Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance

 

To provide financial assistance to eligible entities for: response, recovery, rescue, treatment, and, as appropriate, release of West Indian manatees, sea otters, Pacific walruses, and polar bears; the collection of data for scientific research associated with the health of these species; and facility operation costs for these species, as appropriate.

Active 15.683 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants Not applicable. Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Act, 16 U.S.C. 1421f-I; Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.; Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-6). To be eligible, an applicant must be a current participant or researcher associated with marine mammal stranding efforts and must demonstrate they have authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361, et seq.) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq.), if the marine mammal species is listed under the ESA. Authorization may include a permit issued under section 104(c) or an agreement under section 112(c) to take marine mammals as described in section 109(h)(1) in response to stranded marine mammals. Eligibility also includes Federal (except DOI and DOC), State, or local government employees operating in the course of their official duties as indicated under 109(h). The recipients are the primary beneficiaries. The projects may have secondary benefits to States that have the identified marine mammal species in waters under State jurisdiction and supports Federal requirements for conservation of marine mammals, and other public resources. Applicants must provide a copy of their issued permit, letter of authorization, section 112 agreement, or evidence of authorization under section 109(h) along with their application request for funding. We will also accept evidence that an applicant has applied for one of these authorization, e.g., a copy of the request for authorization; however, if proof (i.e., a copy) of the final authorization is not provided by the time the agency is ready to make an award, the applicant would be determined not qualified to receive an award. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Proposals are submitted through Grants.gov. Applicants need to address the program and species-specific priorities identified in the Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The NOFO also identifies the documents that must accompany the application. Applications submitted within the identified deadline will be screened for completeness and eligibility, which includes: completed forms 424, 424A, and 424B; evidence of authorization under MMPA and ESA, if listed; submission by deadline date; signature and date by authorized representative; at least a 25% cost share; an eligible activity; at least one of the species-specific funding priorities; a budget and statement of work with milestones, and identification of the Principal Investigator. Those that pass the initial screening will be provided to the appropriate Service staff for conducting the review. The review will consider: the importance and applicability of the proposal; soundness and ability to accomplish the project; qualifications of applicants; costs; and outreach and education, as appropriate. Those applications that receive a top score will undergo further review, which will focus on the program needs and species priorities before providing recommendations for equitable funding to the Selecting Official. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 120 to 180 days. Not applicable. Recipients may request funding for a subsequent year/cycle of a currently funded project. However, these requests are subject to the same submission, review, and approval requirements as all new applications. This program will fund any approved renewal application as new award, not as an amendment to an existing award. Future or continued funding will be at the discretion of the Service, based on the availability of each fiscal year funding and satisfactory performance. Recipients may request approval for budget and project plan revisions of funded projects, including period of performance and reporting due date extensions, in accordance with 2 CFR 200. All eligible applicants must be current participants or researchers associated with marine mammal stranding efforts. Projects will be considered based on: (1) importance and applicability to the program; (2) soundness and ability to accomplish the proposed project; (3) overall qualifications of applicants; (4) project costs; and (5) outreach and education, as appropriate. Determination of priorities may consider program and species needs, any episodic stranding, anomalous mortality event, or unusual mortality event that occurred in the preceding year, data regarding average annual strandings and mortality events per year, and size and vulnerability of the marine mammal populations. The selection process may consider costs, geographical distribution, financial need, duplication with other federally funded projects, and equitable distribution of funds among the designated stranding regions and species/stocks. Funds will be awarded to and must be used by recipients for: response, recovery, rescue, treatment, and, as appropriate, release of marine mammals under the management jurisdiction of the Service (i.e., West Indian manatees, sea otters, Pacific walruses, and polar bears); the collection of data for scientific research associated with the health of these marine mammal species; and facility operation costs, as appropriate. Performance Reports: Performance reports are required. Recipients must monitor and report on project performance in accordance with the requirements in 2 CFR 200.328. A final performance report is due within 90 calendar days of the award period of performance end date, unless the awarding program approves a due date extension. The FWS details all reporting requirements including frequency and due dates in Notices of Award. Not applicable. Recipients will maintain records in accordance with 2 CFR 200. The recipient is required to maintain files of all records associated with funds provided under the grant, including supporting documentation, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the notice of award letter. The grantee must maintain records for three years from the date when the final expenditure report is submitted. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. 25%. Per section 408(d) and (e) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the program provides for a maximum Federal award for each project of up to $100,000 and a minimum non-Federal cost share of 25 percent of total project costs. The agency may apply in-kind contributions (i.e., the fair market value of property and services) to the non-Federal share.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Grants are expected to be provided for a one-year time period; however, this may vary from 12 months to 3 years depending on the type of project. Program obligates funds and sends a notice of award letter to successful applicants. Award terms and conditions will be outlined in the notice of award. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on Grants.gov for appropriate points of contact. Chief, Branch of Environmental Response and Restoration
Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW (MS: ES)
Washington, DC 20240 USA
fwsgrants@fws.gov
Phone: (703) 358-2171 14-1611-0-1-302 (Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 18$0.00; FY 19 est $0.00; FY 20 est $920,000.00; - This is a new program. The first round of awards are anticipated for FY2020. Not applicable/available. Not applicable. Not applicable.