FY26 EBTJV Brook Trout Project RFP

2026 Project Request for Proposals (RFP)

Open: November 26, 2024

Deadline for intent to apply and state coordination 1/14/2025

Final deadline 2/14/2025

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV), as one of the 20 partnerships under the National Fish Habitat Partnership, is requesting project proposals that are focused on Brook Trout conservation actions. Federal funding is available through the National Fish Habitat Partnership as outlined under the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act of 2020 (Ace Act). You can find the full Act here.

This RFP opens on November 26, 2024.  We have some changes this year.  First, we have an intent to apply/feedback form that is required by January 14, 2025. This form serves to check eligibility and that you have initiated coordination with the state agency representative. It will also provide the EBTJV feedback on projects that decide not to apply for FY26 funding. We encourage you to fill it out even if you decide not to apply; it should not take more than 20 minutes of your time. It is a required element for those who do decide to apply.

We are utilizing an online platform, Jotform, to accept applications. In prior years we had required a Word or PDF file to be uploaded to the EBTJV website.  The Jotform entry minimizes the potential for missed elements and standardizes the response formatting. Preview the application here.

The final deadline for submitting your Brook Trout conservation project proposal is 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) on February 14, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be considered, and late applications will only be considered in rare circumstances.  Funding for FY2026 projects will likely not be appropriated by Congress until after January 2026 and will likely not be available to project leaders until March 2026 or later.

Eligible projects:

The maximum award amount for an individual project is $50,000. EBTJV expects to fund 3-5 projects for FY26. These funds can only be used for on-the-ground brook trout conservation and restoration projects in the native eastern range, and related design and short-term monitoring activities; they may not be used for research projects.  If you have a question about an eligible activity, please contact the Coordinator or your state agency representative (see below).

To ensure available funding is being directed most effectively, proposed projects must be geared toward meeting the EBTJV’s range-wide habitat goals and objectives, as well as its key conservation  actions.  Projects must also fall under at least one of the NFHAP National Conservation Priorities. EBTJV prioritizes projects that are most likely to be fully implemented in the 2-year EBTJV/NFHAP project performance period.

Examples of eligible projects include (but are not limited to):

• restoring aquatic connectivity by removing small dams and replacing undersized culverts;
• executing strategies that eliminate competition from non-native species (including removal);
• planting native shrubs and trees in riparian zones to provide shade and stream bank stabilization;
• adding large woody material to streams to add complexity, improve sediment sorting, and reconnect groundwater;
• restoring native brook trout to watersheds where it has been extirpated.
• implementing watershed conservation practices that reduce sediment and nutrient pollution

This is not a complete list, and furthermore, specific project actions may be deemed appropriate in one location and not in another. Projects are evaluated in context of whether the root causes of brook trout decline have been or will be addressed as a first step, and if available physical and biological data have been considered: e.g. data on population genetics, invasive species, stream temperatures, and available habitat and watershed variables. Additionally, efforts to maintain or improve public access, educate the public and other stakeholders about the conservation actions, and monitor project outcomes should ideally be included as components of a successful project (but are not eligible as a stand alone project).

We also strongly encourage you to look at the EBTJV FY26 Scoring Criteria. This outlines how applications will be scored, and should help you know if your project will rank well.  Consultation with your state biologist is also meant to help you in this process.

Eligible applicants:

State, county, and local governments

Private, Public, and State controlled institutions of higher education

Watershed groups and coalitions

Nonprofits having a 501 (c)(3) status with the IRS

Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized)

Match:

All projects must also have a minimum of a 1:1 contribution from non-federal funding sources, according to the ACE Act, the legislation that codifies the National Fish Habitat Partnership. To meet the 1:1 non-federal match requirement, non-federal funds contributions must not come from, be matched to, or otherwise tied to a federal source. Match may include cash, time, materials, or other in-kind services.  Match can be generated at any time but must be spent during the project performance period, which is expected to begin in the summer of 2026, unless prior approval is granted by the USFWS Program Officer. EBTJV also requires that at least 0.75:1 nonfederal ratio is in-hand or pledged by the time you submit your application (this is new for FY26). Greater match funding among all sources will result in a more competitive project proposal; our goal is to exceed a 3:1 match ratio (potentially including federal sources) across the portfolio of funded projects. There is no match requirement for projects done by a federally recognized tribe. Additional match guidance is provided in the budget template.

