Green Point Area Restoration | F17AS00045

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00045

The Green Point Area Restoration opportunity is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) notice tied to a 1998 natural resource damages settlement. That settlement requires that settlement funds, along with any interest earned, be used at the Green Point Environmental Learning Center to restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of natural resources and the services those resources provide. The work must be carried out in a way that aligns with CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) and related federal regulations, meaning the project is essentially a restoration obligation stemming from prior environmental damage and a legally defined recovery plan.

FWS is using this funding to implement the preferred alternative identified in the Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for Green Point. The selected approach is built around producing the technical and community groundwork needed to create a site-specific implementation plan. On the ecological side, the project calls for an ecological classification and inventory to document existing habitat conditions and guide future habitat restoration. In parallel, it calls for a community interest (needs) assessment so that potential future recreation and public-use amenities can be thoughtfully integrated into the planning process. Together, these two components are intended to position FWS to restore the natural resources and resource services that were lost or diminished due to the earlier damages, while also ensuring that any future public access or amenities reflect community priorities and fit the site.

The funding instrument is cooperative agreements, which means FWS anticipates substantial, hands-on involvement rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. For the ecological classification and inventory, FWS will contribute directly by helping design sampling approaches, supporting field data collection and analysis, and participating in writing and deliverables. FWS will also provide key datasets such as bathymetric information, LiDAR, and topographic data, along with hydrologic and groundwater-related data including river stage and discharge measurements. In addition, the Service will help oversee students and technicians who are collecting field data, emphasizing that this is a collaborative, jointly executed effort.

For the community needs assessment portion, FWS will also play an active role in shaping the work. The Service will assist with designing and distributing survey instruments for registered voters and visitors, and will provide refuge-specific information needed to structure the study appropriately. FWS staff will participate in and help coordinate public meetings and information-gathering sessions with local community groups and organizations, and they will support outreach efforts aimed at refuge user groups, visitors, and the broader public. Because federal public surveys often require clearance, FWS will also coordinate with the Midwest Regional Office to obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the survey instruments.

This opportunity is explicitly not competitive. It is a notice of intent to make two single-source awards under an internal justification authority (505 DM 2.14.B.4), because FWS views competition as impractical given the specialized expertise required and the specific qualifications of the intended partners. Wayne State University is identified as uniquely qualified to conduct the ecological classification and inventory due to its researchers expertise in forest ecology, particularly in ash (Fraxinus species) dominated forests experiencing widespread emerald ash borer-related die-offs, and because of their experience classifying floodplain ecosystems. Michigan State University is identified as uniquely qualified to conduct the community needs assessment due to its recognized expertise in natural resource-based recreation management, planning, and policy, and its track record conducting public surveys for agencies and park systems including the U.S. Forest Service, state parks, and county parks.

Administratively, the listing is a discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00045) using the cooperative agreement instrument, categorized under Natural Resources and Transportation, with CFDA number 15.658. The expected number of awards is two, with an award ceiling of $100,660. The posting makes clear there is no application process for outside parties; it functions as a formal public notice that FWS intends to proceed with the two single-source cooperative agreements. The opportunity was created on December 6, 2016, with an original closing date of December 12, 2016, reflecting that it is essentially a time-bound announcement of intended awards rather than an open call for proposals.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources, transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Green Point Area Restoration" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.658.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 06, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 12, 2016 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreements to Wayne State University and Michigan State University under justification 505DM 2.14.B.. (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 $100,660.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for F17AS00045

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