SmallGrantsApplicationinstructions.pdf

OMB Control No.1018‐0100 Expires: 04/30/2018

NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT

SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

2018 PROPOSAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: OCTOBER 19, 2017

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: This information collection is authorized by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) of 1989, as amended (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.).

Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit in the form of a grant. We estimate that it will take approximately 40 hours to prepare an application, including time to review instructions, gather and maintain data, and complete and review the proposal. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number. OMB has reviewed and approved this information collection and assigned OMB Control Number 1018-0100.You may submit comments on any aspect of this information collection, including the accuracy of the estimated burden hours and suggestions to reduce this burden. Send your comments to: Information Collection Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1849 C Street, NW., Mail Stop BPHC, Washington, D.C. 20240.

SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY POLICY: Effective 1/28/2011, the Department of Interior established a policy to ensure and maintain the integrity of scientific and scholarly activities used to inform management and public policy decisions: DOI Policy 305 DM 3, "Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly Activities” (https://elips.doi.gov/elips/0/doc/3045/Page1.aspx). The Scientific Integrity Policy applies to the Department's employees as well as its contractors, grant recipients and volunteers when they analyze or share scientific information with the public or use the Department's information to make policy or regulatory decisions. This policy now applies to all funding applications received by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant program. Essentially, the use of false data to leverage grant funds is a direct violation of DOI's Scientific Integrity Policy and requires the refund of any associated Federal assistance.

SOLICITATIONS: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) program does not use social media or contact individuals by phone to solicit, review, or make awards. Government staff will NOT call or message you requesting money in order to be eligible for an award. Please report any information and documentation that you have related to such incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov) and your local law enforcement authorities.

https://elips.doi.gov/elips/0/doc/3045/Page1.aspx https://www.ic3.gov/

INTRODUCTION

The following proposal instructions, associated information, and examples are designed to guide applicants already familiar with the purpose, scope, and expectations of the Small Grants Program in preparing and submitting their application. Therefore, to ensure your project proposal’s eligibility and to improve its funding potential, please be sure you first read all of the information provided on the Small Grants Program’s introductory web page and application instructions overview page, located at: https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/small-grants.php.

Before you begin preparing your proposal, be sure to read the specific guidelines regarding the eligible use of grant and matching funds, eligible sources of match, and funding-use restrictions provided in Appendix A. This appendix provides summary guidelines and is not a complete list of all eligible and ineligible activities, sources of match, and uses of funding. If parts of your proposal are not addressed in Appendix A, or you are uncertain as to your project’s eligibility, please contact the Small Grants Program or NAWCA Small Grants Coordinators: Rodecia McKnight at 703-358-2266 (rodecia_mcknight@fws.gov) or Anya Rushing at 703-3582032 (anya_rushing@fws.gov).

You are also encouraged to contact the coordinator of the Migratory Bird Joint Venture where your project is located. Joint Venture staff can provide valuable input to applicants during project development and proposal writing. In addition, each Joint Venture will review all of the proposal submissions from within their region and provide feedback about each project to the scoring subcommittee. If you are unfamiliar with the Joint Venture system, Appendix G contains a map of the Joint Venture administrative areas that will help you identify the Joint Venture where your project is located and direct contact to your Joint Venture Coordinator at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Joint Venture Directory.

Due to the implementation of the Department of Interior Financial and Business Management System (FBMS), all proposal SF 424 and SF 424D forms must be submitted through Grants.Gov.

For guidance on getting set up in Grants.gov, please click here. This site provides information about getting a DUNS number, SAM registration, and authorizing yourself as your organization’s representative (AOR). NONE of these steps cost money. If you get routed to a site that is not the exact web address noted in the Grants.gov instructions, or if you are asked for credit card information, exit and start again. There is NO FEE to register or maintain your SAM.gov registration. If you get an email, text, or phone call from a company asking you to contact them right away about your SAM.gov registration, be cautious. If you are asked to pay money to complete or renew your SAM.gov registration, be cautious. These messages are not from the Federal Government. It is *FREE *to register in SAM.gov for any entity.

The remaining sections of the proposal (proposal narrative, GIS shapefiles, partner letters, etc.)

should be submitted to the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (DBHC) via email (see below).

Due to code requirements within the FBMS, the term “Budget” cannot be used. “Financial Plan” must be used in its place to avoid data access errors. Federal agencies are exempt from the DUNS, CCR, EIN requirements, etc., and should submit their application directly to DBHC. Federal agencies do not need to submit SF-424 forms.

Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not adhere to eligibility and cost criteria in the preceding files and in these instructions. Your proposal will be automatically ineligible if the outline font or font size is modified. These files do not contain any instructions or examples; follow the instructions in this file when completing a blank proposal.

https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/small-grants.php mailto:nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov mailto:nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov mailto:rodecia_mcknight@fws.gov mailto:anya_rushing@fws.gov https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-conservation-partnership-and-initiatives/migratory-bird-joint-ventures/joint-venture-directory.php https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-conservation-partnership-and-initiatives/migratory-bird-joint-ventures/joint-venture-directory.php https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

To aid you in completing the proposal, a blank proposal outline can be downloaded here: https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small

MAJOR CHANGES/UPDATES FROM THE 2017 SMALL GRANT INSTRUCTIONS

• For the Project Officer and Organization addresses, try to avoid using a P.O. Box address, and include zip + 4 where available.

• Applicants are now required to include an overlap/duplication statement on the Project Officer’s

Page.

• The Financial Table example and template have been updated to include additional guidance for properly completing and calculating proposal activities.

• Section IV – A. Project Description and Scope of Work: this section has been slightly modified to request detailed project information by tract; existing leases; and a list of equipment involved in the project. The duration of benefits question has been moved to Section V - Evaluation Questions, Question F.

• Section V – Small Grants Evaluation Questions: this section has been updated to include the new NAWCA Small Grant Scoring System – the scoring criteria are now listed for each Evaluation Question. Please review the order of the Evaluation Questions as they have changed. Note: the length of the Evaluation Questions section has been increased from 1-2 pages to 1-3 pages to accommodate both narrative answers to the questions and tables.

o Question B - Wetland Types narrative has been replaced with a table. An example has been included in Appendix D.

o Question F - Climate Change and Long-Term Conservation has been edited to include the Acres by Longevity of Benefits table. A short narrative about the concerns of climate change is still a requirement of the question.

• The Tract Table has been updated to include an additional column for Public Access and Total Acres.

In the table under the new Public Access column, include how many acres will be open to public access.

• For your convenience, all required proposal tables are now available in an Excel workbook format.

Each table is labeled by Section or Question in each worksheet tab. All tables will still be available in the Word Proposal Outline. If you prefer to complete the tables using Excel, please delete the Word versions in the Outline and insert the Excel tables in the appropriate places within the Outline. Do not send any Excel files with your proposal submission – tables MUST be included in the proposal PDF.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

SUBMISSION via Grants.gov

• In order to apply for a grant, your organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process.

The registration process for an organization or an individual can take five business days or as long as four weeks if all steps are not completed in a timely manner. Register early!

• The SF-424 form and SF-424D forms must be submitted through Grants.Gov. NEW: Grants.gov is now requiring a Grants.gov project narrative and budget form to be uploaded with the SF-424 forms. Those two additional Grants.gov forms are not required by NAWCA, however, please leave both forms blank and submit with your SF-424 forms to make sure your application is processed in Grants.gov. Your application will not be processed or you will receive a Grants.gov error if these forms are not attached with the SF-424 forms. The remaining sections of the proposal cannot be submitted through Grants.gov and instead should be submitted to DBHC https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small via email (see below in submission of full proposal). Note: Standard Form SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance Form and SF-424D Assurances for Construction Projects Form: All applicants, except the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other Federal Agencies, are required to submit a completed Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) AND Assurances Construction Programs (SF-424D) form along with their proposal application. These forms, with instructions, can also be found at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1. Additional information is available in Section IX of the instructions.

• Before you can view and complete an application package, you must have Adobe Reader installed.

Application packages are posted in Adobe Reader format. You may receive a validation error using incompatible versions of Adobe Reader. To prevent a validation error, it is now recommended that you uninstall any earlier versions of Adobe Reader and install the latest compatible version of Adobe Reader.

1. Submission of the SF-424 and SF-424D forms via Grants.gov at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=nawca Funding Opportunity number: This number will be available after 9-3-17.

2. We will send you a confirmation if your submission was successful.

Federal agencies should submit their application directly, via email, to the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation at nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov. Federal agencies do not need to submit a SF-424 and are exempt from the DUNS, SAM, and EIN requirements.

SUBMISSION of Full Proposal and Required Attachments via Email

Proposal Deadline: Small Grants Program applications may be submitted at any time prior to the deadline, but must be received no later than 4 PM ET on October 19, 2017 in order to be eligible for consideration.

• To aid you in completing the proposal, a blank proposal outline can be downloaded here: https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small

• Email your full application (which includes the narrative proposal, partner letters, maps, SF-424, and SF-424D, in that order) as one single PDF file [ProjectTitle.pdf] to: nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov. Do not send paper copies.

