Opportunity Information: Apply for F12AS00106
Apply for F12AS00106
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Northeast Coastal Refuges, Salt Marsh Integrity Assessment, Monitoring Protocol Development" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654 Visitor Facility Enhancements Refuges and Wildlife.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 20, 2012 and posted on Mar 20, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 29, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $80,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 5, offered this discretionary cooperative agreement to support the development of a long-term salt marsh integrity monitoring program across Northeast coastal National Wildlife Refuges. The opportunity is framed around the ecological and management importance of salt marshes as the main transition zone between land and sea, where they help buffer storm energy, reduce shoreline erosion, improve estuarine water quality, support nutrient cycling that feeds marine food webs, and provide essential habitat for marsh-dependent wildlife, including high-priority coastal birds and other species of conservation concern. Because most salt marshes have been altered by human activities and face escalating pressure from sea level rise, the grant focuses on building a consistent way to measure marsh condition and habitat quality so refuges can track change over time and target management actions.
The work is explicitly tied to earlier USFWS-funded research, especially the draft report by Neckles et al. (2011), which developed and tested a Salt Marsh Integrity Monitoring Protocol and identified a set of monitoring metrics linked to management goals. That prior effort also compared alternative field approaches (for example, rapid versus intensive methods) to determine which metrics and methods were both effective and efficient. Region 5’s intent with this grant was to move from the earlier development and testing phase into a fully implementable, standardized protocol that meets USFWS Inventory and Monitoring (I and M) standards and follows accepted guidance for long-term monitoring protocol design (Oakley et al. 2003). In practical terms, the funded project would translate the existing metric framework into a complete, field-ready monitoring program with clear objectives, sampling designs, standard operating procedures, and analytical methods.
A major deliverable was the creation of refuge-specific sampling designs for every Region 5 refuge unit that contains salt marsh habitat. The opportunity lists the targeted refuges as Rachel Carson, Parker River, Rhode Island Complex, Stewart B. McKinney, Wertheim, Edwin B. Forsythe, Bombay Hook, Prime Hook, Chesapeake Bay Complex, Chincoteague, Fisherman Island, and Eastern Shore of Virginia. The intent was not simply to apply one generic sampling plan everywhere, but to build designs that fit each refuge while still integrating existing sampling frames and producing comparable data across the region. The project also called for producing field sampling maps that could be embedded directly into the appropriate SOPs so field crews would have unambiguous guidance on where and how to sample.
In addition to the field design and documentation, the award emphasized data analysis and interpretation so that collected information would translate into actionable integrity assessments. This included developing analytical procedures for the monitoring dataset and creating a bird community integrity index that would standardize scores across all refuges, allowing managers to compare condition and trends consistently across sites. Another coordination requirement was alignment with partners, particularly the National Park Service and the Northeast Coastal Barrier Inventory and Monitoring Network, to identify and strengthen similarities between salt marsh condition monitoring on refuges and adjacent or nearby park units, improving regional consistency and potential data-sharing.
The project schedule included coordination of a pilot field implementation season in 2012 to test the practicality of the protocol elements and refine them before finalization. The final product was a drafted protocol package with all SOPs, due in April 2013, intended to provide the level of detail needed for long-term implementation by refuge staff and partners.
Administratively, the funding opportunity number was F12AS00106, titled "Northeast Coastal Refuges, Salt Marsh Integrity Assessment, Monitoring Protocol Development." It was offered as a cooperative agreement under the Environment and Natural Resources activity category. One award was expected, with an estimated total funding level of $80,000 and a stated range from a $50,000 floor to a $100,000 ceiling. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligible applicants were public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The posting date was March 20, 2012, with an application deadline of March 29, 2012, and the archive date of March 30, 2012. The CFDA number listed is 15.654 (Visitor Facility Enhancements, Refuges and Wildlife). The notice repeatedly states that there was no full announcement associated with the opportunity, and it provides a contact for access questions: Daffny Jones (413-253-8595, daffnyjones@fws.gov).
FAQs: Northeast Coastal Refuges Salt Marsh Integrity Assessment (USFWS Region 5)
What is this funding opportunity?
This was a Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 5 discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity titled "Northeast Coastal Refuges, Salt Marsh Integrity Assessment, Monitoring Protocol Development" (Funding Opportunity Number F12AS00106). It supported development of a long-term salt marsh integrity monitoring program across Northeast coastal National Wildlife Refuges.
Which agency and region offered the award?
The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 5.
What type of award mechanism was used?
The opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement.
What activity category does the opportunity fall under?
