North American Wetlands Conservation Act Small Grants Instructions

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North American Wetlands
Conservation Act
Small Grants Instructions
July 1999
INFORMATION COLLECTION
STATEMENT: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501),
please note the following information. This
information collection is authorized by the
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
of 1989, as amended (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.).
The information collection solicited is
necessary to gain a benefit in the form of a
grant, as determined by the North American
Wetlands Conservation Council and the
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission;
is necessary to determine the eligibility and
relative value of wetland projects; results in
an approximate paperwork burden of 80 hours
per application; and does not carry a premise
of confidentiality. Your response is voluntary.
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 OMB control number. This
information collection has been approved by
OMB and assigned clearance number is 1018-
0100. The public is invited to submit comments
on the accuracy of the estimated average
burden hours for application preparation and
to suggest ways in which the burden may be
reduced. Comments may be submitted to:
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Mail
Stop 224 ARLSQ, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. Washington, D.C. 20240 and/or Desk
Officer for Interior Department (1018-0100),
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, New
Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C.
20503.
Cover: Greater Snow Geese at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Staff Photo: NAWWO.
North American Wetlands
Conservation Act
Small Grants Instructions
The purpose of the 1989 North American Wetlands Conservation Act
(NAWCA), as amended, is to promote long-term conservation of North
American wetland ecosystems, and the waterfowl and other migratory
birds, fish and wildlife that depend upon such habitat. Principal
conservation actions supported by NAWCA are acquisition, creation,
enhancement and restoration of wetlands and wetlands-associated habitat.
In 1996, the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council)
initiated a pilot Small Grants program with an allocation of $250,000. The
objective was to promote long-term wetlands conservation activities through
encouraging participation by new grantees and partners who may not
otherwise be able to compete in the Standard Grants program. The
Council also believed that a Small Grants program could be important in
developing a pool of new partners/grantees that might eventually
participate in the Standard Grants program. The Small Grants program was
made fully operational in 1998 with an allocation of $500,000. Over the
first four years of the program, about 326 proposals requesting a total of
approximately $10.1 million competed for funding. Ultimately, 55 projects
were funded for a total of about $1.7 million. For 2000, with the approval of the
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, the Council has set aside a
minimum of $500,000 for funding Small Grants. Up to $1.0 million in high
quality proposals may be funded.
To be considered for funding in 2000, proposals must have a grant request
no greater than $50,000. Proposals requesting more than $50,000 are
ineligible for Small Grants program funding consideration. All wetland
conservation proposals which meet the requirements of the Act will be
accepted. However, funding priority will be given to projects from new
grant applicants (individuals or organizations who have never received a
NAWCA grant) with new partners, where the project ensures long-term
conservation benefits. This does not preclude former NAWCA grant
recipients from receiving Small Grants funding; ultimately, project resource
value is the critical factor in deciding which projects are funded by the
Council. At this time, the Small Grants program is open only to projects
proposed for the U.S.; it is not open to projects in Canada or Mexico.
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In addition, proposals must represent on-the-ground projects, and any
overhead in the grant budget may be no greater than 10 percent of the
grant amount. The anticipated magnitude of wetlands and wildlife
resources benefits that will result from project execution are important
factors to be considered in proposal evaluation, as may be reflected in whether
or not the Small Grants project is part of another or broader initiative, and
there should be a reasonable balance between wetlands and wetland-associated
uplands.
Please keep in mind that NAWCA and matching funds may only be
used for wetlands acquisition, creation, enhancement, and/or restoration;
they may not be used for signage, displays or other educational materials,
programs, or equipment, even though the goal of the project may
ultimately be to support wetland conservation education curricula. Projects
oriented toward education are not ordinarily eligible for NAWCA
funding because education is not a primary purpose of the Act. However,
useful project outcomes can include educational benefits resulting from
conservation actions. Research also is not a primary purpose of the Act,
and research proposals will not be considered for funding (See Appendix A).
Even though requiring less information than those submitted for the
Standard Grants program, Small Grant proposals still must be clearly
explained and meet the basic purposes given above and the 1:1 or greater
non-Federal matching requirements of the NAWCA. Small Grants
projects must also be consistent with Council guidelines, objectives and
policies. All non-Federal matching funds and proposed expenditures of grant
funds must be consistent with Appendix A, “Eligibility Requirements for
NAWCA Grant and Matching Funds.”
