Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation

 

To assist in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds by providing financial resources for the projects of partnerships in countries within the ranges of neotropical migratory birds.

Active 15.635 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 Program received 58 proposals and anticipates funding 30 projects. Program received 57 proposals and funded 31 projects.
Fiscal Year 2018 In FY18 the program received 45 applications and issued 28 awards.
Fiscal Year 2019 In FY2019, the program received 45 applications and funded 24 projects.
Fiscal Year 2020 In FY2020, the program received 55 applications; 34 projects were selected for funding.
Fiscal Year 2021 Program received 56 applications and issued 30 awards.
Fiscal Year 2022 Program received 41 applications and issued 28 awards.
Fiscal Year 2023 Program anticipates receiving 50 applications and anticipates issuing 30 awards.
Fiscal Year 2024 Program anticipates receiving 50 applications and anticipates issuing 30 awards. Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. §6101 et seq. An individual, corporation, partnership, trust, association, or other private entity; an officer, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the Federal Government, of any State, municipality, or political subdivision of a State, or of any foreign government; a State municipality, or political subdivision of a State; or any other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or of any foreign country; or international organization with an interest in neotropical migratory bird conservation. Not applicable. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Proposals are reviewed and competitively selected for funding using criteria developed on the requirements of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Review criteria can be found in the application information on the program website. Proposals are reviewed by a panel of experts from the Fish and Wildlife Service and other government agencies, who make funding recommendations to the Director. After projects are selected for funding, a grant agreement between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the grantee is drafted by the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (DBHC). The agreement is then processed by DBHC and sent to the recipient. The agreement is considered to be executed on the date of signature by the Chief of DBHC. November 2, 2023 Decisions on funding of project proposals are usually made no later than 180 days after the receipt of the project proposal. None. Proposals not funded may be resubmitted. Proposals are funded on a project-specific basis. Requests for future funding must compete with other requests for project funding. A grant agreement can be modified or extended at the discretion of the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation. Proposals will be screened and selected for funding primarily on the basis of criteria contained in 16 U.S.C. 6101. However, proposals will also be evaluated on: scope and significance of effort; importance of resource values; relationship of project to other efforts locally/regionally; and feasibility and cost-effectiveness. Selection criteria are available on the program website. Funds may be used for approved neotropical migratory bird conservation projects. Projects must: enhance the conservation of neotropical migratory bird species in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, or the Caribbean; ensure adequate local public participation in project development and implementation; be implemented in consultation with relevant wildlife management authorities and other appropriate government officials with jurisdiction over the resources addressed by the project; be sensitive to local historic and cultural resources and comply with applicable laws; promote sustainable effective, long-term programs to conserve neotropical migratory birds; and other requirements the Secretary considers to be necessary. The Act requires that not less than 75 percent of the amounts made available each fiscal year shall be expended for projects outside of the U.S. Projects are approved for up to a 2-year period of time. For further information, please contact the headquarters office. Performance Reports: Performance reports are required. Recipients must monitor and report on project performance in accordance with the requirements in 2 CFR 200.329. A final performance report is due within 120 calendar days of the award period of performance end date, unless the awarding program approves a due date extension. The FWS details all reporting requirements including frequency and due dates in Notices of Award. Not applicable. The Recipient shall maintain a complete, detailed accounting system to report expenditures of grant funds and a detailed accounting of receipts and expenditures of non-Federal matching dollars or value of services. Records, accounts, and supporting documents must be retained for 3 years after submission of final report. