Wildlife Without Borders â¿¿ Central America 2016

I. Description of Funding Opportunity Central America possesses one of the richest concentrations of species and ecosystem diversity on Earth. The region⿿s forests serve as irreplaceable flyways for migratory birds, provide important watershed and ecosystem services, and reduce the severity of climate change impacts. Unfortunately, despite tremendous progress over the last two decades, Central America today remains among the most threatened biodiversity hotspots with one of the highest land conversion and deforestation rates in the world. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) works closely with national governments, U.S. agencies, and a range of other partners to ensure a strategic, results-based approach to conserving priority species, habitats and ecological processes across landscapes with high biodiversity value in Central America. With the region currently suffering from drought due to an El Nino event of nearly unprecedented severity, protecting wildlife and forests is a critical element in securing food sources, livelihoods and sustainable economic growth. USFWS is providing this funding opportunity to reduce threats to key species and ecosystems in Central America and to strengthen the requisite individual and institutional capacity to sustain conservation programs in the long-term. Project activities should take place in Central America. If work is to be conducted in the United States, the proposal must show a clear impact on biodiversity conservation in Central America to be eligible. Geographic and programmatic priorities are described below, including what USFWS wants to achieve through its funding support (i.e., Desired Results). Due to other grant programs supported by the USFWS, Wildlife Without Borders - Central America WILL NOT FUND projects related to: ⿢ Marine turtles (Marine Turtle Conservation Fund) ⿢ Neotropical Migratory Birds (Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund) ⿢ Mexico (Wildlife Without Borders - Mexico) ⿢ South America (Wildlife Without Borders ⿿ Latin America and Caribbean - South America) For information on how to apply for these other funding opportunities please visit: http://www.fws.gov/grants/programs.html Geographic priorities: The USFWS seeks to support conservation of the large-scale ecosystems of regional significance that are viable for long-term conservation and critical to protecting regional watersheds and ecosystem services. Because existing protected areas within Central America alone are too small and isolated to maintain ecosystem functions and large scale processes, the Wildlife Without Borders-Central America program uses a landscape-scale approach to conserve the region⿿s unique ecosystems and jaguars, tapirs, monkeys, macaws, and other iconic wildlife that can also serve as umbrella species for the rest of the region⿿s biodiversity. Priority consideration will be given to conservation activities within the following landscapes: ⿏ Maya Mountains Massif ⿿ Chiquibul - Cockscomb (Belize) ⿏ Central Belize Corridor (Belize) ⿏ Maya Forest (Guatemala) ⿏ Montecristo Massif ⿿ Trifinio Corridor (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras) ⿏ Texiguat- Pico-Bonito-Cuero y Salado (Honduras) ⿏ Rio Plátano-Tawahka-Patuca - Bosawas (Honduras and Nicaragua) ⿏ Osa Peninsula and Térraba-Sierpe (Costa Rica) ⿏ Rio Indo Maíz (Nicaragua) ⿏ La Amistad ⿿ Palo Seco (Costa Rica and Panama) ⿏ Darien (Panama) Given the transnational nature of these landscapes, the USFWS seeks to support not only local landscape activities, but also activities to ameliorate threats to biodiversity targeted at a regional and political level. Furthermore, to support collaboration and learning across sites, recipients may be invited to participate in a community of practice around specific approaches to addressing Central America⿿s most pressing conservation issues. Programmatic priorities: 1. Reducing unsustainable agricultural and land use practices Description: Nearly half of the natural habitats of Central America have been converted to agriculture or urban areas and an estimated eighty percent of the region⿿s original forest has been cleared or significantly altered. Habitat loss and degradation due to agricultural encroachment and industrialization is one of the primary threats to the region⿿s wildlife. Expansions of pastures for livestock production, especially cattle ranching, as well as expansion of oil palm production and other agricultural activities are major drivers of deforestation and wetland degradation resulting in loss of wildlife habitat. Effective actions are needed to: 1) discourage agroindustry and livestock production in key forest areas and wetlands of international importance; and 2) promote sustainable farming and grazing systems with a focus on drought resistant and climate adapted food production systems, particularly as an alternative to cattle ranching. The USFWS seeks to support activities to reduce threats from farming and ranching as a result of agricultural encroachment and industrialization. Eligible proposals include projects to combat habitat degradation in high-value landscapes identified above and increase sustainable farming and grazing systems outside protected areas, as well as projects that increase national political will, coherent policies and incentives, and legal capacity to improve compliance with protected area legislation and law enforcement. The program will also support the delivery of