WRP Big Rivers Conservation Iniative in Iowa

The summary for the WRP Big Rivers Conservation Iniative in Iowa 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 Iowa State Office, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

WRP Big Rivers Conservation Iniative in Iowa: DescriptionThe start date for projects will be September 1, 2006. Applications for assistance must include a program narrative statement that addresses the following as a minimum: a. A description of the resources and experience of the organization necessary to successfully perform these services. b. An itemized budget and detailed narrative in support of the form SF-424 for the overall project period. Applicants should include budgets for the base year and each option year. Show all funding sources and itemized costs by the following line items on the budget form: personnel, equipment, material and supplies, travel, contractual, other costs, and indirect costs. Hourly costs and number of hours should be included for personnel. Funds may be requested under any of the line items listed above provided that the item or service for which support is requested is identified as necessary for successful conduct of the proposed project, is allowable under the authorizing legislation and the applicable Federal cost principles, and is not prohibited under any applicable Federal statute. Salaries of project personnel who will be working on the project may be requested in proportion to the effort that they will devote to the project. Show any non-federal costs that the applicant indicates will be contributed in support of this project. c. The organizations level of commitment in terms of the staff, equipment resources, and/or funding support necessary to leverage the project. d. A description of the capabilities to fulfill the terms of the cooperative agreement, including a brief description of the organizational entity and of the qualifications, current responsibilities, and proposed level of effort for the project coordinator, and staff responsible for implementation. Qualification Statement for key personnel should be included. e. The application may include an appendix. Material should be included only when necessary to support information provided in the narrative. Copies of documents, brochures, etc., are encouraged to demonstrate experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. f. The following forms are required: Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance Standard Form 424A, Budget Information - Non-construction Programs Standard Form 424B, Assurances / Non-construction Programs Administrative RequirementsThe Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Section 708, limits indirect costs under cooperative agreements between USDA and non-profit institutions, to ten percent of the total direct costs of the agreement. Applicants must document the indirect cost percentage requested. The applicant shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations, Executive Orders and other generally applicable requirements, including those set out in 7 CFR 3015, 3016, 3017, 3018, 3019, and 3052 which will be incorporated in the agreement by reference and such other statutory provisions as are specifically set forth in the agreement. The applicant, by signing or submitting this application, is providing a certification set forth in Appendix C to 7 CFR 3017; Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements. The OMB Circulars will be incorporated by reference and made a part of each agreement awarded under this process. Applicants are encouraged to review the appropriate circulars prior to requesting federal funds. OMB circulars may be viewed on-line at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html. Failure of a cooperator to comply with any provision may be the basis for withholding payments for proper charges made by the cooperator and for termination of support. (a) Agreements with State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments shall be in accordance with the provisions of the following OMB circulars: * Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments * Circular A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements with State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments * Circular A-133, Audits of State, Local, and Non-Profit Organizations (b) Agreements made with non-profit organizations shall be in accordance with the following OMB circulars: * Circular A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations * Circular A-122, Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations * Circular A-133, Audits of Institutions of Higher Learning and Other Non-Profit Institutions (d) Agreements with organizations other than those indicated above shall be in accordance with the basic principles of OMB Circular A-110, and cost principles shall be in accordance with Part 31 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations. No member of, or delegate to, Congress, or resident commissioner after his election, or appointment, and either before or after he has qualified, and no officer, agent, or employee of the government shall be admitted to any share or part of this agreement, or any benefit to arise there from; but this provision shall not be construed to extend to any incorporated company where such agreement is made for the general benefit of such incorporated company. Funding Opportunity Description Under the provisions of numerous laws and statutes, including Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, Title XIV of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 (FACTA), and Title III of the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIRA), and the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, more commonly referred to as the 2002 Farm Bill, the NRCS is assigned the responsibility for the development and implementation of conservation plans and systems. Iowa NRCS seeks to identify partnering opportunities with other