Toussaint East and West Land Acquisition and Habitat Restoration Project | F17AS00111

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00111

The Toussaint East and West Land Acquisition and Habitat Restoration Project is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Midwest Region cooperative effort with Ducks Unlimited (DU) to secure and restore key coastal habitat along Lake Erie within the Maumee Area of Concern. The project focuses on acquiring three separate parcels totaling roughly 203 acres and then restoring those lands to native fish and wildlife habitat that supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). After restoration is finished, DU will donate the properties to the Service, and they will be managed as part of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex near Oak Harbor, Ohio. In practical terms, the grant is designed to protect strategically important land, rebuild coastal wetland and associated habitat functions, and lock in long-term conservation management through inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge system.

This opportunity is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement (CFDA 15.662) with an expected single award and an award ceiling of $2,228,090. It is not a competitive solicitation and does not include an application process because it is a formal notice of intent to make a single-source award to Ducks Unlimited under the Department of the Interior justification authority 505 DM 2.14B(4). The rationale for bypassing competition is that DU is presented as uniquely positioned to carry out both the real-estate and restoration components quickly and effectively within the time constraints tied to GLRI funds. The notice emphasizes DU's specialized capabilities: facilitated land acquisition through its land trust (Wetland America Trust), in-house engineering and construction management capacity to design and implement complex coastal wetland restoration, and an existing relationship with at least one critical landowner due to previous unsuccessful acquisition attempts. In other words, the government is arguing that bringing in a different organization would risk delays, reduce the likelihood of successfully closing the land deals, and jeopardize timely restoration delivery.

The scope of work blends land acquisition with habitat restoration and compliance-heavy implementation. On the acquisition side, the goal is to secure specific parcels within the approved acquisition boundary of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex. On the restoration side, the intent is to convert or rehabilitate the acquired lands into native habitat types that benefit fish and wildlife in the Lake Erie coastal zone, consistent with GLRI outcomes. Although the notice does not list specific engineering actions, it clearly signals that the restoration is expected to be technically complex and likely to involve coastal wetland restoration design, permitting, and construction oversight, followed by establishment of native vegetation communities and ongoing invasive species management during the project timeline.

Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the Service anticipates substantial, hands-on involvement throughout the project. The Service's responsibilities are spelled out in detail and include: identifying and approving properties for acquisition within the refuge acquisition boundary; meeting with landowners at all stages to support long-term conservation strategy and community engagement; conducting Level 1 Environmental Surveys to ensure compliance with FWS policy; developing a habitat restoration plan and coordinating with DU to review, finalize, and implement that plan; reviewing and approving DU engineering designs, permit applications, and key administrative documents; preparing required environmental compliance documentation under NEPA, NHPA, and ESA (along with other applicable requirements); leading restoration of trees, shrubs, and native grasses with administrative oversight of contracted restoration services to ensure alignment with FWS conservation goals; and monitoring for invasive species while coordinating mapping, control, and monitoring actions with DU. This division of labor highlights that DU is expected to drive acquisitions and provide major restoration engineering/design capacity, while FWS provides regulatory compliance, refuge-aligned planning, approvals, and direct oversight to ensure the final outcome meets federal conservation standards.

Key administrative details include the opportunity number (F17AS00111), agency (Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service), funding instrument (Cooperative Agreement), activity category (Environment, Natural Resources), and the original public posting timeline (created February 3, 2017; original closing date February 9, 2017). Even though the posting includes a closing date, it explicitly states there is no application process because the announcement functions primarily as transparency documentation for the government’s intent to make a single-source award to Ducks Unlimited. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted GLRI implementation action: rapidly acquire high-value coastal parcels, restore them to functioning native habitats, and permanently incorporate them into the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex for long-term management and ecological benefit.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Toussaint East and West Land Acquisition and Habitat Restoration Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.662.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 03, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 09, 2017 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to Ducks Unlimited under justification 505DM 2.14B(4).. (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 $2,228,090.00 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).

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