VT Eco Studies Notice of Funding Opportunity July 2017.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Scrvice Northeast Ilegion

Division of Migratory Birds

Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation Catalog o1-l"ederal Domestic Assislance (CI'-DA) Number: 15.655

Notice of Funding Opportunity

I. Descript ion of Funding Opportunity ' l 'his is an announccmcnl lbr issuing a singlc source l inancial assistancc award to thc Vcrmont f lcntcr lbr l lcostudies in Norwich. VT. l-his announccrncnl is for noli f ication purposes only.

'l'he intent o1'1his award is 1o support conscrvation and research activities lbr Bicknell's J'hrush.

' l 'his award is issues to provide l lnancial assistancc to l) conduct a thrcal analysis o1-kcy wintcring habitat blocks for Bicknell 's l-hrush in the Dorninican l{epublic and I lait i . and 2) contplctc a dcmographic population analysis through a conrprchcnsivc analysis o1'25 years o1-capture recapturc data collected at a long-tcrnr study sitc in Vcrnront. with thc goal o1-bctter understanding thc l'actors tlial limit population growlh.

'l'he Ll.S. Irish and Wildlil'r: Scrvicc. Northeast Region. intends 1o make a sole source award o1-a granl agrccrncr.rt 1o thc Vcrnronl Clcnlcr 1or Ircostudics (hercalicr VCill). Irunding lbr this projecl is provided under the Fish and Wildl i fe Act of I956. as amended, I6 t j .S.C. 742a-754. and the li islr and Wildl i l 'c Conscrvation Act. 16 tJ.S.Cl. 2901-291 l. VCIr wits sclcctcd 1o rcccivc this award bascd on a combinution ol ' thc lbl lowing criteria: l) this pro.iccl is zr coltt i l tuation o1-acl ivit ies lbr which VCllr has already bcen funded including collecting dcnrographic and survey data, conrplct ing the l lrst modcl ol-wintcr distr ibution. and implcnrcnt wintcr habitat protcctiott and restoration acl ivit ies on I l ispaniola. and2) VCll 's unique quali l ications lbr successful ly conrplct ing thc wclrk dcscribcd bclow with regard 1o I l ickncll 's l 'hrush rescarch and conscrvation aclivi l ies. VCE has prcviously bccn lunded to conduct ecological rcsearch on Bickncll 's Thrush.

including denrographic data col lcction. VCII has also bccn prcviously lunded to col lcct wintcr bird survey data and dcvclop a nrodcl o1-l l icknell 's ' l ' l i rush wilt tcrdislr ibution, as wcll as implement winter habitat protection and restoration activities on l-lispaniola.

'l-his project conlinucs thcsc various rcscarch and conscrvatior-r cl l i rrts lbr I l icknell 's ' l 'hrush. including in{brnring winter habitat conservalion work on Ilispaniola through a habitat threat analysis and derrographic population analysis to undcrstand population linriting factors. l'hc VCE stall'has bccn conducting rcsearch and conscrvation activities 1or this spccics for ntorc than 20 years, and i1 has an unparalleled record o1'experience successlully conducting research and monitoring on tl i is bird and in lcading the Inteniational Bickncll 's ' l 'hrusl i Conscrvation Group. thc working group that has fbrmed to the advance conservalion o1-this species. l'hey have demonstraled succcss conducting basic rcscarch on thc ccology o1-this spccies lbr 25 ycars" in managing thc Mounlain Birdwalch monitoring progrcm for l5 years, in completing the 2016 revision of the Conscrvation Action Plan 1br Bicknell's fhrush, and in working with a variely o1'partners to advancc wintcr habitat conscrvalion olt I l isnaniola.

I I . Award Information l'he tJ.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, intends to make a sole source award of a grant agreement to thc Vcrmonl Cenler for Ecostudies (VCE) in thc amount o1-$25,000 in IiY 2017. VCE is a non-profit cnvironmental science organization that has been funded to conduct research, monitoring, and conservation activities 1br Bicknell's 1-hrush and has unique expcricncc in working with this challcnging specics. which inhabits high elevation spruce-f ir forests of the northeastern U.S. and rnostly montane forests on Caribbean islands, especially IJispaniola. VCllt has thc proicct nranagcmcnt ski l ls, col laborativc partncrship cstablishcd, and tcchnical knowledgc to coordinate broad scale monitoring and conservation projects. l'he arit icipaled period o1'perlbrr lance lbrlhis project is I Septembcr2017 lo3l . luly 2018.

Specilic tasks to be completed include:

l. Clonduct a thrcal analysis o1-kcy wintcr habitat blocks for I l icknell 's Thrush in thc

Dominican Republic and I lait i . The threat analysis wil l consisl ol 'updating the current winlcrdistr ibul ion nrodcl to incorporatc ncw data on I l ickncll 's ' l 'hrush occurrcl lcc as wcll as l lncr-scalc, rcnrotcly sensecl cnvironmcntzrl covariates. ' fhe refincd nrodel of I l ickncll 's ' l 'hrush winter distr ibution wil l be used to idcnti ly kcy habitat blocks lbr I l ickncll 's1'hrush and wil l be paircd with esl iniatcs of lbrest loss within eacli habitat block. al lowing identi l lcation o1-lands that l ikcly support large numbcrs of wintering individuals and that arc at ongoing risk ol 'dcl i trcstation.

2. f 'ondr.rct a comprehensivc analysis o1-25 years o1'capturc-recapture data col lected at a Iong-tcrnt study sitc in Vcrmonl, with the goal o1'bcttcr undcrstanding thc population status and dcntograpliy Bickncll 's ' fhrush.' l-his analysis wil l tcst a serics o1-l.rypothescs aboul the laclors that l irnit survival and recruitmcnt o1-Bickncll 's ' l 'hrush. including cllccts o1-ncst prcdation. conrpctit ion with Swainson's' l 'hrr,rsh. and clrought and dclbrcstation on thc wintcring grounds.

