National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements | F19AS00076

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00076

The National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00076) is a discretionary federal grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, offered as a cooperative agreement. It sits in the Natural Resources and Disaster Prevention and Relief activity areas and is listed under CFDA 15.654. The core purpose is to support enhancement work tied to the National Wildlife Refuge System, using authorities that cover fish and wildlife conservation and management, refuge administration and recreation, youth and public lands corps involvement, protection of archaeological resources, and certain transportation-related authorities connected to federal-aid highways. In practical terms, it is meant to fund substantial on-the-ground improvements and related activities that strengthen refuge lands, wildlife habitat, and compatible public use or infrastructure where allowed and relevant.

A defining feature of this posting is that it is not an open competition. The notice is explicitly described as a Notice of Intent to Sole Source to Ducks Unlimited, meaning the agency signaled it planned to make a single, non-competitive award to that specific organization rather than solicit proposals broadly. While the eligible applicant category is listed as 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education), the sole-source structure indicates that, for this particular notice, the award was intended for one pre-identified nonprofit partner. The posting also states that any application must address all activities and stipulations described in Section I of the Notice of Funding Opportunity and follow the required application checklist, which is typical language for cooperative agreements where the federal agency expects substantial involvement in planning, oversight, coordination, and implementation.

Funding levels for this opportunity are unusually large for a single award. The stated award ceiling is $25,833,000, with an expected number of awards of 1. That combination strongly suggests a major, multi-site or programmatic effort rather than a small, stand-alone project. Because the instrument type is a cooperative agreement (not a standard grant), the Fish and Wildlife Service would generally anticipate playing an active role during the project period, such as coordinating priorities on refuge units, aligning deliverables with refuge management plans and National Wildlife Refuge System policies, ensuring compliance with applicable federal requirements, and collaborating on implementation details.

Timing information indicates the opportunity was created on December 21, 2018, with an original closing date of December 31, 2018. That short window is consistent with a sole-source notice, where the agency is not trying to run a lengthy competitive process but instead is documenting intent and moving toward an award with the identified partner. Overall, the opportunity describes a large, single-recipient cooperative agreement aimed at carrying out significant enhancements within the National Wildlife Refuge System under multiple statutory authorities that collectively support habitat conservation, refuge operations and recreation, workforce or youth conservation engagement, cultural resource protection, and related infrastructure needs.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the disaster prevention and relief, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 21, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 31, 2018 This is a Notice of Intent to Sole Source to Ducks Unlimited. Applications must address all activities amp stipulations in Section I, Description of Funding Opportunity amp the Application Checklist (via Notice of Funding Opportunity).. (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 $25,833,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for F19AS00076

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