadline for receipt is Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). The Service recommends that you submit your application early enough to address any unforeseen technical complications and verify that all documents have been received by your Regional WSFR Office before the deadline. We recommend you also submit via email a single document (PDF format) containing the entire proposal to your Service Regional WSFR Office (see Section VIII, Agency Contacts) prior to the deadline in case there are problems submitting your application package through Grants.gov Workspace. The Service will not consider applications received after the deadline.

Applicants requesting comments or assistance with their applications are encouraged to submit a draft to the Service Regional WSFR Office at least four weeks prior to the due date. Although there is no guarantee that the Regional WSFR Office will be able to provide comments, feedback may include recommendations to improve the application.

http://www.grants.gov/

Contents Notice Overview

Federal Agency Name

Funding Opportunity Title

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

Announcement Type

Funding Opportunity Number

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

OMB Control Number

Submission Deadline and Other Information

I. Description of Funding Opportunity

Adaptive Management

Program Priorities

II. Award Information

Competitive Grants

Funding Restrictions

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants

Partnership Requirement

DUNS Registration

Entity Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM)

Excluded Entities

Cost Sharing or Matching

Letters Authorizing Associations to Apply

IV. Application Requirements

Standard Form (SF)-424

Project Summary

Project Statement (15 page limit)

Need

Objectives

Approach

Expected results

Project location

Budget Form

Budget Narrative

Letters of Commitment

Required Indirect Cost Statement

Single Audit Reporting Statements

Assurances

Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Required Overlap/Duplication Statement

Additional Requirements for Association Applicants

V. Submission Instructions

Submission Deadline

Intergovernmental Review

Electronic Submission Instructions

VI. Application Review

Scoring Criteria

Criterion One: High Priority Target Species

Criterion Two: Benefits to Target Species

Criterion Three: Other Animal SGCN

Criterion Four: Regional Collaboration or Strategy

Criterion Five: Best Practices

Criterion Six: Compliance

Criterion Seven: Non-Federal Match

Criterion Eight: Budget

Criterion Nine: Data Management

Criterion Ten: Department of the Interior Priorities

Review and Selection Process

VII. Award Administration Information

Award Notices

Domestic Recipient Payments

Transmittal of Sensitive Data

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Award Terms and Conditions

Recipient Reporting Requirements

Final Reports

Interim Reports

Other Mandatory Disclosures

VIII. Agency Contacts

U.S. FWS Headquarters

Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Region 4

Region 5

Region 6

Region 7

Region 8

Attachment: Fiscal Year 2018 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program Questions and Answers

Will grant applications from a single State be considered for funding?

What are the minimum and maximum Federal awards through the C-SWG Program?

What are the Federal cost-sharing requirements for this competitive program?

Will the C-SWG Grant Program continue in future years?

How long are funds available for obligation?

How must a Project Statement document an emerging issue?

For multi-state projects, should one State be the project lead?

For projects involving multiple States, does each State need to contribute the minimum required match as described in the project proposal and listed on the Application for Federal Assistance?

What activities are eligible for funding under this program?

What are the compliance requirements for activities funded under this program?

Are there additional formatting criteria?

Where should an applicant submit C-SWG Grant Program applications?

Who announces the awards, and what additional documentation is required of selected applicants?

What must be done during the grant period if a change in objectives or approach is needed?

Who has the authority to terminate a grant?

What is included within the 15 page limit for the Project Statement, and what is not?

What resources are available to help with project design and proposal development?

Are land values eligible as match?

Ranking criteria provide extra points for certain classes such as amphibians. Are projects targeting birds, mammals, and fish projects still eligible?

Is student tuition an eligible cost under the C-SWG Program?

Are pre-award costs eligible under the C-SWG Program?

I. Description of Funding Opportunity The State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program provides States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and territories (States) Federal grant funds to develop and implement programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitats, including species that are not hunted or fished. Eligible activities include planning and conservation implementation. Planning activities must contribute directly to the development or modification of a State’s Wildlife Action Plan (Plan) approved by the Director of the Service. Implementation activities are activities that a State carries out to execute their Plan. Priority for use of these funds must be placed on identified species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) and should take into consideration the relative level of funding available for the conservation of these species. Ineligible activities include wildlife education and law enforcement activities, unless they are a minor or incidental component considered critical to the success of a project. Additional information about the State Wildlife Grant Program is available here.

