[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6737-6739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-3459]


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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: This notice includes instructions for applying for standard 
grants (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION) under the U.S. North American 
Wetlands Conservation Act.

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 March 1, 2002 and July 26, 2002.

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://birdhabitat.fws.gov. If you cannot access 
the web site, contact the Council Coordinator at U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, 4401 North Fairfax 
Drive, Room 110, Arlington, VA 22203 or by phone at 703-358-1784 or by 
fax at 703-358-2282 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Send proposals to the 
Council Coordinator at the above address by mail (faxed proposals are 
not accepted). Mail one original, three copies, and a computer disk 
version of the proposal to the Council Coordinator. Send a copy of the 
proposal to your U.S. North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) 
Coordinator (see next section) and all partners in the proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: North American Wetlands Conservation 
Council Coordinator at (703) 358-1784 or [email protected], Bettina Sparrowe 
at (703) 358-1784 or [email protected] or a 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, Endangered Species 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 (note that only the States in Joint 
Ventures are listed below) or consult the NAWMP Joint Venture map at 
http://birdhabitat.fws.gov/NAWCA/images/namap.gif.

Atlantic Coast (CT, DE, FL, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, Puerto 
Rico, RI, SC, VA, VT, WV) 413-253-8269
Central Valley (Central Valley of 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-
975-3330 x 129
Lower Mississippi Valley (AR, KY, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX) 601-629-6600
Pacific Coast (CA,OR, WA) 360-696-7630
Playa Lakes (CO, KS, NM, OK, TX) 303-659-8750
Prairie Pothole (IA, MN, MT, ND, SD) 303-236-8155 x 252
Rainwater Basin (NE) 308-382-8112
San Francisco Bay (San Francisco Bay in CA) 916-414-6459
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 in 
the U.S. 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 later 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://birdhabitat.fws.gov for 
detailed instructions. If you cannot access the web site or want a 
printed version of the 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, DC 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, DC 20503.

[[Page 6738]]

Standard Grant Instructions

    This Federal Register notice contains basic information about NAWCA 
standard grant proposals. Detailed instructions are available at the 
NAWCA web site at http://birdhabitat.fws.gov. A standard grant proposal 
is a 4-year plan of action supported by a NAWCA grant and partner funds 
to conserve wetlands and wetlands-associated 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 two years prior to the year the 
proposal is submitted, and grant and match funds are eligible during 
the two-year future Grant Agreement period.
    Proposal Format. The Summary has a specific format. With the 
exception of the one-page Cover Page, Matching Contributions Plan, 
Standard Form 424, and two-page Summary, there are no page number 
limitations. The ultimate size of the proposal will depend on its 
complexity, but we request that you attempt to minimize the size of the 
proposal. Each page should be no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches. Neither 
the original proposal, nor required copies, should be permanently 
bound. A proposal contains the following sections: Project Officer's 
Page; Summary; Purpose and Scope; Budget and Matching Contributions 
Plan; Technical Assessment Questions; Funding Commitment Letters; Tract 
and Location Information; Standard Form 424 and Attachments; and 
Required Attachments.
    Proposal Project Officer's Page and Checklist. This part contains 
the following sections: Proposal Title, State(s), Latitude/Longitude; 
Date Submitted; Previous and Future Proposals; Project Officer 
Information; Project Officer's Statements; and Comments on the NAWCA 
Program. 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. The Project Officer states that 
partners have reviewed the Grant Agreement, so the Grant Agreement is 
available via the NAWCA web site at http://birdhabitat.fws.gov/NAWCA/grant.pdf.
    Proposal Summary. The Summary is the only narrative material 
provided to the Council and MBCC, so it must be descriptive and 
succinct. This part contains the following sections: Proposal Title, 
Congressional Districts, States; and Narrative.
    Proposal Purpose and Scope. Use this part to describe how all the 
pieces of the proposal fit together to form a solid wetlands and 
migratory bird conservation proposal that should be funded under NAWCA. 
This part contains the following sections: Context of the NAWCA 
Proposal; Threat and Special Circumstances; Public and Private Use and 
Support; and Work Plan.
    Proposal Budget and Matching Contributions Plan. This part contains 
the following sections: Compliance Statement; Subrecipients; Budget 
Justification; Justification for Grant Request that Exceeds $1,000,000; 
and Matching Contributions Plan. The Budget Justification displays 
activities and costs broken out by grant funding and partner funding 
according to cost categories (Non-contract Personnel and Travel, Fee 
Title Acquisitions and Donations, Easement and Lease Acquisitions and 
Donations, Materials and Equipment, Contracts, and Indirect and Other 
Costs) and contains eligibility information about partner matching 
funds/work and cost details.
    If you have matching funds in addition to those used in the 
proposal and you need to maintain the eligibility of those funds beyond 
two years for future proposals, you may request approval to use the 
match in the future by submitting a one-page Matching Contributions 
Plan (Match Plan) with the proposal. A Match Plan is optional, but, if 
submitted, must include the following information: Match Plan Amount 
and Purpose; Match Intent; Match Need; and a chart.
    Technical Assessment Questions. The Council uses seven Technical 
Assessment Questions, site visits, available funding, and other 
information to select proposals. See the table at the end of this 
notice that shows the Technical Assessment Questions and point values. 
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).
    Funding Commitment Letters. To document match, send signed 
commitment letters from all matching and non-matching partners, 
including the grant recipient and private landowners (if providing 
funds or land as match), with the proposal. 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. 
Letters have 3 sections: Contributions Statements; Compliance 
Statements; and Partnership Statements.
    Tract and Location Information. Give the following information for 
each tract in the proposal: (1) Acreage; (2) Activity, method, and 
schedule for work on the tract; (3) Funding source; (4) Township, 
range, section, county, and state; (5) Title holder at completion of 
proposal; and (6) Whether tract is affected by a Matching Contributions 
Plan.
    Provide one to two 8.5 by 11-inch color (preferred) maps with the 
following information: (1) Location of tracts within State(s) and 
counties where grant and match funds have or will be spent; (2) 
Identification of fee-title, easement, and lease tracts or 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 (5) If 
applicable, location of previous and future NAWCA grant proposal sites; 
and (6) If applicable, where the proposal is in relation to a larger 
wetlands conservation project. The proposal title should be on each 
map. One to two aerial photographs may also be submitted.
    Required Attachments. If applicable, attach 8.5 by 11-inch copies 
of the following: (1) Easements and leases in place when the proposal 
was submitted; (2) Model easements and leases; (3) Your negotiated 
indirect cost rate agreement; and (4) Sample/model landowner 
agreements.
    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/, 
at http://www.nctc.fws.gov/fedaid/toolkit/toolkit.pdf or from the 
Council Coordinator.
    Exhibits and Examples. Examples of various sections of a proposal, 
lists of eligible and ineligible activities and costs, general process 
information about the NAWCA program, and people and organizations who 
may be contacted for