Thc anticipalcd outconrcs l iom lunding this work wil l be an itnproved predict ive ntodel of wintcring distr ibution lbr Bicknell 's ' l 'hrush, idcnti l lcation o1-kcy winter habitat blocks l ikely to support largc rrurnbcrs uf wintcring incl ividuals and arc at ongoing risk o1-dcl i lrcslatiotr. and incrcased underslanding of the I'actors thal limit population growth in the species. which will improvc thc scicnti l lc basis lbr dcsigning and implcmcnting on-the-ground conscrvation actions.

III . l lasic Eligibi l i ty l tcquircments Eligiblc Applicants:

All potential applicants are eligible.

Federal law mandates that all entities applying for Federal f-inancial assistance must have a valid I)un & Bradstrcct I)a1a lJnivcrsal Number Systcm (DUNS) truttrber and have a currct'tt registration in the Syslenr for Award Management (SAM). Sce l-itle 2 of the Code o1'Federal Regulations (CIIR), ParI251br more inlbrmation. Excmptions:

'fhe SAM rcgistration rcquirentenl does nol apply to individuals submitt ing an application on their own behalf and not on behalf of a company or other lbr-profil entity, state. local or'l'ribal government, academia or othcr type o l ' organizat ion.

A. Dl-JNS Registration Request a Dt,lNS number at http://l-cdsov.dnb.com/wcblbrm. For lechnical difficulties, contact Dun & Bradstreet by email at: govt@dnb.com, or by calling the Government Cuslomcr Resource Centcr at voice phone: 866-705-571 I or l ' l 'Y l ine : 877-807-1679 (hearing impaired customcrs only). Once assigned a DIINS number. cntities are responsible Ibr maintaining up-to-date inlbnnation with Dun & Bradstreet.

Entity Registration in SAM Itcgister in SAM at wlyJ/.SqllLgev. Once regislercd in SAM, enlitics nrusl rencw and rcvalidate their SAM registration a1 least every l2 months from the date prcviously registered. Ijntitics are strongly urged to revalidate their registralion as olien as necded to cnsurc that thcir information is up 1o datc and in synch witli changes that may have bcen made to DLINS and IRS inlbrmation. I"oreign entities who wish to be paid directly to a l lnited Statcs bank account ntust cntcr and nraintain val id and currcnt banking inlbrmaliclrt in

SAM.

Note:

' l 'hc off icial t l .S. governnrent wcbsite address for SAM is www.sam.gov. Thcre is NO COSI-to registcr in or acccss SAM.gov. l-licre are third-party vendors who charge a l-ee in cxchangc lbr rcgistcring cntit ics in SAM; plcase be awarc thal you catt rcgister to do business with the LJ.S. govcrnment FOR FRll l l directly in SAM at www.sam.gov.

f lxcludcd Entit ics Applicant cnti t ics or thcir kcy projcct pcrsonncl idcntif rccl in thc SAM.gov l lxclusions databasc as incl igiblc. prohibitcd/rcstr ictcd or excludcd l iom rccciving Federal contracts, ccrtain subcontracts. and ccflain Ircdcral assistancc and bencllts will not bc considered lbr Ircdcral liutding, as applicablc 1o thc llnding bcing rcqucstcd unclcr this Fcdcral program.

The Service conducts a review of the SAM.gov Bxclusions database 1br al l applicant entit ies and thcir kcy projcct pcrsonncl prior 1o award.

Cost Shar ing or Matching:

Cost-sharing is not a rcquircrtrcnl but priori ty is givcn to proiccts lhat lcvcragc tcchnical and llnancial assistance through voluntary partnerships.

IV. Application I lcquiremcnts ' l 'o bc considercd lbr lunding undcr this lunding opportunity, an application ntust contain:

A. A completed. signed and dated Applicalion Ibr Federal Assistance lbrn.r. An application is availablc at the lirllowing websitc: lrttp:/1-wwrrygrartlgqyAyctt4q4lts/forrns/sl-4Z4rldjvidual lqmilllIld#sqrlby:I. Do not include other Federal sources of funding, requested or approved, in the total cnlcred in thc "Federal" funding box on 1hc Application 1br Fcderal Assistance form. Ilnter only the arnount being requested undcr this program in the "Federal" lunding box. Include any other Fcderal sources o1 lunding in the total lunding entered in the "Other" box.

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Project Summary Briefly summarize the project. in one page or less. Includc the title of thc project. geographic location, and a brief overview of the need for the project. Goal(s), objectives. specific project activities, anticipatcd outputs and outcomes can also be included in this scctiort.

Project Narrativc

1. Statement of Nccd: Describe why this projcct is necessary (signilicance/value) and include support ing inlbrr"nation. Sunrmarize prcvious or on-going cl lorts (of you/your organization. and other organizations or individuals) that are rclevant to the proposed work. lJxplain thc succcsscs or I'ailures o1'past cllbrts and how your proposed project builds on thcrn.

Projcct Goals and Objcctivcs: Statc thc long-lcrr l , ovcrarching goal(s) o1'thc program/pro.ject. Stale the ob.lectives of the pro.lect. Obiectives are thc spccilic outcomes to be accontplishcd in order 1o rcach thc statcd goal(s). 'l-hc pro.lcct ob.lcclivcs must bc specific, mcasurable. and rcalistic (attainable within thc pro.iect's proposcd project pcriod).