• GIS shapefiles and easements can be attached as separate files.

• Do not send files that are larger than 25MB. Remember that maps in your application document will increase the file size. Check that your email system and server are capable of sending an email with an attachment of that size.

• Keep a copy of the “sent” email to document the submission of your proposal before the deadline.

Submission to Joint Venture Coordinator: Send a copy of your proposal and supporting documents to your Joint Venture Coordinator.

Receipt Confirmation: You will receive an e-mail response within one week of the submission deadline confirming that your application was received. If you do not receive a confirmation, you should contact one of the program coordinators immediately.

Timeframe: All applications are processed in the weeks following the application deadline. Final decisions regarding project selections will be made by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) at its meeting in February 2018.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=nawca mailto:nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-conservation-partnership-and-initiatives/migratory-bird-joint-ventures/joint-venture-directory.php

Will I hear anything more after the confirmation email? Approximately one month after the submission deadline, we will send the Project Officer comments requesting more information or clarification.

If selected, when will I get access to the grant funds? The Assistance Award (also referred to as the Grant Agreement) is developed by the Service after the Council has made project selections and clearances, payment arrangement steps, and Federal funding appropriations have been met. Instructions for these steps will be issued after the February 2018 meeting. A Division of Bird Habitat Grants Officer will review the documentation. If the Grants Officer finds any problem related to compliance with law, policy, or administrative procedures, s/he will contact the project officer to seek a resolution. After all problems have been resolved, the Grants Officer will send the recipient a signed Agreement. The grant funding period begins on the date of the USFWS signature on the Agreement. A recipient signature is not required.

When can I start incurring costs? Selected proposals will be eligible for pre-agreement costs. You can begin incurring pre-agreement costs at any time after you have submitted your proposal, but you will not be reimbursed until after official agreements are issued.

How will I receive grant funds? Recipients must use the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP). If your project is selected, you will be prompted to set up an ASAP account.

Property acquisitions: Acquisitions have stringent documentation requirements. If your proposal includes property acquisition, including fee simple purchases and conservation easements funded with either grant or matching funds, it is imperative that you review the requirements for real property acquisition assistance stated in the U.S. Grant Administration Standards.

Easements, leases: Copies of easements and leases that are already in place when the proposal is submitted should be attached to the proposal.

Indirect Cost Agreements: If you are requesting grant funds for indirect costs or using indirect costs as match, attach a copy of your current, signed, and approved negotiated cost rate agreement (NICRA) and any previously approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement that was used to determine match costs in this proposal. 2CFR 200.414(f) Allows organizations (except state and local government and tribes) to charge up to 10% indirect cost rate indefinitely and not contingent on any intent to get a NICRA, provided that the organization does not have one. Costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS AND PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Please follow the format below and save the file in a single PDF file, as indicated above. Failure to submit a proposal following the required guidelines and formats will make it ineligible.

General Requirements

1. All proposals should be sent electronically to nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov by the deadline.

2. Do not send the proposal by fax or in hardcopy.

3. All margins should be 1 inch.

4. Font typeface should be “Times New Roman” Size 11 (excluding tables).

5. All materials must be submitted as a single PDF file. This file should not be larger than 25MB.

https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/grants/USGrantStandards.pdf

6. Do not include a cover letter. The Project Officer’s Page shown in the Proposal Outline should be the first page of the proposal as shown in the template.

7. Use the same name for landowners and tracts throughout the proposal; do not use more than one name for the same tract or landowner.

8. We will only accept properly formatted Partner Contribution Statements as verification of partner match. Submitting partner letters that do not follow the format in the guidelines will adversely affect the timely review of a proposal and may result in the contribution being considered as non-match.

9. Insert information into the “Small Grants Proposal Application” template in the Proposal Outline, which can be downloaded here: https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small.

I. PROPOSAL PROJECT OFFICER’S PAGE (limit to 2 pages)

In the proposal template, do not change the font size or margins. Include all the questions on the Proposal Project Officer’s Page even if the question does not pertain to your proposal.

Note: Do not include a cover/transmittal letter with the proposal. The Project Officer’s Page should be the first page of the proposal. The information below in italics is intended to assist you as you fill out the blank Proposal Outline.

What is the proposal title? Due to database limitations, it is critical that the title be limited to 80 characters (including spaces) and that phased proposals retain the original title with only the phase number changing. Enter a short, descriptive, and unique title, such as “Falcon Bottoms,” “Turtle Bog Marsh,” or “Great Bay.” If the proposal is a phase of an earlier funded proposal, use the same title as the earlier proposal and include the appropriate Roman numeral to denote that this is a subsequent proposal, such as “Falcon Bottoms II.”

