Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS PF11
Apply for FWS PF11
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Award to Peregrine Fund" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.657 Endangered Species Conservation Recovery Implementation Funds.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 8, 2011 and posted on Apr 11, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 18, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $260,700.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $260,700.00 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.
- This single source determination is in accordance with criteria #4, Unique Qualifications, under Department of Interior guidance in 505 Departmental Manual 2 at 2.14. This guidance has established that The Peregrine Fund is uniquely qualified to perform these activities based upon their technical expertise and cost sharing abilities. The funding obligation in FY 2011 is expected to total approximately 260,700. In addition, The Peregrine Fund will be matching this amount for this project. We would not be able to conduct the project without these matching funds. The objective of this Cooperative Agreement between the Peregrine Fund and the Service is to benefit the aplomado falcon by conducting reintroductions and monitoring. This mitigation project, funded by Customs and Border Protection, will contribute toward recovery of the northern aplomado falcon, New Mexicos most highly endangered species affected by Department of Homeland Security projects conducted under waiver of some environmental law requirements. Northern aplomado falcons and suitable habitat occur in the vicinity of the project area in southern New Mexico. Reintroduction of northern aplomado falcons in southern New Mexico would be conducted as part of an ongoing program by the Peregrine Fund, the expert organization that raises and reintroduces northern aplomado falcons into their historic range in the United States. This procedure gradually reintroduces falcons into highly suitable grassland habitat over a period of several weeks while the young birds are provided with supplemental food by human attendants. This method has been used by the Peregrine Fund to re establish a self sustaining population in south Texas, where native aplomado falcons were extirpated. In addition, monitoring and telemetry of reintroduced northern aplomado falcons would be conducted to ascertain their habitat use, movement patterns, and survival. For over three decades, expert raptor biologists from The Peregrine Fund have developed methodology and acquired the expertise to successfully accomplish this technically complex reintroduction and monitoring project. Telemetry monitoring at this level of detail is very skilled and labor intensive. Use of the unique and advanced technical expertise of The Peregrine Fund would greatly enhance the likelihood of success for this important endangered species project and thereby contribute to the recovery of the species. Regarding cost sharing ability, The Peregrine Fund will match this award with an equal amount of funding that supports other necessary aspects of this reintroduction and monitoring program. In addition, long standing, positive working relationships between The Pergrine Fund and numerous private and public agency biologists, scientists, veterinarians and other cooperators have facilitated continuous and substantial donations of materials and in kind highly skilled labor to this non profit organization. Such in kind services would also be requested and utilized during implementation of this project.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) discretionary funding notice (Funding Opportunity Number FWS PF11) announcing an intent to make a single cooperative agreement award to The Peregrine Fund to support recovery work for the northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis). The species historically nested across parts of the northern Chihuahuan Desert but disappeared from the United States after 1952, largely due to human-driven landscape changes such as increased livestock grazing. The project is designed to strengthen ongoing reintroduction efforts and, just as importantly, to fill a major knowledge gap: what happens to young reintroduced aplomado falcons after they leave release sites, including where they travel, what habitats they use, how well they survive, and why they die when they do.
The core conservation approach is a structured reintroduction method that The Peregrine Fund has used before, including work that helped establish a self-sustaining population in south Texas. Young, captive-bred falcons are gradually introduced into highly suitable grassland habitat over several weeks with human attendants providing supplemental food that is slowly reduced until the birds are fully independent (with feeding typically ending about six weeks after release). This project builds on a long-running release program in Trans-Pecos Texas (begun in 2002) and southern New Mexico (begun in 2006). The notice notes that, up to that point, 667 young falcons had been released in Trans-Pecos Texas and 258 in southern New Mexico into habitat identified as highly suitable based on established criteria (referencing Young et al. 2004). Despite these substantial efforts, the fates of juveniles post-release remain poorly understood, which is why telemetry and intensive monitoring are a central component of the proposed work.
The project is planned to run from FY2011 through FY2013 and is organized around four main tasks. Task 1 focuses on tagging and releasing birds. Before transport to release sites, each young falcon is fitted with a telemetry transmitter in a backpack configuration attached with Teflon ribbons, following methods described in Hunt et al. (2009). The transmitter weight is capped at 2.3 percent of the bird’s body weight to reduce risk and interference with flight. From May through August 2011, approximately 60 falcons are to be released in groups of five to seven birds, with up to 25 birds per site, across two Trans-Pecos Texas locations and four southern New Mexico locations. Attendants provide captive-produced Coturnix quail, with feeding tapered and then stopped after the six-week post-release period. The notice indicates that releases and transmitter deployments continue in summers 2012 and 2013 in southern New Mexico at similar numbers and locations.