effective training and capacity development linked to practical on-the-ground problem solving. Proposals should focus on strengthening the ability of Central American individuals, institutions, and networks to carry out conservation activities and techniques to reduce the threat of unsustainable agricultural land use practices in the short and long term. Proposals should show how capacity development will address gaps in engagement and/or performance of the following target audiences: 1) Personnel or institutions working on wildlife conservation and protected area and/or biological corridor management; 2) Local resource managers, community organizations, indigenous peoples, or producer organizations; or 3) Underserved youth (ages 18 ⿿ 25) living in priority landscapes. Proposals should describe how gender will be considered in the design and delivery of capacity development activities. Desired results related to management of high conservation value areas: ⿏ Reduction in total ha/% of management area encroached by specific harmful agricultural or ranching activity. ⿏ Reduction of illegal activities or incursions within area of concern (protected areas, buffer zones, multiple use zones, indigenous territories and biological corridors). ⿏ Increase in total ha/% or # of producers within area of concern (protected areas, buffer zones, multiple use zones, indigenous territories and biological corridors) under biodiversity-friendly or climate adapted production systems. Desired results related to policy and enforcement: ⿏ Integrated sustainable mechanisms and/or policies for farmers and ranchers to prevent agricultural encroachment and reduce cattle production at the local, national, and/or regional level, including more coherent fiscal and regulatory incentives as well as payment for environmental services. ⿏ Sufficient investigative capacity to identify large-scale illegal pasture clearing within protected areas for intensive or large scale livestock production and the evidence that can be used to assist their arrest and prosecution. Desired results related to capacity development: ⿏ Successful identification of training and competencies needed to carry out specific conservation activities and techniques, and selection of trainers and individuals with high potential to effectively deliver and apply training. ⿏ Successful completion of training and application of new competencies by trained individuals which resulted in measureable reduction of threats to priority landscapes from unsustainable agricultural and land use practices. ⿏ Increased participation of indigenous peoples and forest-based communities in monitoring and influencing decision-making processes. ⿏ Increased role of civil society in making, implementing, influencing or providing input into policies and regulations affecting implementation of laws at the local/community, tribal, state/provincial, national and international level related to biodiversity. ⿏ Development of young conservation champions (ages 18 ⿿ 25) due to expanded educational, community service and employment opportunities related to biodiversity conservation. 2. Cattle reporting Description: To better understand the scale, scope and impact of cattle production on Central America⿿s forests and wildlife at the regional level, the USFWS will support a reporting project that leverages a network of journalists across the region to produce news and media about the issue. The recipient will work closely with experts selected by USFWS to develop a list of questions that need to be explored to get a better handle on the intersection of cattle ranching and environmental protection in Mesoamerica within the context of food security and human health, economic production, ecosystem services, and climate change. Those questions will then be used to seed an open call for story proposals from journalists via the grantee⿿s various channels. The grantee will field proposals and commission stories, to be produced regularly during the course of the reporting project. Desired results: ⿏ Central America news and media produce at least 10 feature stories on the scope and impact of cattle production on Central America⿿s forests and wildlife ⿏ Evidence of readership by tracking of where articles are picked up by a third party. **Note on funding mechanism: A cooperative agreement. 3. Conserving jaguar populations of Central America The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest and most iconic cat in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar is an umbrella species whose conservation supports conservation of other species, ecosystem functions, and landscapes. Jaguars have been eradicated from over 40% of their historical range. Today, direct threats to the jaguar in Central America include: habitat loss and fragmentation, direct killing by humans who view jaguars as a threat to their security or to their livelihoods, and depletion of natural prey due to subsistence or market hunting. The USFWS will support local, national and regional (transnational) activities designed to ensure that jaguar populations remain stable or increase across its range. Eligible proposals include projects that secure protections for critical jaguar conservation units and jaguar corridors to ensure regional connectivity, mitigate and reduce persecution of jaguars, and support conservation of their natural prey. Priority consideration will be given to conservation activities within the following jaguar conservation units or corridors: ⿏ Maya