Recovery of the Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow in Everglades National Park | P20AS00065

Opportunity Information: Apply for P20AS00065

The grant opportunity titled "Recovery of the Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow in Everglades National Park" (Funding Opportunity Number P20AS00065) is a National Park Service (NPS) initiative under the U.S. Department of the Interior focused on supporting research and management actions that help recover the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow within Everglades National Park. The central problem driving the project is that the entire known population of this sparrow occurs within the geographic area affected by Everglades Restoration activities, meaning the species is directly exposed to restoration-related changes in water management, habitat conditions, and disturbance patterns. Because the species is highly sensitive to environmental shifts, especially those tied to hydrology and habitat structure, the project is framed as a way to reduce uncertainty and improve decision-making as restoration actions move forward.

The work proposed under this opportunity is intended to determine the current status of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow population and evaluate its resilience, essentially assessing how well the population can persist or recover under changing conditions. A major emphasis is improving understanding of how sparrow populations respond to key management drivers, particularly hydrologic management (water depth, timing, and duration of flooding or drying), fire management (frequency, intensity, and spatial pattern of prescribed fire or wildfire), and the restoration of vegetation communities (changes in plant composition and structure that create or degrade suitable habitat). The goal is not just to describe conditions, but to generate practical information that can guide real-time management choices during implementation of Everglades Restoration, helping managers anticipate impacts and adjust operations to protect and support the species.

Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, signaling that NPS expects substantial involvement in the project rather than a hands-off grant. The activity category is Natural Resources, and the CFDA number listed is 15.944. The expected award is a single award with an award ceiling of $1,175,000, indicating a relatively large, focused investment intended to support a defined scope of work rather than multiple smaller projects.

It is also important to note that this announcement was not open for competitive applications. The original closing date field states that no applications will be accepted, and the notice explains that it exists to provide public notice of NPS intent to fund the project without competition as a single source award. In practical terms, that means the agency identified a specific recipient in advance (typically due to unique qualifications, continuity needs, or other justifications allowed under federal policy) and issued this posting to document that intent publicly rather than solicit proposals from the broader community. Eligible applicants are listed generally as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, but because this is a single-source action, that eligibility language does not function like an open invitation to apply.

In summary, the opportunity supports a targeted, management-relevant effort to track the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow and understand how restoration-driven changes in water, fire, and vegetation affect its population. The project is positioned as a key piece of science and monitoring support for Everglades Restoration, aiming to ensure that restoration implementation can proceed with clearer insight into risks and mitigation strategies for one of the ecosystem's most vulnerable and geographically constrained species.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Recovery of the Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow in Everglades National Park" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 24, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by No Applications will be accepted under this announcement. The purpose of this announcement is to provide public notice that the National Park Service intends to fund this project without competition as a single source award.. (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 $1,175,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for P20AS00065

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