**Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act - Proposal Application
Instructions**

In 2000, the Congress of the United States passed the Neotropical
Migratory Bird Conservation Act (Act). The purposes of the Act are to

-   perpetuate healthy populations of Neotropical migratory birds,

-   assist in the conservation of Neotropical migratory birds by
    supporting conservation initiatives in the United States, Canada,
    Latin America, and the Caribbean, and

-   provide financial resources and to foster international cooperation
    for those initiatives.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with assistance from an Advisory
Group, manages a grants program to implement the terms of this
legislation. Potential applicants are invited to prepare a Grant
Application for funding, following the format shown.

**Who may apply?**

-   An individual, corporation, partnership, trust, association, or
    other private entity;

-   An officer, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the
    Federal Government, state, municipality, or political subdivision of
    a state, or of any foreign government;

-   A state, municipality, or political subdivision of a state;

-   Any other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or
    of any foreign country; or

-   An international organization.

**Where may a project be located?**

In the United States, Canada, and in all countries of Latin America and
the Caribbean.

**What kinds of projects are eligible?**

-   Protection and management of Neotropical migratory bird populations;

-   Maintenance, management, protection, and restoration of Neotropical
    migratory bird habitat;

-   Research and monitoring;

-   Law enforcement; and

-   Community outreach and education.

**Can project funds be used for mitigation?**

While eligible, a proposal for such work would likely be considered
lower priority, unless there are wider benefits from the work. For
example, research on avian mortality at communication towers can be
applied to tower design in a wider region.

**What is the duration of a project?**

Projects may be up to two years in duration.

**What is a Neotropical migratory bird?**

For the purposes of this program, a Neotropical migratory bird is one
that breeds in or migrates through the United States, at least to some
extent, and spends the nonbreeding season in Mexico, Central America,
the Caribbean and/or South America. Birds from all taxa are included, so
that proposals may benefit landbirds, waterbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl,
raptors, and others. See
<http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/BirdList.shtm> for a list
of these birds.

**What are the match requirements?**

Federal funds requested under the Act must be matched 3:1 by non-Federal
funds. That is, for every Federal dollar, three non-Federal dollars are
required.

-   For projects in the United States and Canada, the non-Federal share
    must be in cash.

-   For projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto
    Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the non-Federal share may be cash
    or in-kind contributions.

Cash means the recipient\'s cash outlay, including the outlay of money
contributed to the recipient by third parties, to be expended after the
date the proposal is submitted.

Eligible in-kind contributions may have been expended up to two years
prior to the date the proposal is submitted, however, contributions made
after the proposal is submitted are preferred.

Match contributions must be directly related to the proposed project and
the types of activities eligible under the Act. **Match contributions
must not have been used previously to match a U.S. Federal project**.

**How much can I apply for?**

The maximum award for FY2008 will be US\$250,000. The average award has
been about US\$95,000, with a range of US\$9,000 to US\$250,000.
Requests under US\$15,000 are discouraged; please contact us if you are
planning such a proposal.

**In what languages may I submit proposals?**

English, Spanish, and Portuguese. All proposals must have an English
summary.

**What format can I use?**

Use only Microsoft Word. Do not use any other formats. Do not include
photos within the document. Do not send a file larger than 5 MB.

**How long can the proposal be?**

No more than 10 pages, including maps and the budget.

**When is the deadline?**

Project proposals must be sent no later than November 15, 2007.

**May I send a preproposal?**

Yes, applicants are encouraged, but not required, to send a preproposal
(no more than 1 page in length) to the email address shown below for
review prior to the deadline.

**Where do I send the proposal?**

Send it as an electronic mail attachment to
[neotropical@fws.gov](http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/ContactUs/Neotropicalcontact.shtm).\
Or, send it on a computer disk to:

NMBCA Program\
Division of Bird Habitat Conservation\
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\
MAIL STOP MBSP - 4075\
4401 North Fairfax Drive\
Arlington, Virginia USA 22203

Do not send printed materials. Receipt of your proposal will be
acknowledged by email.

