Opportunity Information: Apply for F15AS00456
The NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT PROPOSAL SUMMARY (Funding Opportunity Number F15AS00456) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) notice stating the agency's intent to make a single-source award under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). This is not an open grant competition and there is no full funding announcement attached to the notice. Instead, USFWS is signaling that it plans to issue one cooperative agreement to a specific recipient, resulting in one expected award.
The core purpose of the planned cooperative agreement is to permanently protect a strategic tract of land made up of forested palustrine wetlands and bring that tract into National Wildlife Refuge ownership and management. In practical terms, the project is about acquiring key parcels so they can be managed as part of the refuge system over the long term, rather than remaining vulnerable to development or incompatible land uses. The notice emphasizes permanence: the intent is to secure lasting protection and integrate the property directly into refuge operations and stewardship.
A central feature of the project is leveraging partnerships and conservation easement lands to complete these acquisitions for the USFWS Lowcountry Refuge Complex. The goal is to use NAWCA funds alongside partner contributions and existing conservation tools (such as easements) to assemble or secure strategically important parcels. The project is framed as supporting climate change adaptation and resilience, meaning the lands being protected are expected to help wildlife and habitats better withstand or adjust to climate-driven pressures such as sea-level rise, changing hydrology, stronger storms, and shifting species needs. By targeting wetlands, which provide natural flood storage, water filtration, carbon storage, and habitat connectivity, the project aligns land protection with broader resilience benefits.
Geographically, the project is located within the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV), specifically in the Upper Waccamaw Waterfowl Focus Areas. That location matters because Joint Ventures are regional conservation partnerships that implement national bird conservation priorities, and focus areas are identified as especially important for sustaining bird populations. The notice also states that the project will significantly contribute to national and regional bird conservation plans, indicating that the acquisitions are expected to provide measurable benefits for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent birds by protecting habitat quantity, quality, and landscape connectivity.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency in carrying out the project compared to a standard grant. The funding activity category is listed broadly (Education, Environment, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development), and the associated CFDA number is 15.650. The eligible applicants field is marked "Unrestricted," but that does not functionally open the door to applicants in this case because the notice explicitly states it is not a request for applications.
The decision not to compete the award is justified by departmental policy cited in the notice (505 DM 2.14, B(2)), and the agency notes that this determination is within its discretion. The posting dates indicate the notice was created on 2015-09-11 with an original closing date of 2015-09-18, which in this context functions more as an administrative timeline for the notice rather than an application deadline. The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source data, which often reflects that the specific funding amount is not being publicly listed in the notice or is handled outside of a typical competitive posting format.Apply for F15AS00456
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the education, environment, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT PROPOSAL SUMMARY" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.650.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2015-09-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-09-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) notice titled NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT PROPOSAL SUMMARY under Funding Opportunity Number F15AS00456. It communicates USFWS's intent to make a single-source award under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA).
Is this an open grant competition?
No. The notice explicitly states it is not a request for applications and it is not an open competition. USFWS is signaling its intent to make one award to a specific recipient.
How many awards does USFWS expect to make?
The notice indicates one expected award.
What type of award will be made?
The planned funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally implies more direct federal involvement in the project than a standard grant.
What is the main purpose of the planned cooperative agreement?
The core purpose is to permanently protect a strategic tract of land consisting of forested palustrine wetlands by acquiring key parcels and bringing them into National Wildlife Refuge ownership and management.
What does "permanently protect" mean in this notice?
Based on the notice language, permanence refers to securing lasting protection by integrating the land into National Wildlife Refuge ownership and long-term refuge stewardship, rather than leaving it vulnerable to development or incompatible land uses.
What kinds of lands are being targeted for protection?
The tract is described as forested palustrine wetlands. The project focuses on acquiring strategically important wetland parcels for long-term conservation management.
Which refuge area is associated with this project?
The acquisitions are described as supporting the USFWS Lowcountry Refuge Complex.
How will partnerships be used in this project?
The notice emphasizes leveraging partnerships and using NAWCA funds alongside partner contributions to complete acquisitions.