WSFR’s mission is to work through partnerships to conserve and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. WSFR’s vision is of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that offer recreation, economic activity, and other societal benefits, in addition to sustainable ecological functions. WSFR’s guiding principle is that society benefits from conservation-based management of fish and wildlife and their habitats and opportunities to use and enjoy them. The State Wildlife Grant Program and subprograms including the C-SWG Program align with WSFR’s mission, vision, and guiding principle, and support three of the Department of the Interior’s priorities including:

1) Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt

2) Utilizing our natural resources

3) Restoring trust with our local communities

The SWG Program helps States maintain management authority and responsibility for sensitive and declining species by helping reduce the need to list species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In other cases where SWG Program funds have contributed to Service de-listing of a Threatened species, the Program has helped to restore species management authority to the States. The SWG Program accomplishes its goals by leveraging Federal funding through cost-sharing provisions with State fish and wildlife agencies, tribes, and their partners. In doing so, it protects States’ flexibility to identify, study, and conserve those species they deem to be most in need of conservation while helping them and their partners avoid more prescriptive Federal regulatory requirements. A core principle of the SWG Program is the utilization of effective partnerships that demonstrate the spirit of cooperation and sharing of resources to achieve common conservation goals.

Adaptive Management States and regional Associations of Fish and Wildlife Agencies applying for C-SWG Program funds are encouraged to design and manage projects and programs within an adaptive management framework. Adaptive management in the context of natural resources conservation involves the integration of project design, management, and monitoring to http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWG.htm systematically test clearly-defined assumptions in order to adapt and learn. Adaptive management is a form of structured decision-making that requires careful goal setting, identifying management objectives and causal hypotheses, taking action, measuring results, and evaluating, documenting, interpreting, and sharing outcomes of management actions. The Service utilizes the Strategic Habitat Conservation framework to improve the agency’s ability to define desired biological outcomes and articulate the consequences of site-scale actions on landscape-scale functions. For more information, see:

• Strategic Habitat Conservation: Final Report of the National Ecological Assessment Team (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey, 2006)

• Adaptive Management: The U.S. Department of the Interior Applications Guide (Williams and Brown, 2012)

• The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (The Conservation Measures Partnership, 2013)

• Measuring the Effectiveness of State Wildlife Grants (Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2011)

Program Priorities Adherence to an adaptive management framework is a factor in selecting all C-SWG projects for funding. Proposals that address the following priorities will receive additional points in scoring (see Section VI for information on scoring criteria):

1) Candidate Species Conservation: The Service supports projects targeting SGCN that are also classified as Candidate species by the Service. A current list of Candidate species is published by the Service and is available here. Proposals must demonstrate how proposed direct management activities will help preclude the need for listing the species under the Endangered Species Act.

2) Opportunity for Impact: Additional points may be awarded for projects that target and benefit SGCN that may offer opportunities for a high level of conservation impact relative to the investment. These include: amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and/or non-game fish species. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that their project or program includes management of habitat and/or species augmentation.

3) Landscape-Scale Conservation: The Service supports projects that address SGCN conservation at a large landscape scale. To receive full points you must: (a) Establish or partner with a multi-stakeholder decision-making body that coordinates planning and project implementation (for example, an Association technical committee, or an interagency species or habitat management group); and (b) Incorporate biological objectives for targeted SGCN and/or their habitats that encompass multiple land management jurisdictions (State land, tribal or private lands, Federal lands), as cited in a regional collaborative landscape conservation strategy or plan.

https://www.fws.gov/landscape-conservation/pdf/SHC-slide.pdf http://www.fws.gov/landscape-conservation/pdf/SHCReport.pdf http://www.fws.gov/landscape-conservation/pdf/SHCReport.pdf http://www.usgs.gov/sdc/doc/DOI-Adaptive-Management-Applications-Guide-27.pdf http://cmp-openstandards.org/download-os/ http://www.fosonline.org/resource/effectiveness-state-wildlife-grants https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/table/candidate-species.html

