Shorebird Conservation Project | F18AS00317

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00317

The Shorebird Conservation Project (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00317) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary grant under the Department of the Interior focused on protecting key coastal habitat for migratory shorebirds on Chiloe Island, Chile. This notice is not an open competition; it is a Notice of Intent to make a single-source award, and there is no full funding announcement attached. The Service plans to issue one grant, with an award ceiling of $68,226, and the intended recipient is the National Audubon Society. While the eligibility field lists 501(c)(3) nonprofits, the notice makes clear that the agency has already selected the recipient due to unique qualifications and an established partnership.

The project is designed to secure and improve important roost sites used by Hudsonian Godwits and Whimbrels, two long-distance migratory shorebirds that rely on safe coastal wetlands and shorelines during migration and nonbreeding periods. A core goal is reducing disturbance at roost locations that are already protected or are being brought under protection, since repeated disturbance can push birds off safe sites, increase energy expenditure, and reduce survival during demanding migration cycles. The work is geographically centered on Chiloe Island, an area highlighted for its coastal wetlands and connected watersheds that support both migratory shorebirds and resident waterbirds.

A central tool in this effort is a newer Chilean legal mechanism called the Derecho Real de Conservacion, which allows landowners to place conservation easements (or easement-like, legally binding conservation rights) on their properties. Through these agreements, private land can be managed to maintain and enhance ecosystem services that benefit local communities in Chile while also safeguarding habitat values important to wildlife. The grant supports building local capacity to use this law effectively on properties with high value for migrant shorebirds, meaning the project is not only about immediate site protection but also about strengthening the practical, on-the-ground ability of partners to negotiate, implement, and steward these long-term conservation commitments.

Beyond the legal and land protection component, the project emphasizes relationship-building and durable local conservation infrastructure. It aims to maintain and expand a network of landowners and coastal conservation partners on Chiloe Island, reinforcing cooperation among community members, organizations, and agencies involved in habitat management. The grant also supports monitoring of shorebirds as a way to measure whether conservation actions are working. This monitoring component is meant to track use of roost sites and evaluate outcomes over time, helping partners adjust management and demonstrate effectiveness.

The National Audubon Society was selected for this award because of its unique qualifications, particularly a decade-long collaboration with the Centro de Estudio y Conservacion del Patrimonio Natural (CECPAN). According to the notice, these organizations have been working with local conservation partners and international investors for years to advance conservation in priority coastal wetlands and associated watersheds on Chiloe Island. The long-standing partnership and existing coordination capacity are presented as the reason a single-source award is appropriate, rather than soliciting proposals from multiple applicants.

The notice also ties the project to broader federal priorities and legal authorities. It explicitly references Secretarial Priority 1, framed as building a conservation stewardship legacy through balanced stewardship efforts that connect public initiatives with conservation on private lands. It also references Secretarial Priority 3, focused on restoring trust with local communities by expanding communication and collaboration. Funding and program authority are cited under several U.S. statutes, including the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2017. The opportunity was created on August 20, 2018, with an original closing date of August 27, 2018, reflecting the administrative timeline associated with issuing a single intended award rather than running a full competitive cycle.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Shorebird Conservation Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.664.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 20, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 27, 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 $68,226.00 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 F18AS00317

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: