Shorebird Conservation Project | F18AS00316

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00316

The Shorebird Conservation Project (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00316) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary grant notice of intent to make a single-source award, meaning it is not an open competition and there is no full funding announcement attached. The Service plans to award one grant, with a maximum funding level of $80,000, under CFDA 15.664. Although the broader eligibility category listed is 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education), this particular notice is specifically tied to a single intended recipient rather than accepting applications from the public. The opportunity was posted on August 20, 2018, with an original closing date of August 27, 2018, and it anticipates one award.

The purpose of the project is to assess the status of both nesting and wintering shorebirds along the coast of northwest Mexico, with a focus on two priority species in the Pacific Americas Shorebird Conservation Strategy: the American Oystercatcher and the Snowy Plover. On the breeding side, the work involves repeated surveys during the breeding season at priority sites to determine current population status and distribution of nesting birds. On the non-breeding side, the project includes winter surveys timed around high tides, when shorebirds concentrate at roosts, to locate and document key roosting sites for the same focal species. Winter fieldwork also includes searching for banded individuals to help establish connectivity (linking birds observed in Mexico to breeding or other seasonal locations elsewhere) and evaluating conservation issues affecting roosting sites, such as disturbance, habitat conditions, and other site-specific threats.

A central deliverable is that the data collected through these coordinated surveys will be used to develop a practical conservation and management strategy for both nesting and roosting shorebirds in the region. The Service emphasizes the value of high-quality population monitoring information as a foundation for management decisions, helping local land and wildlife managers identify major reproductive areas, understand where the most important roost sites are, and determine best practices that balance human use of coastal areas with shorebird habitat needs. The notice frames shorebird conservation here as fundamentally tied to habitat protection and the need to manage high-value sites in a way that sustains populations over time.

The intended recipient is Terra Peninsular, selected on the basis of unique qualifications and regional expertise built over an 18-year history of conserving ecosystems and wildlife in northwest Mexico. The notice highlights that Terra Peninsular staff and partners are recognized shorebird experts within the region and nationally in Mexico, and that the organization has a track record of cooperative work with Mexican land management agencies while advocating for balanced, workable management approaches. Terra Peninsular will implement the project in partnership with two academic institutions: the Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education and the Autonomous University of Mexico in Mazatlan. The Service notes that these partners have been strong collaborators in developing and implementing the Pacific Americas Shorebird Conservation Strategy, which positions them well to carry out standardized monitoring and translate results into management guidance.

The opportunity is also explicitly tied to Department of the Interior Secretarial priorities. It aligns with Priority #1 (creating a long-term conservation stewardship legacy) by emphasizing science-based conservation through a population monitoring network that informs sustainable management decisions for migratory shorebirds. It also aligns with Priority #3 (restoring trust with local communities) by encouraging active, conscious, and autonomous participation of local communities in conservation activities connected to the project. In short, the grant is designed not only to produce better population and habitat data, but also to strengthen collaborative, locally grounded conservation in a region that is critical for migratory shorebirds.

Funding authority for the grant draws on multiple federal statutes and appropriations, including the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as amended), the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2017. These authorities collectively support international and domestic efforts to conserve wildlife, coordinate habitat protection, and manage migratory bird resources using credible scientific information.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Shorebird Conservation Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.664.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 20, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 27, 2018. (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 $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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