Migratory Bird Monitoring Assessment and Conservation | F17AS00129

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00129

The Migratory Bird Monitoring Assessment and Conservation opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00129) is a discretionary U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Northeast Region grant being offered as a cooperative agreement, with an anticipated single award of up to $35,000. The notice is specifically announcing the agency's intent to make a sole source award to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, meaning it is not a broadly competed solicitation but rather a targeted financial assistance action supporting a defined project partner. The opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.655), and the eligible applicant type listed is private institutions of higher education, aligning with Eckerd College's status.

The legal and policy justification for the work is rooted in several longstanding federal conservation authorities. Funding is provided under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as amended) and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and the overall conservation mandate is reinforced by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which directs federal protection of migratory birds. Additional protections apply for species that are formally listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which is particularly relevant here because one of the focal species, the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), is federally listed as threatened.

At the project level, the purpose of the cooperative agreement is to develop Best Management Practices (BMPs) for predation management aimed at improving breeding success for priority shorebirds in North America, with an emphasis on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Predation is identified as a significant limiting factor for nesting shorebirds, and better coordination around predator management has been flagged as a top conservation priority by the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative (AFSI). AFSI is a USFWS-coordinated partnership effort involving more than 50 partners, and this project is designed to support and operationalize AFSI's implementation plan by producing practical, standardized guidance and demonstrating effective approaches in the field.

The work is organized around three core strategies explicitly drawn from AFSI's predation-focused implementation framework. First, the project will develop and promote BMPs, which typically means assembling and evaluating existing evidence and on-the-ground experience to produce clear recommendations that managers can apply consistently across sites. Second, it will implement predator management at representative demonstration sites, allowing methods to be tested or showcased in real-world conditions and helping translate guidance into measurable actions. Third, it will support outreach and training through coordination with affiliated projects, which is intended to spread lessons learned, build capacity among practitioners, and encourage broader adoption of effective practices. Together, these components are meant to improve range-wide coordination and increase the overall effectiveness of predation management efforts along the Atlantic coast.

The initiative focuses on four coastal, temperate-breeding shorebird species that are priorities for AFSI: the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia), Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), and the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). By centering on these focal species, the project aims to support conservation outcomes where predation management can make a tangible difference in nesting success and population stability, while also creating tools and approaches that can be replicated by agencies and partners working in similar coastal systems.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on February 24, 2017, with an original closing date of March 3, 2017, reflecting the narrow, single-recipient nature of the announcement rather than an extended open competition. The cooperative agreement structure also implies a level of substantial federal involvement during the period of performance, such as collaboration on deliverables, coordination with broader USFWS and AFSI efforts, and alignment with regional or flyway-scale conservation priorities.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Monitoring Assessment and Conservation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.655.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 24, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 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 $35,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for F17AS00129

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