Telemetry is split between two technologies based on landscape and access realities. Around 50 birds in southern New Mexico are to receive battery-powered VHF transmitters, while about 10 birds in Trans-Pecos Texas receive solar-powered PTT satellite-reporting transmitters. Battery life for both is expected to exceed six months. GPS-capable satellite units are described as too heavy for aplomado falcons at the time, so the satellite component relies on Doppler-based location estimation rather than GPS fixes. The rationale for using satellite units in Trans-Pecos Texas is the predominance of private lands, where on-the-ground and frequent aerial follow-up can be more constrained, while much of southern New Mexico’s study area is on public lands or large ranches that have granted access for releases and monitoring.
Task 2 describes intensive radio-tracking of VHF-tagged falcons in southern New Mexico using airplane surveys supplemented by ground work. During the dispersal period, each of the 50 VHF-tagged birds is to be located on a structured schedule: twice weekly for the first two months after independence, once weekly for months three and four, and then twice monthly thereafter for as long as transmitters function. A contracted pilot operating a fixed-wing airplane equipped with a dual-yagi antenna conducts flights with an experienced Peregrine Fund biologist. GPS coordinates of last known locations are recorded and provided to a single coordinator, who compiles the results and produces GIS-based movement itineraries to guide subsequent surveys. Ground trackers attempt to visually observe as many birds as possible to document habitat use, foraging behavior, prey choice, hunting success, and interactions with hazards that could drive mortality, including dangerous power lines, hard-to-see fence lines, and areas with predators such as great horned owls. Aerial surveys help keep track of birds that disperse beyond practical ground tracking ranges, and when individuals move beyond feasible airplane coverage, local cooperators may help document positions and activity. Survey transects are intended to cover suitable habitat blocks and adapt over time as the birds’ movement patterns become clearer.
Task 3 covers tracking of the PTT-tagged birds in Trans-Pecos Texas. These satellite transmitters send periodic messages to satellite arrays, with locations derived from Doppler shift calculations, producing variable-precision location estimates that are then mapped using computer-based topographic tools. This provides broader-scale movement information in a region where private land patterns can make frequent direct tracking more difficult.
Task 4 addresses mortality investigation, which is a key deliverable because identifying causes of death can directly inform recovery actions and risk reduction. Where possible, transmitters include mortality switches that indicate when a unit has stopped moving. If not, trackers attempt to confirm that each relocated bird is alive either through visual confirmation or by documenting movement from the prior location. When mortality is suspected, teams promptly track the transmitter to locate the bird and determine its fate. Causes of mortality are to be identified when feasible, including veterinary necropsy. The notice explicitly highlights concerns such as starvation, predation, and drowning in steep-sided metal stock tanks, suggesting that part of the project’s value is translating mortality findings into practical mitigation steps in the landscape.
Administratively, this is a single expected award with an estimated total federal funding amount of $260,700 (with the same figure listed as the award ceiling), and a listed award floor of $84,400. It is issued under CFDA 15.657 (Endangered Species Conservation, Recovery Implementation Funds) and requires cost sharing or matching. The notice states that the FY2011 federal obligation is expected to be about $260,700, and that The Peregrine Fund will match this amount, with the project described as not feasible without those matching funds. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, reflecting an expectation of substantial involvement and coordination with the Service rather than a hands-off grant.
The eligibility statement is also central to understanding why the opportunity is framed as a notice of intent to award rather than a broad competition. Eligible applicants are nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), but the agency cites a “single source” determination under Department of the Interior guidance (505 DM 2, section 2.14, criteria #4, Unique Qualifications). The justification is that The Peregrine Fund is uniquely qualified because it already operates the specialized captive breeding, release, and monitoring program for this species, has decades of raptor reintroduction expertise, and can provide substantial cost sharing. The notice further emphasizes the organization’s long-standing cooperative relationships with biologists, veterinarians, and other partners, which can translate into donated materials and in-kind skilled labor that strengthen the project’s implementation capacity.
