Path to the Uplands Conservation Initiative_ NOFO template 3.19.2021 (1) (1).docx

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Financial Assistance Business Process “DOI FWS Notice of Funding Opportunity Template” for Competitive Programs Point of Contact Send any questions about this document by email to Jean Kvasnicka, Supervisor, Policy & Compliance Branch, Financial Assistance Support and Oversight Division, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration, at jean_kvasnicka@fws.gov. We will maintain this document on our Financial Assistance Guidance Intranet page.

Table 1: Document Change Log

Background Competitive financial assistance programs will use the Grants Solutions Announcement Module (AM) to create, review, approve, and publish Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) to Grants.gov. Only discretionary competitive programs are required to publish NOFOs on Grants.gov. The AM generates a Synopsis, full text NOFO, and the application packages required for each NOFO and publishes those to Grants.gov. The AM also publishes competitive NOFOs to the Grants Management Module. HHS based the AM data entry fields on a new “DOI-FWS NOFO Template” established by the Department’s Office of Grants Management (DOI-PGM). This is a Word version of the “DOI-FWS NOFO Template” that competitive programs may use to prepare required full text NOFO content before starting data entry into Grants Solutions, if desired. This is an optional tool; some programs may find it useful and others may not.

Instructions We have provided instructions in green highlighted text inserted in relevant sections throughout the template. Please read all instructions, replace them with program-specific text, and remove the green highlighting. All plain text with no highlighting is required text, unless otherwise stated in the instructions provided. Please do not remove or change any required text sections or section headers unless otherwise stated in the instructions provided. Doing so may create confusion when copying and pasting content from this template into Grants Solutions. For some of the required text presented in this template, the Grants Solutions user entering NOFO information into the AM will have to click a radio button or a checkbox in the system to indicate that it is applicable. The button or checkbox selection will then automatically insert the required standard text into the NOFO. We have described the radio button/checkbox functionality in this template when applicable. HHS has indicated that AM-generated NOFOs will be accessible as required as required under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Path to the Uplands Conservation Initiative Notice of Funding Opportunity – Fiscal Year 2021 Funding Opportunity Number F-FWS-SA-21-021 Closing Date: April 9, 2021

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT:

OMB Control Number: 1018-0100, Expiration Date: 7/31/2021 We are collecting this information in accordance with the authorizing legislation identified above. 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. We estimate that it will take you on average about 40 hours to complete an initial application, about 3 hours to revise the terms of an award, and about 8 hours per report to prepare and submit financial and performance reports, including time to maintain records and gather information. Actual time for these activities will vary depending on program- specific requirements. 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.

A. Program Description A1. Authority The Fish and Wildlife Act, 16 U.S.C. §§742a-742j, not including §742 d-1; National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, 16 U.S.C. §§668dd-ee; Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. §1531 et seq.; Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act,16 U.S.C. §2901 et seq.; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 U.S.C. §§661-666; and Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C. §703 et seq.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:15.670 A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intends to issue a Single Source Cooperative Agreement Award without competition to Pheasants Forever, Inc. (PF) to support a new initiative, Path to the Uplands, that focuses on habitat education, outdoor recreation, conservation stewardship, and conservation delivery activities for at-risk species throughout America’s uplands (e.g. monarch butterfly and pollinators).

Pheasants Forever and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) have a long history of working together to assist private landowners in establishing wildlife habitat and working to create public lands open to outdoor recreation. Projects under this funding opportunity will provide quality wildlife habitat for at-risk species such as monarch butterfly and native pollinators

While we know that the establishment of quality wildlife habitat is of paramount importance to addressing the many natural resource concerns we are currently facing in this country, we also know more needs to be done on the education and outreach front to create relevancy by educating the general public on the value of conservation, wildlife, and wild places. This merits a need for a coordinated and expanded approach to regional and national conservation planning and implementation of these priority conservation issues.

