Opportunity Information: Apply for F21AS00408
This funding opportunity, titled "Implementation of the Onondaga Lake Invasive Species Control Program, Years 1-5" (Opportunity Number F21AS00408), is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) discretionary cooperative agreement intended to carry out a major ecological restoration commitment tied to the Onondaga Lake Superfund Site in Onondaga County, New York. The work traces back to a March 2018 natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR) settlement involving the U.S. Department of the Interior (through FWS) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), acting together as the Trustees. That settlement, documented in the Onondaga Lake NRDAR Consent Decree and its Appendix C restoration project scopes, set aside funding for a specific restoration effort known as Project 9, the "Invasive Species Control and Habitat Preservation Project." The overall purpose is to compensate for documented injuries to natural resources by improving habitat conditions and ecological function through invasive species management and related restoration.
The grant focuses on implementing a detailed July 2020 planning document, the "Comprehensive Plan for Invasive Species Control and Habitat Preservation, Onondaga Lake Watershed, Onondaga County, NY," which was finalized under a prior federal contract. The selected applicant is expected to implement that Comprehensive Plan over five consecutive years across Onondaga Lake and surrounding watershed areas. The project footprint is large and diverse, covering roughly 2,000 acres of ecologically important habitat types, including wetlands, the lake and river littoral zone (nearshore aquatic habitat), and riparian corridors. The central idea is to run a coordinated, multi-year invasive species control program that is systematic enough to be cost-effective and ecologically meaningful, while also being flexible and responsive to conditions in the field.
The scope of work is organized around the practical components needed to run a long-term invasive species control and habitat preservation/restoration program. It emphasizes (1) program and project management, (2) on-the-ground implementation of invasive species management and restoration activities, (3) safety and quality assurance/quality control field oversight, and (4) monitoring. The opportunity makes clear that the awardee needs to bring real, specialized capacity: expertise in identifying both native and invasive aquatic species, knowledge of control techniques, experience with monitoring methods, and demonstrated ability to restore habitat after invasive removal. The program is expected to be led by a qualified biologist with a track record managing complex environmental projects, specifically including invasive species management and habitat restoration. Familiarity with the Onondaga Lake watershed and the history of the target sites is described as especially valuable, since it can reduce inefficiencies and improve decision-making over the five-year implementation period.
A major part of the work involves strong program management and coordination. The awardee is expected to operate with a lean but capable management team, ideally experienced in large and complex habitat enhancement projects in New York State and preferably within the Onondaga Lake watershed. Minimum management responsibilities include coordinating regularly with the Trustees and other interested parties, handling access and landowner agreements, overseeing contracts and subcontractors, preparing and securing required permits, managing financial tracking and procurement costs, and producing annual reporting that documents progress, activities completed, and outcomes. Because the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect active federal involvement and collaboration rather than a hands-off grant relationship, meaning coordination, documentation, and adherence to the approved plan and agency expectations are central to performance.
Field implementation is described in concrete operational terms, with particular attention to herbicide use and restoration follow-through. The project requires the involvement of a New York State certified herbicide applicator. If herbicide applications could enter standing water areas larger than one acre, the applicator must hold Category 5A certification for Aquatic Vegetation Control. The opportunity stresses the need for selective herbicide application aimed at invasive plants, with the explicit objective of improving habitat quality rather than simply clearing vegetation. Field crews must be able to reliably distinguish invasive species from native species, since misidentification could damage the very habitat the program is meant to improve. Depending on site conditions and treatment scale, equipment may range from handheld application tools to more mechanical approaches. Importantly, invasive control is not treated as the end of the job: implementation also includes restoration activities such as planting and seeding to stabilize sites and accelerate recovery of native plant communities.
Restoration materials must be native to the Onondaga Lake watershed, and plant and seed selections must be approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service. This requirement aligns the work with ecological integrity goals, reducing the risk of introducing poorly adapted genotypes or inadvertently adding new invasive or nuisance species. The opportunity also indicates that personnel assigned to restoration and habitat enhancement should have solid qualifications and experience on large, complex, impacted sites in New York State, again with preference for those who have worked in the watershed. Alongside implementation, the program includes safety and field oversight expectations and monitoring to track progress, document results, and support adaptive management over the five-year period.
Administratively, the opportunity is issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.658, with eligibility listed as unrestricted, meaning a broad range of applicant types may apply if they can meet the technical and administrative requirements. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, reflecting a partnership approach with the agency. The original closing date listed was June 18, 2021, and the award ceiling was $1,000,000. In practical terms, the grant is designed to fund a single, multi-year effort that combines planning-driven invasive species control, careful compliance and coordination, and measurable habitat restoration and monitoring across a substantial portion of the Onondaga Lake watershed.Apply for F21AS00408
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Implementation of the Onondaga Lake Invasive Species Control Program, Years 1-5" 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 2021-04-23.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-18. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and opportunity number for this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Implementation of the Onondaga Lake Invasive Species Control Program, Years 1-5" and the opportunity number is F21AS00408.
Which federal agency is offering this award?
This opportunity is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
What type of funding instrument is this?
