National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements | F19AS00262

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00262

The National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00262) is a discretionary funding program from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.654). It supports community-focused projects delivered through a cooperative agreement, meaning the Fish and Wildlife Service is typically expected to remain involved with the recipient during planning and implementation rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.

The core purpose of this opportunity is to increase both awareness of and access to outdoor recreation in and around the urban national wildlife refuges serving the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area. The project concept highlighted in the notice is a program called "Daycation," which is designed specifically for urban residents who want to introduce children or younger family members to outdoor experiences but face practical barriers. Those barriers can include not knowing where to go, not knowing how to get started with common activities, lacking transportation, lacking equipment, or simply not realizing that nearby refuge-based opportunities exist.

Daycation is framed around helping people participate in approachable, family-friendly recreation such as fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, and other outdoor activities available near these urban refuges. The grant aligns with Secretarial Order 3370, which emphasizes improving access to outdoor recreation and expanding connections between communities and public lands and waters, particularly for people who may be underserved or disconnected from these resources.

In terms of who could apply, eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning any entity type could be eligible to submit, subject to any additional eligibility language that may have existed in the full announcement. The published award ceiling for the opportunity was $92,817. The posting shows an expected awards count of 0 and indicates that a recipient had already been selected by the time of the listing, which fits with the very short open period shown in the timeline.

The opportunity was created on June 21, 2019, with an original closing date of June 28, 2019. That short window, combined with the note that the recipient was selected, suggests it was likely a targeted or already-coordinated cooperative agreement action intended to support a specific set of outreach and access improvements connected to urban refuge recreation in the Portland-Vancouver area.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 21, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 28, 2019 The recipient has been selected.. (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 $92,817.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for F19AS00262

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