**What criteria will be used in selecting projects?** (Not necessarily
in order of importance or of equal weight.)

1.  Is the project located in important breeding and nonbreeding areas
    for Neotropical migrants? Example: A Western Hemisphere Shorebird
    Reserve Network International Site.

2.  Does the project address Neotropical migrants identified as a
    conservation priority by a government agency or conservation
    initiative? Example: Birds of Conservation Concern 2002 (U.S. Fish
    and Wildlife Service).

3.  Are natural resources in the project area under threat? Example:
    Timber is being harvested in an unsustainable manner in the project
    area, reducing its value to Neotropical migrants.

4.  What is the conservation value of the project to Neotropical
    migrants? When the project is completed, how will the birds benefit?
    Example: Residents of communities near Neotropical migrants'
    habitats are informed about the value of the birds, and take actions
    to conserve them.

5.  How will conservation activities continue after the project has been
    completed? Example: After land acquisition, Neotropical migrant
    habitat will be managed for conservation as part of a private
    reserve network.

6.  Is the project coordinated with an international bird conservation
    plan? Example: Partners in Flight.

7.  Does the proposal represent a partnership or is it coordinated among
    public, private and/or other organizations? Example: Prairie Pothole
    Joint Venture.

8.  Is the proposal well written, with clear objectives? Does it follow
    the correct format?

9.  Is the budget accurate, with reasonable requests for overhead and
    personnel? Does the project provide good benefits for the costs?
    Example: The budget clearly lays out budget items and costs in
    enough detail and with enough explanation/justification to determine
    what actions are being taken to achieve the project goals and that
    they are reasonably priced. [Budget
    example](http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/files/Budget Example A.doc)

10. Does the project satisfy other important national or local
    objectives, in addition to Neotropical migratory bird conservation?
    Example: biodiversity conservation.

In the United States and Canada, proposals for habitat conservation
located in wetlands should be directed to the North American Wetlands
Conservation Council. See
<http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm>.

In Mexico, proposals involving **priority** wetlands should be submitted
to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council. See
<http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Standard/Mexico/grantsENG.shtm>.

Priority wetlands in Mexico are described in the Application
Instructions at
<http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Standard/Mexico/instructionsSPA.shtm>.

**Who selects the projects for funding?**

The Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service selects the projects.

**When will funding be available?**

Projects will likely be approved by April 2008, and funds for these
projects should be available by June 2008.

**What reporting requirements are there?**

At a minimum, each grant recipient is required to submit a final report
that describes the success of meeting objectives as stated in the
proposal, and an annual financial report.

**Who do I contact for further information?**

Division of Bird Habitat Conservation\
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\
E-mail: neotropical@fws.gov\
Telephone: 703-358-1784\
Fax: 703-358-2282\
(hablamos español)

**NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION ACT\
2008 GRANT APPLICATION**

1.  **Cover Page** (1 page) (Provide all information listed below).\
    a. Project Title (limit to 10 words)\
    b. Project Location (State/Province, Country)\
    c. Latitude/Longitude\
    d. Ecoregion (see
    nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/terrestrial.html)\
    e. Name of Person Responsible for Project\
    f. Name of Organization\
    g. Type of Organization (Federal, State/Provincial, Non-government,
    University, Private, Other)\
    h. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number
    (to obtain a DUNS number, see "Smart Link" on the opening page of
    our website)\
    i. Mailing Address\
    j. Street Address, State/Province, Postal Code, Country\
    k. Telephone Number\
    l. Fax Number\
    m. Email Address\
    n. Duration of this proposal (up to 2 years)\
    o. ***For projects in the United States***: County and Congressional
    District\
    p. ***For projects in North America:*** Bird Conservation Region(s)
    in which the project is located (see
    <http://www.nabci-us.org/map.html>).\
    q. Summary (in English)\
    r. Indicate which of the following eligible activities are
    included:\
         (i) protection, management of bird populations;\
         (ii) maintenance, management, protection, restoration of bird
    habitat\
               (provide the area involved for each activity in acres or
    hectares);\
         (iii) research, monitoring;\
         (iv) law enforcement;\
         (v) community outreach, education.\
    s. Total Funding Requested and Total Matching Funds (in U.S.
    Dollars)\
    t. List of partners contributing match (include each partner name,
    organization type and contribution amount)

2.  **Qualifications of Individuals Conducting the Project** (Maximum 1
    page)

3.  **Project Description**\
    a. Demonstrate that the project will enhance the conservation of
    Neotropical migratory bird species in the United States, Canada,
    Latin America, or the Caribbean.