Although one objective of Small Grants program administration is still to
provide for brevity and a lessening of the applicant’s paper burden when
compared to the Standard Grants program, successful applicants will be
asked in some instances to provide greater detail on certain features of
their projects. This results from NAWWO’s accountability and reporting
needs, and the desirability of providing for short- and long-term assessment
of the success of the program consistent with the Standard Grants program.
Successful applicants with proposals including real property acquisitions
usually are required to assign conservation easements covering properties
acquired with Act (grant) funds and those properties used as match to the
Fish and Wildlife Service, or a State resource conservation agency, or an
established trust or conservancy, or otherwise provide a legal recordable
document that provides protection in perpetuity to the partnerships’
investments. In the case of small enhancement projects on private lands,
this investment protection may only entail guaranteeing the life of the project
for a period not to exceed 25 years.
All applicants are required to submit a completed Standard Form 424,
Application For Federal Assistance; the form, with instructions, can be
found in Appendix E on pages 13 and 14. It is necessary for the applicant
to complete only items 2 (left side), 5 - 9 (DOI/FWS), 11 - 16 (indicate b.
NO/program not covered by E.O. 12372), 17 - 18.
The prospective applicant can get an idea of the nature of projects funded
through the Small Grants program by visiting the North American Waterfowl
and Wetlands website at: http://www.fws.gov/r9nawwo.
Keep in mind that
NAWCA and
matching funds
may only be
used for wetlands
acquisition,
creation,
enhancement, and/
or restoration . . .
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Small Grants proposals may be submitted at any time, but must be
postmarked no later than Friday, December 3, 1999. Send proposals, in
triplicate, to the following address:
North American Waterfowl and Wetlands Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive Suite 110
Arlington, VA 22203
Attn: Small Grants Coordinator
It is essential that grant request packages be complete when they are
received in the North American Waterfowl and Wetlands Office,
including all of the documentation of partners (partner letters) with funding
pledge amounts. Information on funding in partner letters, i.e., amounts and
description regarding use, needs to correspond with budget amounts in the
budget table and in any figures provided in the narrative.
The NAWWO will not be able to contact proposal sources to verify
and/or request supplemental data and/or materials. Those proposals
lacking required information or containing conflicting information
will not be considered for funding.
For more information, call (703)358-1784, facsimile (703)358-2282, or send
email to R9ARW_NAWWO@FWS.GOV. The Small Grants instructions are
also available as Wordperfect© files; if compatible with your system, please
specify to the secretary the version that you would like to have sent.
For assistance within your Joint Venture Administrative Area, which is
geographically larger than a Joint Venture Area (See Appendix D), you may
wish to contact the appropriate Joint Venture Coordinator, as follows:
Again, as you
prepare to submit
your proposal,
please keep in
mind that upon
arrival in the
NAWWO your
proposal package
must be:
• complete with
regard to all of the
information
requested;
• in the format
requested; and
• on time.
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Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035-9589
(413) 253-8269
Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2233 Watt Avenue, Suite 375
Sacramento, CA 95825-0509
(916) 979-2085
Gulf Coast Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P. O. Box 1306
Albuquerque, NM 87103
(505) 248-6876
Intermountain West Joint Venture
U.S. Forest Service
145 East 1300 South, Suite 404
Lincoln Plaza Center
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
(801) 524-5110
Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2524 South Frontage Road, Suite C
Vicksburg, MS 39180-5269
(601) 629-6600
Pacific Coast Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
9317 NE Highway 99, Suite D
Vancouver, WA 98665
(360) 696-7630
Playa Lakes Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P. O. Box 1306
Albuquerque, NM 87103
(505) 248-6877
Prairie Pothole Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P. O. Box 25488
Denver, CO 80225
(303) 236-8145
Rainwater Basin Joint Venture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
2550 North Diers Avenue, Suite L
Grand Island, NE 68803-1214
(308) 382-8112
Upper Mississippi River-Great Lakes
Region Joint Venture
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Building, Fort Snelling
Twin Cities, MN 55111-4056
(612) 713-5433
William Vinje/USFWS
Basic Application Requirements
for Small Grants
I. COVER PAGE
The cover page should contain the following information in the sequence
specified.
• Project Title:
• Amount of NAWCA funding requested:
• Project Location (include State and County, Parish or Borough):
• Grantee Organization:
• Street:
• City, State, Zip:
• Project Officer:
• Telephone Number:
• Facsimile Number:
• Electronic Mail Address (if available):
• Date Submitted:
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION, SCOPE OF WORK AND PARTNER
INFORMATION
In 2 pages or less, provide short summaries containing the following
information.
