Description
The purpose of this new award is to provide $50,000 in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) funds to support the Five Star-Urban Waters Restoration grant program managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). This funding will be used by NFWF to support an Urban Refuge focal area in the competitive Five Star-Urban Waters Restoration grant program. Funding from FWS will be leveraged by funds already committed by U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and numerous non-federal corporate and private partners. Through this program, NFWF will solicit projects from state and local governments, non-profit organizations, Tribes, and academic institutions to support the proposed standards of excellence for Urban Wildlife Refuges with an emphasis on urban bird conservation. The grant program, a unique public-private partnership, will invest 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 and private 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 program include: â¿¢ Partnerships: Projects 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 Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) staff can help achieve common goals of connecting people with nature by engaging them in bird-related education and conservation. â¿¢ 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. â¿¢ Sustainability: Projects should reflect a commitment to neighborhood and community strength, and long term capacity to remain engaged as a Service partner beyond the life of the grant. â¿¢ Community Assets: Projects will articulate tangible ways the Service can become an asset to the urban community. Examples of asset building would include providing technical assistance in fish and wildlife issues, providing pathways for youth employment, supporting urban bird conservation, or community education and recreational enjoyment. This award is made through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)â¿¿s CFDA (15.655) under the authority of Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 742a-754; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, 16 U.S.C. 661-667(e); Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 2901-2911; Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C. 709a.