organizations that share a common interest in order to accomplish target Wetland easement acquisition and restoration activities in the Missouri River Floodplain and lower Iowa-Cedar River Floodplain areas. The NRCS will accept proposals for the assistance in the administration of a previously-developed project. Implementation of this project is estimated to require approximately four years.Please note that the completion of an agreement in conjunction with this announcement is contingent upon the allocation of funds for the Iowa Big Rivers Conservation Initiative (IBRCI), a narrative description of which is provided in Attachment A to this announcement.The USDA/NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to WRP participants. The Iowa Big Rivers Conservation Initiative (IBRCI) is intended to focus WRP resources on areas along the Missouri River Flyway and Lower Iowa-Cedar Rivers Corridor that has special value for threatened and endangered migratory and endemic species.Iowa NRCS seeks to identify partnering opportunities with other organizations that share a common interest in order to implement this Initiative. The project scope of this activity will be the assistance in administration of the IBRCI. The selected organization will: . Acquire appraisals that meet current Federal "Yellow Book" standards; including the completion of administrative and technical reviews; and procure legal surveys of land tracts on which easements are being purchased. Links to and examples of references and documents listed above will be made available to prospective respondents to this announcement upon request.The geographic scope, the number of selected applicants to be assisted, and the number of easements to be developed will be contingent upon the funding (if any) that is allocated to the IBRCI by the USDA. Prospective respondents should describe their administrative cost requirements as a percentage of those funds that are made available for easement purchases from landowners.The NRCS anticipates being substantially involved in carrying out the work covered by resulting cooperative agreements.Evaluation Criteria Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the following factors: A. Organizational capabilities. (1) The adequacy of organizational resources and expertise to successfully manage and perform the project(s). (2) Share in a common mission that supports the natural resource conservation efforts with agricultural producers. (3) Documented capability to complete the proposed project(s). (4) The reasonableness and feasibility of the applicants approach for successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project(s) within the required time frame. (5) Ability to demonstrate past history and credibility of working with clients targeted in the proposal; B. Financial Support. (1) Extent of providing cash, non-cash and in-kind contributions toward meeting the objectives of the proposed project(s); (C) Understanding of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). (1) Past activities that demonstrate an understanding of the intent of USDA /NRCS WRP and associated practices. (2) The applicant demonstrates, through past activities, that they recognize the value and need of the proposed project(s) and full understanding of the benefits.Award Cooperative agreements will be awarded for project(s) not to exceed a three year period. It is anticipated that up to $20,000,000 will be available for this program in FY2006. The available funding for subsequent years is not fixed and may vary considerably. If unforeseen problems delay the completion of the work, it may be affirmatively renewed by the parties, through an exchange of correspondence, for subsequent fiscal years until the agreed to work is completed. Amendments to agreement(s) may be modified by amendments duly executed by authorized officials. Amendments to obligate additional funding in subsequent years (not to exceed a three-year period), is subject to availability of funds. It is the intent of the NRCS to fulfill its obligations under this agreement. Funds may not, however, be committed beyond the period for which Congress has appropriated them. In the event that funds for which the NRCS may fulfill its obligations are not appropriated, the agreement shall automatically terminate. Reimbursement shall be provided to the Award recipient for work completed prior to the termination. Each project proposal must be submitted as a separate project proposal. Joint project proposals combined within one application will not be considered. Please submit copies of your proposal by close of business 4:30p.m. CST on September 8, 2006. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONSOn-line Application through Grants.gov:In order to submit proposals electronically, applicants must be registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). This database is used as a central location for maintaining organizational information for those seeking to do business with the Federal Government. If an applicant chooses to apply on-line through Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov, applicants are required to initiate and complete the steps to register with Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted. Please note that these steps could take several days to complete, which should factor into the applicants submission timing to avoid the rejection of an application due to potential delays. Documents should be saved as .doc or .pdf prior to electronic submission through grants.gov. Registering with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), will take approximately 5 days to complete, so keep that in mind when beginning the application process. The Federal Government requires all applicants for Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements excluding individuals other than sole proprietors, have a unique nine digit identification number provided by Dun & Bradstreet, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. The