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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

15.623:  North American Wetlands Conservation Fund

Popular Name:  NAWCF

Objectives:  To provide grant funds for wetlands conservation projects in the United States to be matched 1:1 by U.S. nonfederal dollars.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

15.623 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Available to a State, another public agency or other entity identified in the project description that accompanies the recommendation from the North American Wetlands Conservation Council and approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Available to any organization or individual.

Credentials/Documentation:  None.

15.623 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  A Federal Register announcement is published annually and a publication containing instructions is printed and distributed annually for each of the small and standard grants programs. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs", and applies except for grants which are national in scope. Program announcements will provide instructions regarding the necessity of submission to single State agencies. 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.

Application Procedure:  Proposals, including Standard Form 424 "Application for Federal Assistance," are submitted to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council Coordinator in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are reviewed by the Coordinator's staff, Council staff, and North American Waterfowl Management Plan Joint Venture Coordinators. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a National Environmental Policy Act review of proposals that the Council selects to recommend to the Commission. Site visits are conducted if needed.

Award Procedure:  The Council selects proposals in March, July, and December that are recommended to the Commission for final funding approval in June, September, and February, respectively. A grant agreement is prepared that at a minimum ensures that wetlands acquired, restored, enhanced or managed with Act funds are administered for the long-term conservation and management of such wetland ecosystem and the fish and wildlife dependent thereon.

Deadlines:  A predictable schedule for U.S. proposal submission has been established so applicants can predict due dates each year. In addition, U.S. proposal due dates are published in the Federal Register, annual instructions booklets and via the Internet.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  The range of time from proposal submission to the Commission meeting for standard grants is 5 to 11 months. Small grants approvals are usually known in 3 months.

Appeals:  Proposals not funded may be resubmitted.

Renewals:  Proposals are funded on a one-time basis. Requests for future funding must compete with other requests for funding.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  The Council selects proposals based on factors given in Section 5 of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, results of site visits, available funds and other factors deemed important to meeting Act objectives. U.S. standard and small grant proposals are additionally evaluated against answers to Technical Assessment Questions taken from Section 5 of the Act and annually published in instructions booklets.

Examples of Funded Projects:  Wetlands conservation projects involving acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of wetlands and wetlands ecosystems.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  $600 to $1,000,000; $423,000.

15.623 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 15.605 Sport Fish Restoration;
• 15.611 Wildlife Restoration;
• 15.614 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act.

15.623 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

15.623 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) FY 99 $14,402,000; FY 00 est $14,359,000; and FY 01 est $28,800,000.

Budget Account Number:  14-5241-0-2-303.

Authorization:  North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Public Law 101-233, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 4401.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  United States Standard Grants Application Instructions; Small Grants Instructions; and Progress Report, 1996-1997.

15.623 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  See Appendix IV of the catalog for addresses of USFWS Regional Offices.

Headquarters Office:  Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. Contact: Executive Director, North American Waterfowl and Wetlands Office, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 110, Arlington, VA 22203. Phone: (703)358-1784.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

15.623 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  Proposals must have a 1:1 match of nonfederal funds.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Grant agreements are written for grant funds that must be spent within 2 years.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Funds are used to (1) acquire real property interest in lands or waters, including water rights, if the obtaining of such interest is subject to terms and conditions that will ensure that the real property will be administered for the long-term conservation of such lands and waters and the migratory birds and other fish and wildlife dependent thereon; and (2) restore, manage, or enhance wetland ecosystems and other habitat for migratory birds and other fish and wildlife species if such restoration, management, or enhancement is conducted on lands and waters that are administered for the long-term conservation of such lands and waters and the migratory birds and other fish and wildlife dependent thereon. Further, funds from the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act may only be used in coastal wetlands ecosystems in coastal states.

15.623 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Semiannual status reports are required during the course of a grant agreement's period of performance. A final report must be submitted within 90 days of a project's completion.

Audits:  In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records:  The Recipient shall maintain a complete, detailed accounting system to report expenditures of grant funds and a detailed accounting of receipts and expenditures of non-Federal matching dollars or value of services. Records, accounts, and supporting documents must be retained for 3 years after submission for final request of reimbursement.