The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking applications for Ecological Broadcast Burning “Restoring Wetland Easements”.
Donor Name: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
State: Oregon
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/24/2022
Size of the Grant: $250,000 – $600,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
This program is designed to work with willing landowners to restore and conserve wetlands for a wide variety of public benefits. These wetlands are especially important to help provide critical habitat for migratory and sensitive bird species, listed and sensitive plants, and listed fish and aquatic species. These habitats have been important contributions toward the delisting of aquatic and plant species. For example, recently Bradshaw’s Lomatium was federally delisted as a direct result of restoration work on WRE properties. To provide habitat for sensitive, threatened, and endangered species, they must maintain wetland and connected ecosystems in a state that is fully functional.
NRCS has inventoried and prioritized WRE/WRP easements throughout the state of Oregon that is ready to receive prescribed fire, and most are clustered together in the Willamette Valley, Klamath, and Harney Basins. Project readiness is based on restoration activities previously conducted and current vegetative management work already scheduled to be completed through landowner contracts, Inter-Agency Agreements (IAA), federal contracts, and compatible use authorizations
The goal of this agreement is to implement prescribed fire on NRCS ACEP-WRE/WRP properties to maintain and enhance the wetland plant community and connected ecosystems.
Specific objectives include:
- Management of the implementation of prescribed fires as cooperatively planned with NRCS.
- Establish a timeline for completion of burn plans, burn preparation, and prescribed burning of NRCS prioritized easements.
- Completion of burn plans each calendar year for the length of the agreement prior to prescribed burning implementation.
- Prepare and implement prescribed fire on prioritized easements.
- Review of process each calendar year post-burn for the length of the agreement
NRCS will be awarding a fixed amount of cooperative agreement for up to a five-year period. If in coordination with NRCS, additional resources are needed at a rate that exceeds this schedule, NRCS may add funds to this agreement to support continued partnership over the performance period.
- Western Oregon (Willamette Valley):
- 22 high priority sites for 2,222 acres
- Eastern Oregon (Klamath/Harney Basins)
- 11 high/medium priority sites for 8,952 acres
Funding Information
- The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $250,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $600,000
Period of Performance
- Projects may be between 1 and 5 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of September 2022
Eligibility Criteria
- This opportunity is open to all domestic applicants except individuals and for-profit organizations.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