A total of $100,000 will be awarded in FY2021 with a period of performance of approximately April 15, 2021 to September 30, 2025. This work is expected to be completed in phases within the activities outlined in the project narrative. PF/QF will develop at least one SMART objective for each of the programs, outlined below, and include them in the corresponding project narrative. Under this cooperative agreement a maximum period of performance is one year. In partnership, PF/QF and Service staff will implement collaborative actions under a new initiative, Path to the Uplands, building from past successes. Projects under this funding opportunity will provide effective ways that individuals can engage in conservation of upland habitats as well as provide more equitable access to nature and its benefits. Additionally, outcomes of this project aim to address the declining participation in traditional outdoor recreation (e.g. hunting and fishing), and providing opportunities to participate in conservation with an emphasis in reaching new and non-traditional audiences where working together and with others to leverage our assets is essential to achieve success.

Funding for this award will focus on the creation and/or expansion the following programs:

Pollinator Habitat Outreach Program – The Youth Pollinator Habitat Program (PHOP) engages schools, youth groups, families, and communities across the country in establishing pollinator habitat projects. The objectives of this program are to create awareness about decreasing pollinator populations, educate the general public on the importance of habitat for pollinators, and to establish quality pollinator habitat across the country. The program will provide tools to implement habitat projects.

Conservation careers – A new online certification program aimed at high school students who have an interest in a conservation career. The program mirrors developmental opportunities similar to the Service’s ALDP and SUTL programs but brings this model to younger audiences. It will serve as a nexus point between the broad array of wildlife conservation professionals and meet students where they are by providing opportunities for job shadowing and additional methods to connect students with their local conservation community.

Women on the Wing (WOW) – The WOW program provides opportunities for women to become engaged, dynamic conservationists via local events designed to cultivate new sportswomen; connect women landowners, farmers and ranchers; and create a community of women dedicated to upland conservation.

Milkweed in the Classroom - The Milkweed in the Classroom Program is a turn-key habitat education program for the classroom. Program support includes all the materials to grow native plants in the classroom (seed, soil, planting containers, grow light), on-line training on how to grow native plants in the classroom, and curriculum that meets all national science standards.

Learn to Hunt Program – Provides training and financial assistance to local communities via members of Pheasants and Quail Forever Chapters to create quality learn-to-hunt events and educate individuals who have an interest in hunting but lack the opportunity. Learn-to-Hunt participants will be paired with a mentor and get to experience an actual upland bird hunt in a safe environment (e.g. on NWRS lands).

PF is uniquely qualified as a recipient in this funding opportunity due to their success and conservation delivery experience in administering local level operations through a national network of members, chapters and partnerships to reach the scale and magnitude desired under this agreement. PF has exclusive experience in delivering high quality conservation programming for monarchs, pollinators, as well as recruitment, retention, and reactivation programs. Their extensive network across the country allows conservation efforts to be implemented at the local scale while addressing national scale conservation complexities.

Conservation of monarch butterfly and pollinators provides a gateway to broader upland conservation efforts for game species that depend on those the same habitats. Using monarch butterfly as a flagship species for upland habitat and other wildlife species, the Service and PF recognize a need to coordinate and collaborate at a scale beyond single state or other organizational borders, aligning planning and implementation efforts with appropriate regional and national goals and objectives. Realizing good pheasant and quail habitat is also good pollinator and monarch habitat we have demonstrated our successes working on habitat conservation together. Now, we aim to expand our working model to focus on education and outreach. Together we will leverage our individual expertise and collaborate on overlapping objectives within our agency’s mission:

Pheasants Forever- dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education, and land management policies and programs.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service- working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

B. Federal Award Information This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement in the amount of $100,000 to Pheasants Forever (PF) in accordance with the Department of Interior (DOI) Policy 505 DM 2.14 (B) (4) Unique Qualifications. Competition for this award is not practical as PF has exclusive conservation delivery experience in administering local level operations through a national network of members, chapters and partnerships to reach the scale and magnitude desired under this agreement. PF has exclusive experience in delivering high quality conservation programming for monarch, pollinator and recruitment, retention and reactivation programs through their extensive network across the country that is implemented at a local scale while addressing national scale conservation complexities. Funds will be awarded in FY2021 and go through September 30th, 2025. This work is expected to be completed in phases within the activities outlined in the project narrative. Under this cooperative agreement a maximum period of performance is two years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will be substantially involved in projects under this funding opportunity. In particular, the Service will be substantially involved by providing staff support for implementation of activities outlined and serve in coordination and advisory roles to support project outcomes.

B1. Total Funding Estimated Total Funding: $100,000 B2. Expected Award Amount $100,000 B3. Expected Award Funding and Anticipated Dates The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intends to issue a Single Source Cooperative Agreement Award without competition to Pheasants Forever, Inc. A total of $100,000 will be awarded in FY2021 with a period of performance of approximately April 12, 2021 to September 30, 2025.

B4. Number of Awards Expected Number of Awards: One. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intends to issue a Single Source Cooperative Agreement Award without competition to Pheasants Forever, Inc.

B5. Type of Award Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will be substantially involved in projects under this funding opportunity. Substantial involvement of the Service will occur throughout all program implementation via coordinating responsibilities. In particular, the Service will be responsible for the following:

· Youth Engagement and Leadership Development. The Service will provide personnel to co-develop the Conservation Careers program. This includes but is not limited to coordinating job shadow opportunities, identification of urban areas to raise program awareness, and implementing an annual conservation career fair to include scholarship development and selection as well as a featured agency exhibitor.

· Staff technical assistance and public lands access. Service personnel will be made available to assist with implementation of habitat projects due to technical expertise in wildlife habitat restoration and management. Additionally, Service personnel will provide access opportunities for PF/QF to host mentored hunts and training events.

· The Service will work closely with PF to develop a comprehensive strategy to implement program activities and create a model for expansion to other Service programs, regions and external partners.

C. Eligibility Information This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement in the amount of $100,000 to Pheasants Forever (PF) in accordance with the Department of Interior (DOI) Policy 505 DM 2.14 (B) (4) Unique Qualifications. Competition for this award is not practical as we aim to build from our existing relationship that focuses on habitat conservation, and expanding this project which focuses on habitat education, conservation leadership and outdoor recreation. PF has conservation delivery experience in administering local level operations through a national network of members, chapters and partnerships to reach the scale and magnitude desired under this agreement. PF is uniquely qualified as a recipient in this funding opportunity due to their ability to implement the specific pollinator, youth and R3 program goals through their education and outreach department. Additionally, PF has a history and proven track record in working with local community members, conservation partners, including other agencies, nongovernmental organizations, agricultural, industry, youth, and private landowners to aid in the successful implementation of this project.

C1. Eligible Applicants This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement in the amount of $100,000 to Pheasants Forever (PF) in accordance with the Department of Interior (DOI) Policy 505 DM 2.14 (B) (4) Unique Qualifications.

Excluded Parties: FWS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The Bureau cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

State Sponsors of Terrorism: This program will not fund projects in countries determined by the U.S. Department of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism and therefore are subject to sanctions restricting receipt of U.S. foreign assistance and other financial transactions.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions: This program will not fund projects in countries subject to comprehensive sanction programs administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control without proper licenses.

In-Country Licenses, Permits, or Approvals: Entities conducting activities outside the U.S. are responsible for coordinating with appropriate U.S. and foreign government authorities as necessary to obtain all required licenses, permits, or approvals before undertaking project activities. The Service does not assume responsibility for recipient compliance with the laws, regulations, policies, or procedures of the foreign country in which they are conducting work.

D. Application and Submission Information D1. Address to Request Application Package This funding opportunity contains application package information in its entirety.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”. Individuals applying as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name), must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance-Individual” form. All other applicants must complete the standard SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”. The required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance must be complete, and signed and dated. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see the “Budget Narrative” section below).

SF 424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs When requesting support for a non-construction project, individuals applying for and receiving funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may own or operate and any entity waived by the Service from the SAM.gov registration requirements must submit a signed and dated SF-424B, “Assurances for Non-Construction Programs” form. All of the required application forms are available on with this announcement on Grants.gov.

