Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Funding Opportunity Title: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection Announcement Type: Announcement of availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 and request for proposals (RFP)

Funding Opportunity Number: FWS-JV-GLRI-12 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.662 – Great Lakes Restoration – Restoration, protection and enhancement of Great Lakes fish, wildlife, and their habitats.

Dates: Email or paper applications are due to the appropriate Regional Fish and Wildlife Service WSFR Offices by Friday, January 13, 2012, 4:00 p.m. local time at the Regional Office.

Purpose: The goal of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem by funding and implementing federal projects that address these problems. As part of this initiative, the two bird habitat joint ventures that are in the Great Lakes watershed – the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture and the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture – will be working with the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration programs in the Midwest and Northeast Regions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to competitively fund state and other partner projects for long-term habitat restoration, enhancement or protection, for conservation of native Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory birds. Preference will be given to activities that help meet the habitat goals of the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture Implementation Plan or the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain (BCR 13) Bird Conservation Region Plan, other relevant bird conservation plans, and State Wildlife Action Plans. Award Information: Up to $1 million in funds may be available during fiscal year 2012. Grant requests between $25,000 and $290,000 will be accepted. We expect to announce the awards in February, 2012. Eligibility and Match Requirements: Eligible applicants for this competitive grant program include state fish and wildlife agencies and other non-federal conservation agencies or organizations that provide at least 25% of the grant request (Federal share) as non-federal match for habitat restoration, enhancement and protection activities.