Applications are due on June 3, 2011.

Background

The Conservation Fund established the Columbia Ohio Expansion Migratory Bird Account (COE Account) as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to receive monies to conserve and restore migratory bird habitat in Ohio. Money deposited in the Columbia Ohio Expansion is a result of an agreement entitled “Guidelines for Achieving Compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Executive Order No. 13186 Through the Voluntary Compensation Measures” developed by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) and the Service associated with the construction, maintenance and operation of the Ohio Storage Expansion Project in Fairfield, Hocking, Ashland and Holmes Counties, Ohio. These funds are non-Federal funds and can be used as matching funds for Federal funds.

Riparian corridors are considered important habitat for many migrating land birds. Given the current pressures of climate change, the management of north/south riparian corridors are likely to provide transitional habitat as species ranges are shifting northward. Therefore, the priority for the COE Account will be the conservation of forest habitat that benefits migratory birds and for restoration of gaps in forest habitat blocks and riparian corridors. The conservation and restoration projects should target forest dwelling avian species impacted by the Project described above, including the Cerulean Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Wood Thrush, Black-billed Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will and Red-headed Woodpecker when these species are found in the vicinity. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Regional Office has developed guidelines on the use of the COE Account Funds in collaboration with a State Technical Team and with input from the Columbia Ohio Storage representative.

The State Technical Team in Ohio was established to determine proposal criteria, review proposals and determine which proposals will be funded with approximately $623,700. The state technical team consists of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Field Office of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Bird Management and The Conservation Fund. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region III’s Regional Team will serve as project oversight. The call for proposals will be to these agencies, conservation nonprofit organizations and land trusts. The State Technical Team reserves the right to ask for additional proposals if there are not sufficient high quality proposals in this request for proposals.

Projects Eligible for Funding

The COE Account will be used to fund one (1) eligible land acquisition and/or restoration project in Fairfield, Hocking, Ashland and Holmes Counties, Ohio. An acquisition project shall be defined as the fee or easement purchase of one or multiple preferably contiguous parcels of land under one common ownership, and not the acquisition of multiple parcels of land or easements owned by different parties. Eligible projects may be either bottomland or upland bird habitat or restoration projects and must satisfy the following criteria:

• Documented proof that the proposed land acquisition or restoration project will target forest dwelling avian species impacted by the Expansion including the Cerulean Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Wood Thrush, Black-billed Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will and Red-headed Woodpecker.

• Confirm that the proposed project will be targeted for completion by December 31, 2012 for land acquisition and for restoration. Projects may involve land acquisition in fee, acquisition of a perpetual conservation easement, or restoration of forest gaps or riparian corridor gaps on applicant owned properties.

• Any proposed acquisition and conservation easement property must be free of debris or environmental contaminants.

• Fee title to land or a conservation easement may be acquired by a governmental agency or non profit.

• Fee title to land or conservation easement must be acquired after the grant agreement has been signed.

• Any proposed land acquisition or conservation easement must include all mineral and timber rights.

• Applicants are encouraged to propose projects with greater than a one-to-one match from other sources of funding.

• Any proposed land acquisition project must have clear title, a completed (clean) environmental review, current appraisal, contract and survey.

• Except under rare circumstances, only a proposed project that is under contract as of the grant application date will be considered.

Project Costs Eligible for Funding

The COE Account may only be used to cover the direct cost of land and/or forest habitat restoration. The Service wants to obtain the most habitat protection or restoration possible and as a result there is a preference that acquisition costs (such as closing costs, title search fees, survey costs, etc.) are paid by another agency or partner. No staff time or organizational overhead costs may be paid for by the COE Account.

Deed Restrictions

Any project funded with COE Funds shall have deed restrictions placed on the project as part of the grant disbursement process. These deed restrictions are set forth on the template Notice of Grant Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A of the Grant Agreement. If fee interest in property is not being acquired as part of a funded project, then the fee simple owner of the land being eased or restored will be required to join in execution of the Notice of Grant Agreement. For reference, Grant Agreements are available for download under "Related Links" in the right sidebar of this page.

For more information contact:

Applicants may contact either:

Mary Knapp at 614-416-8993 x 12 / Mary_Knapp@fws.gov

Peg Kohring at 616-510-1221 / pkohring@conservationfund.org

Application Submittal

Applications are due on June 3, 2011.

Click here to download the application.

Please download and submit the application in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF, along with a project budget, a regional location map, aerial photo, topographic map, and photographs (if available) of the specific project area and send to:

Peg Kohring
Midwest Director
The Conservation Fund
PO Box 506
Sawyer, MI 49125
or
pkohring@conservationfund.org

Project Selection Process

The Ohio Technical Team and Regional Oversight Team will review proposals to determine how well the objectives of the COE Account will be met, including all of the eligibility factors described previously. Upon receipt of approval from the Ohio Technical Team and the Regional Oversight Team, The Conservation Fund will develop a grant agreement to be signed by successful applicant agency or organization awarded the funds. A draft grant agreement is attached to this Call for Proposals. Non-profit organizational applicants must provide a current financial report and audit.

The following criteria will also be considered:

• the number of total acres conserved,
• the number of total acres of interior forest conserved,
• the description of specific species to be protected and/or how restoration will impact the species (please include species census data or other useful data,
• how the project addresses fragmentation,
• miles of riparian corridor protected,
• the likelihood of successful completion of the land acquisition or restoration project,
• the number of partners involved in the project and the track record of partners.

Previous Grant Recipients & Project Information

Project: Bakers Fork & Rocky Fork Riparian Corridor Project
Grant Recipient: Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
Grant Amount: $140,500
Acres protected: 239
Location: Highland County
Quote: “Both properties are significant in that they will not only contribute to the science of bio-diversity preservation, but, because they are contiguous to pre-existing preserves that already allow visitation, they will provide additional outdoor education and hiking opportunities for the general public,” said Nancy Stranahan of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System. “The staff and board at the Arc of Appalachia are deeply grateful for the opportunity to work in partnership with The Conservation Fund and Columbia Gas on these two sites.”