F24AS00298 Cooperative Agriculture
Open Posted
- Opportunity number
- F24AS00298
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Applications due
- Award size
- Not on record
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
-
- 15.681 Cooperative Agriculture
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Agriculture
- Eligible applicants
-
- Individuals
- Small Businesses
- Points of contact
-
- Christian Myers christian_myers@fws.gov (703) 358-2140
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting applications for Cooperative Agriculture Agreements on National Wildlife Refuge System lands, with applications due March 7, 2029. This is a nonfinancial assistance program; no federal funds are awarded to applicants.
Eligible applicants are private individuals and small business entities only. Pre-application coordination is required. Applicants must submit completed FWS Form 3-1383-C and apply at the local refuge or complex office named in the individual opportunity notice.
Cost-sharing arrangements vary by refuge and management objective. The Service may grant agricultural use rights, provide access to Service water and equipment, share crop yield, or accept bids for payment under the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act. In exchange, cooperators typically provide labor, equipment, materials, and habitat maintenance or rehabilitation work. No federal cost share or matching requirement is imposed; the nature and extent of cost-sharing depends on refuge needs and the specific agreement structure negotiated between the Service and the cooperator.
Individual Cooperative Agriculture Agreements are approved for three- to five-year periods. After that term ends, the Service determines whether to continue the activity. If continuation is planned, a new competitive opportunity is posted; previous cooperators are eligible to reapply but must compete.
Program objectives include producing or modifying specific cover types or growing methods to meet established life history requirements of target species such as waterfowl, producing foods for wildlife species, and maintaining, rehabilitating, or reestablishing natural habitat on NWRS lands.
The Service selects applicants based on objective criteria that may include agricultural experience on NWRS or comparable lands, ability to cultivate required crops or cover types under Service restrictions, possession of equipment and resources to support cost-sharing, and alignment with refuge resource management objectives. The Service will notify all applicants within 90 days of opportunity closure; unsuccessful applicants receive written explanation and notice of appeal rights under 50 CFR 25.45.
The program operates under CFDA 15.681. Individual opportunities are posted at https://www.fws.gov/service/cooperative-agriculture as they become available. Contact Christian Myers at 703-358-2140 or christian_myers@fws.gov for program information.
Synopsis
The objectives for the use of cooperative agriculture in the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) are: production or modification of specific cover types or growing methods that meet the life history requirements of species for which we have established objectives (e.g., waterfowl production); production of foods for wildlife species for which we have established objectives; and/or maintenance, rehabilitation, or reestablishment of natural habitat. Cooperative agriculture is when a person or entity conducts agricultural practices on NWRS lands in support of the Service's conservation and resource management objectives and there is substantial involvement between the Service and that person or entity. The NWRS uses cooperative agreements, known as Cooperative Agriculture Agreements (CAAs), as the legal instruments to formalize the agreement between the Service and the program participant. The cost-sharing of a person or entity in cooperative agricultural on NWRS lands can vary depending on the needs and objectives of the particular NWRS land. For example, the Service may provide the cooperator with the right to perform agricultural practices on NWRS land and a percentage of any resulting crop yield, as well as the ability to use Service water, equipment, and/or refuge staff. In exchange, the cooperator may provide the Service with labor, equipment, and materials; a percentage of any resulting crop yield; and/or maintenance, rehabilitation, or reestablishment of specific habitat conditions on NWRS lands. In addition to or instead of cost-sharing, the Service may accept bids for payment for the person or entity's agriculture use (e.g. haying or grazing) on NWRS lands in compliance with the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act. This is a nonfinancial assistance program. No Federal funds are obligated or awarded to program participants. Because a CAA is not a financial assistance award, it is not subject to the regulations at 2 CFR 200 or policy in parts 515 and 516 of the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.
Eligibility
Applicants must be private individuals or small business entities. Pre-application coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Foa_Content_of_F24AS00298.pdf | ||
| PKG00285239.pdf |
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