Scoring criteria:

Please carefully read the application and scoring criteria to ensure you can meet the requirements by the deadline.  Successful applications are well thought out with input from partners and state and/or federal agency biologists. The EBTJV application contains many required elements including information on the project location, applicant, objectives, approach, project planning, budget, monitoring, biological, ecological and socioeconomic benefits, state coordination, and and presence of (or intent to restore) brook trout in the catchment.

The ACE act includes hard and soft requirements, which are reflected in EBTJV’s application elements:

• Clear informative summaries of project sponsor experience
• Clear measurable ecological benefits
• Clear goals and objectives
• An evaluation plan for assessing the results of the project and for measuring the associated improvements to fish populations, recreational fishing opportunities, and the local economy, and
• A well-developed budget linked to the deliverables.

Project applications will be reviewed and ranked based on their ability to meet these and other key factors that can be found in the EBTJV’s 2026 Project Scoring Criteria.

State coordination and support letter:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their state EBTJV representative early in the process (EBTJV State Contact List) and are required to do so no later than January 14, 2025. This should be the individual that represents the state in the EBTJV whenever possible. You are responsible for requesting a letter of support from this person to be attached to your application by the due date of February 14, 2025.  Applicants are also encouraged to contact their regional Fish and Wildlife Service office, although formal coordination with FWS during the application process is no longer a requirement.

What do we mean by initiating contact? Ideally, you should email or call your representative to ask if they would review your project idea, prior to you writing a full proposal. You should let them know in a nutshell your objectives, project location (GPS coordinates or road intersection is helpful), who you are partnering with, timeline, and what you know about the status of brook trout and other species in that watershed.

You will need to request a letter of support from this person and ultimately attach the letter to your application by the final due date of February 14,2025. This letter will address multiple aspects of the project and applicant’s readiness, including the objectives, location (including if the habitat can or will support brook trout, and if invasive species that could access the project site are considered), whether genetic data have been collected or referenced where appropriate, thoughtfulness of a monitoring plan, and potential for long-term success.

Project location information:

EBTJV tracks the salmonid species present by catchment. EBTJV prioritizes projects to improve habitat for brook trout in wild brook trout only (allopatric) catchments and patches, as well as projects to repatriate brook trout into unoccupied catchments or in conjunction with removing competing salmonid species from the catchment. However, any catchment type is eligible, provided that the state biologist weighs in on the project suitability for the location (see state coordination and support letter, below).

1. The EBTJV assessment shows the currently known distribution of wild brook, brown, and rainbow trout across the Brook Trout’s entire eastern native range. Check back in early December for the updated map. We will also email about this release.

    

   The results from the EBTJV’s range-wide assessment provide the foundational knowledge needed to guide and prioritize Brook Trout conservation efforts across their range.  It allows you to see which salmonid species are present in catchments (small watersheds) or patches (connected catchments) where your projects occur. 

    

   To determine the EBTJV Wild Trout Patch and Catchment Classifications for the catchment where your Project work will be implemented, please follow these steps:

   1. Follow the link (forthcoming in December) to our new public map viewer.
   Navigate to project location by clicking on the magnifying lens and entering the lat/lon (decimal degrees) or address.
2. Click “View Overlay Layers”. Put a √ mark in the box next to the Legend label Catchments to display this data layer;
3. Locate the catchment where your Project work will be implemented; you can increase or decrease the map scale by selecting the appropriate map scale by pinching on the trackpad or screen, or using the wheel on your mouse.  You can also change the layer’s transparency by clicking the yellow light icon that is associated with this layer in the Legend and sliding the opacity bar.
4. Identify the Wild Trout Habitat Patch classification by selecting the patch, or checking the map color against the legend.
5. Repeat this process for the layer Legend label Wild Trout Habitat Patches.
6. When you contact your state or federal EBTJV representative (by January 14 2025), please mention the location and code.
7. If your project is across more than one catchment or patch type, include a word or pdf file in the optional uploads (at the end of the form) and mention or show a screen shot of the multiple locations and catchment/patch classifications.
8. If there is no catchment information for your project area but you suspect this is an error please contact the coordinator lori.maloney@canaanvi.org.

