St. Louis River Plant Biology & Community Ecological Expertise Project Support | F18AS00340

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00340

The St. Louis River Plant Biology and Community Ecological Expertise Project Support opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00340) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) funding action tied to a major, multi-partner habitat restoration effort at Kingsbury Bay and Grassy Point in the Lower St. Louis River near Duluth, Minnesota. The core purpose is to bring specialized plant biology and vegetative community ecology expertise into the restoration work so that native plant communities can be properly designed, established, and managed alongside large-scale construction activities, including dredging and the placement of materials. In practical terms, the work is meant to ensure that restoration decisions about what to plant, where to plant, how to support establishment, and how to manage the sites over time are guided by strong local scientific knowledge of the river's plant species and habitat types.

A central feature of this notice is that it is not a competitive grant and does not have an application process. Instead, it is a notice of intent to make a single-source cooperative agreement award to the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The USFWS cites a specific policy justification (505 DM 2.14.B.4) for issuing the award without competition, explaining that competition is not practical because NRRI has uniquely relevant experience and expertise in the identification, natural history, and conservation of plants and vegetative communities specifically within the Lower St. Louis River area. The agency is seeking NRRI's applied capabilities in restoration and enhancement, including on-the-ground establishment methods and management approaches that can be coordinated with the timing and constraints of active construction.

The anticipated outcome of the funded work is restored and enhanced aquatic and shoreline habitat at Kingsbury Bay and Grassy Point, supporting broader recovery goals for the St. Louis River Area of Concern. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement or coordination between the federal agency and the recipient during project implementation, fitting the need for close integration between ecological planning and construction-related restoration activities. The opportunity is categorized under discretionary funding and falls within Environment, Natural Resources, and Science and Technology research and development-related activities, with CFDA numbers 15.662 and 15.678 listed.

From an administrative standpoint, the notice was created on September 7, 2018, with an original closing date of September 14, 2018, though the closing date is largely informational here because the award is intended for a single recipient and there is no open solicitation. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $30,000. Eligibility is effectively limited by the single-source intent described in the notice, even though the listing includes a general eligible applicant category of "Others" with additional eligibility clarification referenced. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as targeted project support funding designed to secure highly localized ecological expertise to make sure habitat restoration achieves durable native plant community outcomes in a complex, heavily coordinated restoration setting.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "St. Louis River Plant Biology & Community Ecological Expertise Project Support" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.662, 15.678.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 07, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 14, 2018 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the Natural Resources Research Institute, University of MN-Duluth under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4.. (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 $30,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for F18AS00340

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