Migratory Bird Joint Ventures | F17AS00389

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00389

The Migratory Bird Joint Ventures grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00389) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Department of the Interior notice describing an intended single, sole-source cooperative agreement in the Northeast Region. Rather than being a broadly competed program, the announcement explains that USFWS plans to issue one financial assistance award to a specific organization, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), based in The Plains, Virginia. The funding authority cited for the work comes from two long-standing federal wildlife statutes: the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as amended; 16 U.S.C. 742a-754) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 709a). The stated rationale for selecting ABC is that this effort continues work ABC has already been funded to perform in support of Appalachian Mountain Joint Venture (AMJV) operations, and that ABC has unique qualifications suited to carrying out AMJV priority implementation.

At its core, the award is meant to support bird habitat conservation planning and evaluation carried out by AMJV staff and partners. The AMJV is part of the broader Joint Venture framework used in U.S. migratory bird conservation, and the activities described fit within the Strategic Habitat Conservation approach, which emphasizes using the best available science to set priorities, design conservation strategies, and then evaluate whether actions are delivering results for focal species and habitats. A major theme in the notice is that joint ventures must periodically revisit their priority species and habitat assumptions as new scientific information becomes available, because shifting trends in bird populations or improved analytical methods can change what conservation actions are most urgent or most effective.

The specific scientific driver highlighted in the notice is the 2017 update to Partners in Flight's Landbird Conservation Plan. That update included new analyses affecting the identification and understanding of Watch List species and Common Birds in Steep Decline at a continental scale. The AMJV, using this refreshed continental-level information, intends to "step down" those national priorities into meaningful, actionable priorities within the AMJV geography. In practice, that means translating broad continental assessments into regional priority lists, habitat objectives, and coordination plans that make sense within the Appalachian Mountain area, while also aligning efforts across neighboring joint venture boundaries when species or habitat issues extend beyond one region.

The announcement lays out four main work priorities for the 2018-2019 timeframe. First, the partnership will work to update the Avian Conservation Assessment Database for the Appalachian Mountain Bird Conservation Region (BCR), ensuring that the underlying data and assessment framework reflect current science and conditions. Second, AMJV will update its list of priority species using the new information and analyses available since earlier planning cycles. Third, AMJV will evaluate its current conservation efforts to determine how well ongoing strategies are advancing species conservation, which is essentially a performance check against goals and assumptions. Fourth, AMJV will identify limiting factors for the highest priority species, focusing on what is most constraining populations (for example, habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation, or other ecological bottlenecks), so that conservation design can target the drivers that matter most.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, signaling that USFWS expects to be substantially involved during the period of performance rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal engagement. The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA number provided is 15.637. Eligibility is listed generally as 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than institutions of higher education, but the notice itself makes clear this action is intended as a single award to ABC on a sole-source basis. The posting shows an opportunity creation date of August 11, 2017, with an original closing date of August 17, 2017, reflecting the short window typical of sole-source public notices. The expected number of awards is one, and an award ceiling of $9,073,088 is provided in the source data, indicating the maximum amount associated with the opportunity listing, even though the announcement is focused on the planned single recipient and the specific planning and evaluation work described above.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Joint Ventures" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.637.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 11, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 17, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,073,088.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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