Albuquerque Community Connections- Friends of Valle de Oro | F18AS00139

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00139

The "Albuquerque Community Connections - Friends of Valle de Oro" funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00139) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. It was created on May 15, 2018, with an original closing date of May 21, 2018, indicating a very short application window. The opportunity is framed as a Notice of Intent to Single Source, meaning the agency signaled in advance that it intended to make the award to a specific organization rather than run a fully open competition. In this case, the intended recipient is the Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, a nonprofit partner group associated with Valle de Oro NWR in the Albuquerque area.

Funding is capped at an award ceiling of $49,500, with one expected award. The assistance listing is tied to CFDA number 15.676, which corresponds to activities commonly associated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs supporting refuges, conservation, and related community engagement work. The listed eligible applicants are limited to nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). Although the eligibility category is broad on paper, the single-source nature of the notice makes clear that the practical intent was to fund the named partner group for a defined set of activities.

The program purpose is described in broad functional terms through its activity categories: arts/cultural affairs, community development, education, environment, natural resources, and transportation. Taken together, those categories suggest the project was designed to connect the local community with the refuge through environmental education and stewardship, community-based programming, and potentially activities that support access and participation (for example, transportation-related coordination that helps community members reach refuge programs). Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a simple grant, the Fish and Wildlife Service would typically anticipate substantial involvement in project planning, coordination, or oversight during implementation, often working closely with the nonprofit partner to deliver agreed-upon outcomes.

The legal authorities cited establish the statutory basis for the Service to support conservation, refuge administration, volunteer engagement, and youth or conservation corps involvement. These include the Fish and Wildlife Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (broad authority for fish and wildlife conservation and coordination), the National Fish Hatchery System Volunteer Act (supporting volunteer participation in Service-related work), the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (authorities for managing and supporting the Refuge System), and the Public Lands Corps Act and Youth Conservation Corps provisions (supporting conservation-related service opportunities, including for youth). Collectively, these statutes signal that the funded work is expected to advance refuge purposes and conservation outcomes while emphasizing public participation, education, volunteerism, and potentially structured service or stewardship opportunities.

Finally, the notice specifies that applications must address all activities and stipulations laid out in Section I (Description of Funding Opportunity) and follow the Application Checklist included in the formal Notice of Funding Opportunity. In practice, that means the applicant would need to align its proposal tightly to the refuge-focused community connections work described by the agency, demonstrate capacity as a nonprofit partner, and present a clear plan and budget consistent with the cooperative agreement structure and the $49,500 ceiling.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), community development, education, environment, natural resources, transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Albuquerque Community Connections- Friends of Valle de Oro" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.676.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 2018 This is a Notice of Intent to Single Source to the Friends of Valle de Oro NWR. Applications must address all activities amp stipulations in Section I, Description of Funding Opportunity amp the Application Checklist (via Notice of Funding Opportunity).. (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 $49,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for F18AS00139

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