II. Award Information Competitive Grants The C-SWG Program is funded through annual appropriations of Congress and may vary from year to year. There is no assurance that it will be funded in future years. Congress has appropriated $6.362 million for the FY 2018 C-SWG Program. WSFR annually awards approximately 12 to 18 grants through the C-SWG Program. The amount of individual grant awards varies. For most applicants proposing a multi-State project, the maximum award is $500,000 and the minimum award is $50,000. Only Alaska, Hawaii, and the other insular jurisdictions of the United States may propose projects benefiting a single State; the maximum award for these States when proposing a single-State project is $250,000 and the minimum award is $25,000. For a complete summary of minimum and maximum award limits, please see the Attachment.

Funding Restrictions The Service will only award funds under the C-SWG Program for projects proposing to: (a) implement eligible actions or strategies identified in Service-approved Plans or, (b) address eligible emerging issues. See Sections 10.13 and 10.14 of the Service’s SWG Program policy chapter for more information on requirements for documenting emerging issues. In administration of the C-SWG Program, the Service adopts policies described in this policy chapter which are applicable to the non-competitive (formula) SWG Program, except where such policies may conflict with information contained in this announcement.

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements Eligible Applicants Participation is limited to State, Commonwealth, or territorial agencies with lead management responsibility for fish and wildlife resources in each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and to the four Associations of Fish and Wildlife Agencies applying on behalf of eligible State agencies. States must have a Plan that has been approved by the Director of the Service, or a revised Plan that has been submitted to a Regional Review Team for review.

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 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 25 for more information.

Partnership Requirement For each of the 48 contiguous United States and the District of Columbia, at least two States (or an Association applying on behalf of at least two States) must propose actions that are identified in their approved Plans, and at least one partnering State in addition to the applicant must be an active participant in proposed conservation activities. An active participant is defined as a significant contributor of resources dedicated to completion of project objectives, http://www.fws.gov/policy/517fw10.pdf http://www.fws.gov/policy/517fw10.pdf such as cash, equipment, or staff time. Alaska, Hawaii, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa are eligible to apply as single States.

Applicants are also encouraged to engage with other partners beyond the minimum partnership requirement. Other partners may include tribes, Federal agencies, other State agencies (in or out of State), local governments or other jurisdictions, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, private landowners, industry groups, and international partners.

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

Entity Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) Register in SAM online. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly urged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure that their information is updated and in sync with changes that may have been made to DUNS and IRS information.

Foreign entities who wish to be paid directly to a United States bank account must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM.

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

Excluded Entities Applicant entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program. The Service conducts a review of the SAM Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award.

Cost Sharing or Matching For the States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, the Federal share of C-SWG Program grants shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost, i.e., the total C-SWG Program funds requested plus non-Federal matching funds, excluding other Federal funds. In accordance with 48 U.S.C. 1469(a), the Regional Director will waive the first $200,000 of match required for each grant awarded to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the territories of http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform mailto:govt@dbn.com http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/

American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Matching and cost-share requirements are discussed in 2 CFR 200. The overall non-Federal cost share is a factor used in scoring applications.

NOTE: The State or Association identified in the application as the designated lead for a multi- State project is accountable for the full amount of non-Federal cost share to be provided by all States and other partners involved in the proposed project, as detailed in Form SF-424.

Letters Authorizing Associations to Apply Associations applying on behalf of one or more State agencies with lead management responsibility for fish and wildlife resources must provide a statement from each such agency authorizing the Association to apply on its behalf. This statement may be provided in a letter signed by the director of the eligible State fish and wildlife agency or included within a letter of commitment as described in Section IV below. A State may authorize an Association to apply on its behalf in the current Fiscal Year, in all future Fiscal Years, or both. If a State authorizes an Association to apply on its behalf in all future Fiscal Years, a copy of the letter must be attached to future applications affecting the State(s) on behalf of which it will apply.

IV. Application Requirements You can apply for this program at https://www.grants.gov/ by entering Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00095 on the Search Grants page. If you have trouble applying, you can contact your Service WSFR Office (see Section VIII, Agency Contacts).

The page limit for the entire application package is 100 pages. Failure to limit the application to 100 pages may cause delay, postponement, or rejection of the application.

