Opportunity Information: Apply for 201816J811 08
Apply for 201816J811 08
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Gila River Basin Native Fish Conservation Program New Mexico 08" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 12, 2009 and posted on Jan 12, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 19, 2009. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Gila River Basin Native Fish Conservation Program, New Mexico 08 is a continuation cooperative agreement run through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), with funding provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and coordinated alongside Reclamation, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The program exists largely to support federal Endangered Species Act section 7 obligations connected to operations of the Central Arizona Project (CAP). In practical terms, CAP decisionmakers (through technical and policy committees) set up multi-year commitments to fund specific, recurring conservation tasks in Arizona and New Mexico, and this opportunity is one year of that ongoing package of work. The focus is straightforward: protect and rebuild native fish populations in the Gila River Basin by reducing key threats, reestablishing populations where they have declined or disappeared, and improving habitat and management tools so future actions are more effective.
This specific funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 201816J811 08) was posted January 12, 2009, and closed January 19, 2009, with an archive date of February 18, 2009. It anticipated a single award, offered as a cooperative agreement (meaning substantial federal involvement in planning, coordination, and oversight is typical), under the environmental activity category. Eligible applicants were limited to state governments, reflecting that this funding was designed to flow to state wildlife agencies carrying out agreed-upon tasks. No cost share or matching requirement was listed. The award floor was $232,800, which is also the amount proposed to be obligated that year, and the ceiling was $500,000.
The work plan is organized around seven connected task areas that combine field operations, restoration stocking, research, habitat design, and partnership-based restoration on both public and private lands. A major emphasis is nonnative fish control, because introduced species are identified as a direct conservation threat to native fishes such as loach minnow, spikedace, and headwater chub. The program proposes active removal of nonnative fish using common fisheries management techniques including electrofishing, seining, trapping, and entanglement nets, paired with evaluation to determine how well removal actions are working. That evaluation component matters because it turns removal from a one-time effort into an adaptive management project where methods, frequency, and target areas can be adjusted based on measurable outcomes for native fish status.
Another core element is reestablishing and supporting spikedace populations through planned collections and stocking. After disease assessment (to reduce the risk of moving pathogens between waters), spikedace of multiple age classes would be collected from the Gila River and stocked into the San Francisco River. The design anticipates repeated annual stockings for at least three years, and possibly up to five years, with the goal of ensuring enough individuals survive to establish a durable population rather than a short-lived introduction. The same collection efforts may also support propagation by augmenting brood or propagation stocks, helping maintain a reliable source of fish for future conservation actions.
The program also includes a research component intended to improve decision-making about how native and nonnative fishes interact. In cooperation with Kansas State University, the project would use stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen to map spatial and seasonal patterns of resource use (in effect, what fish are eating and where their energy is coming from) at sites where mechanical removal studies are underway as well as at control sites. Those isotope results would be used to build a community interaction model that can forecast how removing nonnative fish, or even targeting specific size classes of nonnatives, might shift competition, predation pressure, and overall assemblage outcomes for native species. This is meant to make removal strategies more precise and cost-effective by identifying the removals most likely to produce real benefits for native fish communities.
Habitat improvement is addressed through design and preparation of a cienega wetland in coordination with FWS engineers and hydrologists. The intent is to create or enhance a wetland system that provides features native fish need to persist, especially thermal refuge (deeper water that buffers against temperature extremes) while also maintaining shallow areas that support foraging and primary production. The proposal anticipates practical challenges in wetland management, including preventing aquatic vegetation from completely overtaking the site. It also includes invasive plant control, specifically salt cedar removal prior to construction using mechanical and chemical methods, followed by planting native vegetation as needed to stabilize and restore habitat function.
A separate set of tasks targets Gila chub status and potential repatriation in New Mexico. The program proposes thorough sampling of Mule, Negrito, Pueblo, and Deep creeks to determine whether Gila chub are present. If chub are not found, each creek would be assessed for its suitability as a restoration site. If no New Mexico population is located and one or more suitable repatriation streams are identified, the plan calls for reestablishing Gila chub populations using fish sourced from Harden Cienega. This approach reflects a structured decision path: confirm current presence first, evaluate habitat second, and only then proceed with repatriation using an identified donor source.
