The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) anticipates receiving a combination of base funded appropriations and the Administration’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in FY 2016 to support the Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership (GLBFHP) and its efforts to complete on-the-ground, fish habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement projects. The Service and the GLBFHP recognize that a substantial amount of the protection, restoration and enhancement of fish habitat will be done at the local level by local watershed associations, municipalities, tribes, states and non-governmental organizations. The Service and the GLBFHP will work with organizations to encourage local conservation actions that fit within the GLBFHP’s Strategic Plan priorities.
A “project” is defined as an action that will protect, restore or enhance Great Lakes fish habitat. Project proposals will be reviewed and ranked by a subcommittee of the GLBFHP. The Service will use the recommendations provided to them by the GLBFHP in making final decisions regarding project funds and anticipates making final decisions regarding project selection by early spring 2016.
Please use the following guidelines in this RFP to submit your proposal by November 20, 2015. For questions, please email or call Joe Sheahan joseph_sheahan@fws.gov (920) 866-1710.
The GLBFHP is a recognized partnership of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (http://www.fishhabitat.org/). The GLBFHP was formed to make habitats whole and accessible for fish and other aquatic organisms, from headwater streams to deep lake habitats. The GLBFHP is international, including both U.S. and Canadian waters and lands. Land conversion, exotic species invasions and past overharvest have threatened fish stocks, and depleted habitats and food webs. Many fish communities have been restored in the Great Lakes but many remain in poor shape. Protecting, restoring, and enhancing the aquatic biological diversity and habitats throughout the Basin will help in achieving not only healthy habitats, but healthy fish, healthy people and healthy economies.
The Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership will accept proposals for
Fiscal Year 2016 fish habitat projects in the Great Lakes Basin as follows.
Focus Areas:
Fish habitat protection and restoration, specific to one or more of the following:
Tributary stream restoration or protection to improve:
Fish and aquatic species passage
Riparian habitat
Large woody debris
Water temperatures
Natural stream flow functions
Natural stream channel form
Coastal and connecting channel wetland restoration, enhancement and protection
Connecting channel restoration or protection to improve:
Fish and aquatic species passage
Riparian habitat
Eligibility:
Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership (GLBFHP) funding requests should range between $10,000 and $100,000. Larger project requests can be submitted and will be considered if additional funding becomes available. We anticipate funding approximately 5 projects, averaging $50,000 to $75,000.
Projects must be within the Great Lakes watershed.
States, tribes, tribal authorities, local governments and non-profits can apply. Federal agencies can also apply, but might not be eligible for all funding sources.
Match and partner contributions are encouraged. In-kind and federal match is allowed.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Applications submitted after the deadline of midnight, November 20, 2015 will not be accepted.
Fund Request Restrictions: GLBFHP funding cannot be used for:
Realty costs (e.g., lease or purchase interests in real property or to make rental or other land use incentive payments to landowners).
Operation and maintenance of facilities or structures.
Actions required by existing regulatory programs, except that funds may support activities under voluntary agreements that exceed regulatory requirements for conserving habitats (e.g., hydropower licensing in which the licensee enters into a voluntary agreement to restore habitat that exceeds regulatory requirements).
Projects that are primarily research studies. See the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act RPF for possible research grants available: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/glfwra-grants.html
Priority will be given to projects that:
Are directly related to the focus areas of the GLBFHP’s Strategic Plan, as stated above.
Consider watershed-scale ecological and hydrological processes that affect fish habitat and fish populations.
Are part of a watershed restoration effort that works to provide permanent solutions to the root cause of habitat decline.
Are integrated and aligned with other conservation plans (e.g. State Wildlife Plans, Watershed Management Plans, etc.).
Evaluate their actions on target habitats, ecosystem processes and fish populations over time.
Leverage resources from partners.
Provide benefits to broad spatial scope of aquatic resources, beyond the immediate project site (e.g. reconnects multiple miles of river)
Identify measures of success and performance targets that are observable and amenable to pre- and post- project monitoring.
Include an outreach/education component in the local community.
Where applicable, incorporate best management practices that:
Ensure they will not spread invasive species
Use the most current science and technology for project design.
Incorporate climate change adaptation.
Can be completed within 2 years of receipt of GLBFHP funds.
Other Considerations:
If you have multiple projects that are different project types, please submit separate proposals for each project type. For example, a project that will restore fish passage in one stream or watershed in three different locations is considered one project, but a project that removes a fish passage barrier and restores a coastal wetland downstream of the barrier is considered two projects.
Fund recipients must follow federal requirements for accounting, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and other applicable laws.
Please note that additional information describing predicted and/or final resource outcomes for projects selected for funding through this call for proposals may be required at a later date (due to funding requirements of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative).
Additional Information about the Application Process
Application Package:
The application package should contain the following four items:
(1) Cover Letter – The cover letter must include: a brief narrative describing the overarching project goals and anticipated outcomes; why GLBFHP funds are needed; how GLBFHP funds will be spent; and how this project addresses GLBFHP and NFHP funding priorities.
(2) Completed Project Application
(3) Detailed Project Budget – Detailed information on the project budget must be included.
(4) Attachments – A letter of support from the State Fish and Wildlife Agency is required. Other letters of support, designs, planning documents, permits, articles, scientific studies, etc. are optional but encouraged.
Project Application Instructions
Submission Instructions
Please combine all documents and attachments into a single pdf file. Number each page.
File names should include the submission date followed by the project name (Example “071512 Prairie Stream Project”)
Submit electronically as an email attachment to Joseph_Sheahan@fws.gov
Please note, proposals should not exceed 10 pages, not including attachments such as photos, maps, letters of support, etc.
You can submit projects one of two different ways:
Fill out and submit the included application.
Collaborate with one of the Fisheries office contacts listed at the end of this file.
Please note, the Great Lakes Basin Glacial Lakes Fish Habitat Partnership will not consider:
1. Late requests.
2. Requests for projects or programs already completed.
3. Refunding projects, programs or items purchased before the project is approved or awarded.
4. Participating in or funding of any political campaign on behalf of any issues, organizations or candidates.
Deadline
Applications are due by November 20, 2015
Applications must be received by 11:59 pm Central Standard Time.
The GLBFHP Steering Committee will review and rank projects during January 2015. Final selection of projects for FY2016 funds will occur once the GLBFHP’s 2016 funding allocation is determined. Selected applicants will be notified of their selection and informed of the allocation for their projects at that point in time. Selected applications will be reviewed by the National Fish Habitat Board and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for final funding approval in Spring 2016.
Proposals for projects in tributaries to:
Lake Michigan Watershed; Joe Sheahan (joseph_sheahan@fws.gov) of the Green Bay FWCO.
Northern Lake Huron (north of Saginaw Bay) including the St. Marys River; Heather Rawlings (heather_rawlings@fws.gov) of the Alpena FWCO.
Southern Lake Huron (Saginaw Bay south) and the western basin of Lake Erie; Justin Chiotti (justin_chiotti@fws.gov) of the Alpena FWCO
Lake Superior Watershed; Ted Koehler (ted_koehler@fws.gov) of the Ashland FWCO.
Habitat Conservation Project Application FY16
Source: Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership