PKG00255903-instructions.pdf

U.S. Department of the Interior

OFFICE OF INSULAR AFFAIRS

BROWN TREE SNAKE CONTROL PROGRAM

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.875

FY 2020 APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

I. Program Description

The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is requesting fiscal year 2020 funding proposals for its Brown Tree Snake (BTS) Control Program.

The invasive Brown Tree Snake (BTS) is believed to have been introduced to the island of Guam following World War II. Due to an abundant prey base and an absence of natural predators, the BTS population on Guam grew, quickly reaching unprecedented numbers. It was not until the 1980s when researchers began to study the sudden and sharp decline in Guam’s bird populations that the environmental and socioeconomic damage caused by the BTS began to be understood.

The BTS is directly responsible for the extinction or local extirpation of 9 of 13 native forest birds and 3 of 12 native lizards on Guam. In addition, the BTS has had significant, negative impacts on Guam’s economy. The risk of accidental transport and establishment of the BTS in other locations has impacted regional shipping and transportation through increased biosecurity needs.

The BTS cause approximately one power outage per 1.8 days. A single island-wide outage is estimated to cost over $3 million in lost productivity, not including repair costs, damage to electrical equipment and lost revenues. Prior to BTS control measures being taken, costs of snake-caused outages on Guam were approximately $4.5 million annually, not including personal equipment failures, shorter equipment life span, or increased costs due to purchasing personal power generators.

Since Guam is a major transportation hub in the Pacific, numerous opportunities exist for this invasive species to be inadvertently introduced to other areas in the Pacific. The BTS has already been accidentally transported from Guam to other sites worldwide through infested civilian and military vessels and cargo. Documented sites include: Hawaii, the CNMI, Corpus Christi, Texas; McAlester, Oklahoma; Japan; Anchorage, Alaska; Wake Island; Taiwan; Kwajalein;

Diego Garcia; Darwin, Australia; and Rota, Spain. There is appropriate concern that the introduction of the BTS to other vulnerable sites, such as Hawaii and the CNMI, will have similarly catastrophic ecological and economic impacts as on Guam. The potential cost of a BTS introduction on Hawaii alone has been estimated between $593 million to $2.14 billion annually.

OIA’s Brown Tree Snake Control Program funding focuses on preventing the dispersal of this invasive species from Guam to other geographic areas and population suppression with the ultimate goal of eradication.

II. Eligible Applicants

Eligible grant applicants are limited to representatives of the governments of Guam, the Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands, the State of Hawaii, and educational institutions.

III. Application Information

Submission Deadline: The submission deadline is April 1, 2020. All applicants must submit via grants.gov (www.grant.gov).

Review Timeframe: OIA will act on applications in as timely a manner as possible, however, outside factors such as the Congressional appropriations cycle, may delay the review process.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to factor in at least a three month review timeframe; from the date of submission to the date of notification on the final decision.

Decision: Applicants will be notified of the final determination on their applications, generally via email, once a decision is reached.

Application Format: Proposals should include the following elements in order to receive full consideration:

A. Signed and Dated Cover Page: The cover letter should briefly summarize the application and be signed by an Authorized Representative of the applicant organization.

Cover letters should be addressed to the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs:

Mr. Douglas W. Domenech Assistant Secretary Insular and International Affairs U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W.

Mail-Stop 3117 Washington, D.C. 20240

B. Project Narrative: The project narrative must include the following elements:

1. Detailed Project Description(s): Describe, in detail, the projects, activities, and/or positions being proposed for funding. Please make sure to describe how these projects, activities, and/or positions directly relate to:

http://www.grant.gov/

a. Preventing the spread of the BTS

b. The control and management of the BTS

c. BTS population suppression

2. Detailed Project Budget(s): Provide detailed budget information for the proposed project(s), activities, and/or positions. Please note that all activities and costs to be charged to the grant must be in full compliance with the applicable cost principles:

Entity incurring costs Applicable directive

State, local, or Federally recognized Indian Tribe

2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles; 200.416-200.417 - Special Considerations for States, Local Government, and Indian Tribes

Non-profit organization 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles

Institution of Higher Education

2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles; 200.418 - 200.419 – Special Considerations for Institutes of Higher Education

3. Detailed Project Timeline(s): Provide a detailed project timeline for completion of each proposed project and/or activity.

4. Statement of Need: Describe why the projects, activities, and/or positions are considered key to the success of the BTS control effort. Please make sure to summarize any previous or ongoing efforts relevant to your proposal. This includes projects, activities and/or positions not funded by OIA grants. Please detail other funds received for your BTS efforts.

5. Project Goals, Objectives and Past Accomplishments:

a. State the short and long-term goals that will be advanced or achieved if your proposal is funded.

b. Objectives are the specific steps you will take to reach your stated goals. State your objectives, which must be specific, measurable, and realistic (attainable within the project’s period of performance).

c. Finally, list any accomplishments resulting from previously received BTS funding from OIA.

6. Grant Recipient: Please provide the name, title, and address of person to who the grant award, if made, should be addressed. This is normally, the head of the local government or organization.

7. Recipient Grant Manager: Please provide the name, title, and contact information for the person who will be the day-to-day grant manager if the proposal is funded.

Contact information should include the mailing address, phone number, fax number and email address (as applicable).

C. Required SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance Forms (only required from state and Territory agencies, via grants.gov)

Applicants must complete and submit the appropriate SF-424 forms when applying for OIA grants. In addition to the core SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance form, applicants must complete two additional forms; either the SF-424A Budget Information – Non Construction Programs or the SF-424C Budget Information – Construction Program, as appropriate to the proposed project(s), as well as the SF-424B Assurances – Non-Construction Programs or the SF-424D Assurances – Construction Programs, as appropriate to the proposed project(s).

In total, three SF-424 forms must be submitted as part of the application. The forms can be found on the Grants.Gov website and are made available as part of the Grants.Gov application process:

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormsMenu?source=agency

IV. Award Administration Information

A. Award Instrument Information Projects will be funded, subject to availability of funds, by issuance of a grant agreement.

Grants will include a cover letter signed by an Office of Insular Affairs Official and a grant award document issued by the grant manager.

The recipient shall obtain prior approval for any budget or program revisions.

B. Term of the Grant or Agreement Grant and agreement are typically from 18 months to 3 years.

Prior to the expiration of the grant agreement, modifications may be proposed by either party and will become effective upon written approval.

Grantees should expect that grants will not be extended beyond the agreement terms.

C. Funding Restrictions All funding is contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funds by the

United States Congress, and approved by the President of the United States.

Costs must be allowable in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles referenced in 2 CFR 200, Subpart E – Cost Principles.

D. Submission from Successful Applicants If selected for possible award, the Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right the request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary.

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormsMenu?source=agency

E. Award Notices After an applicant’s proposal is selected for award, the applicant will receive a letter from the Office of Insular Affairs. This letter will detail the next steps in the awarding process.

The Office of Insular Affairs anticipates that the grant recipients and projects will be chosen during the spring and summer 2020 once full year appropriations are received by the Office of Insular Affairs.

F. Administration and National Policy Requirements Code of Federal Regulations – By accepting financial assistance, your organization agrees to abide by the applicable Federal regulations in the expenditure of Federal funds and performance under this program: 2 CFR Part 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

V. Grant Reporting

The standard grant reporting requirements are listed below:

• A SF-425 Federal Financial Report and a narrative project status report will be due semi-annually for the periods beginning January 1 and ending June 30, and beginning July 1 and ending December 31 (only required by state and territory agencies).

• Reports are due within 30 days of the end of the period. Final reports are due 90 days after the expiration or termination of the award.

These standard reporting requirements will apply to all awards unless otherwise indicated in the Terms and Conditions section of the award. Additional requirements are assigned on a case-by-case basis and may also be found in the Terms and Conditions section of the award.

VI. Fund Disbursement (only required from state and Territory agencies, via grants.gov)

Grant recipients located in the U.S. Territories or in the United States will be required to enroll with, and utilize, the U.S. Treasury's Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system to request payments under a grant. Recipients located in the Freely Associated States or a foreign country may enroll with, and utilize, ASAP to request payments if using a U.S. Bank to receive payments.

All payments are made via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or Automatic Clearing House

(ACH).

Please note that a grantee must be enrolled in ASAP under Agency Location Code 14010001 to have access to OIA grant funds. A grantee may already be enrolled in ASAP for another grant program, such as through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but if the grantee is not specifically enrolled under ALC 14010001 it will not have access to the OIA grant.

Organizations already enrolled in ASAP under ALC 14010001 should list their ASAP ID on their applications as noted above in Section IV(B)(10).

The ASAP enrollment forms can be found on the OIA website:

http://www.doi.gov/oia/grants.cfm

VII. Audits

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. In addition, grantees are subject to site visits and audits by the Department of Interior (DOI) and other Federal officials.

VIII. Marketing and Branding

A graphic of the U.S. flag, accompanied by the following language, "Funding provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs", should be displayed on all signage that is intended to identify the project and funders, as appropriate. The graphic and language should be included for all programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications, including news articles, partially or fully funded by the Office of Insular Affairs. The U.S. flag may replace or be used in conjunction with the Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs seal. If the seal is displayed, it must remain intact and unchanged, and may only be displayed using either the standard color scheme or a single color that complements the background where it appears. The U.S. flag and language should be publicly displayed on the final product. The OIA grant manager should be contacted for an electronic version of the U.S.

flag and Office of Insular Affairs seal if needed.

IX. Other Information

A. Modification or Changes to the Announcement Notices of any modifications to this announcement will be posted on Grants.gov. When you download the application materials at Grants.gov, you can also register to receive notifications by email of any changes or modifications to this announcement.

B. Government Right to Reject or Negotiate The Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right, without qualification, to reject any or all applications received in response to this announcement and to select any application, in whole or in part, as a basis for negotiation and/or award.

C. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability The Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right to conduct an independent third party review of financial capability for applicants that are selected for negotiation of award.

D. Notice of Potential Disclosure under Freedom of Information Act http://www.doi.gov/oia/grants.cfm

Applicants should be advised that identifying information regarding all applicants, including applicant names and/or points of contact, may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, whether or not such applicants are selected for negotiation of award.

E. Personally Identifiable Information In responding to this Announcement, applicants must ensure that Protected Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not included in the Application Package. These documents will be used by the Technical Assistance Grant Program Review Panel in the review process to evaluate each application. PII is defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as:

Any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, etc., including any other personal information that is linked or linkable to an individual. This definition of PII can be further defined as: (1) Public PII and (2) Protected PII.

Public PII:

PII found in public sources such as telephone books, public websites, business cards, university listing, etc. Public PII includes first and last name, address, work telephone number, email address, home telephone number, and general education credentials.

Protected PII:

PII that requires enhanced protection. This information includes data that if compromised could cause harm to an individual, such as identity theft.

F. Conflicts of Interest

a. Applicability

i. 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.

ii. 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. Requirements

i. Non-Federal entities must avoid prohibited conflicts of interest, including any significant financial interests that could cause a reasonable person to question the recipient's ability to provide impartial, technically sound, and objective performance under or with respect to a Federal financial assistance agreement.

ii. In addition to any other prohibitions that may apply with respect to conflicts of interest, no key official of an actual or proposed recipient or sub-recipient, who is substantially involved in the proposal or project, may have been a former Federal employee who, within the last one (1) year, participated personally and substantially in the evaluation, award, or administration of an award with respect to that recipient or sub-recipient or in development of the requirement leading to the funding announcement.

iii. No actual or prospective recipient or sub-recipient may solicit, obtain, or use non-public information regarding the evaluation, award, or administration of an award to that recipient or sub-recipient or the development of a Federal financial assistance opportunity that may be of competitive interest to that recipient or sub-recipient.

c. Notification

i. 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, Conflicts of interest.

ii. 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.

d. Restrictions on Lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under this grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR Part 18 and 31 USC 1352.

e. 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.

f. 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).

G. Data Availability

a. Applicability. The Department of the Interior is committed to basing its decisions on the best available science and providing the American people with enough information to thoughtfully and substantively evaluate the data, methodology, and analysis used by the Department to inform its decisions.

b. Use of Data. The regulations at 2 CFR 200.315 apply to data produced under a Federal award, including the provision that the Federal Government has the right to obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data produced under a Federal award as well as authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for Federal purposes.

c. Availability of Data. The recipient shall make the data produced under this award and any subaward(s) available to the Government for public release, consistent with applicable law, to allow meaningful third party evaluation and reproduction of the following:

(i) The scientific data relied upon;

(ii) The analysis relied upon; and

(iii) The methodology, including models, used to gather and analyze data.

X. Agency Contact

Charlene Leizear Technical Assistance Division Director Telephone: (202) 208-3239

Email: Charlene_Leizear@ios.doi.gov

Hailey McCoy Brown Tree Snake Grant Manager

Technical Assistance Division Telephone: (202) 513-7746 Email: hailey_mccoy@ios.doi.gov

DOI - Office of Insular Affairs 1849 C St., N.W.

MS-3117

Washington, D.C. 20240 Fax: (202) 208-7585