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| 15.632 CONSERVATION GRANTS PRIVATE STEWARDSHIP FOR IMPERILED SPECIES |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq., as amended; Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2004, H.R. 2691; Public Law 108-108. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| To provide Federal financial and other assistance to individuals and groups engaged in local, private, and voluntary conservation efforts to be carried out on private lands that benefit species listed or proposed as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, candidate species, or other at-risk species. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants. |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Assistance is provided to individuals and groups to fund the voluntary restoration, management, or enhancement of habitat on private lands for endangered, threatened, proposed, candidate, or other at-risk species. Funds will not be used for the acquisition of real property either through fee title or easements. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Sponsored organizations, individual/family, specialized group, public nonprofit institution/organization, private nonprofit institution/organization, small business, profit organization, or other private institution/organization. The annual Request for Proposals announced through www.grants.gov and posted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/private_stewardship/index.html will describe the criteria that must be satisfied for a proposal to be eligible for funding. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Anyone/General Public. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| 43 CFR Part 12 establishes requirements for grants awarded by agencies of the U.S. Department of the Interior. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| 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. |
| Application Procedure |
| A Request for Proposals is published annually through www.grants.gov and posted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/private_stewardship/index.html. Additional information and instructions are printed and distributed annually. The standard application for Federal Assistance is submitted. The project title/description section of the application will address the evaluation factors identified in the annual Request for Proposals posted to the internet locations identified above. Submit a request for a proposal package, which includes specific information on requirements, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office. |
| Award Procedure |
| Final selection is made by the Secretary of the Interior, based on recommendations by the Director or Regional Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Funds are obligated by signature on a project agreement. |
| Deadlines |
| Information regarding deadline dates will be made available annually in the request for proposals posted at www.grants.gov and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/private_stewardship/index.html. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Information regarding approval/disapproval time frames will be made available annually in the request for proposals posted at www.grants.gov and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/private_stewardship/index.html. |
| Appeals |
| None. Proposals not funded may be resubmitted. |
| Renewals |
| Proposals are funded on a one-time basis. Requests for future funding must compete with other requests for funding. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| A 10 percent cost-share on the part of the landowner or other nonfederal partner is required. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Awarded funds must be spent during the approved Period of Performance of the grant agreement, and in accordance with DOI/FWS financial and reporting procedures. |
| Reports |
| Progress and final reports are to be submitted in accordance with terms and conditions of the grant agreement and be submitted within the Period of Performance of the grant agreement. |
| Audits |
| In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal Awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. |
| Records |
| Grants awarded to State and Local Governments will be maintained in accordance with the provisions of 43 CFR Part 12, Subpart C, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments." Records for grants awarded to institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations will be maintained in accordance with the provisions of 43 CFR Part 12, Subpart F, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations." |
| Account Identification |
| 14-5495-0-1-302. |
| Obligations |
| (Grants) FY 07 $8,930,000; FY 08 $ est. not available; and FY 09 $ est. not available. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| $0 to $300,000 (FY 05). |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| The program was not funded in FY 2008. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| Endangered Species Act; 43 CFR 12, United States Standard Grants Application Instructions, and the annual Request for Proposals posted at www.grants.gov and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/private_stewardship/index.html . |
| Regional or Local Office |
| See Catalog Appendix IV for addresses. |
| Headquarters Office |
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Fish and Wildlife Management and Habitat Restoration, Branch of Habitat Restoration, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 730, Arlington, VA 22203. Telephone: (703)358-2201. Use the same number for FTS. Fax: (703)358-2232. |
| Web Site Address |
| Http://endangered.fws.gov/grants/private_stewardship/index.html |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| 15.605, Sport Fish Restoration Program; 15.611, Wildlife Restoration; 15.618, Administrative Grants for Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration; 15.615, Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund; 15.633, Landowner Incentive Program. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| Examples of the types of projects that may be funded include using prescribed burning to restore grasslands that support imperiled species, management or removal of nonnative and invasive species for protection of imperiled species, fencing to exclude animals from sensitive habitats, reintroduction of imperiled species to suitable habitat, or planting native vegetation to restore degraded habitat. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| The Request for Proposals announced annually through www.grants.gov and posted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/private_stewardship/index.html describes the selection criteria. Factors used to evaluate the merit of the proposals include: (1) the number of endangered or threatened species, species proposed or candidates for such listing, and at-risk species that will directly benefit from the project; (2) the importance of the project to the conservation of the target species, including the duration of the benefits, the magnitude of the benefits, and the urgency of the project; (3) other proposal merits, such as whether the project complements other conservation projects in the area, the project=s unique qualities, or any other appropriate justifications, including particular strengths in the above categories (e.g., extraordinary benefits or cost share). |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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