FY17 FWS Urban Waters - Urban Refuge Partnership | F17AS00426

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00426

The FY17 FWS Urban Waters - Urban Refuge Partnership grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00426) is a discretionary cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), within the natural resources funding area (CFDA 15.654). Its central purpose is to provide $200,000 in FWS funding to continue support for the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program, which is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Rather than funding individual on-the-ground projects directly through FWS, the award is structured to strengthen and expand an "Urban Refuge" focal area inside NFWF's existing competitive Five Star and Urban Waters program.

This funding is intended to be leveraged with other public and private investments already committed to the broader program, including contributions from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and multiple corporate partners. The overall model is a public-private partnership that pools resources and then targets them into priority urban watersheds through competitive subawards. The emphasis is on urban, community-based conservation that can show measurable outcomes, brings residents into hands-on restoration and outdoor experiences, and helps communities understand how fish and wildlife conservation connects to local quality of life and well-being.

A defining feature of this opportunity is that it focuses on conservation and community engagement on easily accessible lands that are not owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Through NFWF's solicitation process, projects may be proposed by a wide range of local implementers such as state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, Tribes, and academic institutions. Projects are expected to involve residents directly in place-based outdoor experiences that build connections to fish, wildlife, and habitat, essentially meeting people where they live and creating practical pathways into conservation involvement in urban settings.

To align with the Urban Refuge and partnership concept, projects supported with the FWS Urban Refuge funding must meet at least one of the Eight Standards of Excellence for Urban Wildlife Refuges and Partnerships. These standards are: (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. In practical terms, this frames the program around inclusive access, community relevance, strong local partnerships, long-term durability of benefits, and a welcoming, safe visitor experience, not just ecological improvements.

Geographically and programmatically, the opportunity also sets a proximity and relationship requirement: projects selected for the FWS Urban Refuge funding are expected to be near FWS lands or offices, or located where there are existing FWS urban partnerships. This condition is meant to reinforce on-the-ground connections between local community efforts and the Service's broader urban wildlife refuge and partnership network, even when work occurs off Service-owned property.

In terms of award logistics, the posted notice makes clear that it is not an open competition for applicants. It is a notification of intent to make a single-source cooperative agreement, with the recipient already selected, and the expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $200,000. The eligible applicant category listed is nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), which aligns with NFWF's role as the managing entity for the competitive grant program that will solicit and support local projects.

Finally, the opportunity is issued under a broad set of statutory authorities that collectively support fish and wildlife conservation, refuge management and recreation, youth engagement, volunteer and community partnerships, protection of cultural and archaeological resources, and related transportation and access authorities. These authorities include the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1934, Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, Refuge Recreation Act of 1962, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 and subsequent amendments (including the 1997 Refuge System Improvement Act), the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1972, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Act of 2004, and relevant Federal Aid for Highways provisions. Together, they provide the legal foundation for using federal funds to support community-oriented conservation and engagement activities connected to the National Wildlife Refuge System and its urban partnerships.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY17 FWS Urban Waters - Urban Refuge Partnership" 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 Sep 19, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by This is a notification of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement. The recipient has already been selected.. (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 $200,000.00 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 F17AS00426

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