Project Activities, Mcthods and Timctable: List the proposed pro.jccl activities and dcscribc how thcy rclatc to thc statccl objccl ivcs. Activit ics arc thc spccil ic actions to be rundertaken to lul l l l l the pro.ject ob.jcctivcs ancl reach the pro.ject goal(s). ' l -he proposed pro-iect activit ics narrative nrust be clctai led entlugh lbr reviewers to nrakc a clcar connection betwcerr thc activit ies and thc proposed pro.iect costs. For pro.iects bcing conductcd within the United States, the narrative must provide errough detail so lhat rcvicwcrs arc ablc to clctcrminc pro.icct conipl iancc with thc National I lnvironntental Policy Act, Seclion 7 of the I lndangcred Species Act, and Section 106 of thcNational II istoric Preservation Act. For projccts being couductcd on thc high scas. thc narrativc should providc cnough dctai l so that rcvicwcrs are ablc tcl dctcrtninc- projcct compliance with Section 7 o1' l lndangered Spccics Act. l)rovide a dcscript ion o1'the mcthod(s) 1o be uscd to carry out cach activity. Providc a l inrctable indicating roughly when itct ivit ies or project mileslones are to bc accomplished.

Stakeholdcr Coordination/Involvement: As applicablc. describe l iow you/your organization has coordinatcd wilh and involved other rclevant organizations or individuals in planning thc pro.iect. and detai l i I7how they wil l bc involvcd in conducting project activities. disseminating project results and/or incorporating your results/products into thcir activit ics.

Descript ion of Entit ics Undcrtaking thc Projcct: Providc a bricl 'descript ion o1-the applicant organization and all parlicipating entilies and/or individuals. Identify which of the proposed activities each agency, organization, group, ol individual is responsible lbr conclucting or managing. Providc complete contact inforttrat ion for the individual within the organization that will oversee/manage the pro.iect activities on a day-lo-day basis.

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D. Budget Form Complete the Budgel Inlbrnration for Non-Construclion Programs (SF 424A) or Budgel Infbrmation for Construction Programs (SF 424C) fbrm. Use the SF 424A if your project does not includc construction and the SF 424C1 i1-the project includcs construction or land acquisition. l'he budget forms are available on the Internet at http://www.grants.eov/wcb/qranls/1brms/s1:424-1amily.h1ml#sortb)':1 . When developing your budget, kcep in mind that financial assistance awards and subawards are subiect to the F-ederal cost principles in'l'itle 2 of the Code of Federal Itegulations Paft 200, as applicable to the rccipicnt organization typc. Links to the lull text ol'thc Fcdcral cost principlcs are available on the Internet at http://www.ecfr.gov/.

Note on Mult iplc Fedcral Funding Sourccs: If thc projcct budgct includes mult iplc Fcdcral lunding sources. you must show the lunds bcing rcquested from this l' 'edcral program on the budgct [-orm scpurulallt I'rorn any othcr rccluestecl/securcd Fcderal sourccs of funding. Ilnter the funds being rcquested liom this Federal program in the first row of the Budget Summary scclion ol '1hc lbrnt. and thcrr cntcr lunding rclatcd to othcr Fcdcral programs in the subscqucnt row(s). Be surc to cntcr each Federal prclgram's CFDA number in the corrcsponding lields on thc lirrrn.

'l 'he CIrl)A numbcr 1br this l]cderal program appears on

1he l lrst pagc o1-this funcling opportunity.

l ludgct Justif ication In a scparatc narrativc t i t lcd "I ludgct Justi l icAtion". cxplain and justi ly al l requcslcd budget ilcms/costs. I)etail how thc Slr 424 tsudgcl Ob.iect Cllass Catcgory totals were deternrincd and demonslratc a clear conneclion between costs and thc proposcd projcct activitics. Iror pcrsonncl salary cosls. inclLrdc thc base-line salary figures and thc cstimates ol'tirne (as pcrccnlagcs) to bc clircclly cliargccl to thc prolcct. l)cscribc any itcrr that undcr thc applicable l . 'ederal cost principles recluires the Service's approval and cstimate i ts cost.

l1'Federal ly-lunded equipnrcnt wil l be used for the pro.jcct. provide a l ist of that eqr-r iprnent, including the Fcderal lunding sourcc.

Required Indirect Cost Statement: Recipients that do not have an approved indirect cost rate cannot charge indirecl costs to t l ieir l tcdcral award. All applicants cxccpt incl ividuals applying Ibr funds separalc liorn a business or non-prolit organization he/she may operate ntusl incluclc in thc budgct. jLrst i l ication narrative onc ol-1hc lol lowing statcntents and attacl-t 1o thcir application any requirecl documenlal ion identif ied in the applicable statentcnt:

"Wc arc:

l . A I l .S. state or local govcrnment entity rcceiving morc than $35 mil l ion in direct Federal funding each year with an indirecl cost rale o1'[insert rale]. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agL-ncy. A copy o1'our ntosl reccntly approved rate agreement/certification is attached.

2. A U.S. state or local governrnent cnl i ty receiving less than $35 mil l ion in direct I'iedcral lunding with an indirect cost rate of finserl rate]. We arc requircd to prcpare and retain fbr audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documenlation to support thosc costs.

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J . A finsert your organrzatton type, U.S. statcs and local governments. please use one of the statcments above or below] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is finsert ratc]. flnscrt cither: "A copy o1'ourmost reccntly approved but expircd rate agreement is altached. In thc event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calcndar days after the award is nrade ." or "A copy of our current, approved rale agreemcnt(s) is attached."]

A [inscrt your organization type] that has never subrnitted an indirect cost rate proposal 1o our cognizant agcncy. Our indircct cost ratc is linscrt rate]. In the event an award is madc. wc wil l submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days afler the award is made.

A Iinsert your organization typcl that has never submittcd an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agcncy and has an indircct cost ratc that is lowcr than l0%.