DUNS number will be used to identify related organizations receiving Federal funding under Grants/Cooperative Agreements; and to provide consistent name and address data for electronic submission through grant application systems. To request a DUNS number, please call Dun & Bradstreet at 1-866-705-5711 (toll free), between 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (M-F) local time of caller when calling within the United States or visit: http://www.grant.gov/RequestaDuns . The process to request a number takes about 5-10 minutes. A DUNS number will be assigned at the conclusion of the call. Please have the following information ready before requesting your DUNS number: Legal Name of Entity or Doing Business as (DBA), Employer/Vendor Identification Number (EIN/VIN), Address, and Telephone Number. Be sure to complete the Marketing Partner ID (MPIN) and Electronic Business Primary Point of Contact fields during the CCR registration process. These are mandatory fields that are required when submitting grant applications through Grants.gov.Submission Requirements/Deadline:Applicants must submit one (1) original and three (3) copies of their proposal to the following individual no later than 4:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time), September 8, 2006. Proposals can be accepted by hardcopy or electronically (application on-line via Grants.gov). Proposals will not be accepted by facsimile. Proposals received after this time will not be considered. Sindra Jensen or Michelle BalesContracting OfficerU.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service210 Walnut Street, 693 Federal BuildingDes Moines, Iowa 50309Telephone: (515) 284-4506Fax: (515) 284-4767Email: [email protected] or [email protected] It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to complete the grant agreement application. Further, the applicant must respond to the Evaluation Factors for Award, provide a detailed cost breakdown to support the proposed budget and include project narratives with a detailed discussion of the project and methodology used. Applicants may view the NRCS strategic plan at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/strategicplan/index.html. Applications must include a program narrative statement that addresses the following, at a minimum:a. A description of the resources and experience of the organization necessary to successfully perform these services.b. The organization's level of commitment in terms of the staff, equipment resources, and/or funding support necessary to leverage the project.c. A description of the capabilities to fulfill the terms of the grant agreement, including a brief description of the organizational entity and of the qualifications, current project responsibilities, and staff responsible for implementation. Qualification Statement for key personnel should be included.d. List of past experience with provided technical services; include list of contacts and phone numbers.e. The application may include an appendix. Material should be included only when necessary to support information provided in the narrative. Copies of documents, brochures, etc., are encouraged to demonstrate experience, knowledge, skills and abilities.f. The following forms are required and can be obtained from the issuing officer or the web sites listed below.http://www.grants.gov/GovtWideForms orhttp://www.ocio.usda.gov/forms/ocio_forms.htmlStandard Form 424 Application for Federal AssistanceStandard Form 424A Budget Information - Non-construction ProgramsStandard Form 424B Assurances - Non-construction Programs ATTACHMENT AIowa Big Rivers Conservation InitiativeA Proposal for Cooperative Delivery of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in Iowa(Missouri River and Mississippi River Alluvial Plains)July 2006This document describes a cooperative project to fund acquisition and restoration of 8,000 acres of wetland, grassland, and woodland habitats through Wetland Reserve Program Easements (WRP) to support long term recovery and conservation of migratory birds and other wildlife species. Project areas have been designated on historically important migration corridors along the Missouri and Mississippi River Floodplains that additionally benefit other wildlife species, improve water quality, and reduce impacts from flood events. Iowa Conservation partners, including The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), The Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited (DU), Pheasants Forever (PF), and several County Conservation Boards have a history of success working with NRCS and the WRP program and have pledged nearly $8 million to assist in the acquisition, restoration, and management of these critical habitats over the next three years. JustificationThe adoption of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan 20 years ago marked the wide-spread recognition of the need for recovery and conservation of migratory bird populations. Only recently have efforts focused on the importance of mid-migration habitats, especially their function in improving the physical condition of birds as they migrate north to breed in the spring. Iowa is positioned along two of the major migration corridors in the central United States, bordered on the east by the Mississippi River and on the west by the Missouri River. Iowa lays claim to a large number of floodplain acres along both river systems. Previous restoration efforts in these areas along the traditional migration corridors have met with surprising use by both migrating and breeding birds. The Mississippi River Alluvial Plain is noted for the ecological function that remains and the diversity of both habitats and species that occur there. The focus areas identified for the IBRCI WRP project help fill in remaining gaps in habitat and land protection. The Missouri River Alluvial Plain is noted for the nearly complete conversion to agricultural land uses. The majority of restoration efforts have been directed to areas