Deadline: 31-May-21
The NRCS – Oklahoma State Office, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking support from and opportunities to partner with like minded natural resource conservation partners.
Conservation partners are invited to apply for NRCS assistance with the following key conservation objectives:
- Easement operation & maintenance activities, including implementation of maintenance practices, repair conservation practices for the identify NRCS held easement.
- (Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE), Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP))- easements are located within multiple counties in Oklahoma. Proposals may identify specific counties or all counties to complete needed work.
Funding Information
- Estimated Funding: The total amount of Federal funding the agency expects to award through this opportunity is $500,000.
- Start Dates and Performance Periods: Projects may be between 1 and 5 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of 09/01/2021.
- Number of Awards: The agency expects to make 5-10 award(s).
Funding Restrictions
- Funds may not be used to pay any of the following costs unless otherwise permitted by law and approved in writing by the agency in advance of incurring such costs
- Costs above the amount of funds authorized for the project:
- Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the award, including time spent applying for this opportunity;
- Costs which lie outside the scope of the approved project and amendments thereto;
- Entertainment costs, regardless of their apparent relationship to project objectives;
- Compensation for injuries to persons, or damage to property arising out of project activities;
- Consulting services performed by a Federal employee during official duty hours when such consulting services result in the payment of additional compensation to the employee; and
- Renovation or refurbishment of research or related spaces, the purchase or installation of fixed equipment in such spaces, and the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of buildings or facilities.
- Management fees and profit. Any funds awarded to for-profit entities must be used for reimbursement of award related direct and indirect costs only;
- Meals: Meals may be charged to an award only if they are necessary for the performance of the project.
- For instance, meals (normally only lunch) that are a necessary part of the costs of meetings and conferences (i.e., required attendance and continuity of a meeting), the primary purpose of which is the dissemination of information, are allowable, as are costs of transportation, rental of facilities, speakers’ fees, and other items incidental to such meetings or conferences.
- Note: Meals consumed while in official travel status do not fall in this category.
- They are considered to be per diem expenses and should be reimbursed in accordance with the organization’s established travel policies subject to statutory limitations or in accordance with Federal travel policies.
- Costs normally charged as indirect costs may not be charged as direct costs without proper justification and agency approval.
- Proper justification includes documentation that the costs meet the criteria for allow ability.
- Examples of such costs include rent, utilities, depreciation on buildings and equipment, the costs of operating and maintaining facilities, and general administration and general expenses, such as the salaries and expenses of executive officers, personnel administration, and accounting.
- Salaries that are not commensurate with level of work: All costs must be reasonable to be allowable, and 2 CFR 200.404 defines a reasonable cost as one if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost. Salaries determined not to be reasonable compared to the level of work will be unallowable.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing program statute. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program.
- This opportunity is open to all domestic applicants within the state of Oklahoma.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332747