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

Standard Form (SF)-424 Submit a completed SF-424. Do not include other Federal sources of funding, requested or approved, in the total entered in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424. 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.

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

Project Statement (15 page limit) Submit a Project Statement of no more than 15 pages. Within the Project Statement, identify the locations of responses to criteria given in Section VI of this NOFO. For example, if responding to Criterion 3 within the narrative, identify the response by inserting “(Criterion 3)” at the end of the paragraph containing the response. Be as specific as possible when identifying responses to criteria so reviewers can easily identify them in the Project Statement.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html

Your Project Statement must be formatted to fit on 8.5” x 11” paper, with 1” margins at the top, bottom, and sides and page numbers at the bottom of the page (starting with the Project Statement). Font should be no less than 12 point.

Your Project Statement must include all of the following elements:

Need Identify the need for the proposed project within the purpose of the Program. Your statement of need should address the following sub-elements:

1) Identify at least one targeted SGCN that is the subject of proposed conservation actions, and describe the need for conservation action(s) to address it/them;

2) Provide baseline data and information if available on the current status of targeted SGCN; and

3) Include specific references to each State’s Plan identifying priority actions for targeted

SGCN.

Objectives Objectives reference specific outcomes to be accomplished in order to reach the project goal(s).

The project objectives should be specific, realistic, time-bound, measurable and attainable within the period of performance. If your project does not involve direct management of habitats or species, demonstrate how your objectives will directly lead to or enable future actions that will benefit populations of targeted SGCN.

Approach The approach identifies activities to be used in meeting the objectives, including specific procedures, methods, schedules or timelines, key personnel, and cooperators. For projects conducted in the United States, provide a description of the proposed actions in sufficient detail so WSFR personnel are able to evaluate compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Your approach should address the following sub-elements:

1) Principal investigator for research projects. Record the principal investigator’s name, work address, and work telephone number. 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 in the description of key personnel qualifications;

2) Include a description of conservation protocols and procedures with reference to applicable literature, as available;

3) Provide a brief description of the applicant organization and all participating entities and/or individuals, and identify which of the proposed activities each agency, organization, group, or individual is responsible for conducting or managing (do not attach résumés or CVs of participating individuals);

4) Describe how you will use a standard, replicable monitoring regime across the targeted landscape to evaluate project results;

5) Describe your data management plan including how and when you will analyze and share results;

6) Describe significant milestones in completing the project and any accomplishments to date; and

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

Expected results Expected results are the anticipated benefits from accomplishing the objectives. Your narrative must include the following sub-elements:

1) Describe the assumptions or hypotheses linking proposed conservation actions to expected results, and support the hypotheses with reference to available scientific evidence; and

2) Describe any tools such as habitat-population models or other science-based methods you used to estimate responses to proposed conservation actions.

Project location Describe the location(s) of project activities and the expected area(s) of impact resulting from these activities. Identify local, State, and Federal public lands, and any private or tribal lands where applicable. Provide maps or other geographic aids. Please include GPS Coordinates in degrees, minutes, and seconds, if available. If specific locations of project activities are unknown at time of application, please provide the targeted county or counties where conservation actions are expected to take place.

Budget Form Complete the Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) form, Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF-424C) form, or submit the equivalent or greater level of information in another budget format. You may use the SF-424A if your project does not include construction or land acquisition and the SF-424C if the project includes construction or land acquisition. When developing your budget, keep in mind 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. The full text of the Federal cost principles is available here.

Note on Multiple Federal Funding Sources: If the project budget includes multiple Federal funding sources, you must show the funds being requested from this Federal program separately from any other requested/secured Federal sources of funding on the budget form.

For example, enter the funds being requested from this Federal program in the first row of the Budget Summary section of the form and then enter funding related to other Federal programs in the subsequent row(s). Be sure to enter each Federal program’s CFDA number in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number for this Federal program is 15.634.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b87f527c6a50b438087b22708dcc3056&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2tab_02.tpl

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

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

2) Program Income, if any – Estimate the amount of program income that the project is likely to generate and indicate the method of applying and disposing of the program income;

3) When applicable, for any organization charging indirectly, a copy of a current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). You may submit a copy of your agency’s NICRA annually to your Regional WSFR Office;

4) Describe the method for allocating costs in multipurpose projects and facilities; and,

5) Propose a useful life and reference the method used to determine the useful life of any capital improvement with a value greater than $100,000 (see 2 CFR 200.436(d)(1) or contact your WSFR Regional office for assistance).