What is the date you are submitting the proposal?

Amount of NAWCA funding request: up to $100,000

What are the geographical landmarks for the proposal?

List Counties and States that the tract(s) are included in; if tract(s) are unknown, then list all of the project area

1. State(s):

2. County(ies): In alphabetical order

3. Congressional District(s): Visit https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/reference-cd115.html for the most up to date list of Congressional Districts or download the Congressional District GIS shapefile

4. JV(s): Identify the Migratory Bird Joint Venture area(s). Visit the USFWS JV Directory website or download the JV GIS shapefile.

5. BCR(s): Identify the Bird Conservation Region BCR(s). Visit http://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ or download the BCR GIS shapefile.

6. Project Location zip code(s):

7. Coastal or Non-Coastal Project Site: See map in Appendix H or view in the NAWCA Mapper (uncheck all layers except US NAWCA Coastal Zone to view properly)

Project Officer Information:

https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/reference-cd115.html ftp://ftp2.census.gov/geo/tiger/TIGER2016/CD/ ftp://ftp2.census.gov/geo/tiger/TIGER2016/CD/ http://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-conservation-partnership-and-initiatives/migratory-bird-joint-ventures/joint-venture-directory.php https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/Reference/Profile/81415 http://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ http://nabci-us.org/resources/bird-conservation-regions-map/ http://www.bsc-eoc.org/research/gislab/index.jsp?targetpg=bcr&lang=EN http://fws.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=632303c8dd8547e19b2b3198fac45078

1. Name:

2. Title:

3. Organization: Full, legal name of Applicant Organization

4. Applicant Organization Address: City, State, Zip+4

5. Project Officer Address: City, State, Zip+4

6. Telephone number:

7. Email address:

8. Additional contacts: Please list an additional contact’s name, phone number, and email.

9. DUNS Number:

How many more proposals are planned for the same proposal area?

Will any of the NAWCA funds requested as part of this proposal be received or spent by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service or another Federal agency? Yes/No If yes, which agency(ies) will receive these funds and what is the fund amount:

Agency_______________________ Amount______________ (add additional lines as necessary and include accounting code if possible)

Does this proposal include acquisition activities that will add to the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)? Yes/No If yes, please indicate which NWRS program the acquisition(s) will be added to: National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and which one(s), Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) and which one(s), or Small Wetland Acquisition Program (SWAP).

Are carbon sequestration credits involved in your proposal? Yes/No If yes, please highlight and provide details in the appropriate financial plan narrative/work plan section.

Include information about whether the credits will generate program income (Described in Grant Administration Standards).

Will any portion of any tract or activities associated with any tract be used to satisfy wetland or habitat mitigation requirements under Clean Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Water Resources Development Act, ecological service credits or other related statutes now or in the future? Yes/No If yes, please highlight and provide details in the appropriate financial plan narrative/work plan section.

Have you confirmed that all partners, key personnel, and contractors are eligible to participate in Federal grants? Yes/No

To ensure that the proposal complies with available guidelines and that partners are aware of their responsibilities, the Project Officer certifies to the following statement: I have read the 2018 Small Grant proposal instructions, eligibility information, and applicable U.S. grant administration policies and informed partners or partners have read the material themselves. To the best of my knowledge, this proposal is eligible and complies with all NAWCA, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, and Federal grant guidelines and the information submitted herein is true and correct. The work in this proposal consists of allowable and eligible work and costs associated with long-term wetlands and migratory bird habitat conservation. (No signature requirement)

Audit reports. If the applicant organization expended more than $750,000 of federal funds during the last calendar year, please include a copy of your most recent of SF-FAC that was submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. If your organization did not expend more than $750,000 of federal funds last year, please certify that the Single Audit (formerly A-133) was not required.

Required Overlap/Duplication Statement: Applicants must provide a statement that addresses if there is any overlap between the proposed project and any other active 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 the 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.

Do you have any comments about, or suggestions for, the NAWCA program? You may provide comments with this proposal, or send them at any time by email to: nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov.

II. PROPOSAL SUMMARY (limit to 1 page)

The proposal summary is the only narrative material provided to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, so it must be descriptive and succinct. We recommend that you write the summary after you have written the rest of the proposal, as this will help to ensure that information in the Summary is the same as in the rest of the proposal. The Proposal Summary must follow the format provided in the blank proposal outline exactly, including margins, spacing, font size, etc.

A. General Requirements

1. The Proposal Summary will be used as a stand-alone document and will be subject to editing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

2. The Proposal Summary must not exceed one page.

3. Margins should be 1 inch.

4. Font typeface: Times New Roman, Size 11.

5. All Proposal Summary totals and Financial Plan totals must agree. Dollar and acreage amounts must be consistent throughout the proposal.