A. Project Description and Scope of Work to include:
• need for the project;
• purpose, goals, and objectives;
• work to be done and by whom;
• who owns or will own and manage project lands;
• duration of benefits, including length of any land or management
contracts, easements or other agreements;
• expected results and how they will be monitored; and
• a timetable for accomplishment of major project activities during the
grant period (maximum 2 years).
In completing section A, address the overall purpose of the project, the
number of wetland and wetland-associated upland habitat acres/hectares that
will be affected and how they will be affected, and any other information
necessary to convey an understanding of what the project involves and will
accomplish.
Address the overall
purpose of the
project, the number
of wetland and
wetland-associated
upland habitat
acres/hectares that
will be affected and
how they will be
affected and other
information
necessary to convey
an understanding
of what the project
involves and will
accomplish.
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Attach as a separate page at least one map (color preferred, but will accept
black and white) of the area, with sufficient large-scale detail (e.g., 1 inch =
1 mile, or greater) to show clearly the scope of the project. A photograph is
desirable but not necessary.
B. Partner Information, to include:
• name(s), affiliation, roles and contributions of each participating group;
and
• attach, as additional pages, letters confirming the commitment of eligible
matching funds from each contributing partner (See Appendix B).
III. PROJECT BUDGET
Fill out the budget sheet completely (Appendix C), listing total cost by
project activity (e.g., acquisition, restoration) and apportioning these
costs between grant dollars and matching dollars (non-Federal funds)
provided by the partners. Budget categories must be line items that
specifically describe project costs, for example, “salaries,” “contractor
services,” “equipment,” or “supplies.” In the “Category” column, if
appropriate, provide the number of acres/hectares to be affected by the
monies expended in each activity.
IV. SMALL GRANTS EVALUATION QUESTIONS
In 2 pages or less, provide brief narrative accounts of how this proposal
addresses the following elements:
A. Partnerships:
Is a new partner or partnership concept involved? Is this project proposed by
a new applicant who has not previously received a NAWCA grant? If
applicable, how does this project encourage additional support (e.g., new
partners; funding support; local or other governmental support) for
migratory bird and wetlands conservation? Also list the partners and
provide a summary of their contribution (dollar amount, in-kind, cash,
etc.) to the project.
B. Waterfowl:
How will the completed project benefit waterfowl including those listed
below? Focus the answer on those species the project is designed to
substantially benefit. Consider the typical geographic range of the species
or population; do not cite benefits for species that are casual or accidental
in occurrence.
Budget categories
must be line items
that specifically
describe project
costs.
How will the
completed project
benefit waterfowl?
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HIGHEST PRIORITY SPECIES/POPULATION: Pacific greater and Tule
white-fronted geese; dusky, cackling and southern James Bay Canada geese;
northern pintail; mottled and American black ducks; mallard; lesser and
greater scaup; black, surf, and white-winged scoters; and eastern population
of Barrow’s goldeneye.
OTHER PRIORITY SPECIES/POPULATION: Wrangel Island snow
goose, Atlantic/Pacific brant, wood duck, redhead, canvasback, ring-necked
duck, common eider.
C. Nongame and Other Migratory Birds:
How will the completed project benefit nongame migratory birds, including
those listed below? Focus on species that will benefit most from the project.