Letters of Commitment Lead States providing matching funds or other resources are not required to submit letters of commitment, unless match is being provided by one or more partners. Any match to be provided by partnering agencies or other entities must be documented in a letter of commitment that is signed by the director of the eligible State agency or another individual with the authority to commit agency funds. Letters must detail the amount of cost sharing funds and/or the value of staff time, donated services, equipment, or materials, and the valuation method used to arrive at the total. Letters of commitment from a non-State partner (for example, a non-governmental organization or university) must be signed by an individual with authority to commit funds on behalf of the entity. Matching funds identified in letters of commitment should align with figures given in the SF-424, budget and budget narrative. Letters that do not explicitly value match contributions may impact proposal scoring.

If you are unsure whether you are required to submit a letter of commitment, or need more information on documenting matching resources in a letter of commitment, contact your Service Regional WSFR Office (see Section VIII, Agency Contacts for contact information).

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-sec200-407 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl

Required Indirect Cost Statement Recipients that do not have an approved indirect cost rate cannot charge indirect costs to their Federal award. All applicants must include in the budget narrative one of the following statements and attach to their application any required documentation identified in the applicable statement: “We are:

1) A U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding each year with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. A copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification is attached or on file with the Regional WSFR Office;

2) A U.S. state or local government entity receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We are required to prepare and retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation to support those costs;

3) A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, please use one of the statements above or below] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. [Insert either: “A copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement is attached. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made.” or “A copy of our current, approved rate agreement(s) is attached.”];

4) A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made;

5) A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is lower than 10%.

Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate; must be lower than 10%]. However, in the event an award is made, we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat indirect cost rate of [insert rate; must be lower than 10%] of [insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 220.68]. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing immediately if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period;

6) A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher.

Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, in the event an award is made, we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within

90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR

200.68. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing immediately if we do establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by the Service; or,

7) A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.”

All applicants are hereby notified of the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negotiating an Indirect Cost Rate with the Department of the Interior: Entities that do not have a NICRA must first have an open, active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. The Federal awarding agency providing 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 is negotiated by the Interior Business Center (IBC). For more information, contact the IBC at:

Indirect Cost Services Acquisition Services Directorate, Interior Business Center U.S. Department of the Interior 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 7-400 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-930-3803 Email: Through Interior Business Center’s web form Website: Interior Business Center - Indirect Cost Negotiation Services https://www.fws.gov/grants/pdfs/USFWSIndirectCostsGuidance01-06-17.pdf https://www.doi.gov/ibc/contactus/ibcfeedback https://www.doi.gov/ibc/services/finance/indirect-cost-services

Single Audit Reporting Statements As required in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Subpart F, all U.S. States, local governments, federally-recognized Indian tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in a fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. All U.S. State, local government, federally-recognized Indian tribal government and non-profit applicants must provide a statement regarding whether your organization was or was not required to submit a 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 and provide the EIN under which that report was submitted. Include these statements at the end of the Project Statement in a section titled “Single Audit Reporting Statements.”

Assurances If not already on file with your Regional WSFR Office, include the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form. Use the Assurances for Construction Programs (SF-424D) for construction and land acquisition projects. Use the Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) for all other projects. The form includes a statement that some of the assurances may not be applicable to your organization and/or your project or program. Signing this form does not make you or your organization subject to laws that are otherwise not applicable to you or your organization. Changing, crossing out, or making notations on the form before signing has no impact on the applicability of law. You may submit a copy of your agency’s Assurances form annually to your Regional WSFR Office.

