US: Refuge Enhancement /Infrastructure Partnerships Initiative

Deadline: 15-Sep-22

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is accepting applications for the Refuge Enhancement/Infrastructure Partnerships Initiative to encourage National Wildlife Refuge System field stations to partner with local, regional, and national nonprofit organizations, other land management groups, state and tribal partners, and others to accomplish projects that:

• promote the stewardship of resources of the refuge through habitat maintenance, restoration, and improvement, biological monitoring, or research;
• support the operation and maintenance of the refuge through constructing, operating, maintaining,
• or improving the facilities and services of the refuge;
• increase awareness and understanding of the refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System through the development, publication, or distribution of educational materials and products;
• advance education concerning the purposes of the refuge and the mission of the System through the use of the refuge as an outdoor classroom to combine educational curricula with the personal experiences of students relating to fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitat and to the cultural and historical resources of the refuges and development of other educational programs;
• promote the understanding of, education relating to, and the conservation of the fish, wildlife, plants, and cultural and historical resources;
• improve scientific literacy.

The goals of the initiative are to enable local communities to play a more active role in increasing outdoor recreation opportunities on refuge lands and waters, to be more focused and deliberate in using partnerships to help the Service address infrastructure repair and improvement needs such as proactive maintenance and the maintenance backlog, and to enhance wildlife habitat. This initiative will enable the Service to leverage funds and staff resources.

Priorities

Additionally, this initiative can help address multiple Service priorities as a catalyst for:

• Economic and Conservation Enhancement
• Career Training and Mentoring Opportunities for Youth and Adults
• Equity and Inclusion in Conservation and Recreation
• Climate and Wildlife Resilience
• Community Health

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Funding: $5,000,000
• Maximum Award: $250,000
• Minimum Award: $5,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • State governments
  • County governments
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Independent school districts
  • For profit organization other than small businesses
  • Small businesses
  • Others
• Additional Information on Eligibility
  • Be a state or local government entity, the governing body of any Indian tribe, a nonprofit organization, or an accredited institution of higher education.
  • Have financial policies and procedures that reflect generally accepted accounting principles. 
  • Have risk management policies that reflect industry standards and are proactive and thorough in mitigating and managing risk.
  • Have a current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Service (national, regional office, or field station) that clearly identifies both organization’s roles and responsibilities for implementing the type of project the Partner Organization is proposing (i.e. an organization will not need a new MOU for every individual project if the current MOU includes the type of project being proposed).
  • Contribute a minimum of 50% of the total costs of the project, either as cash or qualified third party in-kind contributions which can include donations of items considered a reasonable expense of the project such as labor, materials, supplies, or equipment loans.
  • Other Organizations that have a established Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service such as 501(c) 4 or 501(c) 5 nonprofit organizations that are labor unions, neighborhood associations, or other types of eligible organizations, including those that reach or represent potentially underserved communities.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=338266