[[Page 6739]]

assistance 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: (1) A blank 
proposal form developed using Microsoft Word; (2) A blank proposal form 
using Word Perfect; and (3) A blank optional budget table using 
Microsoft Excel (very useful for planning and may be submitted with the 
proposal).

    Dated: January 15, 2002.
Steve Funderburk,
Acting Deputy Assistant Director, Migratory Birds and, State Programs, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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  Technical assessment questions                Points = 100
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#1. How does the proposal           Maximum = 15
 contribute to the conservation of
 waterfowl habitat?
    A. High priority species......  0-7
    B. Other priority species.....  0-5
    C. Other waterfowl............  0-3
#2. How does the proposal           Maximum = 15
 contribute to the conservation of
 other wetland-dependent or
 wetland-associated migratory
 birds?
    A. Bird Conservation Regions
     and high priority birds.
    B. Other wetland-associated
     birds.
#3. How does the proposal benefit   Maximum = 15
 the North American Waterfowl
 Management Plan and contribute to
 sites that have been recognized
 for wetland values?
A. Joint Ventures and Areas of      0-10, 0-8, 0-4, 0-?
 Concern: Prairie Pothole Joint
 Venture, Other Joint Ventures,
 Areas of Concern, combination.
    B. Specially recognized sites.  0-5
#4. How does the proposal relate    Maximum = 10
 to the National status and trends
 of wetlands types?
    A. Decreasing wetlands types..  0-10
    B. Stable wetlands types......  0-4
    C. Increasing wetlands types..  0-1
    D. No trend data types........  0-?
    E. Uplands....................  0-8
#5. How does the proposal           Maximum = 15
 contribute to long-term
 conservation of wetlands and
 associated habitats?
    A. Benefits in perpetuity.....  0-12
    B. Benefits for 26-99 years...  0-8
    C. Benefits for 10-25 years...  0-6
    D. Benefits for 10 years......  0-4
    E. Significance to long-term    0-3
     conservation.
#6. How does the proposal           Maximum = 10
 contribute to the conservation of
 habitat for Federally listed,
 proposed, and candidate
 endangered species, State-listed
 species, and other wetland-
 dependent fish and wildlife?
    A. Federal endangered,          0-3, 0-4, 0-5
     threatened, proposed or
     candidate species (1, 2, >2).
    B. State-listed species (1).
    C. Other wetland-dependent      0-2
     fish and wildlife (1).
#7. How does the proposal satisfy   Maximum = 20
 the partnership purpose of the
 North American Wetlands
 Conservation Act?
    A. Ratio of non-Federal match   0, 1, 3, 6
     to grant ( 1:1,
     1.01-1.49:1, 1.5-1.99:1,  2:1).
    B. Matching partners            0, 1, 2, 3
     contributing 10% of the grant
     request (0-, 1, 2, 3, >3).
    C. Partner categories (1, 2,    0, 2, 3, 4
     3, >3).
    D. Important partnership        0-7
     aspects.
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[FR Doc. 02-3459 Filed 2-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P