immediately adjacent to the Missouri River channel. The focus areas identified for the Iowa Big Rivers Conservation Initiative (IBRCI) WRP project will provide a chain of wetland complexes along a 120-mile stretch of the river from Hamburg, located 40 miles south of Council Bluffs, north to Sioux City. These areas will serve as resting and foraging areas for migrating birds in an area that has long been devoid of herbaceous wetland habitats. The WRP has been a very successful program in the state of Iowa. The program has been successful both economically and ecologically across the entire state in large part due to the partnerships formed by the applicants over the past decade. The IBRCI offers an opportunity to focus significant resources on places where past success has been achieved, where there is significant landowner interest, and where we can maximize the benefits to migratory birds along these historically important migration routes.Both proposed IBRCI project areas feature several large (1,000+ acres) wetland complex restorations created using WRP and EWRP easements. The success of these projects has spurred greater interest in the WRP program by local landowners and conservation groups alike. The IBRCI WRP project offers a unique opportunity to build on these successes and take advantage of the enthusiasm for the program that they have created. The concept for both project areas is based on replicating these past successes to achieve greater biological function within these important ecologic regions. This project plans to build on existing areas, transforming them from islands of habitat to parts of a larger functioning ecosystem.Mississippi Alluvial Plain Project AreaThe Cedar and Iowa River system collectively drains 8.3 million acres in Central and Eastern Iowa (23% of the states total land area). The lower reaches of this river system becomes part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain where the floodplains of these two large rivers form one of the most diverse wetland complexes in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) Basin. True swamps, fens, river oxbows, flooded timber, and cattail wetlands can all be found in this region. Due to the profusion of diverse wetlands and lowland woodlands, the lower reaches of the Cedar and Iowa floodplains are an important stopover for waterfowl and birds in the Mississippi Flyway - a flyway that is used by 40% of all North American Waterfowl and 60% of all bird species. Because of the unique value of the Cedar/Iowa floodplain to migrating birds this area is one of the few Upper Mississippi River tributaries included in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Joint Venture.As the backwaters of the Mississippi River fill in and emergent aquatic vegetation needed by migrating waterfowl disappears, wetland habitats along major tributaries to the Mississippi River become increasingly important. Proof of the avian response to wetland restorations is evident in the adjacent Louisa Levee District #8 where EWRP easements were used to convert cropland to wetlands. This area now holds in excess of 10,000 waterfowl during migration periods. It also provides nesting habitat for dozens of avian species, as well as a home for a diverse community of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and other animals. Portions of the Cedar and Iowa rivers are also among the best remaining examples of Glacial Plains Streams systems in the Upper Mississippi River Basin and were recently designated as areas of freshwater biodiversity significance by The Nature Conservancy. Twenty-five percent of all fish species in North America call the UMR basin home and the Cedar/Iowa is vital to the conservation of this aquatic biological diversity. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain has the greatest herptile richness in Iowa. It is estimated that this area is home to 70% of all the states reptile and amphibian species. This area also has the highest herptile species-at-risk richness in the state. Two federal candidate reptile species are found on the lower cedar: the eastern massasauga rattlesnake and copper belly water snake. In addition, several state listed plants and animals that exist in only a handful of sites across the state are located here; they include the Cinnamon fern, Stinkpot Turtle, and Grass Pickerel. This region is referred to as one of the most biologically diverse areas in the state.Large portions of the floodplain have been restored, but there are significant gaps that remain. Such gaps in the habitat connectivity prevent the flow and migration of terrestrial vertebrates such as turtles and snakes and also limit the available spawning habitat for fishes that depend on spring floods and wetlands to spawn. Data collected by the USGS indicates that the volume of water flowing through the Iowa River today is twice what it was in the 1940s-60s. This highlights the need that still exists today for land use practices that increase flood storage and reduce flood damages along major tributaries to the Mississippi River. Drainage improvements and changing crop practices have created significant hydrological alterations to our rivers that result in more inputs from surface water and less groundwater infiltration. The result has been dramatic increases in flooding duration and frequency in Iowa floodplains. This has, created economic distress to farmers and taxpayers. Economic data collected from Louisa Levee District #8 and floodplain lands along the Iowa River in the east central portion of Iowa indicate that federal disaster and crop subsidy payments over a 10 year period actually amounted to more than the value of most floodplain cropland. By restoring cropland to wetlands the IBRCI WRP project would be increasing the flood storage capacity of the floodplain thereby reducing risk to other property and reducing the need for federal disaster assistance.Both the Cedar and Iowa Rivers contribute very high levels of sediment and