The opportunity also recognizes that meaningful restoration can occur beyond public lands by working directly with private landowners. The plan includes restoring native fishes to suitable aquatic habitats on private lands within the Gila San Francisco River drainage. The proposed process is hands-on: once a landowner expresses interest, project staff would visit to evaluate habitat suitability, recommend appropriate native species, and help the landowner navigate and satisfy relevant state and federal regulatory requirements. The program would then coordinate acquisition of fish (from state or federal sources or wild donor populations as appropriate), oversee stocking, and conduct ongoing monitoring at least annually. Continued monitoring is explicitly tied to determining whether additional stockings are needed, which frames these sites as long-term restoration commitments rather than one-time introductions.
Finally, the program outlines a focused survey and nonnative removal effort in Little Creek, conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and FWS. The work begins with sampling from the confluence with the West Fork Gila River upstream to an existing Gila trout waterfall barrier to document which species are present and their abundance. After the baseline survey, the plan calls for three nonnative removal efforts annually, with a clear stopping rule: removals would cease after two consecutive passes where capture rates fall to one nonnative specimen per kilometer. Once two consecutive passes yield no nonnative fish captures, the project would stock loach minnow, headwater chub, and Gila trout, using the barrier context to help protect restored populations from reinvasion and improve the odds of establishment.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as one year of a multi-year, committee-driven conservation program tied to CAP compliance needs, with the state wildlife agency(ies) serving as the eligible applicant and primary implementer under federal coordination. The funding supports a blend of direct threat reduction (nonnative removal), population rebuilding (multi-year stocking and repatriation), habitat design and invasive plant management (cienega wetland planning and salt cedar removal), applied science (stable isotope work and predictive modeling), and partnership restoration (private-land projects and interagency work on Little Creek). For administrative questions or access issues related to the original announcement, the listed contact was Douglas Duncan, Fish Biologist, reachable by phone at 520-670-6150 x2 or by email at dougduncan@fws.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Gila River Basin Native Fish Conservation Program, New Mexico 08?
It is a continuation cooperative agreement administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), with funding provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The work is coordinated alongside Reclamation, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department to support native fish conservation actions in the Gila River Basin.
Why does this program exist (what problem is it addressing)?
The program largely exists to support federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 obligations connected to operations of the Central Arizona Project (CAP). Practically, it funds recurring, multi-year conservation tasks intended to protect and rebuild native fish populations by reducing key threats, reestablishing populations where needed, and improving habitat and management tools.
Is this a one-time grant or part of a longer effort?
This opportunity is described as one year of an ongoing, multi-year package of work. CAP decisionmakers, using technical and policy committees, set multi-year commitments for specific recurring conservation tasks in Arizona and New Mexico.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is 201816J811 08.
When was this funding opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on January 12, 2009 and closed on January 19, 2009. The archive date is February 18, 2009.
How many awards were anticipated?
The announcement anticipated a single award.
What type of federal award is this?
This opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement. That generally means substantial federal involvement is typical in planning, coordination, and oversight of the work.
What activity category does this funding fall under?
The opportunity is listed under the environmental activity category.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were limited to state governments, reflecting that the funding was designed to flow to state wildlife agencies carrying out agreed-upon tasks.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No cost share or matching requirement was listed for this opportunity.
What was the minimum and maximum award size?
The award floor was $232,800 (also the amount proposed to be obligated that year), and the award ceiling was $500,000.
What is the overall goal of the funded work?
The overall goal is to protect and rebuild native fish populations in the Gila River Basin by reducing key threats, reestablishing populations where they have declined or disappeared, and improving habitat and management tools so future conservation actions are more effective.
How is the work organized?
The work plan is organized around seven connected task areas combining field operations, restoration stocking, research, habitat design, and partnership-based restoration on both public and private lands.
Why is nonnative fish control a major emphasis?
Introduced (nonnative) species are identified as a direct conservation threat to native fishes such as loach minnow, spikedace, and headwater chub. The program emphasizes active nonnative removal paired with evaluation to measure effectiveness and improve methods over time.
What methods are proposed for removing nonnative fish?
The proposal lists common fisheries management techniques including electrofishing, seining, trapping, and entanglement nets. These removal actions are paired with evaluation to determine how well the removals are working.
