F23AC00783

The purpose of this agreement is to continue a long-standing relationship between the RWBJV and the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF). This collaboration will utilize financial support from USFWS Migratory Birds and other USFWS divisions, along with NCF's financial management skills, to support the RWBJV partnership in achieving the bird habitat conservation objectives outlined in the implementation plan and associated annual operation plans.

The annual operation plans provide annual goals that, if incrementally implemented, will contribute to achieving the ultimate goals outlined in the implementation plan. This agreement is structured as an incremental agreement to allow annual contributions to achieve the annual goals.

To successfully implement migratory bird habitat conservation, the RWBJV partnership developed its implementation plan around the SHC framework and JV matrix. The RWBJV implementation plan has five interrelated critical elements: JV administration, biological planning, conservation design, research monitoring evaluation, and implementation project delivery.

This agreement will utilize bipartisan infrastructure legislation funding for agreement administration and implementation of projects to address woody encroachment. To ensure effective operations (JV administration), funding will be provided to support office management, overhead, administration, and contract development for the removal of woody encroachment in grasslands. The focus of this work will be tied to the removal of woody encroachment from intact grasslands.

Recent remote sensing projects have highlighted a significant encroachment of woody species into grasslands. Grassland bird population declines have been significant as a result of the woody encroachment. The approach to grassland conservation has shifted because of this encroachment. The new focus is on defending the remaining core grasslands by addressing seed sources and controlling woody species at ultra-low densities to avoid encroachment.

The funds associated with this agreement will ensure we can maintain and increase the grassland cores that exist on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge Service lands. Project delivery will be completed through contracts with local contractors to mechanically remove woody species in grasslands, with a focus on eastern red cedar. The focus of these funds will be on the National Fish and Wildlife Refuge units associated with the Sandhills Refuge Complex and waterfowl production areas within the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District.

The funding provided by this agreement should support approximately 15,000 acres of clearing annually, with a potential overall footprint of 125,000 acres over the duration of this agreement if funded at the award ceiling.

Nebraska Community Foundation

15.637 - Migratory Bird Joint Ventures

FWS Headquarters (HQ) [DOI - FWS]

Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6: Mountain-Prairie [DOI - FWS]

Nebraska United States

State-Wide

F-FWS-MB-23-019

Infrastructure $2,050,000 (59%) percent this Cooperative Agreement was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have decreased 16% from $4,100,000 to $3,450,000.