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 Federal share exceeds $100,000, complete and submit the SF LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form available in the Grants.gov Workspace or WSFR’s Financial Assistance Wiki Forms Page. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures Applicants must notify the Service in writing of any actual or potential conflicts of interest that are known at the time of application or that may arise during the life of this award, in the event an award is made. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the recipient, the recipient’s employees, or the recipient’s subrecipients in a position of conflict, http://updates/As http://www.ecfr.gov/ https://harvester.census.gov/facweb/ https://harvester.census.gov/facweb/ https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title31/pdf/USCODE-2011-title31-subtitleII-chap13-subchapIII-sec1352.pdf https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title43-vol1/pdf/CFR-2010-title43-vol1-part18-appA.pdf https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title43-vol1/pdf/CFR-2010-title43-vol1-part18-appA.pdf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WTK/Forms https://fawiki.fws.gov/display/WTK/Forms http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title43/43cfr18_main_02.tpl real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests. Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the applicant, the applicant’s employees, or the applicant’s future subrecipients in the matter. Applicants must notify the Service in writing in their application if any key project personnel, including subrecipient and contractor personnel, are known to be related to, married to, or have a close personal relationship with any Federal employee in or associated with the program to which you are applying for funding or who otherwise may be involved in the review and selection of the application. Upon receipt of such a notice, the Service program, in consultation with their Ethics Counselor, will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the applicant to reduce or resolve the conflict. Failure to disclose and resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Service may result in the project not being select for funding.

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

Additional Requirements for Association Applicants Associations applying for C-SWG Program funds must submit evidence of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status as determined by the Internal Revenue Service. Associations must also provide a statement from each participating eligible State agency that authorizes the Association to apply for C-SWG Program funds on its behalf. This statement must appear in either an authorizing letter signed by the agency director or within a letter of commitment as described in this section.

Items to Include in Grant Applicationo Include in Grant Application

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Project Summary

• Project Statement (15 page limit)

• Budget Information or SF-424 budget form: A complete SF-424A, SF-424C, or equivalent budget information

Items to Include in Grant Applicationo Include in Grant Application

• Budget Narrative

• Letters of Commitment: Any required letters must identify specific financial or other commitments and be signed by an authorized entity with budgetary authority

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

• Indirect Cost Statement

• 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 Single Audit Reporting requirements

• SF-424 Assurances form: Completed SF-424B or SF-424D Assurances form (if a current version is not on file with the Regional WSFR Office)

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

• Conflict of Interest Disclosure, when applicable

• Overlap/Duplication statement

• Associations: Submit a Section 501(c)(3) or (4) non-profit status determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. Submit a signed approval statement from all States on behalf of which you will apply. This statement may be included within a Letter of Commitment.

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

V. Submission Instructions Submission Deadline Grant application packages must be submitted via the Grants.gov Workspace no later than Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).

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

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html

Electronic Submission Instructions

1) Go to the Grants.gov Workspace.

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

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

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

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

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

5) All forms and attachments mentioned above must be submitted through the

Grants.gov Workspace application.

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

VI. Application Review Scoring Criteria The following criteria express a preference for projects that exemplify an adaptive management approach including identification of hypotheses and a focus on evaluating effectiveness of proposed actions. The criteria favor projects that identify target and secondary species, explain how the project will benefit those species, explain how project effectiveness will be measured, and provide a plan for sharing new knowledge with other conservation professionals to advance the purpose of the C-SWG Program.

Targeted species are those explicitly addressed in your project within an adaptive management framework. Secondary species are those that are expected to also benefit from proposed actions, although monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness of conservation actions consistent with adaptive management of these species is not anticipated.

Additional points may be awarded for projects that address Department of the Interior, Service, and/or Congressional priorities (see Section I). Point scales are guidelines; values may be assigned within the ranges identified. The maximum score is 43 points.

Criterion One: High Priority Target Species Is/are the target species or project site(s) documented as a high priority for the participating State(s)?

Applicant identifies one or more targeted SGCN and geographical area, and cites the basis for its priority in one or more States. Applicant provides evidence to verify priority of the targeted https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/ species/lands including reference to Plans and/or third-party species rankings (such as IUCN or NatureServe). Scale: 0-5 points

• 5 points: Targeted SGCN is/are listed as a State threatened or endangered species in at least one participating State; or, targeted SGCN are identified as Tier 1 or other priority designation, or conservation actions are located within an identified Conservation Opportunity Area or other priority area, as described in a Wildlife Action Plan in at least one participating State;

• 3 points: Targeted SGCN and lands are…