Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00359
The grant opportunity titled "Monitoring Prime Hook NWR, Tidal Marsh Restoration, Hurricane Sandy" (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00359) is a Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary funding notice for a cooperative agreement focused on continued post-restoration monitoring at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware. Although the listing includes an "unrestricted" eligibility label in the data fields, the narrative makes clear that this is a single-source financial assistance award intended specifically for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Wetland Assessment Section, and that the announcement functions primarily as a public notification rather than a competitive call for proposals. The opportunity was created on Aug 30, 2019, with an original closing date of Sep 27, 2019, and it anticipated one award with a maximum funding amount (award ceiling) of $35,000. The assistance is associated with CFDA number 15.677 and falls under the Natural Resources activity category.
The core purpose of the award is to sustain an established monitoring program designed to evaluate the effectiveness and long-term performance of a major tidal marsh restoration project at Prime Hook NWR that followed Hurricane Sandy. The monitoring effort began in 2010 to build baseline datasets describing the refuge's wetland habitats, and it later transitioned into a restoration-outcomes framework so that post-restoration conditions could be compared against both pre-Sandy and pre-restoration benchmarks. By maintaining continuity in methods and data collection, the project aims to generate credible trend information over time, which is especially important for dynamic tidal marsh systems where changes in vegetation, hydrology, and elevation can unfold over multiple seasons and years.
The work described centers on tracking key performance metrics that indicate whether the restored marsh is functioning as intended and whether it is resilient to ongoing stressors such as storms, sea-level rise, and altered hydrology. Specific monitoring targets include wetland integrity, recovery of vegetation communities, water quality conditions, hydrologic patterns, and marsh elevation. These measurements collectively help managers understand whether the marsh is rebuilding habitat structure, supporting appropriate plant communities, maintaining suitable water conditions, and achieving elevations that allow tidal wetlands to persist rather than convert to open water or degraded marsh.
A major theme of the opportunity is adaptive management. Monitoring results are not treated as a passive record; they have been used to guide decisions about how the restoration is managed over time, helping refuge staff and partners identify what is working, what is not, and where course corrections may be needed. The opportunity also emphasizes that findings have already contributed to the broader restoration science community, having been shared at professional conferences, and that Prime Hook's project has served as a prominent case study because it was described as the largest tidal marsh restoration of its kind at the time and has functioned as a model for other land managers across the country.
The announcement also ties the project to a Department of the Interior financial assistance priority: "Restoring trust with the local community" (priority #3). The rationale is that continued monitoring, conducted through a proven collaboration among federal refuge staff and state and university partners, supports transparency and accountability for a high-profile project located near communities that were concerned about flooding. Because the restoration helped ease some flooding concerns and drew strong community attention due to its proximity, maintaining an ongoing flow of monitoring information and sharing evidence of restoration performance is positioned as a way to preserve and strengthen community trust built in recent years.
DNREC's Wetland Assessment Section is identified as the intended recipient because of its unique qualifications and its history of conducting this specific monitoring under prior agreements. In practical terms, the single-source approach is justified on continuity, institutional knowledge, and the need to maintain consistent monitoring protocols and datasets that span baseline conditions, disturbance impacts, restoration implementation, and post-restoration recovery.Apply for F19AS00359
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Monitoring Prime Hook NWR, Tidal Marsh Restoration, Hurricane Sandy" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.677.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 30, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 27, 2019. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Monitoring Prime Hook NWR, Tidal Marsh Restoration, Hurricane Sandy."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F19AS00359.
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
This is a Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discretionary funding notice.
What type of award is being used?
The notice describes a cooperative agreement to support the work.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity?
No. Although some listing fields show "unrestricted" eligibility, the narrative explains that this is a single-source financial assistance award intended for a specific entity. The announcement functions primarily as a public notification rather than a competitive call for proposals.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient is the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), specifically its Wetland Assessment Section.
Why is this being issued as a single-source award?
The single-source approach is justified by the need for continuity in monitoring methods and datasets, DNREC's institutional knowledge, and DNREC's history of conducting this specific monitoring under prior agreements. Maintaining consistent protocols across baseline conditions, disturbance impacts, restoration implementation, and post-restoration recovery is a key reason given.
Where will the funded work take place?
The work focuses on Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Delaware.
What is the main purpose of the funding?
The purpose is to sustain an established, continued post-restoration monitoring program evaluating the effectiveness and long-term performance of a major tidal marsh restoration project at Prime Hook NWR following Hurricane Sandy.
What restoration project is being monitored?
The monitoring relates to a major tidal marsh restoration at Prime Hook NWR that followed Hurricane Sandy and has been described as a prominent case study and a model for other land managers.
When was the monitoring program originally started?
The monitoring effort began in 2010 to build baseline datasets describing the refuge's wetland habitats.
How did the monitoring program evolve over time?
It began as baseline monitoring and later transitioned into a restoration-outcomes framework so that post-restoration conditions could be compared against pre-Sandy and pre-restoration benchmarks.
Why is continuity in monitoring methods emphasized?
Continuity helps produce credible trend information over time. This is especially important in dynamic tidal marsh systems, where changes in vegetation, hydrology, and elevation can occur across multiple seasons and years.
What kinds of metrics or indicators will be monitored?
The notice identifies key performance metrics including wetland integrity, recovery of vegetation communities, water quality conditions, hydrologic patterns, and marsh elevation.
What does monitoring "wetland integrity" and "vegetation recovery" help determine?
These measurements help managers understand whether the restored marsh is rebuilding habitat structure and supporting appropriate plant communities as intended.
Why are water quality and hydrology included in the monitoring targets?
Tracking water quality conditions and hydrologic patterns helps assess whether the restored system is maintaining suitable water conditions and functioning in a way consistent with tidal wetland persistence.
Why is marsh elevation an important monitoring target?
Marsh elevation is tied to whether tidal wetlands can persist over time rather than converting to open water or becoming degraded marsh, particularly under ongoing stressors.
What stressors is the restored marsh expected to face?
The opportunity highlights storms, sea-level rise, and altered hydrology as ongoing stressors that the restored marsh should be resilient to.
How will monitoring results be used (beyond recordkeeping)?
The notice emphasizes adaptive management: monitoring results are used to guide decisions about how the restoration is managed over time, helping identify what is working, what is not, and where course corrections may be needed.
Has this work contributed to the broader restoration science community?
Yes. The announcement states that findings have been shared at professional conferences, and the Prime Hook project has served as a prominent case study and model for other land managers.
How is this opportunity connected to Department of the Interior priorities?
The notice ties the project to a DOI financial assistance priority: "Restoring trust with the local community" (priority #3).
Why does continued monitoring support "restoring trust with the local community"?
The rationale provided is that continued monitoring through established collaboration supports transparency and accountability for a high-profile project near communities concerned about flooding, and that maintaining and sharing monitoring information helps preserve and strengthen community trust.
What is the CFDA number associated with this assistance?
The assistance is associated with CFDA number 15.677.
What activity category is this opportunity listed under?
It falls under the Natural Resources activity category.
When was this funding opportunity created?
The notice was created on Aug 30, 2019.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date was Sep 27, 2019.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated one award.
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed for the anticipated single award is $35,000.
Does the "unrestricted" eligibility label mean anyone can apply?
Not in this case. While an "unrestricted" eligibility label appears in the data fields, the narrative clarifies that this is intended as a single-source award to DNREC's Wetland Assessment Section and is primarily a public notification rather than an open competition.
What makes Prime Hook's restoration effort notable?
The announcement describes it as the largest tidal marsh restoration of its kind at the time and notes it has functioned as a model for other land managers across the country.
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