Opportunity 93250-8-0120

The summary for the Opportunity 93250-8-0120 grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Fish and Wildlife Service, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Opportunity 93250-8-0120: This agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the WILD Foundation is entered into to create new or enhanced initiatives that help protect and sustain wilderness and environmental objectives in general through law, policy, new protected areas, training, constituency-building, and other means and to promote the understanding of the values and benefits of wilderness through the convening of the 9th World Wilderness Congress. We will work with the WILD Foundation to build the capacity of policymakers and practitioners to better protect and manage wilderness and wildlands by integrating mechanisms that meet the needs of a sustainable human society. We will also work to increase Mexican and Latin American conservation awareness and understanding of the importance of wilderness, and increase their capacity to take action to protect wilderness. This will greatly benefit the wildlife that freely moves between the U.S. and Mexico and thereby improve their conservation status.The 9th World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) in 2009 will include delegates from around the world, and the models, projects, data, and analyses presented will be global in scope. This Congress will have a special focus on Climate Change, Freshwater, Fire Use, Transboundary and Connectivity, Large Land and Seascapes, and Human Communities in Transition.WILD9 will also provide a platform to facilitate awareness, learning, and understanding of wilderness stewardship issues in a Global Wilderness Forum for Government Agencies. This forum will provide an overview of best practices for wilderness management in a time of global change, with a focus on issues such as climate change monitoring, migratory wildlife, fire use as an appropriate management response, and sustainable use of wilderness. Justification for Single Source Determination - In accordance with Department of the Interior guidance (505 DM 2.14) the USFWS provides notice of its intent to make a single-source award in the amount of $50,000 via a Challenge Cost Share agreement with The WILD Foundation. Competition is not practicable for this project because of the applicant's Unique Qualifications. The WILD Foundation is the only international NGO dedicated explicitly to wilderness conservation around the world. The WILD Foundation plays a critically central convening and capacity-building role in the international wilderness community. The WILD Foundation has organized and managed eight World Wilderness Congresses over the past 26 years. The WILD Foundation has already devoted several months developing, with its many international partners, the program structure, thematic elements, goals, and objectives for the 9th World Wilderness Congress, which will be held in Merida, Mexico, November 6-13, 2009. The WILD Foundation has also been building support for the Congress within the federal agencies, other foundations, and public and private organizations here and in other countries. They have already established the international Advisory Boards, Executive Committee, Marketing Committee, and Secretariat, all of which are necessary for a successful Congress, and which include FWS personnel. As for past Congresses the majority of the funding for the 9th World Wilderness Congress will likely come from other Foundations (the David & Lucille Packard Foundation, the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, the Ford Foundation, et al), with contributions from many other federal and private entities. The Service and the WILD Foundation have a mutual interest in supporting an increase in international understanding and awareness of the scientific, economic, social, and spiritual values of wilderness. The technical resources, targeted professional training, and public education components of the Congress will result in improved management of wild areas in the U.S. and internationally. It is in the public interest for both parties to achieve improved wilderness stewardship, which is vital for sustaining healthy wildlife populations.