6. The Proposal Summary must follow the format provided in the Proposal Outline exactly.

7. The information in the Proposal Summary must exactly match the information provided elsewhere in the proposal.

B. Specific Requirements

1. Include the project title and state with initial capital letters. If the proposal is a phase of an earlier funded proposal, use the title of the earlier proposal with an appropriate Roman numeral denoting the phase number.

2. Using the prescribed format in the Proposal Outline, provide the requested information for each category. However, do not include categories if no information for that category exists. For instance, if there is no restoration work being done, do not include a “Restored” line in the “ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES” section.

3. COUNTY(IES), STATE(S), CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT(S): Provide a list, in alphabetical order, of the county(ies), state(s), and Congressional District(s) that the project tract(s) are included in; if tract(s) are unknown, then list all of the project area.

4. Enter the total grant amount on the right side of the page, right justified, on the same line as the header “GRANT AMOUNT.” Enter the name of the organization(s) that will be allocated grant funds after the “Allocation:,” header (normally, this will be the Grantee organization, which administers the funding as planned in the proposal; however, in certain circumstances, other organizations may be receiving grant funds directly). Enter the allocation amount after the organization(s) name. Enter the total for MATCHING PARTNERS, and the total for ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES each on the same line as their respective headers, in alignment with the total grant amount.

5. MATCHING PARTNERS: Enter the grantee organization and contribution (if applicable) immediately underneath the category header. List the matching partners and their contributions under the grantee. Provide the full partner name; do not abbreviate. List the individual match contributions in tabular format.

6. GRANT AND MATCH – ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES: Insert the total costs and acreage associated with the grant and match funds to the right on the same line as the header (right justified).

Under the header, list one or more appropriate activities, costs, and acreages from the following activity categories: Fee Acquired; Fee Donated; Easement(s) Acquired; Easement(s) Donated;

Lease(s) Acquired; Lease(s) Donated; Restored; Enhanced; Wetland Established; Other; Indirect Costs. List the activities in that order, but do not list categories in which no activity will take place. After each category listed, indicate the amount being expended in tabular format, then type a slash (/) and the total acreage involved. If building envelope acres are involved with any activities, ensure that these acres are not included in the acreage totals for the proposal.

• Include only those activities, costs, and acres associated with grant or match funds. See the instructions for the Financial Plan Table for contributions from non-match funds.

• If acquired acreage also will be restored or enhanced in the current proposal, place parentheses around the restored or enhanced acreage to show that they have already been accounted for under the acquired category.

In the following simplified example, 100 new acres are to be acquired in Fee Title using grant and/or match funds.

• 80 new acres are to be restored using grant and/or match funds; 20 of the 100 acres acquired in fee in this project are also restored – (20); an additional 30 acres acquired in a previous NAWCA project will also be restored – (30).

• 50 new acres are to be enhanced using grant and/or match funds; 30 of the 100 acres acquired in fee are also enhanced – (30); an additional 40 acres acquired in a previous phase will also be enhanced – (40).

GRANT AND MATCH – ACTIVITIES, COSTS, AND ACRES $150,000/230 (120) acres Fee Acquired $75,000/100 acres Restored $34,000/80 (50) acres Enhanced $40,000/50 (70) acres Other $1,000

7. Only include acre values for the following activities: Acquired, Donated, Restored, Enhanced, or

Wetland Established.

8. NON-MATCHING PARTNERS: List all non-matching partners and contributions in the same format as for matching partners. Just list contributions, do not include acres or activities.

9. BRIEF SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Describe the proposed project’s longer term goals and short term (during the two-year project period) objectives; why the work is proposed; who will be doing what activities; where they will be doing the activities (for example, on a Refuge, on private land, near a conservation area); how they will accomplish the work (e.g., building dikes, installing water-control structures); and what, if any, Joint Venture is involved or benefiting.

III. PROPOSAL FINANCIAL PLAN TABLE (1 – 3 pages)

See Appendix C for a Financial Plan Table Example. See the Proposal Outline for Word format template or download an Excel version here: https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small.

Note: Remember that grant funds can only be used to fund activities that occur AFTER the grant proposal is received (pre-agreement period) and/or during the two year grant period. Activities completed prior to receipt of the proposal are ineligible for grant funding.

Note: Landowner and tract names must be consistent throughout the proposal.

A. General Requirements The proposal should contain a detailed budget table showing total project costs in the following format:

• Identify each tract using a consistent method on all maps and throughout the proposal. Show all costs covered by the grant, each matching partner, and each non-matching partner for all grant/match tracts.

