Expanding Agricultural and Conservation Interests in North Dakota to support the 2017 Prairie Pothole JV Implementation Plan | F19AS00245

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00245

The grant opportunity titled "Expanding Agricultural and Conservation Interests in North Dakota to support the 2017 Prairie Pothole JV Implementation Plan" (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00245) is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service funding action aimed at helping carry out the 2017 Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV) Implementation Plan in North Dakota. The core purpose is to strengthen and expand the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition (NDGLC) programming so it can reach more landowners and partners, with a clear focus on conserving North Dakota grasslands and the plant and wildlife communities that depend on those landscapes. The work described centers on practical, on-the-ground conservation delivered through better grazing and grassland stewardship, tied directly to broader regional goals for habitat, water, and wildlife outcomes in the Prairie Pothole region.

This opportunity is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement under the federal assistance framework, and it is categorized under an environmental funding activity area. It is associated with CFDA 15.637, which indicates it sits within Fish and Wildlife Service assistance programs that commonly support conservation planning, habitat improvement, and partner-driven implementation. A cooperative agreement format typically signals that the agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project beyond simply issuing funds, such as coordination, technical input, or alignment with PPJV priorities and performance measures.

The proposed use of funds is focused heavily on landowner-facing support rather than direct construction or acquisition. Specifically, the funding is intended to support outreach, communications, and education for private land stewards, delivered through technical assistance that helps producers adopt holistic grassland management approaches and improve soil health. In practice, that kind of support often includes one-on-one consultations, workshops or field days, decision-support guidance for grazing plans, and educational materials that translate conservation science into workable management steps for working ranches and farms. The emphasis on holistic management and soil health reflects a conservation strategy that tries to improve long-term grassland resilience, maintain native or intact prairie where possible, and reduce pressures that can fragment habitat, degrade plant communities, or diminish benefits to birds and other wildlife associated with prairie ecosystems.

A key administrative detail is that this posting is a notice of intent to make a single-source award to the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition, justified under DOI Policy 505 DM 2 (4) for "Unique Qualifications." That means the agency is signaling it plans to fund NDGLC directly rather than run a fully open competition, based on the organization being particularly well-positioned to deliver the specialized outreach and technical assistance described. While the listing includes "Eligible Applicants: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," the notice language makes clear that, for this action, the intent is a directed award rather than a broad applicant pool.

In terms of funding scale and timing, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $60,000 and anticipates up to three awards. The posting was created on June 17, 2019, with an original closing date of June 24, 2019, indicating a short window consistent with notices tied to planned single-source cooperative agreements. Overall, the grant is best understood as targeted support to expand NDGLC capacity to engage landowners and implement grassland conservation practices aligned with the PPJV Implementation Plan, using education and technical assistance to encourage sustainable grazing systems and improved soil health that benefit both agricultural operations and prairie wildlife habitat.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Expanding Agricultural and Conservation Interests in North Dakota to support the 2017 Prairie Pothole JV Implementation Plan" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.637.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 17, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 24, 2019 This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition in accordance with DOI Policy 505 DM 2 (4) Unique Qualifications.. (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 $60,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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