WVNWRC Habitat Management and Information/Education Support | F19AS00323

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00323

The WVNWRC Habitat Management and Information/Education Support opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00323) was a discretionary federal grant offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, focused on strengthening on-the-ground habitat work and public-facing education efforts tied to the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex (NWR Complex). The core purpose was to continue and formalize cooperation between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Friends of the Willamette Valley NWRC (the Friends group), using a cooperative agreement structure that supports close coordination rather than a hands-off pass-through grant. In practical terms, the funding was meant to help the partners jointly plan and carry out habitat restoration and enhancement projects while also supporting information and education activities that advance the refuge complex mission.

The work described centers on habitat restoration and improvement actions associated with ongoing land and resource management needs at the Willamette Valley NWR Complex. The notice specifically highlights habitat projects linked to forest management, oak conservation, and aquatic habitat work, which typically includes activities like restoring native plant communities, improving structural habitat conditions, removing or controlling invasive species, improving riparian or wetland function, and carrying out conservation actions that support wildlife and ecological resilience. Alongside habitat actions, the opportunity also emphasizes information and education support, reflecting the role Friends organizations often play in visitor engagement, interpretation, outreach, and other forms of public support that help connect local communities to refuge lands and conservation goals.

Because the instrument type is a cooperative agreement, the announcement signals that the Service expected substantial involvement in the work, including coordination on project priorities and methods, and a defined exchange of resources to reach shared objectives. The description explicitly notes an interchange of services, personnel, equipment, facilities, and funds, which is a common way of describing how a refuge Friends group and the agency combine capacities. Rather than the nonprofit operating entirely independently, the arrangement is intended to integrate the nonprofit partner into mission delivery in a structured, accountable way that aligns with refuge management plans and operational needs.

Eligibility was limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $250,000, indicating a targeted funding action intended for one main partner rather than a broad competitive field of multiple grantees. The activity categories attached to the notice include education and natural resources, and it was associated with CFDA 15.654, which aligns it with Fish and Wildlife Service refuge-related assistance programs. The posting was created on August 8, 2019, with an original closing date of August 15, 2019, reflecting a short application window typical of opportunities that are closely tied to an established partnership and a specific set of near-term refuge support needs.

Overall, this funding opportunity was designed to maintain and expand a working partnership that directly supports refuge habitat priorities in the Willamette Valley while also bolstering the public information and education functions that help build long-term community understanding and support for conservation on the refuge complex.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the education, natural resources, recovery act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WVNWRC Habitat Management and Information/Education Support" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 15, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for F19AS00323

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