Non-match should not be listed in the table unless it has been pooled with grant/match dollars to accomplish specific grant/match acres. Tracts and activities that are entirely non-match should not be included in the table.

• For all grant expenditures, list the partner that will be spending grant funds.

• Proposals that keep grant administration, overhead, and indirect costs (activities not directly associated with acquisition, restoration, enhancement, or establishment) below 20% of the grant request are more competitive. If your organization has an officially negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) with a US Federal agency, you may use your negotiated rate even when it exceeds 20%. However, having a cost that is lower than the negotiated rate may make your proposal more competitive.

• Financial plan categories must be line items that specifically describe project costs.

• Do not include categories that do not apply to your immediate, 1- or 2-year project.

• Explain any abbreviations in the Financial Plan Table.

• You may show grant and grantee/sub-grantee contribution on one line for the same tract, but do not combine different partner contributions on the same line. For example, if there are 5 separate partners contributing to fee acquisition for a particular tract, then there should be 5 separate partner entries for that tract. Add lines to the table as needed.

• Separate match funds into “Old” (spent prior to proposal submission but not more than 2 years old) and “New” (to occur after proposal is submitted or during the Grant Agreement period).

Show each private landowner by name, contribution amount, and tract if they are contributing to grant/match acres.

• Below the Financial Plan Table in the Partner Information section, list each sub-grantee who will receive, because of this proposal, any of the following:

o Federal grant funds or “new” matching funds, o Property (e.g., land structures, dikes, levees, earthen dams, equipment, supplies) that will be purchased with Federal grant or matching funds or o Property committed as “new” match.

• Contractors or vendors who will be paid for goods, construction, planting or services purchased for the proposal and individuals are NOT considered sub-grantees.

• Please check the figures listed to ensure they correspond with the budget numbers listed elsewhere in the proposal (in the Project Summary, Financial Plan Table, Partner letters and SF 424(s)). The amounts throughout the proposal must agree!

• You may use a landscape, versus portrait, orientation for the Financial Plan Table page(s) if needed.

B. Financial Plan Table Template https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php%23us-small https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php%23us-small

• Use the financial plan template provided in the Proposal Outline, page 4. Modify the number of partner and activity rows as needed. Delete activity rows that do not apply to the proposal.

• Alternatively, you may download and use an Excel version of this table here: https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php#us-small. Export the Excel version to a PDF and insert it into the Proposal Outline after the Proposal Summary page.

IV. WORK PLAN and TIMETABLE (limit to 1-2 pages)

A. Project Description and Scope of Work

Provide short summaries containing all of the following project information:

1. Project need:

2. Purpose, goals, and objectives:

First describe the immediate, one- or two-year project. Include the overall purpose, the number of affected acres of wetlands and wetland-associated uplands with a brief description of how they will be affected, and any other information necessary to convey an understanding of what the project involves and what it will accomplish. Then, if your project is part of a broader effort, explain how this specific project fits into the bigger picture.

3. Identify, by tract, work to be done and by whom:

4. Holder of NAWCA conservation interest(s) by tract (fee title, easement, lease, etc.):

Answer the above question and state whether your proposal will use grant funds to acquire property and who will hold title. If the title to the property is not being transferred/donated to the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), then confirm that the property in question does not lie within the boundary of a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Waterfowl Production Area (WPA), or Small Wetland Acquisition Program (SWAP). If you are uncertain, you can contact the realty officer at your nearest Refuge. To find information about the Wildlife Refuges in your area, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/bystate.cfm. You can also download GIS shapefiles of the NWRS acquisition boundaries by region at: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/fws-approved-acquisition-boundaries98e0c.

5. Identify, by tract, the grantor/seller of conservation interests:

6. For acquisition projects (including e.g., fee title, easement, contracts, leases), please address if mineral and water rights are severed or included. If severed, please explain:

7. For restoration/enhancement projects, please address if mineral and water rights are severed or include. If severed, please explain:

8. For acquired properties, please identify any existing leases and describe any allowed/prohibited activities resulting from these leases?

9. Please list project equipment required to complete project activities and identify if they will be purchased or leased:

10. Expected results and how they will be monitored through the full duration of the benefit period:

B. Timetable Complete the following timetable that highlights the accomplishment of major activities. The timetable should:

• Identify matching activities that were completed before the grant proposal was received (this is called old match and cannot be older than two years before 1 January of the year of proposal submission);

• Identify match and project activities to be completed either during the project period (1 or 2 years) or during the pre-agreement period, which begins the day after the proposal is received by USFWS and ends when the grant agreement is signed; and https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php%23us-small https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php%23us-small https://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/bystate.cfm https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/fws-approved-acquisition-boundaries98e0c https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/fws-approved-acquisition-boundaries98e0c

• Provide completion dates for old match activities and estimated completion dates for new match/grant activities.