Project Summary Project Title: Path to the Uplands Conservation Initiative Project Narrative Application narrative requirements include:

· Project title;

· Description of entity(ies) undertaking the project;

· Goals and SMART Objectives;

· Activities;

· Methods;

· Timetable;

· Partnerships and Funding Leverage

· Description of stakeholder coordination or involvement;

· Information on key project personnel;

· Details and supporting documentation on the project expansion opportunities

SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Program Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form and Budget Narrative. For non-construction programs or projects, applicants must complete and submit the SF-424A, “Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs” form. All of the required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles per the Service’s General Award Terms and Conditions. Applicants must show funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other Federal sources of funding. In the “Budget Summary” section of the appropriate SF-424 budget form, use the first row for funding requested from this Federal program. Use subsequent row(s) for funding requested from this Federal program. Use subsequent row(s) for other Federal funding. Enter each Federal program’s CFDA number(s) in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number(s) for this program appears on the first page of this announcement.

Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish Real Property Applicants seeking approval to acquire real property under an award must complete and submit the SF-429, “Real Property Status Report (Cover Page)” and the SF-429-B, “Real Property Status Report Attachment B (Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish)”. These forms are required if the real property is acquired with Federal funds, with recipient cost share or matching funds, or as an in-kind contribution under the award.

Budget Narrative Describe and justify requested budget items and costs. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Information, Object Class Category totals were determined. For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of time. Describe any item of cost that requires prior approval under the Federal cost principles. See 2 CFR 200.407 “Prior written approval (prior approval)” for more information. If equipment purchased previously with Federal funds is available for the project, provide a list of that equipment and identify the Federal funding source. Identify any cash or in-kind contributions that a partner or other entity will contribute to the project and describe how the contributions directly and substantively benefit completion of the project. For in-kind contributions, include the source, the amount, and the valuation methodology used to determine the total value. See 2 CFR 200.306 “Cost sharing or matching” for more information.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR §1402.112, applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission.

(a) Applicability.

(1) This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

(2) In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by sub recipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

(b) Notification.

(1) Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 200.112.

(2) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by sub recipients.

(c) Restrictions on lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR part 18 and 31 U.S.C. 1352.

(d) Review procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement, and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

(e) Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR part 180).

Single Audit Reporting Statement All U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and non- profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized Indian tribal government, and non-profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Official’s signature on the appropriate SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form also represents the entity’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Applicants and recipients must not use any federally appropriated funds (annually appropriated or continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a Federal award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any U.S. agency, a Member of the U.S. Congress, an officer or employee of the U.S. Congress, or an employee of a Member of the U.S. Congress connection with the award. Applicants and recipients must complete and submit the SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form if the Federal share of the proposal or award is more than $100,000 and the applicant or recipient has made or has agreed to make any payment using non- appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with the application or award. The SF-LLL form is available with this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”. If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regards to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. When overlap exists, your statement must end with “We understand that if at any time we receive funding from another source that is duplicative of the funding we are requesting from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in this application, we will immediately notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service point of contact identified in this Funding Opportunity in writing.”

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration: This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate) or any entity with an exception approved by the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet and then register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application. Federal award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. We may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. There is no cost to register with Dun & Bradstreet or SAM.gov. There are third- party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with Dun & Bradstreet and SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free.

Obtain a DUNS Number Request a DUNS Number through the Dun & Bradstreet website. The official website address is http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. For technical difficulties, send an email to the D&B SAM Help Desk. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com. The Grants.gov “Obtain a DUNS Number” webpage also provides detailed instructions. Once assigned a DUNS number, your organization must maintain up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants must enter their DUNS number in the “Organizational DUNS” field on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form.

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) Register on the SAM.gov website. “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov Register with SAM page also provides detailed instructions. You can also contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been to the entity’s DUNS or IRS information.

D4. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications: 04/09/2021 Application Due Date Explanation Applications are due at 5:00pm ET on 04/91/2021 through GrantSolutions.