Our indirect cost rate is Iinsert rale; must be lower than l0%1. However, in the event an award is rnade, we wil l not be ablc to mect thc rcquirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agcncy within 90 calendar days aftcr award. We rcqucst as a condit ion ol 'award to chargc a l lat indircct cost ralc o1'I inscrt ratc; musl be lowcr than 1 0%,1 o1- | inscrt a clcar dcscript ion o I ' thc d ire ct cosl basc against wli ich your rale is chargcd (e .g.. salaries; salaries and l i inge bcncli ts; or modil led total direct costs). l lowcvcr. plcasc notc that your organizatiorr cann()t chargc indircct costs in excess ol-the indirect costs that would be recovered i1'applied against modil led total direct ccrsts as dcfincd in 2 ClrR 220.68J. Wc undcrstand lhat wc r.t tust noti ly the Scrvicc in writ ing inrnrccl iatcly i f wc cstablish an approvccl ratc wilh or-rr cognizant agency a1 any point cluring 1hc award period.

A I inscrt yol lr organization lypc] that has ncvcr subn-ri t tccl an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizanl agcncy and has an irrdirccl cost rale that is 10oA or highe r.

Our incl irect cost ratc is [ inscrt your organization's indirect ralc; must bc l0% or highe rl . I lowcvcr. in the event an award is madc. we wil l no1 bc able to ntcct thc rcquirement to submil an indirecl cosl rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calcndar days al ier award. We request as a condit ion of award to chargc al1at dc mininti.: indirect cosl rate o1- 10oA o1-niodified total dircct costs as dcfincd in 2 CFR

200.68. Wc undcrstand that wc nrust notify thc Scrvicc in writ ing imnicdialcly i l 'wc do cstablish an approvccl ratc with our cognizlnt agency at any point dLrring the award period. We understand thal additional I'ederal funds nray not be availablc to support an unexpectecl increasc in indircct costs during thc pro.lcct period and such clianges are sub.icct to review, negoliation. and prior approval by the Service.

A [insert your organization typc] that is submitting this proposal Ibr consideration undcr 1he [inscrl cithcr "Cooperalivc lrish and Wildlil-c Rcscarch lJnit Program" or "Cooperativc Ecosystem Studics Unit Netrvork"l, which has a Department o1'the Inlerior-approved indirect cost ratc cap o1- [insert progran] ratel. II-we have an approved indirect cost ratc with our cognizant agency. wc understand that we ntust apply this reduced rate againsl the same direct cost basc as identiljcd in our approved indircct cost rate agrcemcnt. 11'we do not havc an approvcd indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that the basis fbr direct costs will be the modified tolal dirccl cost basc dcfincd in 2 CFR 200.68 "Modillcd ]-olal Dircct Cost (M]'DC)".

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We understand that we must request prior approval frorn the Service to use the MI'DC basc instead o1-the base identified in our approvcd indircct cost rate agreement. and that Service approval of such a request will be based on: l) a dctcrmination that our approvcd base is only a subset o1-1hc MTDC (such as salaries and wages), and2) that use of the MTDC base will still result in a reduction of the total indirect costs to be chargcd to thc award. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.405, we undcrstand that indirect costs not rccovcred duc to a voluntary reduction to our federally negotiated rate are not allowable fbr recovery via any other means.

8. A f insert your organizatiorr type] that wil l charge al l costs directly.

All applicanls are hereby nolified o1'the lbllowing:

o I{ccipicnts withoul an approvcd indirect cost rale arc prohibited liom charging indircct costs to a lredcral award. Acccpting allaltlc minimi.s' rate as a condition of award is an approved rate.

o lrailurc to cslablish an approvcd rate during the award pcriod renders all costs othcrwisc al locablc as indirccl costs urtal lowable undcr 1he award.

. Recipicnts nray no1 clrargc to thcir Servicc award ar,y indircct costs calculated against thc portion o1'1otal dircct pro.iect cosls paid by any other Fcdcral lunding source or non-licdcral partncr.

. Rccipicnts r-nust havc prior writtcn approval frorn thc Scrvicc to transler unallowable indirect costs 1o amounts budgcted 1br direct costs or 1o satisly cost-sharing or matching rccluircmcnts undcr thc award.

. Rccipicnts arc prohibitcd l lorn shi l i ing unallowablc indirccl costs to anothcr lrcderal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

Applicants who are individuals applying fbr firnds separatc fiom a business or non-profit organization hcishc may operatc arc not el igiblc 1o charge indircct costs 1o their award. l f you arc an individual applying fbr funding. c1o not includc any indircct costs in your proposcd budget.

For more inlbrmation on indirect cost rates, see the Service's Indirect Costs and Negotiated Indircct Cost l late Agrecmcnts guidancc documcnl on the Intcrnct a1 l_ttlf/www. lryf go v/ g ra nts/atc=hlm I .

Ncgotiat ing an Indircct Cost lLatc with thc Dcpartment of thc Interior: Entit ies thal do not have a NICRA musl llrst have an open, active lrederal award bclbre they can submit an ir-rdirect cost ralc proposal to thcir cognizant agcncy.

