Plains and Prairie Potholes Cooperative Landscape Conservation | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Plains and Prairie Potholes Cooperative Landscape Conservation grant opportunity?

This opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F13AS00009) was a 2013 funding call from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Cooperative Landscape Conservation program (CFDA 15.669). It solicited project ideas that could be developed into grant proposals to improve conservation outcomes across the plains and prairie potholes region, primarily by answering key scientific questions and reducing uncertainty about how the landscape is changing.

What was the main purpose of this funding call?

The central purpose was to support conservation-relevant research, science, and applied analysis that help agencies and partners make better, more informed decisions at a landscape scale. It was not focused on funding on-the-ground work in isolation; it emphasized generating usable science and decision-support products that can be translated into planning, management, or policy.

Who issued the opportunity and under what program?

The opportunity was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Cooperative Landscape Conservation program and associated with CFDA 15.669.

What role does the Plains and Prairie Potholes (PPP) Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) play?

The PPP LCC functions as a coordinating and prioritizing body. Practically, that means the call sought projects aligned with shared regional conservation priorities and designed to generate science that partners can use for real-world conservation decisions.

What kinds of problems or stressors were projects expected to address?

The call emphasized multiple simultaneous stressors affecting the region, including climate change, land-use shifts, urban expansion, and changes in agricultural practices. Projects were expected to address these pressures by producing information and tools that help conserve habitat and sustain fish and wildlife over time.

What types of projects were encouraged under this opportunity?

Projects were encouraged if they produced science-based outputs such as information, tools, models, datasets, decision-support products, or other applied research deliverables that partners could use to anticipate and respond to landscape-scale change.

What is meant by "reducing uncertainty" in this grant context?

Within this call, reducing uncertainty refers to answering key scientific questions about landscape change and its effects so conservation partners can make more confident, informed choices. The opportunity highlighted that strong concepts typically link a specific scientific uncertainty to a practical conservation decision managers need to make.

Is this opportunity focused on field implementation or research and analysis?

The opportunity emphasized research, science, and applied analysis that inform decisions at a landscape scale. While projects may relate to management and conservation actions, the stated focus was on producing usable science rather than funding routine operations or isolated implementation work.

What are examples of the kinds of scientific uncertainties this call aimed to address?

The provided description gave examples such as understanding how altered precipitation patterns affect wetland hydrology and waterfowl production, or how land conversion trends fragment priority habitats, and tying those uncertainties to management decisions.

What was the total estimated funding available?

The estimated total funding amount listed for the opportunity was $500,000.

What was the expected award size range?

Individual awards were expected to range from $10,000 to $500,000, allowing for smaller targeted studies as well as larger, more comprehensive efforts, depending on priorities and available funds.

What type of funding instrument was used?

The funding instrument type was a grant.

What activity categories did this opportunity fall under?

The activity category was listed as Natural Resources, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development, reflecting the emphasis on conservation-relevant science and applied research.

Was cost sharing or a match required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement was stated in the information provided.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could come from a wide range of entity types, potentially including universities, nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, and state and local governments, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on November 5, 2012, and the closing date was December 7, 2012.

What does it mean that the opportunity was "archived through December 31, 2013"?

It means the listing remained available as an archived opportunity through December 31, 2013, even though the application closing date was December 7, 2012.

What does "mandatory grant opportunity" mean in the listing?

The source listing categorized it as a mandatory grant opportunity. The provided information does not define the term further, but it indicates how the opportunity was administratively classified in the listing.

Where could applicants find the full announcement and details?

The full announcement was referenced as being available on Grants.gov, and the opportunity also pointed to broader information about Landscape Conservation Cooperatives through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service climate change pages and PPP-specific information at the PPP LCC website.

Who was the contact person for help accessing the announcement?

Applicants needing help obtaining or accessing the full announcement were directed to contact Paul Glander at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 612-713-5134 or paulglander@fws.gov.

What characteristics would a strong project concept typically have for this call?

Based on the description, a strong concept would align with PPP LCC regional priorities, clearly connect a scientific uncertainty to a practical conservation decision, and produce usable outputs (such as tools, models, datasets, or decision-support products) that partners can apply across jurisdictions at a landscape scale.

What geographic or regional focus did the call emphasize?

The call focused on conservation outcomes across the plains and prairie potholes region and emphasized landscape-scale coordination through the PPP LCC.

How important was collaboration and alignment with shared priorities?

The opportunity emphasized that the PPP LCC serves a coordinating and prioritizing role and pointed applicants toward LCC and PPP-specific resources, suggesting that alignment with LCC priorities and collaboration across partners and jurisdictions were central expectations.