Implementation of the Onondaga Lake Invasive Species Control Program, Years 1-5 | F21AS00408

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.

• 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.

Apply for F21AS00408

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