Notice of Intent - Refugia are important but are they connected? Mapping well-connected climate refugia for species of conservation concern in the northeastern U.S. | USGS 20 FA 0070

Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 20 FA 0070

This notice is a public announcement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that it plans to make a non-competitive award for a specific project titled "Refugia are important but are they connected? Mapping well-connected climate refugia for species of conservation concern in the northeastern U.S." The key point is that this is a Notice of Intent to Award, not an open solicitation. In practical terms, USGS is signaling that it already intends to fund a particular set of project activities with a particular partner (or partners) and is publishing the notice to document that intent and satisfy public transparency requirements, rather than inviting new applications.

The proposed work, as indicated by the title, focuses on climate refugia in the northeastern United States and how well these refugia are connected to each other across the landscape. Climate refugia are areas that are expected to remain relatively buffered from climate change impacts and therefore can serve as important strongholds for species that are sensitive to warming temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and other climate-driven stressors. The emphasis on connectivity suggests the project will go beyond simply identifying where refugia exist; it will also look at whether species can realistically move among these areas over time as conditions shift, which is often essential for long-term persistence, gene flow, recolonization after local declines, and broader resilience.

From a conservation and natural resources management perspective, the output implied by this notice is likely to be mapping and analytical products that identify well-connected networks of refugia for "species of conservation concern" in the Northeast. That phrase typically refers to species that are threatened, endangered, declining, or otherwise prioritized by state wildlife action plans, federal trust responsibilities, or regional conservation initiatives. By mapping where refugia occur and how they connect, the project is positioned to support decisions such as where habitat protection or restoration could have the greatest long-term value, where corridors or stepping-stone habitats may be needed, and how land management actions might maintain or improve movement pathways as the climate changes.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number USGS 20 FA 0070 and uses a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement generally means USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the project, such as collaborating on study design, data development, technical methods, or interpretation and delivery of results. The activity category is Natural Resources, and the CFDA (now commonly referred to under assistance listings) number is 15.820, which is associated with USGS research and related assistance. The posting lists an award ceiling of $73,747, with the creation date of March 25, 2020, and an original closing date of April 7, 2020; however, because it is not a request for applications, that date functions more like an administrative timeline for the notice rather than a deadline for the public to submit proposals.

Eligibility is broadly labeled as "Others" in the listing, but the non-competitive nature of the notice is what matters most: it indicates USGS is not conducting a competitive review process for outside applicants for this particular award. Anyone looking for the full formal details, including the specific recipient and the detailed scope of work, would typically need to open the associated attachment referenced as "Related Documents" in the original posting, since the summary text primarily reiterates that this is an intent-to-award notice and does not provide the full technical statement of work in the excerpt provided.

• The Geological Survey in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent - Refugia are important but are they connected? Mapping well-connected climate refugia for species of conservation concern in the northeastern U.S." and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.820.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-03-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-04-07. (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 $73,747.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USGS 20 FA 0070

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