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. In determining whether to accept projects for funding approval, applicants must guarantee a 3:1 match amount. That is, the applicant must match each Act dollar with 3 non-Federal dollars. Federal dollars refers to U.S. Federal dollars. Federal dollars of non-U.S. governments are eligible. In the U.S. and Canada, match must be in cash; outside of the U.S. and Canada, match may either be in cash or in-kind.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Projects are awarded for 2-3 year terms, upon which time all funds must be spent or returned to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Program obligates funds and sends a notice of award to successful applicants. Recipients request funds in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E-Cost Principles, unless otherwise dictated by program-specific legislation or special award terms. Program will include any special payment terms and conditions in the notice of award. None/Not specified. Chief,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, MS: MB, 5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 US
neotropical@fws.gov
Phone: (703) 358-1784
Fax: (703) 358-2282 https://www.fws.gov/program/neotropical-migratory-bird-conservation 14-1696-0-0-302 (Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$4,861,728.00; FY 23 est $4,947,000.00; FY 24 est $4,947,000.00; - Ranges from $2,000 to $200,000, with an average of $100,000. NMBCA Grant Application Instructions; U.S. Grant Administration Standards (for grants within the U.S.); NMBCA Grant Administration Guidelines for Grant Activities outside the USA; 2 CFR 200 and 49 CFR Part 24. Fiscal Year 2017 Projects not yet selected. Program expects to fund 25-35 awards to support public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean that promote the long-term conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats through: 1) Protection and management of neotropical migratory bird populations; 2) Maintenance, management, protection, and restoration of neotropical migratory bird habitat; 3) Research and monitoring; 4) Law enforcement; and 5) Community outreach and education. “Strengthening Capacity for Caribbean Shorebird Conservation Through the Caribbean Waterbird Census” This project will improve the long-term survival of shorebirds and their habitats across the flyway by building local capacity in the Caribbean to identify priority sites and monitor them through promoting the Caribbean Waterbird Census and providing training in its methods; promoting practical measures for shorebird conservation through small grants; and increasing support for conservation of shorebirds and their habitats in the region by increasing awareness through several annual education programs that reach multiple target audiences (e.g., community members, stakeholders, hunters, decision-makers, developers, etc.). “Conservation Action for Cerulean Warbler in Canada” Project objectives are to: 1) work with landowners in the Carolinian Region, to reduce threats and to conserve or enhance habitat for Cerulean Warbler and other mature forest-dependant birds at risk; 2) work with partners to maintain or enhance the habitat available for Cerulean Warbler and; 3) implement a long-term recovery monitoring to identify threats, to prioritize sites for conservation, to track recovery and to monitor project success.
Fiscal Year 2018 “Conserving Bicknell’s Thrush on Canadian Breeding Grounds (Phase V)” Bicknell’s Thrush is one of the most range-restricted neotropical migrants breeding in Eastern Canada, where ~ 38% of its global population (40,000-49,000 individuals) breeds. The primary objectives are to partner with timber companies and management agencies to: (1) implement Beneficial Management Practices, for immediate mitigation of both mortality and habitat loss (2) conduct research to improve and secure long-term protection of Bicknell’s Thrush breeding distribution and support the recovery strategy by integrating longer-term conservation goals into BMPs; and (3) continue regional and range-wide surveys to evaluate the success of conservation actions over the medium- and long-term. “U.S.- Mexico Grassland Bird Conservation, XVI” This phase will 1) expand work with landowners in Mexican Grassland Priority Conservation Areas to enroll at least 30,000 more acres of ranchlands into the Sustainable Grazing Network (SGN), improve grassland health across at least 5,000 acres of SGN lands, and restore at least 120 acres of degraded grasslands through restoration techniques (e.g. shrub control) to increase numbers of Sprague’s Pipit and other grassland birds on these lands, and 2) advance research on factors influencing overwinter survival and movement patterns of grassland birds in the Chihuahuan Desert. Knowledge of factors limiting survival and abundance of grassland birds will be applied to habitat management efforts to increase populations of Sprague’s Pipits and other high priority species on SGN sites over the next 5-10 years. The proposed activities will be conducted in cooperation with a broad network of regional partners for maximum impact, efficiency and synergy.
