The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (“NFWF”) has announced the availability of more than $8M in funding for aquatic resources restoration projects within the Sacramento District California In-Lieu Fee Program Area (“ILF Program Area”), which spans 37 counties and 65,000 square miles within the State of California. NFWF intends to partner with public, private, and non-profit organizations to help fund and implement on-the-ground wetland and/or waters restoration (re-establishment or rehabilitation), establishment (creation), and/or enhancement projects. (In certain circumstances, preservation projects may be acceptable, but they are generally not preferred.) Projects may be stand-alone proposals or may be an identifiable component of a larger project.
In each case, the restoration, establishment, enhancement, and/or preservation benefits provided by the project must be clearly demonstrated and must meet all applicable requirements set forth in the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources Final Rule (“2008 Rule”). These requirements are set forth in the 2008 Rule at 33 CFR Part 332.8(j) and 33 CFR Part 332.4(c)(2)-(14); and 40 CFR Part 230.98(j) and 40 CFR Part 230.94(c)(2)-(14).
The Request for Proposals has been updated and revised since the November 2016 release. We currently anticipate that proposals will be accepted and funds will be awarded on a semi-annual basis with two application cycles each calendar year. Application deadlines for the first funding cycle of 2017 are as follows:
Pre-Proposal due date: March 17, 2017
Full Proposal due date: April 21, 2017
For additional information on the ILF Program and how to apply for funding, please visit our RFP webpage at: http://www.nfwf.org/ilf/Pages/February2017_RFP.aspx.
For more information or questions about this Request for Proposals, please contact:
Chris Gurney
Wetland Program Director, Impact-Directed Environmental Accounts (IDEA)
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
90 New Montgomery Street, Suite 1010
San Francisco, CA 94105
Direct: (415) 593-7627
Fax: (415) 778-0998
Christopher.Gurney@nfwf.org