Finally, the notice situates the work as a mitigation project funded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, intended to contribute to recovery of what the announcement calls New Mexico’s most highly endangered species affected by Department of Homeland Security projects conducted under waivers of certain environmental law requirements. In practical terms, the cooperative agreement is meant to produce both near-term outputs (annual releases, transmitter deployments, repeated relocations, mapped movements, and mortality investigations) and longer-term recovery value by improving survival knowledge, identifying key threats on the landscape, and refining reintroduction strategies for the northern aplomado falcon in southern New Mexico and Trans-Pecos Texas.
FAQs: FWS PF11 Northern Aplomado Falcon Recovery Cooperative Agreement
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) discretionary funding notice (Funding Opportunity Number FWS PF11) announcing the intent to make a single cooperative agreement award to support recovery work for the northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis).
Which species and conservation goal does the project focus on?
The project focuses on the northern aplomado falcon. The core goal is to strengthen reintroduction efforts and close a major knowledge gap about what happens to young, reintroduced falcons after they leave release sites (where they go, what habitats they use, how well they survive, and causes of mortality).
Why is the northern aplomado falcon being reintroduced?
The species historically nested in parts of the northern Chihuahuan Desert but disappeared from the United States after 1952, largely due to human-driven landscape changes such as increased livestock grazing. Reintroduction is intended to support recovery in areas where the species no longer persists.
Who is expected to receive the award?
FWS states an intent to make a single award to The Peregrine Fund.
Is this a competitive opportunity open to multiple applicants?
The notice is framed as a single-source intent to award, rather than a broad competition. While eligibility language references nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), the agency cites a single-source determination based on unique qualifications.
Why is it being issued as a single-source award?
FWS cites Department of the Interior guidance (505 DM 2, section 2.14, criteria #4, Unique Qualifications) and states that The Peregrine Fund is uniquely qualified because it already operates the specialized captive breeding, release, and monitoring program for this species, has decades of raptor reintroduction expertise, maintains cooperative relationships with technical partners (including biologists and veterinarians), and can provide substantial cost sharing.
What type of award is planned?
The planned award type is a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial involvement and coordination with FWS rather than a hands-off grant.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The notice lists CFDA 15.657, Endangered Species Conservation, Recovery Implementation Funds.
How much federal funding is expected?
The estimated total federal funding amount is $260,700. The notice lists the same amount as the award ceiling.
Is there an award floor listed?
Yes. The notice lists an award floor of $84,400.
Is matching or cost sharing required?
Yes. The notice states that cost sharing or matching is required and that The Peregrine Fund will match the federal amount. It also indicates the project is not feasible without those matching funds.
What is the anticipated timing for the project?
The project is planned to run from FY2011 through FY2013.
How is the project organized?
The project is organized around four main tasks: (1) tagging and releasing birds, (2) intensive radio-tracking of VHF-tagged falcons in southern New Mexico, (3) satellite tracking of PTT-tagged birds in Trans-Pecos Texas, and (4) mortality investigation.
What reintroduction method is described?
Young, captive-bred falcons are gradually introduced into highly suitable grassland habitat over several weeks with human attendants providing supplemental food. The amount of food is slowly reduced until the birds are independent, with feeding typically ending about six weeks after release.
Where are releases planned to occur?
Releases are described for Trans-Pecos Texas (two locations) and southern New Mexico (four locations), using habitat identified as highly suitable based on established criteria (referencing Young et al. 2004).
How many birds are planned for release in 2011?
From May through August 2011, approximately 60 falcons are planned for release in groups of five to seven birds, with up to 25 birds per site, across the two Trans-Pecos Texas locations and four southern New Mexico locations.
Are releases planned beyond 2011?
Yes. The notice indicates that releases and transmitter deployments continue in summers 2012 and 2013 in southern New Mexico at similar numbers and locations.
What has already been done before this project (as described in the notice)?
The notice describes long-running release programs begun in Trans-Pecos Texas in 2002 and in southern New Mexico in 2006. It also notes that, up to that point, 667 young falcons had been released in Trans-Pecos Texas and 258 in southern New Mexico.
Why is telemetry and monitoring a central component?
Despite substantial release efforts, the fates of juveniles after they leave release sites are described as poorly understood. Telemetry and intensive monitoring are intended to document movement, habitat use, survival, and causes of mortality.
How are the falcons tagged for tracking?
Before transport to release sites, each young falcon is fitted with a telemetry transmitter in a backpack configuration attached with Teflon ribbons, following methods described in Hunt et al. (2009).