Biosphere Reserve ⿏ Greater Bosawas Landscape ⿏ Wawashang Natural Reserve ⿏ Indio Maiz Biological Reserve ⿏ Jeannette Kawas National Park ⿏ Pico Bonito National Park ⿏ Central Belize Corridor ⿏ San Juan-La Selva Corridor ⿏ Central Volcanic to Talamanca Corridor ⿏ Amistosa Corridor ⿏ Santa Fe-Lago Gatun and Central Corridor Desired results: ⿏ Improved management capacity of jaguar conservation units and corridors. ⿏ Designation of new protected areas or corridors. ⿏ Reduction or elimination of conflicts between humans and jaguars. ⿏ Reduction of retaliatory attacks and killing of jaguars. ⿏ Reduction of livestock predation and damage to human lives and livelihoods. ⿏ Adoption of jaguar conflict mitigation measures by ranchers and/or farmers. ⿏ Improved conservation for other species and/or ecosystems. ⿏ Integrated sustainable mechanisms and/or policy incentives for owners to prevent livestock predation at the local, national, and/or regional level. 4) Improving wildlife security in Central America Description: The USFWS will support local, national and regional (transnational) activities designed and implemented to reduce uncontrolled and/or unsustainable wildlife (terrestrial and marine) and timber harvesting and trafficking Eligible proposals include both projects to combat poaching, illegal resource extraction and habitat degradation in high value conservation areas, as well as projects that increase local and national political will and capacity to improve compliance with anti-trafficking laws and law enforcement. Example activities include disruption of illegal trade networks and control of illicit trade routes; support to national judicial systems and law enforcement offices to apply wildlife-related law; augmentation of the national government⿿s capacity to protect high value sites, including protected area management or establishment; and reduction of threats and/or targeted recovery of species that are clearly identified to be threatened. In the project narrative section, proposals should describe current conditions that will enable proposed activities to be successful, including the status of government resources and political will to support field protection missions and/or wildlife law enforcement, existing intelligence and informant networks, and existing project strategies that support good governance and ensure the legal process is not undermined by corruption. In addition, USFWS will support the delivery of effective training and capacity development linked to practical on-the-ground problem solving. Proposals should focus on strengthening the ability of Central American individuals, institutions, and networks to carry out conservation activities and techniques to improve wildlife security. Proposals should show how capacity development will address gaps in engagement and/or performance of the following target audiences: 1) Personnel or institutions working on wildlife conservation and protected area and/or biological corridor management 2) Local resource managers, community organizations, indigenous peoples, or producer organizations or 3) Underserved rural youth (ages 18 ⿿ 25) living in priority landscapes. Proposals should describe how gender will be considered in the design and delivery of capacity development activities. Furthermore, this priority area is designed to support conservation activities for habitats, sites and species not identified elsewhere in the Notice of Funding Opportunity that can clearly demonstrate a reduction of threat to the conservation target. Desired results: ⿏ Reduced illegal and/or unsustainable harvesting of wildlife and timber resources. ⿏ Decreased availability and commercial consumption and/or use of illegal wild animals and timber. ⿏ Increased field missions to detect and deter illegal activities and/or increased investigative capacity to identify large-scale wildlife and timber traffickers. ⿏ Increased application of wildlife protection laws by in-country decision-makers and law enforcement agents. ⿏ Illegal activities curtailed at the conservation area, and public use of the site is consistent with conservation goals. ⿏ Increased regional and/or transnational cooperation on reducing wildlife and timber trafficking. ⿏ More effective messaging in the media and development community related to wildlife and timber trafficking, and a public awareness that wildlife law is being enforced. Desired results related to capacity development: ⿏ Successful identification of training and competencies needed to carry out specific conservation activities and techniques, and selection of trainers and individuals with high potential to effectively deliver and apply training. ⿏ Successful completion of training and application of new competencies by trained individuals which resulted in measureable reduction of threats from uncontrolled/unsustainable wildlife and timber harvesting and trafficking. ⿏ Increased participation of indigenous peoples and forest-based communities in monitoring and influencing the decision-making processes related to natural resource use on their lands. ⿏ Increased role of civil society in making, implementing, influencing or providing input into policies and regulations affecting the implementation of laws at the local/community, tribal, state/provincial, national and international level related to biodiversity. ⿏ Development of young conservation champions (ages 18 ⿿ 25) due to expanded educational, community service and employment opportunities related to biodiversity conservation.