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Support for Waterbird Conservation in the Americas - FAQs

What is the "Support for Waterbird Conservation in the Americas" grant opportunity?

It was a small, discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.655 (Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation). The overall intent was to strengthen waterbird and shorebird conservation planning and on-the-ground protection across parts of the Western Hemisphere.

What conservation gap was this grant trying to address?

The agency noted that detailed national waterbird reports already existed for every country in Central America and South America. The gap was that these country-level reports needed to be pulled together into clear, region-wide syntheses that partners could use to coordinate priorities, align goals, and build collaborative projects at a larger scale.

What were the main activities funded by this grant?

The funded work had two major components: (1) producing comprehensive regional synthesis documents that combine existing national waterbird reports into usable regional products, and (2) supporting a specific shorebird conservation effort in Barbados focused on reducing hunting pressure at wetlands used for shooting.

What were the expected regional synthesis deliverables?

The expected deliverables were user-friendly PDF synthesis documents prepared in appropriate languages, formatted so conservation practitioners could readily reference and distribute them.

Which regions were the synthesis documents expected to cover?

The grant contemplated formalized syntheses for Central America as a single region and for South America either as one region or multiple sub-regions. The final structure for South America was to be decided during the synthesis process.

What source material was the synthesis work expected to use?

The existing national waterbird reports were expected to serve as the primary source material for the regional syntheses.

Could the project collect new or updated information beyond the existing reports?

Yes. While national reports were the main inputs, the project allowed for gathering updated or clarifying information from national contacts when needed.

What kinds of information were included in the national waterbird reports being synthesized?

The national reports included information such as species occurrence and conservation status, important sites and habitats (and their condition), key threats, relevant laws and policies, current conservation actions, the organizations involved, and recommendations for actions needed to stabilize or restore waterbird populations.

What was the Barbados component of the grant focused on?

The Barbados component focused on improving survival prospects for migratory shorebirds by reducing hunting pressure in Barbados wetlands known as "shooting swamps" through establishment of no-shooting areas and formal conservation agreements.

What are "shooting swamps" in the context of this opportunity?

In the notice, "shooting swamps" referred to wetlands in Barbados used for hunting.

Why was Barbados highlighted as important for migratory shorebirds?

The notice stated that shorebird numbers using the shooting swamps were unknown but were believed to exceed those of any other Caribbean island, suggesting these wetlands could be unusually important for migratory shorebirds.

What specific on-the-ground actions in Barbados did the opportunity describe?

The work was designed to build on interest expressed by several swamp owners to set aside portions of their wetlands as no-shooting areas and to establish bag limits for species of concern. The practical goal was to reduce hunting pressure and improve protection for visiting migratory shorebirds.

Was this opportunity a single award or multiple awards?

It was described as a single-award grant.

How much funding was available?

The estimated total funding amount was $16,000. The award ceiling was $16,000 and the award floor was $10,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity indicated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to any type of applicant, subject to any clarifications that might have appeared in additional eligibility text.

How long was the performance period for the funded work?

The timetable for completing all tasks described (both the regional synthesis work and the Barbados shorebird work) was one year from receipt of funds.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on April 26, 2010. The original closing date and current closing date were both April 30, 2010.

Is this grant opportunity still active?

No. It was archived on May 30, 2010.

Was there a full announcement document associated with the posting?

The posting indicated that no full announcement was associated with the opportunity.

Who was listed as the contact for access issues?

The contact listed for access issues was Jennifer Wheeler, reachable at 703-358-1931.

What program identifier was associated with this grant?

The opportunity was associated with CFDA 15.655, titled Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation.

What was the practical conservation outcome the agency seemed to be aiming for overall?

Based on the description, the agency aimed to (1) make existing national planning information more usable at a regional scale through synthesis documents that support coordinated conservation, and (2) achieve tangible protection improvements for migratory shorebirds in Barbados by supporting no-shooting wetlands and conservation agreements that reduce hunting pressure.