FY16 - FWS Urban Waters - Urban Refuge Partnership
Fish and Wildlife Service · Opportunity F16AS00391
The recipient has been selected.
≈ 1 awards expected
Who can apply
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3), other than higher education
About this opportunity
Background In 2011, a multi-agency federal partnership was created to support innovative community efforts to provide safe, healthy and accessible outdoor spaces. A strong component of this effort focused on engaging local communities in the revitalization of their waterways. This new Urban Waters Federal Partnership initially focused on improving coordination between federal agencies. As new agencies joined the Partnership, and the response from local communities increased, it became clear that a convenient mechanism was needed to provide funding to support the urban waterway revitalization project ideas that were emerging from within the partner communities. In 2013, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership approached the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) about managing a small urban waters program to provide seed funding for the community-based projects that were emerging around the country. NFWF believe the urban water goals would fit nicely in the existing Five Star Restoration Program managed by NFWF. The Five Star Restoration Program began in 1999 as a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agencyâ¿¿s (EPA) Wetland Office and several corporate partners including Southern Company and Fed Ex. The goal of the program was for applicants to bring together a minimum of five partners to implement urban wetland restoration projects. With funding from EPAâ¿¿s Office of Water and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) State and Private Forestry, NFWF launched the new Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. The revised program is a national effort that seeks to develop community stewardship of urban natural resources, while building partnerships at the local level. Projects address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development. The program requires the establishment and/or enhancement of diverse partnerships and an education/outreach component that will help shape and sustain behavior to achieve conservation goals. The requirement for engagement with at least five partners remained. Program Overview Through the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program (known as Five Star Restoration Program from 1999 - 2012), NFWF funded over 700 projects nationwide, including projects in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than $13.3 million in grants has leveraged more than $56 million in other funds or donated services. Projects have engaged over 160,000 community members across the country in conservation efforts; restored and improved a broad range of habitat types in many different landscapes including coastal areas, forests, urban centers, streams and rivers; and more than 75,000 acres of land have been restored including more than 350 acres of wetland habitat. In 2015, the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program was expanded to include funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Additional FWS priorities around urban refuges and migratory birds were added to the program. Total program partners now include FWS, EPA, USFS, Southern Company, Fed Ex, Alcoa Foundation, and Bank of America. Purpose and Objectives The purpose of this new award is to provide $250,000 in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) funds to continue support of the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program, managed by NFWF. This funding will be used by NFWF to support an Urban Refuge focal area in the competitive Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. Funding from FWS will be leveraged by funds already committed by U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and numerous non-federal corporate partners. Through this program, NFWF will solicit projects from state and local governments, non-profit organizations, Tribes, and academic institutions that engage communities in conservation on easily-accessible lands that the Service does not own. Projects shall involve residents in place-based outdoor experiences that foster connections with fish, wildlife and their habitats and must meet at least one of the eight Standards of Excellence for Urban Wildlife Refuges and Partnerships: 1. Know and relate to the community; 2. Connect urban people with nature via stepping stones of engagement; 3. Build partnerships; 4. Be a community asset; 5. Ensure adequate long-term resources; 6. Provide equitable access; 7. Ensure visitors feel safe and welcome; and 8. Model sustainability. The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program, a unique public-private partnership, invests in urban community-based conservation efforts that result in measurable conservation outcomes, engage the public and provide a better understanding of how fish and wildlife conservation contributes to community well-being. Through the administration of the grant program, NFWF, FWS, FS, EPA, and corporate entities will leverage public and private funding to target resources for priority urban watersheds. All projects selected for FWS Urban Refuge funding will be in proximity of FWS lands or offices or in locations where there are existing FWS urban partnerships. The objectives of the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program include: -Partnerships: Projectsâ¿¿ proposals should include partner organizations (public and private) with the demonstrated ability or articulated strategy to work with specifically identified urban cultures and communities. Proposals will describe how the partnership with FWS staff can help achieve common goals of connecting people with nature. -Measurable Benefits: Projects should result in measurable outcomes that document greater participation in fish and wildlife related activities among diverse urban audiences and a better understanding of how fish and wildlife conservation contributes to community well-being. -Sustainability: Projects