Opportunity Information: Apply for F14AS00239
Apply for F14AS00239
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the community development education environment natural resources other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Polar bear patrols 2014 2018" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608 Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 17, 2014 and posted on Jun 17, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $325,700.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $913,700.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Local government with the responsibility and authority to provide wildlife related safety for North Slope Borough communities, and with the infrastructure to implement a polar bear detection/deterrence program.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Polar bear patrols 2014 2018 grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F14AS00239) was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement to support community safety and wildlife conflict prevention in Alaska's North Slope Borough. The core purpose was to reduce dangerous encounters between people and polar bears in coastal villages where bears increasingly come into close contact with communities, while also promoting conservation by relying on non-lethal response methods. In practice, it aimed to strengthen local capacity to detect, deter, and safely manage bear presence around populated areas, helping protect residents, visitors, and the bears themselves.
The project had two main components. First, it funded implementation of a polar bear detection and deterrence program in North Slope villages. This type of program generally involves organized patrols and coordinated on-the-ground response when bears are sighted near homes, schools, shorelines, or subsistence areas. The emphasis in the announcement was on deterrence and other non-lethal techniques for responding to bear encounters, reflecting a public safety approach that also supports conservation outcomes by avoiding unnecessary lethal removal.
Second, the opportunity funded a dedicated meeting in 2014 focused on the village of Kaktovik. The meeting was intended to identify practical strategies to reduce human-bear conflicts tied to two specific, locally relevant drivers: ongoing meat handling practices and a growing level of tourism and commercial filming. Kaktovik is known for seasonal polar bear presence that can overlap with subsistence activities and with visitor interest, and the meeting component was designed to bring partners together to address attractants and manage increasing human activity in ways that reduce risk. The intent was not only to discuss the problem generally, but to develop workable, community-informed approaches that could be implemented to keep people safer and prevent bears from becoming habituated or food-conditioned.
A key theme of the announcement was Alaska Native involvement in polar bear co-management. The description explicitly referenced Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Service's Native American Policy, signaling that the project was meant to align with federal commitments to include Alaska Native communities and organizations in the shared management of marine mammals. In other words, the work was framed as more than enforcement or emergency response; it was also about collaborative governance, local participation, and culturally informed solutions to conservation and safety challenges.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted June 17, 2014 and closed June 23, 2014, with an archive date of September 30, 2014. The estimated total funding listed was $325,700, with an award floor of $129,700 and an award ceiling of $913,700, and the agency anticipated making one award. Cost sharing or matching was required. The CFDA number associated with the program was 15.608 (Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance). Eligible applicants were narrowly defined: a local government responsible for wildlife-related safety in North Slope Borough communities, and one that already had the authority and infrastructure needed to operate a polar bear detection and deterrence program. This eligibility focus reflects the operational nature of the work, which depends on local capacity, readiness, and the ability to coordinate community-level safety activities.
For more information, the announcement directed applicants to the Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska funding opportunity webpage and provided a contact for access issues: Katherine Smiley (907-786-3412, KatherineSmiley@fws.gov).
FAQs: Polar bear patrols 2014-2018 (F14AS00239)
What is the Polar bear patrols 2014-2018 grant opportunity (F14AS00239)?
It was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement to support community safety and wildlife conflict prevention in Alaska's North Slope Borough, with a focus on reducing dangerous encounters between people and polar bears using non-lethal methods.
What problem was this funding designed to address?
The opportunity focused on the increasing proximity of polar bears to coastal villages in Alaska's North Slope Borough and the resulting safety risks and human-bear conflicts. The goal was to reduce dangerous encounters while also supporting polar bear conservation by emphasizing non-lethal response.
What was the core purpose of the project?
The core purpose was to strengthen local capacity to detect, deter, and safely manage polar bear presence around populated areas, protecting residents and visitors and reducing the likelihood that bears would be harmed or lethally removed.
What type of award was offered?
The announcement described the award as a cooperative agreement.
What were the main components of the project?
The project had two main components: (1) implementation of a polar bear detection and deterrence program in North Slope villages, and (2) a dedicated meeting in 2014 focused on the village of Kaktovik to identify practical strategies to reduce human-bear conflicts related to meat handling practices and increasing tourism and commercial filming.
What does a polar bear detection and deterrence program involve?
Based on the announcement description, it generally involves organized patrols and coordinated on-the-ground response when bears are sighted near areas like homes, schools, shorelines, or subsistence areas, with an emphasis on deterrence and other non-lethal techniques.
Were lethal methods part of the planned response?
The opportunity emphasized deterrence and other non-lethal techniques for responding to bear encounters, reflecting a public safety approach designed to support conservation outcomes by avoiding unnecessary lethal removal.
Why was there a dedicated meeting component for Kaktovik in 2014?
The meeting was intended to bring partners together to identify practical, community-informed strategies to reduce human-bear conflicts in Kaktovik tied to two specific drivers named in the announcement: ongoing meat handling practices and a growing level of tourism and commercial filming.
What issues in Kaktovik were specifically highlighted in the announcement?
The announcement highlighted conflict risks associated with meat handling practices and increased tourism and commercial filming, in a place where seasonal polar bear presence can overlap with subsistence activities and visitor interest.
What conservation and safety outcomes did the opportunity aim to achieve?
It aimed to improve public safety by reducing risky encounters, and to improve conservation outcomes by preventing bears from becoming habituated or food-conditioned and by relying on non-lethal response approaches.
How did Alaska Native involvement factor into the opportunity?
Alaska Native involvement in polar bear co-management was a key theme. The description referenced Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Service's Native American Policy, signaling that the work was intended to align with federal commitments to include Alaska Native communities and organizations in shared management.
What federal authorities or policies were referenced?
The opportunity explicitly referenced Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native American Policy.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were narrowly defined as a local government responsible for wildlife-related safety in North Slope Borough communities, and one that already had the authority and infrastructure needed to operate a polar bear detection and deterrence program.
Why was eligibility limited to a local government with existing capacity?
The announcement framed the work as operational in nature, depending on local authority, readiness, infrastructure, and the ability to coordinate community-level safety activities such as detection, patrols, and deterrence.
How many awards did the agency expect to make?
The agency anticipated making one award.
How much funding was available?
The estimated total funding listed was $325,700.
What were the award floor and ceiling?
The award floor was $129,700 and the award ceiling was $913,700.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The announcement stated that cost sharing or matching was required.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with the program was 15.608 (Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance).
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on June 17, 2014 and closed on June 23, 2014.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed was September 30, 2014.
Where did the announcement direct applicants to go for more information?
The announcement directed applicants to the Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska funding opportunity webpage.
Who was the contact person for access issues, and how could they be reached?
The contact for access issues was Katherine Smiley. Phone: 907-786-3412. Email: KatherineSmiley@fws.gov.
What geographic area and communities were the focus of this project?
The work focused on Alaska's North Slope Borough, particularly coastal villages where polar bears increasingly come into close contact with communities. A specific meeting component focused on the village of Kaktovik.
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