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| 15.640 WILDLIFE WITHOUT BORDERS- LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-43). |
| OBJECTIVES |
| The Wildlife Without Borders-Latin America and the Caribbean Program focuses on strengthening the ability of Latin American and Caribbean institutions to manage and conserve species, habitats and ecological processes for the benefit of the people of the Americas and the world. Of particular interest are projects that build the human and institutional capacity to effectively conserve and manage natural protected areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. Program objectives are: (1) To advance, through capacity building, the transition of protected areas from legally established but under-implemented paper parks to effectively managed landscapes, benefiting species of regional concern; and (2) To develop, strengthen and replicate high-quality conservation training programs that reach the priority audiences associated with protected areas. The priority audiences for the training supported by this Program include: Protected area managers and administrators; Protected area guards and rangers; Protected area outreach and education specialists; Community leaders (living in and around protected areas); Upper-level students (working on projects in and around protected areas); and Decision-makers who influence protected areas (including private landowners, legislators, and public officials). |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants. |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Projects should take place in Latin America or the Caribbean, ideally in a recognized high priority ecosystem or ecoregion of biome, or a key location associated with flagship, endangered or migratory species of regional concern. If work is to be conducted outside that region, the proposal must explain why it is preferable that the project is implemented elsewhere. Funds provided under this program will not be used for the following activities: the purchase of firearms or ammunitions; buying of intelligence information or paying informants; gathering information by persons who conceal their true identity; law enforcement operations that prompt suspects to carry out illegal activities so they may be arrested (entrapment); or any activity that would circumvent sanctions, treaties, laws or regulations of either the U.S. or the country in which the activity would occur. Funds may not be used to provide material support or resources to individuals, entities, or organizations of countries that have been identified by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism. The countries currently identified are: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. This program is administered in compliance with the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977, as amended. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Participation is limited to Federal, State and local governments, non-profit, non-governmental organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience deemed necessary to carry out the proposed project. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Federal, State and local government agencies; non-profit, non-governmental organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience deemed necessary to carry out the proposed project. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| None. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. |
| Application Procedure |
| The program announcement and application instructions for this program can be found at the Grants.gov website. The Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions are also located on the program website at http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/lac.htm. If you are unable to access the Internet, hard copies are available upon request from the Branch of Latin America & the Caribbean, Division of International Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 100, Arlington, VA 22203. |
| Award Procedure |
| Projects are reviewed and competitively selected for funding using criteria developed specifically for this program. Review criteria can be found in the application information at http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/lac.htm. Once a proposal has been selected for funding, an Assistance Award between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Recipient is drafted by the Division of International Conservation. The draft Award is then submitted to the Division of Contracting and Facilities Management (CFM) where it is executed by an FWS Contracting Officer. Fully executed Awards are sent to the Recipient either electronically or through the mail. The Division of International Conservation then administers all other aspects of the Assistance Award. |
| Deadlines |
| This program has two annual deadlines. The first deadline is October 15 each year. The second deadline is April 15 each year. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Decisions on funding of project proposals are normally made no later than 180 days after the receipt of the project proposals. |
| Appeals |
| Not applicable. |
| Renewals |
| None. However, at the discretion of the Division of International Conservation awards can be modified, e.g.; extended for time or budget changes made. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| Applicants and/or other project partners must contribute funds to the project, which may include cash or in-kind contributions. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Upon approval, the project may be extended or the agreement modified. Awarded funds must be spent during the period of performance indicated on the Assistance Award, and in accordance with the financial and performance reporting procedures specified in the Assistance Award. |
| Reports |
| Financial and performance reports are to be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions established in the Assistance Award. Complete reporting requirements can be found at this programs web page at http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/lac.htm. For financial reporting, Domestic Recipients with no program income to report shall use Standard Form 269a. Domestic recipients with program income to report shall use Standard Form 269. Non-domestic Recipients shall submit a financial status report that follows the same format of the original project proposal budget table, itemizes expenditures for the reporting period any describes any deviations from the approved project budget. |
| Audits |
| In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular A-133 (Revised June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend $500,000 in Federal awards shall have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,00 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in OMB Circular A-133. |
| Records |
| Recipient will maintain records 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" and 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 |
| 14-1611-0-1-303. |
| Obligations |
| (Grants) FY 07 $691,000; FY 08 $1,229,000; and FY 09 est $532,000. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| Variable amounts. Due to the limited funding available and the desire to support diverse projects, preference will be given to proposals requesting less than $25,000.00. Higher amounts may be requested with appropriate justification. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| In FY 2007 the Service funded 39 conservation projects under this program. A summary of each of those projects can be found at the program webpage at http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/lac.htm. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| Grants will be administered in conformance with the Assistance Award Guidelines established by the Division of International Conservation, which uses as its source all applicable award terms and conditions found at http://www.doi.gov/pam/TermsandConditions.html. The Assistance Award Guidelines can be found on-line at http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/lac.htm or in hard copy by contacting the Division of International Conservation at (703) 358-1754. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| Not applicable. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior. Contact: Chief, Division of International Conservation, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1622. Telephone: (703) 358-1754. Fax: (703) 358-2115. E-mail: WWB_LAC@fws.gov. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://www.fws.gov/international/grants/grants.html |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| 15.641, Wildlife Without Borders-Mexico; 15.651, Wildlife Without Borders-Africa Program. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| Annual summaries of the projects funded under this program can be found at http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/lac.htm. Hard copies of this information are available upon request from the Division of Division of International Conservation at (703) 358-1754. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| Due to the limited funding available and the desire to support diverse projects, preference will be given to proposals requesting less than $25,000. A complete list of the criteria used to select projects under this program can be found in the Latin America & the Caribbean Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions located on line at http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/lac.htm. Hard copies are available upon request from the Division of International Conservation at (703) 358-1754. |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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