The funding instrument is a discretionary cooperative agreement. This structure signals active federal involvement and collaboration during implementation, rather than a hands-off grant.
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The purpose is to compensate for documented injuries to natural resources by improving habitat conditions and ecological function through invasive species management and related restoration in the Onondaga Lake watershed.
How does this project relate to the Onondaga Lake Superfund Site?
The work supports a major ecological restoration commitment tied to the Onondaga Lake Superfund Site in Onondaga County, New York.
What settlement or restoration framework is this work based on?
The project traces back to a March 2018 natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR) settlement involving the U.S. Department of the Interior (through FWS) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), acting together as the Trustees. The settlement is documented in the Onondaga Lake NRDAR Consent Decree and its Appendix C restoration project scopes.
Which specific restoration project does this funding implement?
This award supports Project 9: the "Invasive Species Control and Habitat Preservation Project" (also described as the "Invasive Species Control and Habitat Preservation Project" in the Consent Decree materials).
What plan is the awardee expected to implement?
The selected applicant is expected to implement the July 2020 "Comprehensive Plan for Invasive Species Control and Habitat Preservation, Onondaga Lake Watershed, Onondaga County, NY," which was finalized under a prior federal contract.
How long is the implementation period?
The project is designed to be implemented over five consecutive years (Years 1-5).
Where will project activities take place?
Activities will occur across Onondaga Lake and surrounding watershed areas in Onondaga County, New York.
How large is the project footprint?
The project footprint is described as roughly 2,000 acres of ecologically important habitat.
What habitat types are included in the project area?
The opportunity references a diverse set of habitat types, including wetlands, the lake and river littoral zone (nearshore aquatic habitat), and riparian corridors.
What is the central implementation approach?
The core approach is a coordinated, multi-year invasive species control program that is systematic enough to be cost-effective and ecologically meaningful, while remaining flexible and responsive to on-the-ground conditions.
What are the main components of the scope of work?
The scope of work is organized around: (1) program and project management, (2) on-the-ground invasive species management and restoration implementation, (3) safety and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) field oversight, and (4) monitoring.
What kinds of expertise and capacity are expected from the awardee?
The awardee is expected to bring specialized capacity, including expertise in identifying native and invasive aquatic species, knowledge of control techniques, experience with monitoring methods, and demonstrated ability to restore habitat after invasive removal.
Who is expected to lead the program?
The program is expected to be led by a qualified biologist with a track record managing complex environmental projects, including invasive species management and habitat restoration.
Is familiarity with the Onondaga Lake watershed important?
Yes. Familiarity with the Onondaga Lake watershed and the history of the target sites is described as especially valuable because it can reduce inefficiencies and improve decision-making over the five-year period.
What program management and coordination responsibilities are expected?
Management responsibilities include coordinating regularly with the Trustees and other interested parties, handling access and landowner agreements, overseeing contracts and subcontractors, preparing and securing required permits, managing financial tracking and procurement costs, and producing annual reporting that documents progress, completed activities, and outcomes.
How should applicants think about the cooperative agreement relationship?
Because this is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect active federal involvement and collaboration. Coordination, documentation, and adherence to the approved plan and agency expectations are central to performance.
Are herbicide applications part of the implementation work?
Yes. Field implementation includes herbicide use as part of invasive plant management, with a strong emphasis on selective application targeted at invasive plants to improve habitat quality.
What certifications are required for herbicide application?
The project requires involvement of a New York State certified herbicide applicator. If herbicide applications could enter standing water areas larger than one acre, the applicator must hold Category 5A certification for Aquatic Vegetation Control.
Why does the opportunity emphasize accurate plant identification?
The opportunity stresses that field crews must reliably distinguish invasive species from native species. Misidentification could harm the habitat the program is intended to improve.
What types of equipment might be used for invasive species treatments?
Depending on site conditions and treatment scale, equipment may range from handheld application tools to more mechanical approaches.
Does the project include restoration after invasive species removal?
Yes. Invasive species control is not treated as the end of the work. Implementation also includes restoration activities such as planting and seeding to stabilize sites and accelerate recovery of native plant communities.
Are there requirements for what plants and seeds can be used?
Yes. Restoration materials must be native to the Onondaga Lake watershed, and plant and seed selections must be approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
What qualifications are expected for restoration and habitat enhancement personnel?
Personnel assigned to restoration and habitat enhancement are expected to have solid qualifications and experience on large, complex, impacted sites in New York State, with preference for those who have worked in the Onondaga Lake watershed.
Are safety and QA/QC part of the required work?
Yes. The scope explicitly includes safety and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) field oversight expectations.
Is monitoring required as part of the program?
Yes. Monitoring is included to track progress, document results, and support adaptive management over the five-year implementation period.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued under CFDA 15.658.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a broad range of applicant types may apply if they can meet the technical and administrative requirements described in the opportunity.
What was the original closing date for the opportunity?
The original closing date listed was June 18, 2021.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling was $1,000,000.
Is this designed to fund one project or multiple projects?
The opportunity is described as funding a single, multi-year effort that combines planning-driven invasive species control, compliance and coordination, and measurable habitat restoration and monitoring across a substantial portion of the Onondaga Lake watershed.
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