Deadline: 28-Jun-21
The U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking applications for the Recovery Challenge Fund to provide a unique financial assistance opportunity for eligible, non-Federal longstanding and new partners working on high priority recovery actions as identified by the Service for ESA endangered and threatened species.
The purpose of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to conserve endangered and threatened species and the ecosystems upon which they depend, and to take appropriate steps to achieve the purposes of treaties and conventions set forth in the ESA. The use of Federal financial assistance to encourage the States and other interested parties to develop and maintain conservation programs to safeguard the Nation’s heritage in fish, wildlife and plants for the benefit of all citizens.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $ 9,000,000
- Maximum Award: $ 4,200,000
- Minimum Award: $ 1,000
- Expected Number of Awards: 22
- Expected Award Funding: $ 3,800,000
- Expected Award Date: October 28, 2021
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants are expected to have demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the biology of the involved listed species and its ecosystem, including preferably having worked with the species in the past. In addition, they must demonstrate that:
- The proposal does not include funding for the salary of a Service employee.
- The proposal does not seek funding for land acquisition or conservation easements, even if such activities are identified as a high priority recovery action for the species.
- The proposal does not seek funding for projects that serve to satisfy regulatory requirements of the ESA, including complying with a biological opinion of the Act or fulfilling commitments of a Habitat Conservation Plan of the Act, or for projects that serve to satisfy other Federal regulatory requirements (e.g., mitigation for Federal permits).
- The applicant has consulted with the affected State, unless the affected State is a partner on the project.
To qualify for Recovery Challenge funds applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria in regards to:
Eligible Project Types are those that either:
- Directly address high priority recovery actions for ESA listed species (under the trusteeship of the Service), specified by the Service as either:
- High priority action(s) of an approved draft or final recovery plan, or activities in a Recovery Implementation Strategy (RIS) for the species tiered from an identified high priority recovery action.
- If the project addresses Priority 2 or 3 actions, you will need to explain why these actions are being addressed instead of any existing Priority 1 actions; OR
- Recovery action(s) listed in a recovery outline, if the species has been listed for less than 2.5 years; OR
- Actions specified in other public documents that contain specific, measurable, and prioritized actions. To qualify as an accepted other public document they must:
- Have been developed in coordination with the Service’s lead for the targeted species;
- Undergone scientific peer and/or public review; and
- Describe how the prioritized actions will address threats to the species and indicate appropriate entities to implement each action.
- In addition, projects must explain the relationship of the document to a species draft or final recovery plan or recovery outline, if one exists, and/or why this document is being used instead of the draft or final recovery plan or recovery outline.
- High priority action(s) of an approved draft or final recovery plan, or activities in a Recovery Implementation Strategy (RIS) for the species tiered from an identified high priority recovery action.
- Update an existing draft or final recovery plan where the species’ lead Service Field Office has prioritized the need for updating the current plan in a letter of concurrence.
- Develop a recovery plan for a species that does not have a draft or final recovery plan, where the species is currently on the national recovery plan workplan.
- Develop a recovery outline for a species that does not have a recovery outline or draft or final recovery plan.
- For projects that propose to update or develop a draft/final recovery plan or develop a recovery outline, there are additional eligibility requirements:
- The proposal cannot request incremental funding (see Section D2 for the definition of incremental funding).
- The period of performance must not exceed 1 year for developing recovery outlines or 2.5 years for developing or updating a recovery plan (where the draft recovery plan must be produced within 1 year of the start of the period of performance and the final recovery plan must be produced by the end of the period of performance).
- The proposal must include a signed letter from the species’ lead Service Field Office, including:
- A description of the applicant’s current role for the species, AND
- Confirmation that developing a recovery plan for the species, updating the species’ current recovery plan, or developing the species’ recovery outline should be prioritized and why, AND
- Confirmation of the applicant’s ability to develop or update a recovery plan and do so in compliance with the Service’s 3-Part Framework (this means developing an SSA if one is not already available and also develop/update a Recovery Implementation Strategy), OR
- The applicant’s ability to develop a recovery outline using the Service’s recovery outline template, AND
- A commitment from the Service Field Office to enter into a cooperative agreement with the applicant if this proposal is selected, a clear outline of how and when the Service will be involved, and a commitment from the Field and Regional Office to finalize and post the final recovery plan or outline within six month after the end of the recipient’s period of performance.
Eligible Partnerships include one of the following:
- A long standing partnership, where:
- The partner has a history of working with the Service on recovery efforts for the species addressed in the proposal for at least the past 5 years;
- The partner provides a non-federal cost share for both the total and annual cost that is equal to or greater than their contribution percentages averaged over the past 5 years of direct funds or in-kind contributions; and
- Documentation is provided indicating:
- Funding and in-kind contribution amounts and a brief description of the sources of these contributions for each of the previous 5 years,
- The yearly and total percentage partner contribution over the past 5 years, and
- The ability and commitment to continuing to fund the percentage match each year over the duration of the project.
- Documentation is provided indicating:
- If the partner submits multi-year project proposals, they can only have a project duration of up to five years (if applicable)
- A new partnership, where:
- The partner has not yet worked with the Service on recovery efforts for the species addressed in the proposal; or the partner has worked with the Service on the species addressed in the proposal for less than 5 years;
- The partner provides at least a 50:50 non-federal cost share of direct funds or inkind contributions; and
- Documentation is provided indicating:
- Funding and in-kind contribution amounts and a brief description of the sources of these contributions, and
- The ability and commitment to fund the 50:50 cost share each year over the duration of the project.
- Documentation is provided indicating:
- If the partner submits multi-year project proposals, they can only have a project duration of up to three years (if applicable).
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333103