D5. Intergovernmental Review Prior to application submission, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the OMB Office of Federal Financial Management website and view the “State Point of Contact (SPOC) List” to determine whether their application is subject to the state intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” States not on the list do not participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are located within a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency. If your state is on the list, contact the designated entity for more information on the state’s prior review requirements for Federal assistance applications.

D6. Funding Restrictions Pre-award costs may be reimbursed Indirect Costs: Individuals Individuals applying for and receiving funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate are not eligible to charge indirect costs to their award. If you are an individual applying for funding, you must not include any indirect costs in your proposed budget. Individuals are not required to submit any of the following statements regarding indirect costs.

Indirect Costs: Organizations The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency for indirect costs, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your organization’s cognizant agency, the Interior Business Center will negotiate your indirect cost rate. Contact the Interior Business Center by phone 916-930-3803 or using the IBC Email Submission Form. See the IBC Website for more information.

Organizations must have an active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award. Recipients must have prior written approval from the Service to use amounts budgeted for direct costs to satisfy cost-share or match requirements or to cover unallowable indirect costs. Recipients shall not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

Required Indirect Cost Statement All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

· 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. Attached is a copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification.

· 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 have prepared and will retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation.

· A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, do not use this statement] 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: “Attached is a copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement. 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 “Attached is a copy of our current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.”]

· 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]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date.

· 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, if we receive an award 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%] against [insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.68]. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

· A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher. Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, if we receive an award 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% to be charged against modified total direct project costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.68. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing if we establish a negotiated 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 that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by the Service.

· A [insert your organization type] that is submitting this proposal for consideration under the [insert either “Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program” or “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”], which has a Department of the Interior-approved indirect cost rate cap of [insert program rate]. If we have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must apply this reduced rate against the same direct cost base as identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement per 2 CFR §1402.414. If we do not have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must charge indirect costs against the modified total direct cost base defined in 2 CFR §200.68, Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC). We understand that we must request prior approval from the Service to use the 2 CFR 200 MTDC base instead of the base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. We understand that Service approval of such a request will be based on: 1) a determination that our approved base is only a subset of the MTDC (such as salaries and wages); and 2) that use of the MTDC base will still result in a reduction of the total indirect costs to be charged to the award. In accordance with 2 CFR §200.405, we understand that indirect costs not recovered due to a voluntary reduction to our federally negotiated rate are not allowable for recovery via any other means.

· A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.

D7. Other Submission Requirements Submission of applications through GrantSolutions is preferred. If not feasible, you can also apply via Grants.gov at this link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html] E. Application Review Information E1. Criteria This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement in the amount of $100,000 to Pheasants Forever (PF) in accordance with the Department of Interior (DOI) Policy 505 DM 2.14 (B) (4) Unique Qualifications.

E2. Review and Selection Process The Regional WSFR Office determines agency eligibility and whether applications are complete, substantial, and contain only activities that are eligible. Applications that are ineligible are returned to the grantee. Revision and resubmission of returned applications is allowable up until the identified deadline for application submittals.

Prior to award, the program will review any applicant statement regarding potential overlap or duplication between the project to be funded and any other funded or proposed project in terms of activities, funding, or time commitment of key personnel. Depending on the circumstances, the program may request modification to the application, other pending applications, or an active award, as needed to eliminate any duplication of effort, or the Bureau may choose not to fund the selected project. The program may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the Bureau is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Prior to award, the program will evaluate the risk posed by applicants as required in 2 CFR 200.205. Programs document applicant risk evaluations using the Bureau’s “Financial Assistance Recipient Risk Assessment” form. Prior to approving awards for Federal funding in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), the Bureau is required to review and consider any information about or from the applicant found in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System. The Bureau will consider this information when completing the risk review. The Bureau uses the results of the risk evaluation to establish monitoring plans, recipient reporting frequency requirements, and to determine if one or more of the specific award conditions in 2 CFR 200.207 should be applied the award.

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information See the Service’s General Award Terms and Conditions for the general administrative and national policy requirements applicable to Service awards. The Service will communicate any other program- or project-specific special terms and conditions to recipients in their notices of award.