'l-hc Iicclcral awarcling agcncy that provides the largcst amount o1'direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency, unlcss othcrwisc assigned by the White I louse Of l lcc o1'Managenrent and I ludget (OMB). If thc Departrnent of the Interior is yor.rr cognizant agcncy, your indirect cost rate wil l be ncgotiated by thc Intcrior Business Center (lBC). For more inlbrmation. contact the IBC at:

Indircct ( 'ost Scrviccs AcqLrisition Services Directorate, Interior Business Center Lj.S. Dcpartmcnt o1'thc lntcrior

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650 Capitol Mall, Suite 7-400 Sacramcnto. CA 95814 Phone :916 -930-3803 Emai I : Through https ://www. doi. gov/ibc/contaclus/i bcl-eedback wcb lbrm Internet address: https://www.doi.sov/ibc/services/finance/indirect-qal1:lglylqqs

Singlc Audit Rcport ing Statements: As required in I ' i t lc 2 of the Code of lrederal

&qgUl4lfanq I'q42QQ,!Ubpa4l, all U.S. slates, local governments. 1'ederally-recognized Indian lr ibal gcrvcrnrncnls, and non-profi t organizations expending $750,000 LISD or nrore in Federal award funds in a fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report lbr that year through the Fcdcral Audit Clcaringhouse 's Intcmct Data l lntry System. All l-1.S. slate, local governmenl, fedcrally-recognizcd Indian tribal govcrnmcnt and non-profit applicants must provide a statement regarding i1'your organizalion was/was nol required to subrnit a Single Aucli t rcport for thc organization's most reccr.rt ly closcd l iscal ycar and. i1'so, state i1-that rcport is available on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse Single Audit Database website (h11p,s111_iaf_v_9;_!c,1,c,c1.1.s11pg12v/lacwcb/) and providc thc IrlN undcr which 1ha1 rcport was subrnitted. Includc thcsc statcmcnts al thc cnd of thc Proicct Narrativc in a section t i t led "Single Audit I leport ing Statcmcnts".

Assurances: Include thc appropriate signed and dated Assurances lbrrn available at lr11llAyryrry,grqCILrggvwqb&Iqlr1Mb@l#rqlby:1. U sc th c A s s u ra n ccs for Construction Programs (SF 424D) for conslruclion ancl land acqLrisition projccts. [Jse thc Assuranccs lor Non-Construction I 'rograms (SF 4241]) 1br al l othcr projccts.

- l 'hc lbrm includcs a statcrncnt that sonre o1'1hc assurances nray not bc applicablc to your organization and/or youl'pl'o.jc-ct or progran-r. Signing this lbrnt docs not makc you or your organization sub-icct to laws that arc othcrwisc not applicablc to you or yoLtr organization.

Changing, crossing out. or making notalions on thc lbrm beibre signing has no irnpact on the appl icabi l i ty o1 ' law.

Certi f ication and Disclosurc of Lobbying Activit ics: lJndcr-l- i t lc 3l ol ' thc LJnited States Codc .Scc t i on 13 -52 .anapp l i can to r rec ip ien tn rus tnn luscany l - cde ra l l yapp rop r ia t cd lunds (both annLrally appropriatcd and continuing appropriations) or malchittg lunds under a grant or cooperative agrccnrcnt award to pay any person 1br lobbyiltg iu cottncclion with thc award. l-obbying is dellned as influencing or attcmpting to influence an ofllccr or employee o1'any agcncy. a Mcrnbcr ol 'C)ongrcss, an ol l lce r or cmployec o1- Congre ss, or an employee o1-a Member o1-Congrcss connection with the award. Subrnission 01'an application also represenls the applicant's certilication o1 thc statemetrts in 43 CFR Part 18. Appendix A- Clcrtilrcation Rcgardinri l.obbyinq. I1'you/yor.rr organization havc/hets ntadc or agrecs to make any paymenl using non-appropriated lunds for lobbying in connection with this prcrposal AND thc lrederal share exceeds $100,000. cornplete and subrtr i t 1hc SF LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities fornt available at http://www.qranls.gov/web/grants/1brms/post-award-reportinLl-fbrms.htrnl#sortby:1. See 43

CFR, Subparl 18.100 1br rnore inforrnation on when addit ional submission of this form is required.

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Conflict of Interest l)isclosurcs: Applicants must notify the Service in writing of any actual or polcntial conllicts of interesl that are known at the time of application or that may arise during the life of this award. in the event an award is made. Conflicts of inlerest include any relationship or matlcr which rnight place the recipient, thc recipicnt's cntployees, or the recipienl's subrecipients in a position of conflict, real or apparent, betwccn their responsibililies undcr the award and any other outside intercsts. Conl1ic1s of interest may also include. but are not l imitcd 1o, direct or indirect l lnancial interests, closc pcrsonal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizalions. consideration of luture employment arrangcmcnts with a dill'crcnl organization, or decisicrn-rnakitrg alfecting the award that woulcl cause a rcasonable pcrson with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the inrparl ial i ty o1'thc applicant. the applicant's cmployccs. or thc applicant's luturc subrccipients in the ntattcr. LJpon receipt of such a notice , the Service Project Off icer in consultation with their Bthics Counselor will determine i1-a conllict of interest exists and, i1-so, i1-thcrc arc any possiblc actions to bc taken by thc applicant to reducc or rcsolve the conllict. Failure to resolvc conflicts of intercst in a manner that satisfies the Service may rcsull in thc projcct no1 bcing sclcct 1br lunding.

Itcquircrl Ovcrlap/Duplication Statcment: Applicants ntust provide a statement tliat addrcsscs i l ' thcrc is any ovcrlap bctween the proposed prr. iect and any othcr active or anticipatcd projccls in lerms o1-activit ies, costs, or l irnc contmit lnent o1'key personnel. I1'any ovcrlap cxisls. applicants must providc a dcscript ion ol ' thc ovcrlap in their applicati t in.

Applicanls musl also slate i l ' thc proposal submittcd lbr consideral ion under this program is/ is not in any way duplicativc ol 'any proposal that was/wil l bc subntit tcd lbr l i rnding considcration to arry othcr potcntial lunding sourcc (Fcclcral or non-Iredcral). I1-such a circuntslancc exists, applicants mr-rst detai l whcn the othcr duplical ivc proposal(s) werc subrnittcd. to whom (cntity nar.nc and program). and whcn l irnding decisiolts arc cxpcctcd 1o be announced. If at any tinie a proposal is awarded lunds that would be duplicative of the luncling requcsted l iont thc Scrvicc. applicants must noti ly thc Scrvice point ol-contact lbr this funding opportunity inrnrccl iatcly.

