Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation | F19AS00368

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00368

The grant opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation" (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00368) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) discretionary funding notice for a cooperative agreement focused on science and applied research. Although it appears in the grants system like a typical competitive announcement, it is explicitly described as a notification-only posting for a single-source award. In other words, it is not an open solicitation inviting broad applications; it is a public notice that the agency intends to make a specific financial assistance award to a specific recipient.

The planned recipient is the Government of Canada, specifically Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre. The project intent is described as "Shorebird Movements in the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf," indicating that the work centers on understanding how migratory shorebirds move through offshore areas along the U.S. Atlantic coast, particularly in waters and airspace associated with the Outer Continental Shelf. The award ceiling listed is $100,000. The opportunity was created on September 4, 2019, with an original closing date of September 9, 2019, which aligns with the short window often seen in single-source notification postings rather than competitive grant cycles.

At its core, the project is designed to generate priority information on multiple migratory shorebird species, including the federally threatened rufa Red Knot. The practical driver behind collecting these data is the rapid expansion and planning of offshore wind energy development in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Shorebirds can face risks from offshore wind projects through factors like displacement from habitat, altered migratory pathways, collision risk, and broader ecosystem changes. By documenting movements and patterns of use in offshore environments, the project aims to improve how agencies evaluate and reduce risks to these species while supporting responsible energy development.

The description makes clear that the resulting information will feed directly into U.S. federal environmental review and wildlife protection processes. Specifically, the data are intended for use in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments and in Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultations involving the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). NEPA analyses rely on credible scientific information to assess environmental impacts and compare alternatives, while Section 7 consultations require federal agencies to evaluate whether proposed actions may jeopardize listed species or adversely modify critical habitat. Better movement and exposure data for shorebirds strengthen these determinations and can inform mitigation measures, siting decisions, and monitoring requirements for offshore wind projects.

The award is made under several longstanding wildlife conservation authorities: the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a-754), the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712), and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 2901-2911). These statutes collectively provide the legal foundation for federal efforts to conserve migratory birds and other wildlife, support research and management, and coordinate conservation actions across jurisdictions. The use of a cooperative agreement also signals that USFWS expects to have substantial involvement during the project, which commonly includes collaboration on study design, data needs, deliverables, and application of results to management and regulatory decisions.

Finally, the notice ties the project to Department of the Interior priorities, emphasizing a policy goal of sustainably developing energy and natural resources while maintaining conservation outcomes and a balanced regulatory approach. In practical terms, the opportunity is positioned as a bridge between conservation science and infrastructure planning: it supports offshore wind development that accounts for migratory bird conservation by supplying the data needed to understand impacts and guide protective decision-making.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.655.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 04, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 09, 2019. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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