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates April 12, 2021 F. Federal Award Administration Information F1. Federal Award Notices Following review, applicants may be requested to revise the project scope and/or budget before an award is made. Successful applicants will receive written notice in the form of a notice of award document. Notices of award are typically sent to recipients by e-mail. If e-mail notification is unsuccessful, the documents will be sent by courier mail (e.g., FedEx, DHL or UPS). Award recipients are not required to sign/return the Notice of Award document. Acceptance of an award is defined as starting work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means.

Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the Service. The notice of award document will include instructions specific to each recipient on how to request payment. If applicable, the instructions will detail any additional information/forms required and where to submit payment requests. Applicants whose projects are not selected for funding will receive written notice, most often by e-mail, within 30 days of the final review decision.

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. Recipient acceptance of a Federal award from the Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with all terms and conditions applicable to the award. Recipients indicate their acceptance of the Federal award by starting work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means.

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements See the DOI Standard Terms and Conditions for the administrative and national policy requirements applicable to DOI awards.

Data Availability Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR §1402.315:

(a) All data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, valuation products or other scientific assessments in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual, resulting from a financial assistance agreement is available for use by the Department of the Interior, including being available in a manner that is sufficient for independent verification.

(b)The Federal Government has the right to:

(1)Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, produced under a Federal award; and (2)Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, for Federal purposes, including to allow for meaningful third-party evaluation.

See the Service’s General Award Terms and Conditions for the general administrative and national policy requirements applicable to Service awards. The Service will communicate any other program- or project-specific special terms and conditions to recipients in their notices of award.

F3. Reporting Financial Reports All recipients must use the SF-425, Federal Financial Report form for financial reporting. At a minimum, all recipients must submit a final financial report. Final reports are due no later than 90 calendar days after the award period of performance end date or termination date. For awards with periods of performance longer than 12 months, recipients are required to submit interim financial reports on the frequency established in the Notice of Award. The only exception to the interim financial reporting requirement is if the recipient is required to use the SF 270/271 to request payment and requests payment at least once annually through the entire award period of performance. We will describe all financial reporting requirements in the Notice of Award.

Performance Reports Performance reports must contain a comparison of actual accomplishments with the established goals and objectives of the award; a description of reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and any other pertinent information relevant to the project results. Final performance reports are due no later than 90 calendar days after the award period of performance end date or termination date. For awards with periods of performance longer than 12 months, recipients are required to submit interim performance reports on the frequency established in the Notice of Award.

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 Bureau in writing as soon as the recipient becomes aware of any 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. The recipient should also notify the Service in writing of any 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.

Real Property Reports Recipients and subrecipients are required to submit status reports on the status of real property acquired under the award in which the Federal government retains an interest. The required frequency of these reports will depend on the anticipated length of the Federal interest period. The Bureau will include recipient-specific real property reporting requirements, including the required data elements, reporting frequency, and report due dates, in the Notice of Award when applicable.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures Recipients must notify the program immediately in writing of any conflict of interest that arise during the life of their Federal award, including those reported to them by any subrecipient under the award. Recipients must notify the program in writing if any employees, including subrecipient and contractor personnel, are related to, married to, or have a close personal relationship with any Federal employee in the Federal funding program or who otherwise may have been involved in the review and selection of the award. The term employee means any individual engaged in the performance of work pursuant to the Federal award. Recipients may not have a former Federal employee as a key project official, or in any other substantial role related to their award, whose participation put them out of compliance with the legal authorities addressing post-Government employment restrictions. See the U.S. Office of Government Ethics website for more information on these restrictions. The Service will examine each conflict of interest disclosure based on its particular facts and the nature of the project and will determine if a significant potential conflict exists. If it does, the Service will work with the recipient to determine an appropriate resolution. Failure to disclose and 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 the award.

Other Mandatory Disclosures The Non-Federal entity or applicant for a Federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Non- Federal entities that receive a Federal award including the terms and conditions outlined in 2 CFR 200, Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338 Remedies for Noncompliance, including suspension or debarment.

Reporting Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance If the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies exceeds $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of this…