Description
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking applicants for cooperative agriculture opportunities on National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) lands. The goal of this program is to obtain agricultural services that meet wildlife and habitat conservation objectives, while also building visibility, trust, and relationships with neighboring landowners and communities. Applicants must be private individuals or small business entities, and pre-application coordination is required. The program does not provide financial assistance, but rather a cooperative agreement between the Service and the cooperator. The agreement can last up to 5 years, and the Service will determine if the cooperative agriculture activities should continue after the initial period ends. Key responsibilities of the cooperator include conducting agricultural practices on NWRS lands, communicating with the Service on a regular basis, and coordinating to ensure compliance with other Federal laws and policies.
• The program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
• The Service will post an annual Notice of Participation Opportunity on Grants.gov, which will provide a link to the NWRS website where individual cooperative agricultural opportunities will be posted.
• Applicants must submit a complete and signed SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, and a Project Abstract Summary form.
• The Service will evaluate applicants based on objective criteria, and the selection process will be competitive.
• The program does not require financial reports, cash reports, progress reports, or expenditure reports, but recipients are required to submit a final financial report and may be required to submit interim financial reports.