Property Stewardship within Entiat Sub-basin | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the official name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Property Stewardship within Entiat Sub-basin" and is identified as Funding Opportunity Number BOR PN 16 N011.

Which federal agency is offering this funding?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation).

What is the main goal of the grant?

The primary purpose is to secure Chelan Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) assistance with monitoring and post-construction stewardship on CDLT-managed conservation properties that are impacted by habitat improvement construction along the Entiat River.

Where is the work expected to take place?

The work is focused on the Entiat River in Washington, specifically within the Middle Entiat Assessment Unit of the Entiat Sub-basin.

What types of projects is this stewardship tied to?

The stewardship work supports on-the-ground habitat improvement projects designed using Reclamation's Tributary and Reach Assessments for the area. The grant is oriented to monitoring and caring for conservation lands affected by the construction of those habitat projects.

Why is CDLT involvement considered important in this opportunity?

Several planned habitat projects are located on, or can only be accessed through, private conservation lands owned and managed by CDLT. That creates a need for careful coordination, controlled access, and long-term site care on CDLT properties before, during, and after construction.

What does the funding support CDLT in doing?

The funding supports monitoring and post-construction stewardship activities on CDLT-managed properties impacted by construction, including tracking and addressing disturbance, overseeing or confirming vegetation replacement and recovery, and helping ensure rehabilitated areas return to their intended conservation values after construction ends.

How does public access to CDLT lands affect the project?

Because the conservation lands are open to the public, the opportunity emphasizes the need for tightly managed access during project staging and construction, including controlling how materials, equipment, and crews move through and operate on the land.

What construction impacts are anticipated on the conservation lands?

The announcement anticipates significant physical disturbance to sensitive conservation areas from construction activities, as well as a loss of use of these lands during an anticipated two-year construction period.

How long is the anticipated construction period mentioned in the notice?

The notice describes an anticipated two-year construction period, during which CDLT may experience a loss of use of the affected conservation lands.

What kinds of monitoring are highlighted as part of the stewardship work?

Monitoring described in the opportunity includes tracking vegetation removal, overseeing or confirming vegetation replacement and recovery, and conducting ongoing site visits and condition tracking to confirm impacts are mitigated and restoration functions as intended over time.

Does stewardship continue after construction is complete?

Yes. The announcement underscores sustained monitoring and stewardship after construction, not only during the active build period. This includes follow-through actions to confirm revegetation success, mitigation effectiveness, and long-term function of habitat improvements.

Is weed control part of the required work?

Yes. A major ongoing requirement highlighted is long-term weed control, which is commonly needed after ground disturbance due to the rapid spread of invasive species along disturbed soils and access corridors.

What is the funding instrument type?

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, indicating Reclamation expects to remain actively involved rather than issuing a simple pass-through grant.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement in this context?

Based on the notice, a cooperative agreement signals active involvement by Reclamation in the project. The announcement contrasts this with a pass-through grant, implying ongoing coordination with the agency during implementation.

What is the funding activity category and program listing information?

The funding activity category is Natural Resources. The CFDA listing provided in the notice is 15.517.

Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?

Eligibility is limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.

Is the opportunity oriented toward a particular organization or land manager?

The described work is clearly oriented to CDLT as the landowner and conservation manager whose properties are directly implicated by the river habitat projects.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling stated in the notice is $740,403.

When was the notice created and when was it originally due?

The notice was created on July 18, 2016, with an original closing date of August 1, 2016.

What is the relationship between this stewardship work and Reclamation's prior technical assessments?

Reclamation previously completed Tributary and Reach Assessments for the Middle Entiat area, and those technical assessments are being used to design and implement the habitat improvement projects. The stewardship funded here supports the monitoring and long-term care needs that arise on CDLT lands affected by those projects.

What specific access-related concerns are mentioned during construction?

The opportunity emphasizes controlling how materials, equipment, and crews move through and operate on CDLT conservation lands during project staging and construction to protect sensitive areas and manage public access.

What outcomes is the stewardship work intended to help ensure?

Based on the notice, the stewardship is intended to help ensure construction disturbances are tracked and addressed, revegetation and recovery occur as planned, invasive weeds are controlled long-term, public use does not undermine restoration areas, and the habitat improvements function as intended over time.