HIGHEST PRIORITY SPECIES: Marsh/Grassland/Open-water Birds:
red-faced cormorant, Heermann’s gull, Xantus’ murrelet, reddish egret, black
rail, yellow rail, bristle-thighed curlew, long-billed curlew, Hudsonian godwit,
snail kite, swallow-tailed kite, short-tailed hawk, short-eared owl, Baird
sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow, Nelson’s sharp-tailed
sparrow, seaside sparrow, bobolink
Shorebirds: mountain plover, black oystercatcher, red knot, snowy plover,
willet, marbled godwit, black turnstone, rock sandpiper, surfbird, stilt
sandpiper, buff-breasted sandpiper, short-billed dowitcher, Franklin’s gull
Wet Forest/Riparian/Mangrove Land Birds: long-billed thrasher, white-crowned
pigeon, Nuttall’s woodpecker, Bell’s vireo, golden-winged warbler,
Lucy’s warbler, Kentucky warbler, prothonotary warbler, cerulean warbler,
Swainson’s warbler, black swift, Lewis’ woodpecker, wood thrush, painted
bunting, Abert’s towhee, Audobon’s oriole, Lawrence’s goldfinch
OTHER PRIORITY SPECIES: Marsh/Grassland/Open-water Birds:
common loon, western grebe, Clark’s grebe, American bittern, least
bittern, white ibis, Northern harrier, king rail, sandhill crane, black tern,
sedge wren, LeConte’s sparrow, tricolored blackbird
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Shorebirds: American golden plover, Wilson’s plover, piping plover,
American avocet, upland sandpiper, whimbrel, sanderling, white-rumped
sandpiper, Baird’s sandpiper, Wilson’s phalarope
Wet Forest/Riparian/Mangrove Land Birds: Mississippi kite, common black-hawk,
gray hawk, red-shouldered hawk, limpkin, black-billed cuckoo, yellow-billed
cuckoo, mangrove cuckoo, broad-billed hummingbird, violet-crowned
hummingbird, blue-throated hummingbird, elegant trogon, Gila woodpecker,
Northern beardless tyrannulet, Acadian flycatcher, vermillion flycatcher, great
crested flycatcher, veery, gray catbird, black-whiskered vireo, yellow-throated
warbler, Louisiana waterthrush, Connecticut warbler, hooded warbler,
summer tanager, black-headed grosbeak, hooded oriole
D. Wetland Types:
What wetland type(s) will benefit from the completed project? Refer to the
list below. Provide the total project acres/hectares and the percent of the
project made up of each wetland or associated upland type. Keep the
explanation clear and numbers consistent; acre/hectare figures must “add-up.”
Estuarine Intertidal Palustrine Emergent
Estuarine Intertidal Emergent Palustrine Forested
Estuarine Intertidal Forested/Shrub Palustrine Non-vegetated
Estuarine Subtidal Palustrine Shrub
Lacustrine Riverine
Marine Intertidal Wetland-associated Uplands
E. Endangered Species:
Will the project benefit any endangered birds or other wildlife? Provide
relevant information, i.e., only if the completed project contributes directly
to a Federally listed threatened/endangered species recovery plan or provides
critical habitat for Federal or State threatened or endangered species.
Indirect, minor, or unknown benefits related to species which may use the
project area need not be explained.
F. Special Considerations:
Are there any special considerations, outside of A-E above, which you feel
should be factored into project evaluation, e.g., threats, historical record,
opportunities, trends or outstanding resource values or benefits not
represented elsewhere?
Are there any
special
considerations,
which you feel
should be factored
into project
evaluation, e.g.,
threats, historic
record,
opportunities,
trends or
outstanding
resource values
or benefits not
represented
elsewhere?
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APPENDIX A
Eligibility Requirements for
NAWCA Grant and Matching
Funds
Matching contributions may take the form of cash, goods, services, or land
value and must:
(1) at least equal the grant request;
(2) be permanent, non-reimbursable, and dedicated to a project; and
(3) be documented by a partner letter.
Funds from the following sources must be documented and may be used
to match NAWCA grants:
(1) those spent or contributed to meet proposal objectives
• no earlier than 2 years prior to the date the proposal is submitted and/or
• during the 2-year grant agreement period;
(2) those without a Federal origin (money from the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Federal Aid
program are of Federal origin);
(3) those that have not been successfully used to match other Federal
grants, including grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and
(4) those from The Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act.
Costs incurred prior to grant execution which may be eligible as match
include:
(1) appraisal fees, acquisition negotiations, land acquisition legal costs;
(2) boundary surveys;
(3) engineering and project design;
(4) required State and Federal compliance activities;
(5) travel and transportation;
(6) consulting fees; and
(7) special studies.
Grant and matching funds may be used to pay for or have as their source
project expenses directly associated with land acquisition (fee-title,
conservation easement, lease or donation), long-term wetland restoration,
enhancement, or wetlands creation. Expenses must be:
(1) necessary and reasonable for the proper administration of the project;
(2) documented and verifiable from the grantee’s and subgrantees’ records;
(3) representative of fair market value;
(4) a special expense caused by the project;
(5) the result of work done on-site(s)
• within the same wetlands system (e.g., watershed or river basin),
and/or
• managed to meet the same wetland objectives,
and/or
• that are close to each other; and
(6) salary and labor of employees hired to manage the project after the
grant agreement is developed.
Grant and matching
funds may be used
to pay for or have as
their source project
expenses directly
associated with land
acquisition (fee-title,
conservation
easement, lease or
donation), long-term
wetland restoration,
enhancement, or
wetlands creation.