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Application Chccklist l ivi t lcncc of non-profi t status: I1'a non-prol i t organization, a copy of thcir Scction

501(cX3) or (4) slatus dctermination letter received liorn the Internal l{evenue Service.

SF 424, Application for Fedcral Assistancc: A complctc, signed and datcd Sl'- 424, SF

424-Mandalory, or SIr 424-lndividual form.

Project summary

I'roject narrative

Timctablc

Single Audit Rcport ing statcmcnt: I f a tJ.S. state, local governmenl. federal ly-recognizcd lndian tribal governmenl, or non-prol'tt organizalion, statentents regarding applicabil i ty o1-and cornpliance with Single Audit report ing rcquiremcnls.

SF 424 budget form: A complele SF 4244 or SF 424C Budget Infonnation lbrm.

Iludget justilication n n n tr n

! Federally-funded equipment list: If Federally-funded equipment will be used for the project, a list o1 that equipmcnl.

tr Indirect cost statement

! NICRA: When applicable, a copy of the organization's current Negoliatcd Indirect Cost Rale Agrccrnenl.

tl SF 424 Assuranccs form: Signed and dated SF 4241t or SIi 424D Assuranccs 1brm.

tr SF LLL form: If applicablc. completed SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activit ies form.

n Conflict of Interest disclosure, when applicable.

n Overlap/Duplication statemcnt

Failure to providc complete inlbrmation may cause delays. poslponement, or rejection o1'the application.

V. Submission Instructions SLIIIMISSION DE,ADLINE: Augusl 25. 2017 .

Intcrgovcrnmcntal l tcvicw: l lclbrc subnii l t ing an applicatiorr, lJ.S. slatc and local govcrnmcnt applicants should visit thc lbllowing website (ht1p://www.whiteliouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/) to dcterntine whcthcr thcir application is subjecl to thc statc intcrgovcrnmct-ttal rcvicw proccss undcr Excculivc Ordcr ( lr.O.) l23T2 "lntcrgovcrnmental revicw o1-Fcderal Programs." E.O.

12372 was issucd 1o lbstcr thc inlcrgovcrnmcntal partncrship ancl strcngthclt lcdcral isrn by rclying on statc and local processes 1br thc coordination ancl rcvicw o1'proposed Federal f inancial assistance and direct liederal developrnent.

'l 'hc B.O. allows cach state 1o designatc an entity to pcrlbrm this lunction.

' l 'he ol l lcial l ist o1-dcsignatcd cntit ies is posted on thc wcbsite. Contact your stale's designatcd entily 1or more inlbrmalion on the process the slate requires to be lbl lowcd whcn applying Ibr assistancc. Statcs that do not havc a dcsignatcd cntity l isted on the wcbsite have choscn not to part icipate in the review process.

Download thc Application Packagc l inkccl to this lruncl ing Opportunity on (iranls.gov to begin the application process. Dowrloading and saving the Applicalion Package to your computcr makes the required governrnent-wiclc standard lbrnrs lillable and printablc. Contplctcd applications may be submitted by mail. by email, eleclronical ly through Grants.gov. or as otherwisc describcd in the Granls.gov lunding opportunity. Pleasc sclcct ONE o1-thc submission options:

To suhmit on application hy ntoil:

Number all pages o1-your printcd application. Mail one, single-sided, unbound copy (do not staplc or otherwisc permanently bind pagcs) o1-your complctc applicalion to the Scrvicc program point of contact identified in the Grants.gov funding opportunity.

The rcquired SF 424 Application 1or Fcdcral Assislance and Assurances ltrrms and any olher required standard lbrms MUST. bc signed by your organization's aulhorized ofllcial. The Signature and Dalc llclds on the slandard lornrs downloaded fi-ont (irants.gov arc prc-populaled with the text "Complcted by Grants.gov upon submission" or "Completed on submission to Grants.gov". Removc this text (nianr-rally or digitally) belbrc signing the forms.

To submit an opplication by e-mail:

Format al l of yourdocumenls to print on I-etter size (8 ' / 'x 11") paper. Ironnat al l pages to display and print page numbers. Scanned documents should be scanned in Lelter lbrmat, as black and wliitc images only. Where possiblc, save scanned documenls in.pdf lbrmat. E-mail your application to the Service program point of contact identilled in the Grants.gov funding opportunity.

1'he required SI.'424 Application lbr F'ederal Assistance and Assurances lbrms and any other required standard lbrms MLJSl'be signcd by your organization's authorizcd ol l icial. The Signature and Date flelds on the standard fbrms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text "Complcled by Grants.gov upon submission" or "Compleled on submission to Granls.gov". Rcntovc this lext (manually or digital ly) before signing the lbrnrs.

VI. Application l tcvicw Information Critcria: To be considered fbr funding, applications must address the lbl lowing evaluation cntena:

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Knowlcdge of and expcricnce with modeling winter dislr ibution fbr Bicknell 's Thruslr and understanding threats to wintcring grounds habitat lbr this spccies.

I lxpcriencc with and acccss 1o data lbr conducting population-lcvcl and dcmographic analyses 1br I l ickncll 's ' l 'hrush.

Nuntbcrs ol-conscrvation stralcgics idcnti l led in thc currcnt f lonscrvation Action Plan lbr llickne ll's 1-hrush that the projcct addresses.

An applicant's proposed cost sharing wil l be considered in the revicw process to break t ies among applications with cquivalent scorcs a1lcr evaluation against all other l'actors.

