[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 49 (Monday, March 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13296-13298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6024]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


North American Wetlands Conservation Council; Standard Grant 
Application Instructions

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Instructions for applying for standard grants under the U.S. 
North American Wetlands Conservation Act. This notice focuses on 
proposals for grants of $51,000 to $1,000,000 for the acquisition, 
restoration, and enhancement of wetlands. We will issue a separate 
notice for grant proposals requesting up to $50,000 for these purposes.

DATES: Proposals may be submitted at any time. To ensure adequate 
review time prior to upcoming North American Wetlands Conservation 
Council (Council) meetings, the Council Coordinator must receive 
proposals by the last Friday in March (3/31/00) and July (7/28/00). The 
electronic mail copy of the Proposal Summary is due 1 week earlier (3/
24/00 and 7/21/00).

ADDRESSES: For detailed application instructions, sample proposal 
information, frequently asked questions, and summaries of recently 
approved proposals, visit the North American Wetlands Conservation Act 
(NAWCA) web site at http://northamerican.fws.gov/nawcahp.html. If you 
cannot access the web site, request computer disk or paper copies of 
the web site material from the Council Coordinator, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 110, Arlington, VA 
22203. Send proposals to the Council Coordinator at the above address. 
If you choose to submit the Proposal Summary by electronic mail (versus 
computer disk), send to [email protected]. Mail one original 
and two copies of the proposal to the Council Coordinator. Also, mail 
an electronic copy of the Proposal Summary on computer disk with the 
rest of the proposal or send an electronic copy by electronic mail to 
[email protected]. Send a copy of the proposal to your U.S. 
North American Waterfowl Management Plan Coordinator.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: North American Wetlands Conservation 
Council Coordinator at (703) 358-1784, [email protected] or 
[email protected] or an NAWMP Joint Venture Coordinator 
(Coordinator) at the numbers given below. Coordinators can give you 
advice about developing a proposal and about proposal ranking and can 
provide compliance requirements for the National Environmental Policy 
Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and contaminant surveys. Even 
though all areas of all States are not in a Joint Venture, each 
Coordinator is available to provide information to NAWCA applicants. To 
determine which Coordinator to call, consult the following Joint 
Venture list, but note that some States are in more than one Joint 
Venture and may be listed more than once. To determine exactly which 
Joint Venture you are in, consult the NAWMP Joint Venture map at http://northamerican.fws.gov/nawmphp.html.

Atlantic Coast (AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, 
Puerto Rico, RI, SC, VA, Virgin Islands, VT, WV) 413-253-8269
Central Valley (CA) 916-414-6459
Gulf Coast (AL, LA, MS, TX) 505-248-6876
Intermountain West (AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY) 801-
524-5110
Lower Mississippi Valley (AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX) 601-629-6600

[[Page 13297]]

Pacific Coast (AK, Am. Samoa, CA, Com. of N. Mariana Islands, Guam, HI, 
OR, WA) 360-696-7630
Playa Lakes (CO, KS, NM, OK, TX) 505-248-6877
Prairie Pothole (IA, MN, MT, ND, SD) 303-236-8145 extension 605
Rainwater Basin (KS, NE) 308-382-8112
Upper Mississippi River-Great Lakes (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, 
OH, WI) 612-713-5433

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council has two U.S. conservation grants 
programs for acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of wetlands. Any 
individual or organization who has a long-term, partner-based project 
with matching funds can apply. The focus of this notice is standard 
grant proposals for requests from $51,000 to $1,000,000 per proposal. A 
separate notice will be issued sometime this year for small grant 
proposals for requests up to $50,000 per proposal.
    This notice provides general instructions to develop and submit a 
NAWCA standard grant proposal. In order to complete a proposal 
correctly, consult the web site at http://northamerican.fws.gov/nawcahp.html for detailed instructions. If you cannot access the web 
site or want a printed version of the complete instructions or a 
personal computer disk that contains proposal forms, contact the 
Council Coordinator.
    We prepare the instructions to assist partners in developing 
proposals that comply with NAWCA. The NAWCA established the Council, a 
Federal-State-private body that recommends projects to the Migratory 
Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) for final approval and requires 
that proposals contain a minimum 1:1 ratio of non-Federal matching 
funds to grant funds. ``Match'' (as referred to throughout this 
document) can be cash, in-kind services, or land acquired/title donated 
for wetlands conservation purposes.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501), 
the Office of Management and Budget has assigned clearance number 1018-
0100 to this information collection 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 Council and MBCC, is 
necessary to determine the eligibility and relative value of wetland 
projects, results in an approximate paperwork burden of 400 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. 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.