Project application elements:

1. 1.        2026 Project Intent to Apply/Feedback form: available by online form, due January 14. Receipt of this form is required to proceed to full application.  It should not take you more than 20 minutes to fill out and will help you see if your project is eligible. https://www.jotform.com/222503981862156
2. 2.        2026 Project Application: available by online form, due February 14. We are no longer using uploads to our website. The online form is here: FY26 EBTJV Application Form.

• You will need to download, fill out, and upload your edited versions of these forms:
  • Project budget
  • Project metrics
  • You will also need to upload:
    • Letter of Support from the State Fisheries Management Agency - You must obtain a letter of support from the appropriate State Fisheries Management Agency for your project in advance of the application deadline. See description above.
    • Landowner letter: If the project is located on private land, a landowner consent letter is needed. EBTJV does not currently have a template landowner consent letter, but you may provide your own.
    • Site photos. Upload numbered photos to the web form. A separate table is provided to add a caption and photo credit for each photo uploaded. In the past we have used a USFWS photo release form; in lieu of that we have a checkbox to authorize EBTJV’s use of your images.
    • See the FY26 EBTJV Application Form for a full list of questions and guidance. Check back in December when we will upload a clean version of the application as an offline template.

Please contact us if you need help with the online form or uploads. You may save the progress and return once you’ve provided an email; check your email inbox to confirm receipt of the link to the form to return to it. We strongly encourage you to also save your narrative responses in a document on your own device.

A note on the timeline:

The process of receiving EBTJV-NFHP funds takes approximately 18 months from the time our RFP is announced.  EBTJV's RFP is the first step and provides NFHP and FWS with vetted projects to consider. Our EBTJV review team carefully considers each application and meets in February - March to rank the applications. We forward this ranked project list to the National Fish Habitat Partnership at the end of March.  NFHAP will forward their funding list to the FWS, who will make its decisions in the fall. Funding for projects is dependent on the federal budget cycle and will likely not be appropriated by Congress until after January 2026 and will likely not be available to project leaders until March 2026 or later. Following this announcement, winning applicants will need to sign grant award documents with the FWS through GrantSolutions; this begins the project period and pre-award expenses will not be reimbursed. EBTJV will prioritize projects whose deliverables are expected to be completed within two years of the start of the project period, although there is flexibility on a case-by-case basis, and the timeline is set at the step of signing grant agreement paperwork.

FHP simple Timeline Roadmap Infographic 

Award agreement steps

Applicants will be notified of their project’s ranking and funding status as that information becomes available. Again, we cannot control the timeline and it may be 12-15 months before we hear about final awarding by the USFWS. Successful applicants will then be required to complete a separate series of documents to receive the funds, in coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

NFHP funds are federal funds, administered through the FWS. All organizations that receive NFHP funding are required to complete all requirements for federal grants, including registration on the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov), Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), Grants Solutions grant management system, and provide interim and annual reports to the FWS and EBTJV. If your organization is not yet registered in the SAM system, please do so as soon as EBTJV notifies you of your award. NFHP funds are processed through a grant agreement completed through the USFWS Regional Offices or local FWCO office. All successful applicants will eventually be required to complete environmental compliance documents, including National Historic Preservation Act Form, National Environmental Policy Act, and section 7 of the Endangered Species Act in collaboration with US FWS.

Grants are paid on a reimbursable basis. If requesting indirect funds, applicants will need to submit a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, take the de minimis cost rate, or bill everything directly. 

EBTJV will also require a project end report with photos. Please see U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Habitat Partnership Program (NFHP) Application & Award Requirements October 2021 for more information.

Other considerations – real property

The ACE Act allows a state, local government, or other non-federal entity to receive NFHP funds for the acquisition of real property from willing sellers if the acquisition ensures public access for fish and wildlife-dependent recreation or contributes a scientifically based, direct enhancement to the health of fish and fish populations as determined by the NFHP Board.  All real property acquisition projects funded with NFHP funds must be approved by the state agency in the state in which the project is occurring.   EBTJV has not yet incorporated property acquisition into its project selection. Please contact the EBTJV coordinator if you have a project request that includes real property acquisition or that requests funding for costs associated with easements.

Thank you!

Thank you for your interest in partnering with EBTJV to help us fulfill our mission to secure resilient populations of wild Brook Trout by protecting, enhancing, and restoring aquatic habitat and increasing human connections to, and stewardship of, our natural environment.

For questions, please contact:

Lori Maloney, Coordinator

Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture

Email: lori.maloney@canaanvi.org