Fiscal Year 2019 Example of Neotropical project, "Saving A Crucial Gateway to South America for Neotropical Migrants’’- The effort is within Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a highly biodiverse, isolated mountain range located along the country's northern Caribbean coast that serves as a critical wintering and stopover site for 132 species of migratory birds entering South America. This includes two of the world's most threatened migrant landbirds: the Cerulean Warbler (CERW) and Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA). The CERW and GWWA depend on tropical forests at protected locations such as the El Dorado Reserve within the Sierra Nevada for their survival during annual migration. Following decades of uncontrolled colonization and agricultural expansion, only 15% of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta's original vegetation remains unaltered. Through this proposal during 2019-2020, partners will protect two new properties that will grow and help to consolidate El Dorado Reserve by 529 acres, all of which will need habitat restoration. They will ensure the ongoing protection and management of 2,985 acres at El Dorado Reserve, thereby safeguarding vital stopover and wintering locations - particularly for populations of CERW and GWWA. Another example of Neotropical project, ‘’Restoring Habitat for the Conservation of Migratory Hummingbirds’’- The effort is a two-year conservation initiative to determine the impacts of fire on the floral nectar resources of migratory hummingbirds in key wintering habitats in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve (SMBR) in Jalisco, Mexico and to act on the management practices and restoration strategies developed from that research at local, regional, and international levels. Partners will provide much-needed management recommendations that address the timing of prescribed fires and the restoration of post-fire habitat through a 378-hectare restoration project that will be monitored and used as a model for future efforts. The project will benefit six Neotropical migratory hummingbird species, focusing primarily upon Rufous Hummingbird, an important pollinator and long-distance migrant whose populations have declined steadily since 1980. This project's end products will include: 1) an assessment of the impacts of fire and fire severity on hummingbird habitat; 2) the role of post-fire restoration on meadows and other habitats used by hummingbirds; 3) recommendations for land managers regarding the effective use of fire as a management tool with consideration of migratory hummingbirds; and 4) restoration of 378 hectares to provide the nectar-producing plants migratory hummingbirds need to survive at non-breeding sites.
Fiscal Year 2020 “Saving Mar Chiquita Wetlands (Argentina)” - $200,000 to protect 13,000 acres in the Mar Chiquita area of central Argentina through acquisition, development of management practices and community engagement. American golden plover, lesser yellowlegs and pectoral sandpiper are among the birds that will benefit as a result of this project.
Fiscal Year 2021 Example of a project – This project addresses habitat loss in the Chocó, a key stopover and overwintering site for Olive-sided Flycatcher, Canada Warbler and Cerulean Warbler. Partners will restore and protect Ecuadorian Chocó by monitoring 18,000 acres of wintering habitat including the Canandé and Tesoro Escondido reserves, identification of critical areas for reserve expansion, planting 30,000 native trees on approximately 247 acres of privately owned lands, and acquiring 1,059 acres to add to the Canandé reserve. Additionally, this project will develop bird friendly income streams like carbon compensation and bird-friendly cacao production and build the capacities of local communities and stakeholders.
Fiscal Year 2022 This project will increase the availability of habitat and diversity for Nearctic migratory bird species in the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, and will strengthen governance in priority conservation areas. Partners will work closely with local communities to restore areas degraded by unstainable practices and extensive cattle ranching, as well as implement agroforestry and silvopastoral systems that will also improve local livelihoods and contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This will be accomplished by signing Conservation Agreements with targeted communities, restoring 10,000 hectares in priority landscapes, and improving productive management across 600 hectares.
Fiscal Year 2023 Projects not yet selected. Program anticipates funding projects that support public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean that promote the long-term conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats through: 1) Protection and management of neotropical migratory bird populations; 2) Maintenance, management, protection, and restoration of neotropical migratory bird habitat; 3) Research and monitoring; 4) Law enforcement; and 5) Community outreach and education.
Fiscal Year 2024 Projects not yet selected. Program anticipates funding projects that support public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean that promote the long-term conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats through: 1) Protection and management of neotropical migratory bird populations; 2) Maintenance, management, protection, and restoration of neotropical migratory bird habitat; 3) Research and monitoring; 4) Law enforcement; and 5) Community outreach and education.