Great Lakes Invasive Species Control Monitoring Project | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Great Lakes Invasive Species Control Monitoring Project?

It is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) funding opportunity focused on checking the long-term results of earlier invasive species control investments and determining what follow-up work is still needed.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The purpose is to conduct practical, on-the-ground assessments of sites where NRCS previously supported invasive species treatments, document current conditions, and identify whether additional maintenance or renewed control is necessary.

What geographic area does the project cover?

The work is limited to the Indiana portion of the Great Lakes watersheds. Proposals must be built around that geographic footprint and the invasive species and habitat conditions found there.

What type of funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?

Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected awardees are expected to work closely with NRCS rather than operating entirely independently.

Is this a new treatment program or a monitoring effort tied to past work?

This opportunity is centered on revisiting sites that already received invasive species control funding in the past. The emphasis is on monitoring results and planning next steps where needed.

What kinds of activities are awardees expected to carry out?

With landowner permission, awardees will revisit previously treated sites, conduct site visits, evaluate current conditions (including target invasive species status and native vegetation response), and document outcomes. Where prior treatments have not held or reinfestation/secondary issues exist, awardees will develop workplans recommending continued treatment and maintenance.

What are the expected deliverables?

Deliverables are both evaluative and forward-looking: documentation of what changed, what worked, and what did not, plus site-specific workplans that lay out continued treatment and maintenance recommendations where necessary.

Do applicants need landowner permission to access sites?

Yes. Site visits are to be conducted with landowner permission.

What information will be assessed during site visits?

The assessment includes the current status of target invasive species and the response of native vegetation, along with overall site conditions relevant to determining whether follow-up control or maintenance is needed.

What happens if the original invasive species treatments did not hold?

If original treatments have not held, or if reinfestation or secondary issues have developed, the awardee is expected to develop workplans that recommend continued treatment and maintenance for those sites.

What skills or expertise is NRCS looking for in applicants?

The notice emphasizes strong invasive species identification and native species identification skills, an understanding of forest management, and the ability to use GIS mapping to document locations and conditions. Applicants also need to translate findings into clear treatment recommendations and communicate effectively.

Why is GIS mapping mentioned in the notice?

GIS mapping is identified as a needed capability to document site locations and conditions as part of the monitoring and reporting effort.

How important is communication and coordination for this project?

It is central to the project, since the work depends on cooperation among NRCS, landowners, and potentially other local partners, and since findings must be translated into clear recommendations.

Is this project described as adaptive management?

Yes. The effort is described as monitoring-and-adaptive-management: confirm impacts from past work, then design the next phase of control if the site still requires it.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.902.

What is the eligibility for this opportunity?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional clarifications contained in the full announcement.

How many awards did NRCS anticipate making?

NRCS anticipated making up to two awards.

What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $100,000.

How were applications submitted?

Applications were required to be submitted through Grants.gov.

What was the application deadline?

The deadline was 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 31, 2022.

When were selections and awards expected to occur?

Selections were expected around July 1, 2022, and awards were expected to be executed around August 1, 2022. Both dates were estimates and could change.

Who should applicants contact if they have Grants.gov technical problems?

For Grants.gov technical problems, applicants were directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support rather than NRCS staff.

What kinds of questions could be asked of NRCS about the announcement?

Content questions were to be limited to clarifying information already contained in the notice, such as discrepancies, dates, or where to find a requirement. Questions were not intended to seek judgments about eligibility or the competitiveness of a proposal.

Does NRCS provide feedback on whether a proposal is competitive?

The notice indicated that content questions should not request judgments about eligibility or competitiveness; questions were meant to focus on clarifications already contained in the announcement.