Identification of Priority Habitats for Restoration and Protection in the Tanana Valley | F17AS00243

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00243

The grant opportunity titled "Identification of Priority Habitats for Restoration and Protection in the Tanana Valley" (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00243) is a discretionary grant announced by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 7. It was created on June 7, 2017, with an original closing date of June 13, 2017, and it anticipates making one award with a maximum federal amount (award ceiling) of $175,000. While it is listed as a grant opportunity in the federal system, the notice makes clear that it is not a competitive solicitation and is not requesting proposals from the public.

USFWS states it intends to make a single-source financial assistance agreement, using the authority cited as 505 DM 2.14(B), to the Tanana Valley Watershed Association. In practical terms, this means the agency already selected the intended recipient and does not plan to review or accept alternative applications. The eligible applicant category shown is nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), which aligns with the intended awardee.

The core purpose of the agreement is watershed planning focused on aquatic resource conservation and mitigation planning within the Tanana River basin in Alaska. Specifically, the work is to develop watershed plans at the HUC 8 scale (Hydrologic Unit Code level used for watershed delineation) within the broader HUC 6 Tanana River Watershed. The plans are to follow the "watershed approach" described in the 2008 Final Rule, which refers to the federal framework that encourages mitigation and aquatic restoration to be planned and implemented strategically at the watershed scale rather than as isolated, project-by-project actions.

The planned sequencing begins with the Chena River Watershed and then moves to other watersheds across the Tanana system. The order for subsequent watershed plans is to be determined by a combination of factors tied directly to conservation need and risk: the watersheds importance to Chinook salmon, the share of permitted impacts occurring in each watershed (indicating where development or authorized disturbance is concentrated), and emerging or anticipated threats to aquatic resources. This prioritization is designed to focus limited planning and restoration resources where they are likely to produce the greatest ecological benefit or prevent the most harm.

A central deliverable of each HUC 8 watershed plan is the identification of key locations where compensatory mitigation sites could be most effective. These are places where future mitigation projects could be developed to restore, establish, enhance, or preserve habitat and aquatic functions that support Chinook salmon and other aquatic resources. In other words, the plans are intended to create a practical, map- and data-driven roadmap for targeted restoration and protection actions, helping ensure that mitigation efforts are strategically sited and aligned with watershed-scale ecological priorities rather than being scattered or opportunistic.

The opportunity is categorized under grant activity areas that include environment, health, and natural resources (with CFDA number 15.608), reflecting its focus on conserving fish habitat and maintaining aquatic ecosystem quality and quantity. Overall, the award is structured to produce actionable watershed plans that guide future restoration, protection, and mitigation investments across the Tanana Valley, starting with the Chena River and expanding outward according to Chinook salmon relevance and threat levels.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, food and nutrition, health, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Identification of Priority Habitats for Restoration and Protection in the Tanana Valley" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 07, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 13, 2017. (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 $175,000.00 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.

Apply for F17AS00243

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