Review and Sclection Proccss:

Applical ions wil l bc rcvicwcd by Fcdcral agcncy pcrsonncl, with a biologist l i t tm thc t l .S. Ir ish and Wildl i l 'c Scrvice rnaking l inal 1r:nding dccisions. I{eviewcrs wil l be selected based on knowlcdge o1-ni igratory bird biology and expericncc wilh conducting rcsearch on landbirds, with conll icts of intercst wil l bc avoided through discussion o1-exist ing relationsl i ips or involvcment between applicants and rcvicwcrs. Irach rcviewer will rate each application based on the Iteview (lr i tcria and providc thcir scorcs and commcnts to thc pcrson niaking 1he f inal funding decision.

Prior to participating irr any revicw or evaluation process, all slalf and pecr rcvicwers, cvaluators, panel members. and advisors must sign and return to the program olllce point of contact the "Department o1-the Ltterior Conllict o1'lntercsl []ertillcation" lbrnr. Iior a copy 01'this 1brm, contact the Servicc point ol 'contact identi l led in the Agency Contacts scction below.

Prior to award, the Scrvicc rcvicws thc sclcctcd applicant's statemcltl regarding polential overlap or duplication in terms of activities. funding. or time commitmcnl of key personnel and makes a deterntination regarding Service lunding. Dcpcnding on the circumstancc-s, tuodiltcation of the applicalion. other pending applications, or an aclive award may be nccessary. or the Service might choose to not fund thc proposed project.

l:ach llscal year, 1br every cntity receiving one or more awards in that fiscal year, the Service conducts a r isk assessmcnt based on eight r isk catcgories. The rcsult of this r isk assessnrent is used to establish a monitoring plan for all awards to the entity in that fiscal year. For a copy of thc Scrvice's risk asscssrncr-rt 1brnr, go to https:/iwww.{ws.gov/granls/atc.hL!1d.

Prior to approving an awarcl wilh a lrederal funding amount thal cxcecds or is expectcd 1o cxcccd thc simplif ied acquisit ion threshold, as adjusted (see 2 CFR 200.88). thc Service must review and consider any inlbrmation about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and perlbrmance systcm acccssiblc through SAM (currently FAPIIS; https://www.lapiis.gov/lapi is/ index.action) to determine if. at a minimum. the infbrmation lbund in the system for the applicant demonstratcs a satislactory record o1'ltcdcral award pcrlbnnance and intcgrity and busincss elhics (sec 2 CIrR 200.205(a)(2)). Thc Scrvice must also reporl lo ITAPIIS i1-an applicant sub.icct to this review is lbund not qualilred 1br a particular award due to its prior record o1-intcgrity or perlbrmance under }rccleral awards (sec 2 ClFlt 200.212).

VII. Award Administration Award Noticcs: Irol lowing revicw. applicants may be rcquested to revise the pro.icct scopc and/or budget be lore an award is nradc. Succcsslul applicanls wil l rcccivc writtcn noticc in the lbrm of a notice o1'award docunrcnt. Noticcs o1-award are typical ly scnt 1o recipients by c-rnail .

I f c-mail nol i l lcation is unsucccsslul. thc documenls wil l bc scnl by couriermail (c.g., l iedlrx, I ) l l l , o r t lPS) . Award rcc ip i cn tsa rcno t r cqu i r cd tos ign / re tun r thcNo t i ce o fAwarddocun ten l .

Acccptancc of an award is dellncd as start ingwork. drawing down funds, oracceplingthe award via clcctronic mcans. Awards arc bascd on lhc application subrl i t tcci to, and as approvcd by, 1he Scrvice. Thc notice o1-award docr.rmcnt wil l includc instructions spccil ic to cach recipicnt on hclw 1o request paymenl. I1'applicablc, the inslructions wil l detai l any addit ional inlbrrlation/litrms rccprirccl nnd whcrc to submit paynrcnt rcquests. Applicants whose pro-iec1s are not selected for funding will receive written nolice. mosl oflen by e-mail. within 30 days o1' thc l lna l rcv icw dcc is io t t .

Domcstic Itccipient Paymcnts: I)r ior to award, thc Scrvice prograrn ol l icc wil l contact you/your organizalion to eithcr cnrol l in thc l I .S. l ' rcasury's Autornatcd Standard Application 1br Payments (ASAP) systcm or, i1'eligible, obtain approval liorn the Departmcnt o1'the Interior 1o bc waivcd l iom usin!. ASn I ' .

Transmittal of Scnsit ivc l)ata: I tccipicnts arc rcsponsible 1br cnsuring any scnsit ivc dala bcing seltt to thc Service is protcclcd during its transmission/dclivcry.

-fhe Scrvicc strongly recommends that rccipients usc thc rnosl sccurc trartsurission/delivcry mcthod available. l'he Service recclr.nrlends the lbllolving digital transmission melhods: securc digital 1-axing; encrypted emails; emailing a password protected zipped/compressed frle attachment in one email lbllowed by thc password in a sccond cmail; or crnailing a zippcd/compressed lllc attachn"rertt.

'l 'he

Service strongly encourages recipients sending sensitive data in paper copy 1o use a courier mail scrvice. li.ecipicnts may also contact their Service Projecl Olllcer and provide any scrtsitive data over the tclcphone.

Award Terms and Condit ions: Acccptance of a l lnancial assistancc award (i .c.. grant or cooperalive agreemenl) lrom the Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware ol and comply with the lerms and conditions applicable to the award. Acceplance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the applicalion submitted to and approved by the Service and are subject to the terms and conditions incorporalcd into lhc notice o1-award cithcr by dircct cilation or by rcli:rcncc 1o tht:

following: Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation; and special award terms and conditions. l'he Service's Standard Award'l-erms and Conditions arc available on the Intcrnct at https://www.fws.gov/grants/atc.html. If you do not have acccss to the Internet and require a full texl copy o1'the award terms and conditions, contact the Service point of conlact identified in the Agcncy Contacts section bclow.