How does the program evaluate whether nonnative removal is working?
The opportunity describes an evaluation component intended to support adaptive management, where methods, frequency, and target areas can be adjusted based on measurable outcomes for native fish status.
What native fish species are specifically mentioned as conservation priorities?
The announcement specifically mentions loach minnow, spikedace, headwater chub, Gila chub, and (in the Little Creek work) Gila trout.
What is planned for spikedace reestablishment and stocking?
After disease assessment, spikedace of multiple age classes would be collected from the Gila River and stocked into the San Francisco River. The design anticipates repeated annual stockings for at least three years, and possibly up to five years, to improve the likelihood of establishing a durable population.
Why is disease assessment included before moving spikedace?
The stated purpose is to reduce the risk of moving pathogens between waters when collecting and stocking fish.
Does the program include fish propagation support beyond stocking?
Yes. The same collection efforts may support propagation by augmenting brood or propagation stocks, helping maintain a reliable source of fish for future conservation actions.
What research is included in the work plan?
The program includes research intended to improve decision-making about interactions between native and nonnative fishes. In cooperation with Kansas State University, the project would use stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen to map spatial and seasonal patterns of resource use at study and control sites.
How would stable isotope research be used in management decisions?
Isotope results would be used to build a community interaction model that can forecast how removing nonnative fish (including targeting specific size classes) might shift competition, predation pressure, and overall assemblage outcomes for native species, with the intent of making removal strategies more precise and cost-effective.
What habitat improvement work is proposed?
Habitat improvement is addressed through the design and preparation of a cienega wetland in coordination with FWS engineers and hydrologists. The intent is to create or enhance wetland features that help native fish persist, including thermal refuge (deeper water) along with shallow foraging and production areas.
What management challenges are anticipated for the cienega wetland?
The proposal anticipates challenges such as preventing aquatic vegetation from completely overtaking the site.
Is invasive plant control included? If so, what species is mentioned?
Yes. The plan includes salt cedar removal prior to construction using mechanical and chemical methods, followed by planting native vegetation as needed to stabilize and restore habitat function.
What is planned regarding Gila chub in New Mexico?
The program proposes sampling Mule, Negrito, Pueblo, and Deep creeks to determine whether Gila chub are present. If chub are not found, each creek would be assessed for suitability as a restoration site.
Under what conditions would Gila chub repatriation occur, and what donor source is identified?
If no New Mexico population is located and one or more suitable repatriation streams are identified, the plan calls for reestablishing Gila chub populations using fish sourced from Harden Cienega.
Does the program include work on private lands?
Yes. The plan includes restoring native fishes to suitable aquatic habitats on private lands within the Gila San Francisco River drainage, working directly with landowners who express interest.
How would private-land restoration projects be carried out?
Once a landowner expresses interest, project staff would evaluate habitat suitability, recommend appropriate native species, and help the landowner navigate relevant state and federal regulatory requirements. The program would coordinate acquisition of fish, oversee stocking, and conduct ongoing monitoring at least annually to determine whether additional stockings are needed.
What is planned for Little Creek?
The program outlines a focused survey and nonnative removal effort in Little Creek in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and FWS. It begins with baseline sampling from the confluence with the West Fork Gila River upstream to an existing Gila trout waterfall barrier to document species presence and abundance.
How often would nonnative removals occur in Little Creek, and when would removals stop?
After the baseline survey, the plan calls for three nonnative removal efforts annually. Removals would cease after two consecutive passes where capture rates fall to one nonnative specimen per kilometer.
What triggers stocking in Little Creek, and which species would be stocked?
Once two consecutive passes yield no nonnative fish captures, the project would stock loach minnow, headwater chub, and Gila trout. The existing barrier is part of the strategy to reduce reinvasion risk and improve establishment odds.
Which agencies are involved in coordinating or implementing the program?
The cooperative agreement is run through FWS, funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and coordinated alongside Reclamation, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Additional coordination is described with Kansas State University (research) and the U.S. Forest Service (Little Creek work).
Who was the listed contact for administrative questions or access issues related to the original announcement?
The listed contact was Douglas Duncan, Fish Biologist. Phone: 520-670-6150 x2. Email: dougduncan@fws.gov.
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