• Add or delete activity rows as necessary.

Funding Type Completion Date Pre-Grant Period Activities

Project Period Activities

V. SMALL GRANTS EVALUATION QUESTIONS (3 pages maximum)

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act specifies criteria to be used to evaluate proposals. The criteria are captured in the following eight Small Grants Evaluation Questions.

Question A – How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of waterfowl habitat?

Question B – How does the proposal relate to the national status and trends of wetland types?

Question C – How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of other wetland-associated migratory birds?

Question D – How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of habitat for wetland-associated federally listed or proposed endangered species; wetland associated state-listed species; and other wetland-associated fish and wildlife that are specifically involved with the proposal?

Question E – How does the proposal satisfy the partnership purpose of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act?

Question F – How does the proposal contribute to climate change initiatives and long-term conservation of wetlands and associated habitats?

Question G – To what degree does the proposal allow public access?

Question H – Are there any considerations not previously mentioned in other Evaluation Questions that should be factored into the evaluation of the proposal?

Answer the questions as follows:

1. Answer each question separately. The questions and tables are available in the Word Proposal

Outline. Tables are also available in Excel workbook format. Insert any tables completed in Excel into the Word Proposal Outline in the appropriate places.

2. Answers should cover benefits derived from completed grant – and match – funded work in the proposal that occurred within the past two years and will occur during the two-year Assistance Award period.

3. Be as qualitative and quantitative as possible.

4. Do NOT include benefits to a larger area, such as previous or future phases of the current proposal area.

5. Include all habitat types (not just wetlands).

6. Make sure acreage figures are consistent with those given elsewhere in the proposal.

7. Include only benefits from actions covered by the proposal. For example, if the proposal includes acquisition of sites that need restoration, but restoration is not part of the proposal, do not include restored habitat values in answers to the questions. Note that unless restoration is also included in the proposal, proposals for acquisition of degraded wetlands will be evaluated on the basis of the degraded condition and subsequent resource benefits.

8. Reviewers assign points based on information in the proposal. In addition, reviewers evaluate the questions and the proposal in relation to the group of proposals under review.

http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title16/chapter64&edition=prelim

SCORING TABLE

Small Grants Evaluation Questions Maximum Points

Waterfowl / Wetlands A. Waterfowl 3 B. Wetland Types 2

Subtotal 5 Nongame Species C. Nongame and Other Wetland-Associated

Migratory Birds 3

D. Endangered Species and Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)

Subtotal 5 Other Considerations E. Partnerships 2 F. Climate Change and Long-Term Conservation 1 G. Public Access 1 H. Special Considerations 1

Subtotal 5 Grand Total 15

A. Waterfowl

• How will the completed project benefit waterfowl? Be sure to reference individual species whenever possible, especially the priority populations/species listed below.

Note: Focus on those species that the project is designed to substantially benefit. Consider the typical geographic range of the population or species; do not cite benefits for species that are casual or accidental in occurrence.

High Priority Populations/Species: Tule Greater White-fronted Goose, Dusky Canada Goose, Southern James Bay Canada Goose, Northern Pintail, Mottled Duck, American Black Duck, Mallard, Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup.

Other Priority Populations/Species: Pacific Greater White-fronted Goose, Wrangel Island Snow Goose, Atlantic Brant, Pacific Brant, Wood Duck, Redhead, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Common Eider, American Wigeon, Cackling Goose.

B. Wetland Types

• Complete the following “Status, Types, and Acres of Wetlands” table (see Appendix D for an example of this table)

• For more information about wetland functions, maps, the classification system/types/codes used below, and national and regional status and trends, visit the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) website: https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/. Contact regional Joint Venture Coordinators for state or regional information. Not all wetland types are listed below, but they are given in the Cowardin report on the NWI website.

• In Section A, list the match and grant acreage by activity for each wetland type or group of types.

• In Section B, list the acreage by type or group of types for each tract. Additionally, indicate the funding source for each tract (grant funds, new match funds, old match funds or a combination).

• DO NOT INCLUDE NON-ADD ACRES (NORMALLY INDICATED WITH PARENTHESES)

OR NON-MATCH ACRES IN THIS TABLE.

https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/

• If your proposal is funded, you will be required to submit annual reports that compare actual accomplishments with the acreage figures and habitat types you give here. Additionally, you will be asked for actual accomplishments of your proposal in this format as part of your final report. This data will be used to determine the success of your proposal.

