Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS R5 ES 12 004
Apply for FWS R5 ES 12 004
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Award Property Protection" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.658 Natural Resource Damage Assessment, Restoration and Implementation.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 17, 2012 and posted on Feb 17, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 23, 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 $208,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $208,000.00 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity is a Notice of Intent to Award rather than an open, competitive funding announcement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) planned to issue a single cooperative agreement to the New England Forestry Foundation, Inc. to acquire a permanent conservation easement (also described as a conservation restriction) on roughly 105 acres of riparian forest along the Ware River in Palmer, Massachusetts. The overall purpose is property protection for environmental restoration, specifically securing and conserving river-adjacent forest land to support long-term ecological benefits.
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which signals that FWS expected to be actively involved in the project rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. A key point of federal involvement mentioned is that the Service would provide final approval of the specific parcel to be protected under the conservation restriction. This kind of arrangement is typical when the federal agency needs to ensure the land protection action directly meets the restoration goals, legal requirements, and technical standards tied to a larger government-led restoration effort.
This is a single-source (non-competitive) award made under Department of the Interior policy 505 DM 2.14 B(4). That policy allows an award without competition when only one applicant is considered uniquely qualified to carry out the work. In this case, the justification centers on factors like the applicant's technical expertise and the location-specific nature of the project. Because the activity involves acquiring an easement on a particular property in a particular place, the pool of realistic implementers can be limited, and the agency is formally stating that this nonprofit organization is uniquely positioned to complete the acquisition effectively.
The conservation easement project is also tied directly to a legal and environmental restoration framework stemming from contamination at the PSC Resources Superfund site in Palmer, Massachusetts. The notice states that the work is being carried out pursuant to a Consent Decree issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Western Division) on January 31, 1995. In practical terms, this means the project is part of an enforced settlement or court-backed agreement designed to address harms caused by hazardous substance releases and to ensure restoration actions are implemented.
The proposed property protection action is specifically aligned with the Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the PSC Resources Superfund Site (Palmer, Massachusetts), issued in October 2008. That restoration plan was developed by the U.S. Department of the Interior and FWS in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The plan also went through a public review and comment period from April 3 to May 5, 2008. The notice frames the easement acquisition as a restoration project intended to offset natural resource injuries associated with hazardous substances released from the PSC site, meaning it is meant to compensate for ecological damage by protecting and sustaining habitat and ecosystem services over the long term.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number FWS R5 ES 12 004, categorized as a discretionary environmental funding action. The program is associated with CFDA 15.658 (Natural Resource Damage Assessment, Restoration and Implementation). The expected number of awards is one, reflecting the single-source intent. The total estimated funding amount is $208,000, and both the award ceiling and floor are listed as $208,000, indicating a fixed award amount rather than a range. No cost sharing or matching requirement is indicated.
Eligibility is listed as nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, but the notice makes clear that the agency intended this award for a specific recipient rather than opening a competition among eligible nonprofits. The posting date and creation date were February 17, 2012, with an original and current closing date of February 23, 2012, and an archive date of February 24, 2012, reflecting a short posting window consistent with a notice of intent rather than a full solicitation.
For questions or issues accessing materials, the notice provides a point of contact: Christal Cutler, Grants Officer, at 413-253-8233, listed as the point of contact for electronic errors as well. The notice also explicitly states there is no full announcement associated with this opportunity, reinforcing that it functions primarily as a public record of the government’s intent to make a specific, non-competitive cooperative agreement award for a defined land protection and restoration purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity, in plain terms?
This posting is a Notice of Intent to Award, meaning it is not an open competition. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) planned to make a single cooperative agreement award to support the acquisition of a permanent conservation easement (also called a conservation restriction) on a specific property.
Is this an open, competitive funding opportunity?
No. The notice describes a single-source (non-competitive) intent to award rather than a competitive solicitation where multiple applicants submit proposals for review.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient is the New England Forestry Foundation, Inc.
What type of award is planned?
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement. This indicates FWS expected to have an active role in the project, rather than providing funds with minimal federal involvement.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The overall purpose is property protection for environmental restoration. Specifically, it is intended to secure and conserve river-adjacent forest land to support long-term ecological benefits.
What will the funds be used to do?
The funds are intended to acquire a permanent conservation easement (conservation restriction) on roughly 105 acres of riparian forest along the Ware River in Palmer, Massachusetts.
Where is the project located?
The project area is along the Ware River in Palmer, Massachusetts, and involves approximately 105 acres of riparian forest.
What is being protected, and how?
The project aims to protect riparian (river-adjacent) forest land through a permanent conservation easement/conservation restriction, which is a long-term land protection tool used to conserve property values like habitat and ecological functions.
Why is this award non-competitive (single-source)?
The notice states it is a single-source award under Department of the Interior policy 505 DM 2.14 B(4), which allows an award without competition when only one applicant is considered uniquely qualified to carry out the work. The justification described includes the applicant's technical expertise and the location-specific nature of acquiring an easement on a particular property in a particular place.
What federal involvement is expected under the cooperative agreement?
A specific example listed is that FWS would provide final approval of the specific parcel to be protected under the conservation restriction.
How does this project relate to Superfund and environmental restoration?
The notice ties the easement acquisition directly to restoration actions connected to contamination at the PSC Resources Superfund site in Palmer, Massachusetts. The land protection activity is described as a restoration project intended to offset natural resource injuries associated with hazardous substance releases from that site.
What legal authority or legal framework is mentioned for this work?
The notice states the work is being carried out pursuant to a Consent Decree issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Western Division) on January 31, 1995.
Is this project connected to a restoration plan and environmental review?
Yes. The proposed property protection action is aligned with the Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the PSC Resources Superfund Site (Palmer, Massachusetts), issued in October 2008.
Was there a public comment period related to the restoration plan?
Yes. The notice states the restoration plan went through a public review and comment period from April 3 to May 5, 2008.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FWS R5 ES 12 004.
What program or CFDA number is associated with this funding?
The notice associates the opportunity with CFDA 15.658, Natural Resource Damage Assessment, Restoration and Implementation.
How many awards does the notice expect to make?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the total funding amount for this award?
The total estimated funding amount is $208,000.
Is the funding amount a range or a fixed amount?
It is listed as a fixed amount. The award ceiling is $208,000 and the award floor is also $208,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is indicated in the notice.
Who is listed as eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education. However, the notice also makes clear the agency intended the award for a specific recipient rather than opening a competition among eligible nonprofits.
What are the key posting and closing dates?
The posting date and creation date are February 17, 2012. The original and current closing date is February 23, 2012. The archive date is February 24, 2012.
Why was the posting window so short?
The notice reflects a short posting window consistent with a Notice of Intent to Award, rather than a full solicitation with a longer application period.
Is there a full announcement or full solicitation package available?
No. The notice explicitly states there is no full announcement associated with this opportunity, reinforcing that it functions as a public record of intent to make a specific non-competitive award.
Who can be contacted with questions or if there are issues accessing materials?
The point of contact listed is Christal Cutler, Grants Officer, at 413-253-8233. The notice also lists this contact for electronic errors.
What federal agency is making the planned award?
The planned award is from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
How is the project described in terms of restoration goals?
The notice frames the easement acquisition as a restoration project intended to compensate for ecological damage by protecting and sustaining habitat and ecosystem services over the long term.
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