Is there a limit on transmitter weight?
Yes. Transmitter weight is capped at 2.3 percent of the bird's body weight to reduce risk and interference with flight.
What types of transmitters are used?
The notice describes two technologies: battery-powered VHF transmitters (primarily for southern New Mexico) and solar-powered PTT satellite-reporting transmitters (for Trans-Pecos Texas).
How many birds receive VHF transmitters versus satellite (PTT) transmitters?
Approximately 50 birds in southern New Mexico are to receive battery-powered VHF transmitters, and about 10 birds in Trans-Pecos Texas are to receive solar-powered PTT satellite-reporting transmitters.
How long are transmitters expected to last?
Battery life for both transmitter types is expected to exceed six months.
Does the satellite tracking use GPS?
No. GPS-capable satellite units are described as too heavy for aplomado falcons at the time. The satellite component relies on Doppler-based location estimation rather than GPS fixes.
Why are satellite transmitters used in Trans-Pecos Texas?
The notice explains that Trans-Pecos Texas includes a predominance of private lands, which can constrain frequent on-the-ground and aerial follow-up. Satellite reporting provides broader-scale movement information where access limitations may make direct tracking more difficult.
Why are VHF transmitters emphasized in southern New Mexico?
The notice indicates that much of the southern New Mexico study area is on public lands or large ranches that have granted access for releases and monitoring, making intensive VHF-based tracking more feasible.
How often are VHF-tagged birds located during the tracking schedule?
During the dispersal period, each of the 50 VHF-tagged birds is planned to be located twice weekly for the first two months after independence, once weekly for months three and four, and then twice monthly thereafter for as long as transmitters function.
How is VHF tracking carried out?
Task 2 describes airplane surveys supplemented by ground work. A contracted pilot operates a fixed-wing airplane equipped with a dual-yagi antenna, flying with an experienced Peregrine Fund biologist.
How are locations recorded and managed?
GPS coordinates of last known locations are recorded and provided to a single coordinator, who compiles results and produces GIS-based movement itineraries to guide subsequent surveys.
What information do ground trackers try to document?
Ground trackers attempt to visually observe as many birds as possible to document habitat use, foraging behavior, prey choice, hunting success, and interactions with potential hazards that could drive mortality.
What hazards and threats are specifically highlighted?
The notice highlights dangerous power lines, hard-to-see fence lines, and areas with predators such as great horned owls. It also explicitly mentions potential mortality causes such as starvation, predation, and drowning in steep-sided metal stock tanks.
What happens when birds disperse beyond practical ground tracking ranges?
Aerial surveys are intended to keep track of birds that disperse beyond practical ground tracking ranges. When individuals move beyond feasible airplane coverage, local cooperators may help document positions and activity.
How are aerial survey areas selected?
Survey transects are intended to cover suitable habitat blocks and adapt over time as the birds' movement patterns become clearer.
How does the PTT satellite tracking work for Trans-Pecos Texas birds?
The satellite transmitters send periodic messages to satellite arrays, and locations are derived from Doppler shift calculations, producing variable-precision location estimates. These are mapped using computer-based topographic tools.
What is included in the mortality investigation task?
Task 4 focuses on identifying causes of death when feasible. Where possible, transmitters include mortality switches indicating when a unit has stopped moving. If a mortality switch is not available, trackers attempt to confirm that relocated birds are alive through visual confirmation or documented movement from prior locations.
What happens when mortality is suspected?
Teams promptly track the transmitter to locate the bird and determine its fate. Causes of mortality are to be identified when feasible, including veterinary necropsy.
Why is mortality investigation considered a key deliverable?
The notice describes mortality investigation as a key deliverable because identifying causes of death can directly inform recovery actions and practical mitigation steps in the landscape.
What is the stated broader purpose or context for this project?
The notice situates the work as a mitigation project funded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, intended to contribute to recovery of what it describes as New Mexico's most highly endangered species affected by Department of Homeland Security projects conducted under waivers of certain environmental law requirements.
What near-term outputs are expected from the cooperative agreement?
The notice describes near-term outputs such as annual releases, transmitter deployments, repeated relocations, mapped movements, and mortality investigations.
What longer-term recovery value is expected?
Longer-term value is described as improving knowledge of survival, identifying key threats on the landscape, and refining reintroduction strategies for the northern aplomado falcon in southern New Mexico and Trans-Pecos Texas.
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