Standard Grant Instructions

    Detailed instructions are available at the NAWCA web site at http://northamerican.fws.gov/nawcahp.html.
    Proposal Definition. A proposal is a 4-year plan of action 
supported by a NAWCA grant and matching partner funds to conserve 
wetlands and wetlands-dependent fish and wildlife through acquisition 
(including easements and land title donations), restoration, and/or 
enhancement (including creation). Match must be non-Federal and at 
least equal the grant request (referred to as a 1:1 match). Match is 
eligible up to 2 years prior to the due date year the proposal is 
submitted, and grant and match funds are eligible during the 2-year 
future Grant Agreement period.
    Proposal Format. The 2-page Proposal Summary has a specific format. 
The rest of the proposal should be no more than 10 pages (not including 
the budget table, maps, and partner letters), and each page should be 
no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches. It is suggested, but not required, 
that maps be in color. Neither the original nor copies should be 
permanently bound. A proposal contains the following sections: Cover 
Page; Summary; Purpose; Scope of Work; Budget Table; Budget Narrative; 
Matching Contributions Plan (optional); Technical Assessment Questions; 
Funding Commitment Letters; Location Information; Standard Form 424 and 
Attachments.
    Proposal Cover Page. The Cover Page contains the following 
sections: Proposal Title and State(s); Date Submitted; Future 
Proposals; Project Officer Information; Project Officer's Checklist; 
and Comments on the NAWCA Program. The Project Officer administers the 
Grant Agreement and is ultimately responsible for complying with 
Federal regulations. Correspondence is sent only to the Project 
Officer. Each proposal can have only one Project Officer, who must 
belong to the grant recipient's organization.
    Proposal Summary. The Summary is a digest of information that is 
detailed in the rest of the proposal. The Summary is the only narrative 
material provided to the Council and MBCC, so it must be descriptive 
and succinct. The Summary contains the following sections: Proposal 
Title and States; Counties and Congressional Districts; Costs and Acres 
Summary; Purpose and Scope of Work Summary; and Wetland Values Summary.
    Proposal Purpose. Use the Purpose to provide a description of how 
all the pieces of the proposal fit together to form a solid wetlands 
and migratory bird conservation proposal that should be funded under 
the NAWCA.
    Proposal Scope of Work. The Scope of Work describes the purpose, 
need, kinds of work to be done, habitats, and associated wildlife 
(especially wetland associated migratory birds) and explains how the 
proposal meets objectives of the NAWMP Joint Ventures, Partners in 
Flight neotropical bird regional plans, the U.S. Shorebird Plan, the 
Colonial Waterbird Plan, and other migratory birds and wetlands 
conservation plans (including water quality management plans). If the 
proposal is part of a larger multiphase or landscape level project, 
explain how it fits into the larger effort.
    Proposal Budget Table. The Budget Table displays activities and 
costs broken out by grant funding and partner funding according to cost 
elements (personnel and travel, appraisals, fee title acquired, fee 
title donated, easements and leases acquired and donated, materials and 
equipment, contracts, management agreements acquired and donated).
    Proposal Budget Narrative. The Budget Narrative contains the 
justification for a grant request over $1,000,000 and detailed tract/
project information. The tract/project design for this section is 
optional; however, if you use another format, be sure to include all 
required information and be sure that the reader can easily compare 
figures in the Budget Narrative and Budget Table. A sample Budget 
Narrative is available on the web site. In general, the following 
information is required for each tract or project within the proposal: 
(1) Costs and acres broken out by grant funding and individual partner 
funding for each activity and cost element; (2) Designation of grant 
and match tracts on map in proposal; (3) Acres of wetlands, wetlands-
associated