The activity category listed for the opportunity is Environment and Natural Resources.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.654 (Visitor Facility Enhancements, Refuges and Wildlife).
What was the main purpose of the project?
The purpose was to move from earlier research and testing into a fully implementable, standardized salt marsh integrity monitoring protocol that meets USFWS Inventory and Monitoring (I and M) standards and follows accepted guidance for long-term monitoring protocol design (Oakley et al. 2003).
Why were salt marshes the focus of this effort?
Salt marshes were highlighted as the main transition zone between land and sea. The opportunity describes them as important for buffering storm energy, reducing shoreline erosion, improving estuarine water quality, supporting nutrient cycling that feeds marine food webs, and providing essential habitat for marsh-dependent wildlife, including high-priority coastal birds and other species of conservation concern.
What problem or need was this grant trying to address?
The opportunity notes that most salt marshes have been altered by human activities and face escalating pressure from sea level rise. The grant focused on building a consistent way to measure marsh condition and habitat quality so refuges can track change over time and target management actions.
How did this opportunity relate to prior USFWS-funded work?
The work was explicitly tied to earlier USFWS-funded research, especially a draft report by Neckles et al. (2011), which developed and tested a Salt Marsh Integrity Monitoring Protocol and identified monitoring metrics linked to management goals.
What did the earlier Neckles et al. (2011) effort contribute that this award was meant to build on?
According to the opportunity, the earlier effort developed and tested the protocol, identified a set of monitoring metrics linked to management goals, and compared alternative field approaches (such as rapid versus intensive methods) to determine which metrics and methods were both effective and efficient.
What was Region 5 trying to produce through this funded project?
The intent was to translate the existing metric framework into a complete, field-ready monitoring program with clear objectives, sampling designs, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and analytical methods.
What were the key deliverables described?
Key deliverables described included (1) refuge-specific sampling designs for each Region 5 refuge unit containing salt marsh habitat, (2) field sampling maps that could be embedded directly into the appropriate SOPs, (3) analytical procedures for the monitoring dataset, (4) a bird community integrity index with standardized scoring across all refuges, and (5) a drafted protocol package with all SOPs.
Which refuges were specifically targeted for refuge-specific sampling designs?
The opportunity lists the targeted refuges as Rachel Carson, Parker River, Rhode Island Complex, Stewart B. McKinney, Wertheim, Edwin B. Forsythe, Bombay Hook, Prime Hook, Chesapeake Bay Complex, Chincoteague, Fisherman Island, and Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Was the same sampling plan intended to be used across all refuges?
No. The opportunity states the intent was not to apply one generic sampling plan everywhere, but to build designs that fit each refuge while still integrating existing sampling frames and producing comparable data across the region.
Why were field sampling maps called out as a specific product?
The opportunity required field sampling maps that could be embedded directly into SOPs so field crews would have unambiguous guidance on where and how to sample.
What kinds of analysis and interpretation were emphasized?
The award emphasized developing analytical procedures for the monitoring dataset so that collected information would translate into actionable integrity assessments.
What is the bird community integrity index mentioned in the opportunity?
It is described as an index to standardize bird community integrity scores across all refuges, allowing managers to compare condition and trends consistently across sites.
Were coordination and alignment with partners part of the scope?
Yes. The opportunity called for alignment with partners, particularly the National Park Service and the Northeast Coastal Barrier Inventory and Monitoring Network, to identify and strengthen similarities between salt marsh condition monitoring on refuges and nearby park units.
What was the intended benefit of aligning with the National Park Service and the Northeast Coastal Barrier Inventory and Monitoring Network?
The opportunity describes the goal as improving regional consistency and potential data-sharing by strengthening similarities between monitoring approaches across refuges and adjacent or nearby park units.
Did the schedule include any pilot testing?
Yes. The project schedule included coordination of a pilot field implementation season in 2012 to test practicality of protocol elements and refine them before finalization.
When was the drafted protocol package due?
The final product was a drafted protocol package with all SOPs, due in April 2013.
How many awards were expected?
One award was expected.
What was the estimated total funding level and award size range?
The estimated total funding level was $80,000. The stated award range was from a $50,000 floor to a $100,000 ceiling.
Was there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No. The opportunity states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
What were the key dates for posting, application deadline, and archive?
The posting date was March 20, 2012. The application deadline was March 29, 2012. The archive date was March 30, 2012.
Was there a full announcement document associated with the opportunity?
The notice repeatedly states that there was no full announcement associated with the opportunity.
Who was the contact for access questions?
The contact listed for access questions was Daffny Jones, phone 413-253-8595, email daffnyjones@fws.gov.
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