Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture Base Operations

Joint ventures, the partnerships that were originally formed to implement the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, are regional, self-directed organizations involving Federal, State, and local governments, corporations, and a wide range of non-governmental conservation groups that have proven to be a successful means of developing cooperative conservation efforts to protect waterfowl and other bird habitats. Joint ventures address multiple local, regional, and continental goals for sustaining migratory bird populations by developing scientifically based landscape conservation plans and habitat projects that benefit migratory birds and other wildlife populations. Using the products of biological planning, joint ventures create landscape conservation designs that can direct individual habitat management actions to where they have the greatest effect. The Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture is among the joint ventures that currently receive funding through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for base operations support. The Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting proposals for the base operations, i.e., support staff and activities/functions, for the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture partnership. First established in 2008, the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture partnership is directed by a Management Board that ensures that commitment and support is maintained to achieve the goals and objectives of this migratory bird joint venture. Members of the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture Management Board include administrators from the federal, state and private sectors; these members (i.e., partners) coordinate their otherwise independent actions in the cooperative pursuit and refinement of the joint venture¿s goals and objectives. We anticipate that up to $288,000 will be available for the funding opportunity, and anticipate making one award through a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement has been chosen because there is substantial Federal involvement in the project (i.e., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a member of the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture Management Board which participates in directing and managing this project, including the approval of any modifications).