US: Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 2023

Deadline: 31-Jan-23

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), FedEx and Southern Company are pleased to solicit applications for the 2023 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program.

Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or more of the following: wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat restoration; wildlife conservation, community tree canopy enhancement, habitat, water quality and wildlife monitoring and green infrastructure best management practices for managing run-off.

Program Priorities

• Proposals should address at least one bullet under each of the five following bolded priorities:
• On-the-Ground Restoration
  • Projects must restore and/or create wetlands, coastal or riparian areas:
    • Address key species and habitats and link directly to established watershed and conservation plans, including establishment of urban wildlife corridors, fisheries and daylighting of streams.
    • Address stressors through restoration techniques and green infrastructure practices that manage stormwater and rural run-off and link directly to stormwater management plans, source water protection plans and water supply planning efforts1 or demonstrate the linkage between restoration and stormwater management and the quality, quantity and safety of local water and waterways
    • Collect and analyze local waterway samples that could be used to determine the effectiveness of current stream/wetland restoration and green infrastructure efforts and inform future planning and decision-making
    • Develop/implement trash and litter prevention programs designed to keep urban waterways and riverfronts clean
    • Develop public open spaces, create or enhance community parks, improve and protect community tree canopy, enhance brownfield sites beyond required remediation
• Environmental Outreach, Education & Training
  • Projects must integrate meaningful outreach, education and/or training into the proposed on-the-ground activities that advance local watershed and conservation goals:
    • Engage the public – particularly youth – in hands-on, outdoor conservation experiences that build awareness of the importance of protecting and recovering priority and/or at risk species and habitats and promote stewardship
    • Engage communities in restoration at public areas – such as schools, parks, birding trails and more – for public health and recreation
    • Establish or advance a community science or water quality monitoring program that involves community members and/or addresses community water quality priorities2
    • Improve understanding of damaging trash and litter impacts in local waterways that affect community health and local economies
• Community Partnerships
  • Projects must involve five or more partners (public and private entities) including the applicant:
    • Directly engage a diverse group of community partners to achieve ecological and specific educational outcomes including partnerships among upstream and downstream communities
    • Demonstrate that the project will advance existing local watershed or conservation plans and/or propose to foster and coordinate a diverse stakeholder partnership that develops and/or implements new plans
    • Identify plans to provide training, partnership meetings and presentations to build support for the project during and beyond the project period
• Measurable Results
  • Projects must result in specific, measurable ecological, educational and community benefits:
    • Identify measurable activities and metrics which clearly link to watershed and community outcomes
    • Document a high level of community engagement to support fish and wildlife habitat, urban and community forestry, water quality-related recreational activities and improve understanding across diverse audiences of how fish and wildlife conservation, clean water and healthy forests contribute to community well-being
• Sustainability
  • Projects must include a plan for maintenance and care of the project beyond the grant period:
  • Describe a commitment to community strength and long-term capacity to remain engaged as partners
  • Address any priority and/or at-risk species, habitats or conservation actions identified in State Wildlife Action Plans or other recovery or conservation plans
  • Directly connect outcomes to community benefits of watershed restoration such as clean water, public health benefits, local economic development and jobs
  • Fulfill or advance priorities identified through local planning efforts, including watershed, disaster and sustainability plans
  • Develop restoration and stewardship approaches that contribute to pre and post disaster planning, resiliency of community water assets and link to local hazard mitigation, resilience and/or emergency management plans

Funding Information

• Approximately $1.6M is available nationwide for projects meeting program priorities. There is one round of full proposals annually for this program. Awards range from $25,000 to $50,000 with an average size of $40,000 and 40-50 grants awarded per year. Grants should span 12 to 18 months with a start date in late summer/early fall 2023.

Geographic Priorities

• Southern Company will support high quality projects in the following states:
  • Alabama (excluding Lauderdale, Colbert, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Jackson and DeKalb counties)
  • Georgia (excluding Union, Fannin and Towns counties)
  • Illinois Will, Kendall, DuPage and Kane counties
  • Kansas Lyon and Osage counties
  • Mississippi Leake, Neshoba, Kemper, Scott, Newton, Lauderdale, Smith, Jasper, Clarke, Jefferson Davis, Covington, Jones, Wayne, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, George, Stone, Pearl River, Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties
  • Oklahoma Grant and Kay counties
  • Texas Concho, Crosby, Donley, Floyd and Gray counties
  • Virginia Chesapeake, Hampton City, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth City, Suffolk and Virginia Beach
  • West Virginia Greenbrier County
  • Washington Lewis and Thurston Counties.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations and educational institutions
• Ineligible applicants include unincorporated individuals, businesses, international organizations and U.S. Federal government agencies

Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds

• Equipment: Applicants are encouraged to rent equipment where possible and cost-effective or use matching funds to make those purchases.  NFWF acknowledges, however, that some projects may only be completed using NFWF funds to procure equipment. If this applies to your project, please contact the program staff listed in this RFP to discuss options.
• Federal funds and matching contributions may not be used to procure or obtain equipment, services, or systems (including entering into or renewing a contract) that uses telecommunications equipment or services produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities) as a substantial or essential component, or as critical technology of any system. Refer to Public Law 115-232, section 889 for additional information.
• NFWF funds and matching contributions may not be used to support political advocacy, fundraising, lobbying, litigation, terrorist activities or Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.
• NFWF funds may not be used to support ongoing efforts to comply with legal requirements, including permit conditions, mitigation and settlement agreements. However, grant funds may be used to support projects that enhance or improve upon existing baseline compliance efforts.

For more information, visit Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program.

For more information, visit https://www.nfwf.org/programs/five-star-and-urban-waters-restoration-grant-program/five-star-and-urban-waters-restoration-grant-program-2023-request-proposals