What role do conservation easements play in the project?
The notice highlights leveraging conservation easement lands and other conservation tools as part of assembling or securing strategically important parcels for the refuge complex.
How does the project relate to climate change adaptation and resilience?
The project is framed as supporting climate change adaptation and resilience by protecting wetland landscapes expected to help wildlife and habitats withstand or adjust to climate-related pressures (such as sea-level rise, changing hydrology, stronger storms, and shifting species needs).
Why are wetlands important in this project?
The notice connects wetlands protection to broader resilience benefits, describing wetlands as providing natural functions such as flood storage, water filtration, carbon storage, and habitat connectivity.
Where is the project located?
The project is located within the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV), specifically in the Upper Waccamaw Waterfowl Focus Areas.
Why does the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV) location matter?
The notice explains that Joint Ventures are regional partnerships that implement national bird conservation priorities, and focus areas are identified as especially important for sustaining bird populations. The project location is presented as strategically important for bird conservation.
What conservation outcomes are expected for birds?
The notice states the project will significantly contribute to national and regional bird conservation plans, with expected measurable benefits for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent birds by protecting habitat quantity, quality, and landscape connectivity.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA number listed is 15.650.
What is the funding activity category?
The notice lists the funding activity category broadly as Education, Environment, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development.
Is the opportunity considered discretionary?
Yes. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary.
If the eligible applicants field says "Unrestricted," can anyone apply?
Not in practice for this notice. While the field is marked "Unrestricted", the notice also clearly states it is not a request for applications and the agency intends to issue a single-source award to a specific recipient.
Is there a full funding announcement (FOA) attached?
No. The notice states there is no full funding announcement attached. It functions as a notice of intent rather than a standard competitive posting with application materials.
What is the justification for not competing the award?
The notice cites departmental policy 505 DM 2.14, B(2) as the basis for making a single-source award, and notes that the determination is within the agency's discretion.
What are the posting dates and what do they mean here?
The notice was created on 2015-09-11 and shows an original closing date of 2015-09-18. In this context, these dates function as an administrative timeline for the notice rather than an application deadline, since the notice is not soliciting applications.
What is the award ceiling amount?
The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source data. This often indicates the specific funding amount is not publicly listed in the notice or is being handled outside a typical competitive posting format.
Does an award ceiling of 0 mean there is no funding?
Not necessarily. Based on the notice context, the "0" ceiling appears to reflect how the data is presented for this type of single-source intent notice, not a statement that no funds will be used.
What is the overall goal of the land acquisition described?
The overall goal is to secure strategically important wetland parcels so they can be managed within the National Wildlife Refuge system over the long term, helping conserve wetlands and support broader wildlife habitat and resilience objectives.
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Previous opportunity: Regional Scale Collaboration to Facilitate a Domestic Critical Minerals Future: Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (F15AS00456) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Apply for F15AS00457 Funding Number: F15AS00457 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Improving the integration between the Natural & Built Environment within the S. Atlantic Conservation Blueprint Apply for F15AS00458 Funding Number: F15AS00458 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Fort Knox Biological Assessment, Forest Delineation and Bat Conservation Apply for F15AS00461 Funding Number: F15AS00461 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Continued Automated software Analysis for Bat Identification in the East.��� Apply for F15AS00459 Funding Number: F15AS00459 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Apply for F15AS00465 Funding Number: F15AS00465 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Noxubee River System and Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge Apply for F15AS00467 Funding Number: F15AS00467 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT PROPOSAL SUMMARY SC COASTAL REFUGES PARTNERSHIP, SOUTH CAROLINA (NAWCA) Apply for F16AS00001 Funding Number: F16AS00001 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cape Fear Spatterdock (Nuphar sagittifolia) and Raven���s Seedbox (Ludwigia ravenii) Apply for F16AS00002 Funding Number: F16AS00002 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) Award (One task statement) Apply for FA NOFO0026 001 Funding Number: FA NOFO0026 001 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Education, Environment, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $25,000 |
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