> b\. Describe the project activities, including those funded with
> matching contributions.\
> c. For habitat protection projects, note that land rights should be
> acquired with grant funds only by host country organizations.\
> d. For research and monitoring projects, how will the information be
> used for conservation and by whom?

4.  **Local Participation**\
    a. Describe the mechanisms included to ensure adequate local public
    participation in project development and implementation.

5.  **Agency Consultation**\
    a. Describe the assurances contained that the project will be
    implemented in consultation with relevant wildlife management
    authorities and other appropriate government officials with
    jurisdiction over the resources addressed by the project. **NOTE:**
    For land acquisition projects outside of the United States, grant
    applicants will be asked to provide documentation of this
    consultation.

6.  **Historic and Cultural Resources**\
    a. Demonstrate how the project is sensitive to local historic and
    cultural resources and complies with applicable laws.\
    b. Will the project affect a property that is on the World Heritage
    List or a national register of historic places?

7.  **Sustainability**\
    a. Describe how the project will promote sustainable, effective,
    long-term programs to conserve Neotropical migratory birds.

8.  **Other Information**\
    a. Provide any other information helpful in evaluating the proposal.
    You may address any of the 10 criteria shown in the Application
    Instructions under "What criteria will be used in selecting
    projects?"

9.  **Evaluation**\
    a. Describe how the success of project activities will be evaluated.
    What outcomes will be measured?

10. **Budget\
    **a. Include an itemized budget table within the text of the
    proposal (not in a separate file), having one column for Neotropical
    Act funding and one or more columns for each partner contribution.
    The budget should clearly lay out budget items and costs in enough
    detail and with enough explanation/justification to determine what
    is needed to achieve the project goals and that they are reasonably
    priced. Please organize items in relation to the eligible activities
    of the program (see section 1.r. above).

> b\. All activities taking place in the United States must clearly have
> at least a 3:1 (match:grant) cash match represented in the budget to
> be eligible for funding. Please see the definition of cash match in
> the question above. Funds from U.S. Federal sources, although not
> eligible as match, may be listed in a separate column.
>
> c\. Partner contributions must exceed the amount requested by at least
> 3:1. Indicate cash or in-kind contributions. Budget items may be
> justified in footnotes under the budget table. Please prepare the
> budget in U.S. dollars, and round all figures to the nearest dollar
> (do not use cents).
>
> d\. More competitive proposals will generally have requested overhead
> or administrative costs less than 20%. These overhead or
> administrative costs must be directly attributable to the project. If
> your organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with a
> US federal cognizant agency you may use your indirect rate, but more
> competitive proposals will have lower indirect costs.
>
> e\. Applicants may be asked to submit letters confirming the
> commitment of matching funds from each contributing partner. Please
> wait for instructions before submitting these letters.

11. **Map\
    **a. Include a map of the project area, along with a map showing the
    location within the country. Place these within the text of the
    proposal, not in a separate file.

12. **Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)**\
    a. Applicants located in the United States, regardless of where the
    project activities are located, may be asked to submit the
    \"Application for Federal Assistance\", Standard Forms 424, 424B,
    and/or 424D (see <http://www.gsa.gov/forms/>). Please wait for
    instructions before submitting these forms.

13. **For Proposals Located in the United States**\
    a. Please address the following additional questions in your
    proposal application:\
         (i) How does the project contribute to the conservation of
    priority bird\
               species assemblages that depend on upland habitat\
               (see <http://www.blm.gov/wildlife/pifplans.htm>)?\
         (ii) How does the project contribute to the goals, objectives,
    and\
               recommendations in the appropriate Bird Conservation
    Plan(s)\
               (see <http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Plans/index.shtm>)?