Cooperative Agriculture | F18AS00003

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00003

The Cooperative Agriculture opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00003) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program within the Department of the Interior that allows agricultural activities on National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) lands when those activities directly support refuge conservation and resource management goals. The main purpose is not commercial farming for its own sake, but using farming tools and practices to produce or shape habitat and food resources that meet established wildlife objectives. Examples include creating or modifying specific cover types, producing foods needed by target species such as waterfowl, and maintaining, rehabilitating, or reestablishing natural habitat conditions on refuge lands.

At the center of the program is the idea of "cooperative agriculture," meaning an individual or entity conducts approved agricultural practices on refuge land with substantial involvement from the Fish and Wildlife Service. This is formalized through Cooperative Agriculture Agreements (CAAs), which are cooperative agreements used as the legal instrument that lays out roles, responsibilities, and expected conservation outcomes. The arrangement is designed to be flexible and tailored to each refuge unit and its biological objectives, so the exact farming methods, timing, acreage, and habitat deliverables can vary widely depending on local needs.

A key point is that this is described as a nonfinancial assistance program. In practical terms, no federal grant dollars are paid out to participants, and no federal funds are obligated or awarded under the agreement. Instead of cash assistance, the "value" to a participant may come through access and permission to farm on NWRS lands under refuge oversight, and sometimes through a share of the resulting crop yield. The Service may also contribute in-kind support such as access to Service water, equipment, and/or refuge staff time, depending on what is necessary to accomplish refuge objectives. In return, the cooperator is typically expected to contribute labor, equipment, materials, and/or share a portion of crop yield, and to complete specific habitat-related actions such as maintaining desired vegetation structure, restoring habitat conditions, or implementing agreed management practices that benefit wildlife.

The opportunity also notes that, in addition to (or instead of) cost-sharing arrangements, the Service may accept bids where the participant pays for certain agricultural uses on refuge lands, such as haying or grazing, consistent with the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act. This reflects that some cooperative agriculture arrangements function more like paid use privileges that still must meet refuge management requirements, rather than assistance to the operator. Either way, the agricultural activity must remain aligned with refuge conservation purposes and is managed collaboratively with substantial Service involvement.

Because CAAs under this notice are not considered financial assistance awards, they are not subject to the federal uniform grant rules in 2 CFR 200, and they are not governed by certain Fish and Wildlife Service manual policies that apply to financial assistance programs. The listing places the program under CFDA 15.681 and cites multiple legal authorities that support these agreements and the management of economic uses on refuges, including the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Migratory Bird Conservation Act, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (as amended by the Improvement Act), the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act, NWRS regulations on economic uses and cooperative land management (50 CFR 29.1-2), and Department of the Interior policy in 505 DM 2.

Eligibility is open to individuals and small businesses, and the activity category spans agriculture and natural resources. The opportunity information indicates an expected number of awards of about 50 and lists an award ceiling of 1, though the ceiling is not a typical funding cap in the usual grant sense since the program does not obligate federal funds to participants. The notice was created on October 20, 2017, with an original closing date of September 30, 2023, indicating it functioned as an ongoing mechanism for refuges to enter into these agreements over a multi-year period. Overall, the program is best understood as a structured partnership tool that lets refuges use farming, haying, grazing, and related practices to achieve wildlife habitat goals, while giving cooperators regulated access and potential in-kind or crop-share benefits in exchange for delivering agreed conservation outcomes.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the agriculture, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agriculture" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.681.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 20, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2023. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Individuals, Small businesses.

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