Grant Encylopedia

Purpose:
The goal of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem by funding and implementing federal projects that address these problems. As part of this initiative, the two bird habitat joint ventures that are in the Great Lakes watershed ? the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture and the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture ? will be working with the Wildlife And Sport Fish Restoration programs in the Midwest and Northeast Regions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to competitively fund state and other partner projects for long-term habitat restoration, enhancement or protection for conservation of native Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory birds. Preference will be given to activities that help meet the habitat goals of the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture Implementation Plan or the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain (BCR 13) Bird Conservation Region Plan, other relevant bird conservation plans, and State Wildlife Action Plans.

Award Information:
Up to $1.86 million in funds are available during fiscal year 2010. Grant requests between $100,000 and $500,000 will be accepted. We expect to announce the awards in June, 2010.

Eligibility and Match Requirements:
Eligible applicants for this competitive grant program include state fish and wildlife agencies and other non-federal conservation agencies or organizations that provide at least a 25% non-federal match for habitat restoration, enhancement and protection activities. Projects must be within the U.S. watershed of the Great Lakes as defined by the U.S. EPA (links to maps of the Great Lakes Watershed and Lower Great Lakes Watershed in NY and PA) within states bordering the Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). A Federal interest will be attached to real property interests acquired with grant funds or contributed as match and must be titled to, or held by, either the Grantee or an approved Subgrantee.

An eligible proposal is a plan of action supported by grant and partner funds to conserve habitats for migratory birds and other wildlife through acquisition (including fee title, permanent conservation easements and donations of real property interests), restoration and/or enhancement that contains a grant request between $100,000 and $500,000 and matching contributions of at least 25% with a target completion date within one year of the date of award. Grant awards may only be used for activities that begin after the grant agreement is signed - this grant program is not eligible for reimbursement of completed or ongoing projects.

Matching contributions may take the form of cash, goods, services, or land value and must be at least equal to 25% of the grant request; permanent, non-reimbursable, and dedicated to a project; and documented by a signed letter of commitment from an authorized representative of the match provider in the application. The letter of commitment must detail the amount of matching funds or value of donated land and/or services. Land as match must have a current (less than 1 year) appraised value.