Notice of Intent to Award Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation | BOR LC 18 N006

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR LC 18 N006

This grant opportunity is a Notice of Intent to Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, indicating Reclamation plans to make a single cooperative agreement award to the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation. The opportunity sits within Reclamation's broader mission of managing and protecting water and related resources in ways that are environmentally responsible and economically practical for the public. More specifically, it supports work connected to the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCR MSCP), a long-term, multi-partner effort designed to balance ongoing use of Lower Colorado River water (including water diversions and power production) with legal and practical obligations to conserve native species and habitats under the Endangered Species Act.

The LCR MSCP is described as a large partnership that, at the time of the notice, includes 57 participating entities spanning federal and state agencies, water and power users, cities and municipalities, Native American tribes, conservation groups, and other stakeholders. The program is implemented over a 50-year horizon and is built around a Habitat Conservation Plan intended to provide Endangered Species Act compliance for covered activities. As part of that plan, the overall program targets major conservation outputs across the Lower Colorado River corridor from Lake Mead down to the international boundary with Mexico, including creating at least 8,132 acres of new habitat and producing 1.28 million native fish to boost populations of two listed native fish species: the bonytail (Gila elegans) and the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). The notice frames these actions as a way to support species recovery and habitat conservation while also giving water and power operations more predictability by meeting ESA requirements through the approved conservation strategy.

Within that larger framework, this particular award focuses on the Yuma East Wetlands Conservation Area. The key point is that the conservation work at the site is already fully developed and is currently being managed for species covered under the LCR MSCP. Because of that, the notice makes clear that no additional habitat restoration is anticipated under this funding action. Instead, the purpose is to continue supporting ongoing operations and maintenance activities needed to keep the wetland conservation area functioning as intended for habitat and species benefits over time. In other words, the emphasis is on sustaining and managing an established conservation asset rather than building new restoration features.

The notice also explains that this is a continuation of a prior financial assistance agreement that covered federal fiscal years 2013 through 2018 (agreement number R13AC30013). This new proposal is presented as consistent with that earlier agreement, signaling continuity in scope and objectives and suggesting Reclamation intends to maintain momentum and performance at the site through continued support rather than starting a new, unrelated project.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during implementation compared with a standard grant. The eligible applicant category is nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), and the notice anticipates a single award, reinforcing that it is effectively targeted to the named organization. The funding opportunity number is BOR LC 18 N006, the CFDA number listed is 15.517, the posted date is June 8, 2018, and the original closing date is June 22, 2018. The maximum funding amount (award ceiling) is $850,000, and the expected number of awards is one, aligning with the notice's intent to fund continued operations and maintenance at the Yuma East Wetlands as part of the larger LCR MSCP conservation and compliance strategy.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the consumer protection sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Award Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 08, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 22, 2018. (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 $850,000.00 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 BOR LC 18 N006

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