Western Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Conservation in South America | F17AS00260

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00260

The grant opportunity titled "Western Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Conservation in South America" (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00260) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) notice of intent to make a single-source award, meaning it is not an open, competitive solicitation and there is no full announcement package for the public to apply to. The Department of the Interior, through USFWS, planned to issue one cooperative agreement to a specific organization, BirdsCaribbean, to carry out a targeted conservation research effort focused on migratory shorebirds in northern South America.

The core purpose of the project is to implement a survey that evaluates harvest pressure on migratory shorebirds along the coast of Guyana. In practical terms, the work is aimed at improving understanding of how and where shorebirds may be taken (for example, through hunting or other forms of harvest), the intensity of that pressure, and how it intersects with local communities and coastal habitats used by birds moving through the Western Atlantic Flyway. Because many shorebird species migrate across international boundaries and rely on a chain of stopover and wintering sites, information from places like Guyana can be critical for flyway-level conservation planning and for identifying priority actions to reduce threats.

This funding is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project beyond simply providing funds. The activity category aligns with natural resources, science and technology, and research and development, and it falls under CFDA number 15.664. The legal authorities cited for the funding include the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as amended), the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016. Collectively, these authorities provide the basis for USFWS to support projects that conserve wildlife, coordinate conservation actions, and protect migratory birds, including through research and on-the-ground assessment work.

The total award amount is modest, with an award ceiling of $26,250, and the opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1). Although the eligibility field lists nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), the single-source nature of the notice means the agency had already identified the recipient rather than inviting proposals from the broader eligible community. The notice was created on June 27, 2017, with an original closing date of July 3, 2017, which in this context functions more like an administrative window tied to the posting rather than a typical application deadline for competing applicants.

BirdsCaribbean was selected specifically because of its unique qualifications and ongoing work relevant to shorebirds in the Caribbean and northern South America, as well as its connections with people who have extensive knowledge of local communities in Guyana. Those local relationships are particularly important for a project assessing harvest pressure, since understanding harvest practices often depends on trusted engagement, cultural context, and community-level insight in addition to biological field data. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a focused, pre-selected partnership designed to fill an information gap about a key threat to migratory shorebirds in a strategically important part of the Western Atlantic Flyway.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Western Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Conservation in South America" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.664.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 27, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 03, 2017. (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 $26,250.00 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 F17AS00260

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