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Grant and matching funds may be used to pay for or have as their source the
following project expenses:
(1) equipment expenses that are prorated;
(2) material and supply costs;
(3) annual payments for conservation agreements of at least 10 years or for
the maximum duration allowed by State law;
(4) previous monitoring and/or evaluation of wetlands conservation activities if
the results are critical to the design of a submitted proposal; and
(5) initial management costs.
Grant and matching funds may not be used for or have their source from:
(1) routine expenses of the contributor;
(2) project management salary costs prior to grant execution;
(3) project planning and proposal development, including investigations to
document the project's resource value;
(4) conservation education materials or salaries;
(5) fundraising;
(6) law enforcement;
(7) research;
(8) boat ramps, parking lots, roads, and other public access work;
(9) observation towers and blinds;
(10) routine operations and maintenance salaries and costs;
(11) building construction, repairs, and value of donated property;
(12) equipment acquisition in lieu of a more cost-effective means; or
(13) acquisition of vehicles.
In addition, grant funds may not be matched for:
(1) actions that put credits into wetlands mitigation banks;
(2) Federal mitigation compliance under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination
Act or the Water Resources Development Act, including mitigation
required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act;
(3) work completed prior to submission of the proposal. Projects completed
are not eligible for retroactive funding; or
(4) interest payments.
For other eligibility questions, contact the Small Grants Coordinator.
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APPENDIX B
Sample Partner Letter
November 1, 1999,
Dear Council Coordinator: (Letter may be addressed to grant applicant.)
We are committed to providing $100,000 (amounts of $75,000; $20,000; and
$5,000 explained below) to match the grant request for the proposal titled
"Duck Creek Restoration, Arizona." Contributions are eligible according to
factors given in the Small Grants Instructions. Following are details
pertaining to our contribution.
The Sherman tract, consisting of ca. 30 ha, was acquired in fee-title on July
4, l999 for the fair market price of $75,000. This is the main source of
water for the Duck Creek Restoration project. The source of funds was a
dedicated land acquisition account. The property was donated to the
Arizona Game and Fish Department on July 20, 1999.
It is our plan to raise $20,000 to aid in the restoration of the Sherman
tract. If funds are not raised, we will use existing funds from another
account under our control.
Five-thousand dollars ($5,000) was spent on the restoration and
enhancement of two wetlands during April and July, 1999. (See Tracts B
and C on enclosed map.) Fencing the dike and upland areas was necessary
to keep cattle out, and seeding the dike and spoils areas was done to
encourage natural vegetation for cover for duck production. The restored
wetlands in our match are in the same watershed and adjacent to other
tracts in the Duck Creek proposal. The value was determined as follows:
33 hours labor @ $15/hr. = $495
5 hours tractor @ $30/hr. = $150
5 rolls of fence @ $36/roll = $180
35 posts @ $5/post = $175
$1,000 per site X 5 sites = $5,000
The Harmony Watershed Project Plan, which other partners and I are
committed to implementing, includes all of the tracts in our match. These
tracts, plus others in the proposal, will be managed to meet the same
wetlands conservation objective of increasing quantity and quality of
waterfowl habitat.
Sincerely,
Chairman of the Board
Friends of Harmony Watershed
Enclosures
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APPENDIX C
Sample Project Budget
Category NAWCA Grant Funds Partner #1 Partner #2 Expense per Category
RESTORATION: Supplies $400 $600 $1,000
ACQUISITION: Appraisals $5,000 $5,000
ACQUISITION: 40 Hectares $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $45,000
TOTALS $25,400 $15,000 $10,600 $51,000
APPENDIX D
NAWCA Administrative Units
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* Atlantic Coast includes Caribbean area
** Pacific Coast includes Alaska & Hawaii
Upper
Mississippi/
Great Lakes
Atlantic Coast*
Gulf Coast
Lower Mississippi
Valley
Intermountain West
Pacific
Coast**
Rainwater
Basin
PlayaLakes
Prairie Pothole
Central Valley
Notes:
Principal conservation actions
supported by NAWCA are
acquisition, creation,
enhancement and restoration
of wetlands and wetlands-associated
habitat.
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July 1999
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
North American Waterfowl and Wetlands Office
Suite 110
4401 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22203
First Class Mail
Postage & Fees Paid
U.S. Department of the Interior
Permit G-77