[[Page 13298]]

uplands, and other habitat types; (4) Migratory bird values and 
wetlands values; (5) Title holder after proposal is completed; (6) 
Summary of acquired property rights; (7) Matching Contributions Plan 
information; (8) Explanation of property donations; (9) Justification 
for match affiliated with wetlands mitigation banks; and (10) 
Milestones and completion dates.
    Matching Contributions Plan. If you have contributions made in the 
early phases of a multiphase project and sufficient NAWCA proposals 
cannot be submitted before the match is more than 2 years old, you may 
request approval to use the match in the future by submitting a 
Matching Contributions Plan (Match Plan) with a proposal. A Match Plan 
must include match that is eligible at the time the proposal is 
submitted, be submitted with a proposal, may be approved only (in 
writing) if the proposal with which it is submitted is funded, should 
not be more than one page long, and should show use of the match over a 
period no greater than 5 years.
    Technical Assessment Questions. The Council uses seven Technical 
Assessment Questions to evaluate proposals. The questions, subparts, 
and point values follow. Questions 1 and 2 include priority lists of 
species, so you need to refer to the web site or the Council 
Coordinator's office to complete a proposal. Answer the questions for 
the completed proposal and all tracts in the proposal (grant and 
match).
    1. How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of 
waterfowl habitat (high-priority species, other priority species, other 
waterfowl)? 15 points
    2. How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of other 
wetland-dependent or wetland-associated migratory birds (breeding and 
wintering priority species, in-transit migrants of concern, other 
wetland-dependent species)? 15 points
    3. How does the proposal benefit the North American Waterfowl 
Management Plan and contribute to sites that have been recognized for 
wetland values (Joint Ventures, Waterfowl Habitat Areas of Concern, 
specially recognized areas)? 15 points
    4. How does the proposal relate to the National status and trends 
of wetlands types (acres of decreasing, stable, and increasing wetlands 
types; acres of uplands)? 10 points
    5. How does the proposal contribute to long-term conservation of 
wetlands and associated habitats (acres accruing benefits in 
perpetuity, for 26-99 years, for 10-25 years, and for less than 10 
years)? 15 points
    6. How does the proposal contribute to the conservation of habitat 
for Federally listed, proposed and candidate endangered species, State-
listed species, and other wetland-dependent fish and wildlife (Federal 
species, State species, other wetland-dependent fish and wildlife)? 10 
points
    7. How does the proposal satisfy the partnership purpose of the 
North American Wetlands Conservation Act (ratio of the non-Federal 
match to the grant request, non-Federal partners who contribute 10 
percent of the grant request, partner categories, important partnership 
aspects)? 20 points
    Funding Commitment Letters. Send signed commitment letters from all 
match partners, including the grant recipient and private landowners 
(if providing funds or land as match), by the proposal due date. The 
proposal will be returned if the 1:1 match is not documented by partner 
letters. Letters must document the exact contribution level identified 
in the proposal and whether the contribution is in cash, goods, 
services, or land; the partner's responsibility in the proposal's 
implementation, including land donations; how the partner was involved 
in proposal planning; and that the partner is fully aware of how the 
contribution will be spent.
    Location Information. State a central point location for the 
proposal in terms of latitude and longitude and provide 8.5 by 11-inch 
color (preferred) maps that give the following information: (1) 
Location of the tracts within State(s) and counties where grant and 
match funds will be spent and location of land matches; (2) Location of 
acquisition priority areas if specific tracts cannot be given; (3) 
Location of major water control structures and other restoration/
enhancement features; (4) Location of natural features, such as rivers 
or lakes, to show how the proposal fits into the natural landscape; and 
if applicable, (5) Show where the proposal is in relation to a larger 
wetlands conservation project.
    Standard Form 424 ``Application for Federal Assistance'' and 
Assurances Forms B ``Non-construction'' and D ``Construction.'' All 
applicants, except the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, must send an SF 
424 and the B, D, or both Assurances forms with the proposal. All 
applicants must comply with the laws listed on the Assurances forms. 
The forms are available via the Internet at http://www.gsa.gov/forms/ 
or from the Council Coordinator.
    Exhibits and Examples. Examples of various sections of a proposal, 
a list of eligible and ineligible activities and costs, general 
information about the NAWCA program, and a directory are available via 
the web site or from the Council Coordinator and should be consulted at 
some time in the proposal development process.
    Blank Proposal Forms. The following forms are available from the 
web site for you to download and use to develop a proposal: A blank 
proposal form developed using Microsoft Word, a blank proposal form 
using Word Perfect, and a blank Budget Table using Microsoft Excel.

    Dated: March 6, 2000.
Jamie Rappaport Clark,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 00-6024 Filed 3-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P