Itecipicnt Rcport ing l tcquircmcnts:

Financial and Performancc Rcports:

Final Rcports: I{ecipicnts arc rcquired to subrnit final llnancial and performance reports no later than 90 calcndardays al ierthe award period ol-pcrformance end datc ortennitration date.

whichever comes llrst. For awards lasting 12 months or lcss. the llnal reports will be the only f lnancial and pcrlbrnlancc rcp()rts rccluirccl, cxcept in unusr.tal circumstanccs or i1-waived.

Intcrim l{eports: l ior awards t lrat last klnger than l2 rnonths. rccipicnts arc rcc' luircd to sr-rbntit intcrim l lnancial and pcrlbrntaltcc rcports no less l icclucntly than annually and no ntorc l icquently than quarlerly, cxcept in unusual circumstances or i1'waivcd. Requiring a higher l icqucncy o1'rcport ing than annual rcport ing wil l bc basccl on thc Servicc's asscssment o1-higher or other unusual circumstance . Quartcrly and semiannual interim reports arc due within 30 calendardays o1-t l ic rcport ing pcriod cnd datc. Annual intcrim rcports arc duc within 90 calendar days of the rcport ing pcriod cnd da1c.

I{ccipicnts nrust use the Slarrclarcl Fornr 42-5. Ircdcral lr inancial Rcport lbr f inancial rcport ing.

available on the Inlernet at htlp://www.grants.gov/web/grants/1brms/post-award-reporting-forms.h1m|#.spt!by:1

Perlbrntancc rcports rnust contain: l ) a comparison ol-actual accomplishmcnts with thc goals and ob.iccl ivcs o1'thc award as dctai lcd in thc approved scopc o1'work:2) a dcscript iort of rcasons why established goals were not met, i1-appropriale; and 3) any othcr perLinent inlbrrnation rclcvant to thc projccl rcsults.

Significant Dcvclopmcnts Rcports: llvents may occur betwecn the schcduled perlbrmance reporting dales that havc significant inrpact upon the supported activity. In such cases, recipients are rcquired to notily the Service in writing as soorl as the lbllowing typcs o1'conditions become known:

o Problems, delays. or adversc condit ions that wil l material ly impair the abil i ty 1o meet the objeclivc o1'the l.'ederal award.

'l 'his disclosure must includc a stalement o1'any correctivc action(s) takcn or conlcmnlaled. and any assistance ncedcd 1o resolve the situation.

o liavorable developments that enable mccting timc schcdules and objectivcs sooner or at less cost than anticipatcd or producing nlore or dilltrent bcrteficial rcsults than originally planned.

The Service will specify in the notice of award documenl the reporting and reporting liequency applicablc to the award.

Confl ict of Intcrcst Disclosurcs: l lecipicnts arc rcsponsible lbr noti lying thc Scrvice Projcct Officer in writing of any aclual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise during the life o1' this award. Conflicts of interest include any relalionship or matter which rnight placc the recipient, the recipicnt 's employces, or the recipient 's subrecipients in a posit ion of conf' l ict, rcal or apparcnl, between thcir responsibilities under this award and any other outside inlcrcsls. Clonll icls ol- intcresl lnay also includc. but are no1 l inri ted to, direct or indirect l lnancial intercsts, close personal relationships. positions o1'trust in outside organizations, consideration of luture cmploymcnt arrangerncnts with a dill'ercnt organization, or dccision-making afl-ecting the award that would causc a reasonablc pcrson with knowledge of thc relevanl facts to question the impartial i ty o1-the Recipient. the Recipient 's employces, or thc Rccipient 's subrecipients in the mattcr. tJpon rcccipt ol-such a notice. the Servicc l)ro.iect Ofllccr in consultation with their Ethics Counselor wil l determine iI 'a confl ict of interest exists and. i f so, i f there are any possible actions to bc takcn by thc l{ecipient, t l ic Recipient 's employee(s). or thc l{ccipicnt 's Subrccipierit(s) that could reducc or rcsolve thc conflict. Failure 1o rcsolvc conllicts of interest in a manncr that sal isl lcs thc Scrvicc nray result in any o1-thc remedics described in 2 CFR 200.338, I lcmeclics lbr Noncornpliancc. including tcrminatiort of this award.

Othcr Mandatory l) isclosurcs:

' l -he non-l iederal cnti ty or applicaltt lor a lrederal award ntust disclose. in a timcly manner, in writing 1o the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violat ions o1-lredcral criminal law involving I iaucl, bribery, or gratuity violations potcntial ly a11bc1ing 1hc liederal award. Non-Fcc]cral cnlitics tl-rat havc rcccivcd a Fcdcral award including the term and condit ion outl ined in 2 CIrR 200, Appcndix XII-Award' l 'crm and Clondit ion 1br Rccipicnt Intcgrity and Pcrlbrrnancc Mattcrs arc rcquircd to rcport ccrtain civi l , cri tninal. or administrative proceedings 1o SAM. liailure to make rcquired disclosures can rcsult in any of the rcmcdies describcd in 2 CIrR 200.338 l{cnrcdies lbr nonconrpl iancc, including suspcnsiott or dcbarnrent . (See a lso 2 CFR Par t 180. 3 l i l .S.C. 3321, and 4 l LJ.S.C. 2313.)

2 CIFR Part 200. Appcnclix Xll-Awarcl ' l -crrn and C--ondit ion 1br I lccipicnt Integrity and Perlbrrnance Matters is applicablc 1o awards with a tolal Fcderal sharc o1'ntorc than $500.000, cxcept thosc to individuals and lbrcign public cnti t ics.

VIII. Agcncy Contacts Randy Dettmers, Senior Biologisl, t l .S. Fish and Wildl i fe Service. 300 Westgate Center Drive, I ladley. MA 0 I 035, (4 I 3) 253-8567, Randy-Dettmcrs@1ws.gov.