nutrients to the Upper Mississippi River, and this system is consistently ranked as one of the highest contributors of sediment and nutrients to the UMR. Grassland, woodland, and wetland habitats restored in association with WRP easements will certainly lead to reductions of sediment and nutrient delivery to the UMR system. Several agencies and NGOs have been very active along this portion of the Lower Cedar and Iowa Rivers. NRCS offices in the area have enrolled close to 10,000 acres of flood-prone cropland into WRP and EWRP. Iowa DNR, USFWS, and County Conservation Boards own and manage another 10,000 acres in the project area. Ducks Unlimited, Izaak Walton League, and Pheasants Forever Chapters in the Muscatine and Wapello area have also been active in raising funds for conservation projects. All groups and a large number of area landowners would welcome additional WRP funds. At last count, there were still approximately 3,500 acres of unfunded WRP applications. In addition to these sites, focus areas have been identified by the IBRCI WRP project partners because their restoration would provide high value wetland and wildlife habitat. Missouri River Alluvial Plain Project AreaThe Missouri Rivers broad floodplain was formed through centuries of flooding and shifting of the river channel. As the river frequently flooded and meandered across this vast 10-mile-wide floodplain, it created a landscape that was predominantly a grassland-wetland complex consisting of tall grass prairies, sedge meadows, and cattail marshes. These seasonal wetland habitats dominated by emergent vegetation were important resting and foraging areas for countless migrating birds. They also served as the breeding ground for waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, and small passerines dependent on wet prairies, meadows, and marshes.Huge changes have taken place in the Missouri River floodplain since settlement in the mid 1800s. Land clearing, drainage projects, river channelization, and flood control measures during the past 150 years have transformed the Missouri River floodplain from diverse wildlife habitat to agricultural production. The Missouri Project Area includes the Owego Wetlands Complex, a relatively recent WRP success story that is opening eyes to the capacity to attract both migratory and breeding birds to the Missouri River floodplain. The site was acquired in 2000. Since the Loess Hills Chapter of the National Audubon Society began monitoring the site in late 2002, 172 bird species have been identified on the area, and the number continues to increase with each report.This effort is being planned to compliment, not duplicate, current habitat restoration efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (24,000 acres) and the Nebraska WREP project (18,800 acres). On the channelized reach of the Missouri River shared by Nebraska and Iowa, a majority of the floodplain acres occur on the Iowa side of the river. As you move away from the river and closer to the base of the Loess Hills, there lie large contiguous areas of very wet hydric soils. Organized drainage districts were formed and a series of ditches were constructed to allow row crop production on these areas. Excess water is still a problem in these areas today. Even though the Missouri River is cutting a deeper channel and lowering the water table, these sites are unaffected as water on these sites is less associated with water levels in the river. Restoration on these sites has been very successful and relatively easy. The sites have maintained good water levels to support migrating birds, and include functioning wells that can be used to provide water during migration periods when needed. Even though tree and shrub plantings are part of the restoration efforts, the major management concern for these areas is control of woody invasion. The value of these sites to many of the migratory and breeding birds is dependent on maintaining a majority of the site in herbaceous vegetation as existed in pre-settlement times. Many of the existing easements in the floodplain are on these poorly-drained sites, and a significant number of acres are currently under application for enrollment in the WRP program. There exists great potential to develop additional large wetland complex restorations similar to the Owego site. While our focus areas are located away from the river, we must consider the entire migration corridor in our restoration and conservation planning efforts and all 3,700 acres of current WRP applications in the six counties adjacent to the Missouri River will be considered. We will establish a team of biologists and other professionals to guide the planning process. One of the first actions of this team will be to coordinate with the Nebraska WREP Project so that we are quick to identify opportunities where we can work together. The same effort will be made to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Iowa conservation partners have a history of success working with USDA through the WRP program. Successful projects include the Iowa River Corridor and the Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt. The WRP (and the Emergency Wetlands Reserve Program) in the proposed project areas has also had initial success with Louisa County Levee District No. 8 and the Owego Wetlands Complex. These areas are shining examples of what can be accomplished through innovative partnerships. Iowa is ready to continue its successful partnership with NRCS through the Iowa Big Rivers Conservation Initiative. In a state where more than 97% of the wetlands have been lost for agricultural crops, practically all species dependant on the wetland, grassland, and woodland habitats that once dominated these floodplain areas have been adversely affected. Many of the species at risk are dependant on wetlands. WRP has been crucial in reversing this trend and with this ecosystem-focused project we can accelerate recovery and ensure long-term conservation of many of these species.