Fox River Natural Resource Damage Assessment | F17AS00186

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00186

The Fox River Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) funding opportunity supports restoration of natural resources harmed by historical releases of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into Wisconsin's Lower Fox River and Green Bay. The program is managed by the Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustees, who use settlement funds paid by responsible parties to repair ecological injuries and compensate the public for lost natural resource services. Projects funded under this opportunity are expected to directly advance the restoration goals laid out in two guiding documents: the 2003 Joint Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Lower Fox River and Green Bay Area, and the 2016 Restoration Plan Update. The legal authority for this work comes from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), which is the federal law that allows natural resource trustees to assess damages from contamination and direct recovery funds toward restoration.

This is not a typical open, competitive grants program. Instead of a standard request for proposals posted for broad competition, the Trustees develop and refine project ideas strategically in coordination with the Trustee Council. Prospective applicants are expected to talk with the restoration coordinator early, before submitting a full application, to make sure the concept fits the Trustees' priorities, selection criteria, and planning framework. If a project is selected after review, the award is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a single-source (noncompetitive) grant agreement, justified under the Department of the Interior's single-source policy (505 DM 2.14.B.4). In practical terms, that means the pathway to funding depends heavily on alignment with Trustee-led planning and coordination rather than responding to an open solicitation.

The opportunity is administered by the Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and is categorized as a discretionary grant in the natural resources funding area (CFDA 15.658). The posted opportunity number is F17AS00186, with an original posting date of April 5, 2017 and an original closing date of December 31, 2017. The program anticipated up to 15 awards, with a stated award ceiling of $3,000,000, though actual project budgets would depend on the scope and the Trustees' priorities and available settlement funds.

Eligibility is broad and includes most common public, nonprofit, academic, tribal, and private entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; individuals; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits). Even with broad eligibility, the key practical requirement is that the proposed work must clearly contribute to restoring, replacing, or enhancing the injured natural resources and associated services identified in the Fox River/Green Bay NRDA planning documents, and it must be developed in coordination with the Trustee Council process rather than treated as a stand-alone grant application.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fox River Natural Resource Damage Assessment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.658.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 05, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 31, 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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for F17AS00186

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