ACTIVITY AND

TRACTS IN THE

PROPOSAL

STATUS, TYPES, AND ACRES OF WETLANDS

Note: Types subsidiary to types listed below have the same status.

UPLANDS TOTAL DECREASING STABLE INCREASING

NO

TREND

DATA

PEM PFO E2Veg E1 L R M2, PSS, PUB, E2US

PML,

PRB,

E2AB

SECTION A

Fee Easement Lease

ACQUIRED TOTAL

RESTORED

ENHANCED

ESTABLISHED

TYPE TOTALS

STATUS TOTALS

GRAND TOTALS

SECTION B

Tract (funding) Tract (funding) Tract (funding) E1 = Estuarine Subtidal, E2US = Estuarine Intertidal Unconsolidated Shore, E2AB = Estuarine Intertidal Aquatic Bed, E2Veg = Estuarine Intertidal Vegetated (E2EM, Intertidal Emergent Marsh, E2FO, Estuarine Forested, and E2SS, Estuarine Intertidal Scrub-Shrub), L = Lacustrine, M2 = Marine Intertidal, PEM = Palustrine Emergent, PFO = Palustrine Forested, PML = Palustrine Moss-Lichen, PRB = Palustrine Rock Bottom, PSS = Palustrine Scrub-Shrub, PUB = Palustrine Unconsolidated Bottom (PUB, Palustrine Unconsolidated Bottom, PAB, Palustrine Aquatic Bed, and PUS, Palustrine Unconsolidated Shore), R = Riverine. Upland category may include restored cropland.

C. Nongame and Other Wetland-Associated Migratory Birds

• How will the completed project benefit nongame migratory birds, particularly those listed in the tables in Appendix F? Focus on those species that will benefit most from the project.

Note: The bird conservation plans websites provide further information (with contact information for the plan coordinators):

• North American Waterfowl Management Plan

(NAWMP): https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-management-plans/north-american-waterfowl-management-plan.php

• US Shorebird Conservation Plan: https://www.shorebirdplan.org/

• North American Waterbird Conservation Plan: https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-management-plans/waterbird-conservation-for-the-americas.php

• Partners in Flight (songbirds): https://www.partnersinflight.org/

• Joint Venture Plans: https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-conservation-partnership-and-initiatives/migratory-bird-joint-ventures.php https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-management-plans/north-american-waterfowl-management-plan.php https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-management-plans/north-american-waterfowl-management-plan.php https://www.shorebirdplan.org/ https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-management-plans/waterbird-conservation-for-the-americas.php https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-management-plans/waterbird-conservation-for-the-americas.php https://www.partnersinflight.org/ https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-conservation-partnership-and-initiatives/migratory-bird-joint-ventures.php https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/bird-conservation-partnership-and-initiatives/migratory-bird-joint-ventures.php o Contact Ken_Kriese@fws.gov for national coordination, or contact individual Joint Venture Coordinators through the above link.

D. Endangered Species and Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)

• Will the completed project benefit any federally endangered, threatened, or candidate wildlife species?

Note: A current database of Federally-listed species can be found at: https://www.fws.gov/endangered/.

• Will the completed project benefit any wetland-dependent Species of Greatest Conservation Need

(SGCN) from the appropriate State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP)? Note: The SWAP for each State can be found here: https://www1.usgs.gov/csas/swap/state_list.html.

• Address only those project activities that will contribute directly to a recovery plan for a Federally-listed species or that will provide direct benefit to a Federally-listed species or SGCN.

• Indirect, minor, or unknown benefits related to such species which may use the project area should not be included.

E. Partnerships

• Does the project involve a new partner or partnership concept?

• Is this project proposed by a new applicant who has not previously received a NAWCA grant?

• How does this project encourage growing the number of waterfowl hunters, other conservationists and citizens who enjoy and actively support waterfowl, migratory birds, and wetlands conservation (e.g., new partners, funding support, local or other governmental support)?

• Who are the partners (list each one) and how are they contributing to the project (e.g., in-kind/cash match contribution, technical assistance)?

F. Climate Change and Long-Term Conservation

• Complete the “Acres by Longevity of Benefits” Table (see Appendix E for an example of this table)

• In Section A, list the match and grant acreage by activity for each tenure category.

• In Section B, list the acreage by tenure for each tract. Additionally, indicate the funding source for each tract (grant funds, new match funds, old match funds or a combination).

• Restoration and enhancement activities should not be listed under the perpetuity tenure category without exceptional and appropriate justification, relative to tenure of agreements.

The expectation of maintenance does not make a restoration perpetual.

• For both sections, only use those activity rows…