Mission Blue Butterfly Translocation Project | P17AS00660

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00660

The Mission Blue Butterfly Translocation Project is a National Park Service (NPS) natural resources initiative focused on protecting and rebuilding populations of the Mission blue butterfly, a federally endangered species found in a handful of scattered sites around the San Francisco Bay Area. The project centers on collaborative work within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) to strengthen the butterfly's chances of long-term survival by improving scientific understanding of its habitat needs, restoring and managing suitable habitat, and physically moving (translocating) butterflies to support or re-establish populations where appropriate. The overall intent is risk reduction: preventing local losses that could lead to the species disappearing from GGNRA.

The effort is structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a typical competitive grant. The Department of the Interior, National Park Service is the sponsoring agency, and the partner organization is the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit). The announcement serves as a notice of intent to award under an existing cooperative agreement with the Parks Conservancy, meaning it is not open for applications and is not a solicitation. In other words, the NPS is publicly documenting that it plans to fund this specific project with this specific partner, based on an established working relationship and shared responsibilities for carrying out the work.

The project work described includes three main components that fit together. First is monitoring and research-oriented field work to improve understanding of the Mission blue butterfly and its habitat conditions across the remaining Bay Area locations, including within GGNRA. This typically means tracking population presence and trends, documenting habitat quality, and gathering information that can guide decisions over time. Second is active habitat restoration and management, aimed at increasing the amount and quality of habitat that the butterfly can use. Although the announcement does not list specific restoration techniques, habitat restoration in this context generally involves improving ecological conditions that support the butterfly across its life stages and maintaining those conditions through ongoing management. Third is translocation, the deliberate movement of Mission blue butterflies to reduce vulnerability associated with small, isolated populations, and to help sustain or bolster populations in the park.

A notable feature of the opportunity is its emphasis on continuity and shared experience. The NPS and the Parks Conservancy are described as having a substantial history of working together on Mission blue butterfly monitoring and habitat restoration within GGNRA, and this project builds directly on that foundation. The partnership also extends beyond field operations into public-facing and management applications: information collected through monitoring is intended to support public education and outreach, and it is also used for adaptive management, meaning park resource management decisions are adjusted over time based on what the monitoring data shows is working or not working.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Title: Mission Blue Butterfly Translocation Project, Funding Opportunity Number: P17AS00660. It falls under the discretionary opportunity category and the natural resources funding activity category, with CFDA number 15.944. The eligible applicant type listed is nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), consistent with the intended recipient being the Parks Conservancy. The announcement indicates an expected single award, with an award ceiling of $263,000. The opportunity record was created on August 16, 2017, with an original closing date of August 28, 2017, but the text makes clear that the "closing date" is largely procedural since the notice is not inviting applications.

Overall, the grant notice describes a targeted, partner-driven conservation action: the NPS is funding coordinated monitoring, habitat restoration, and translocation work to protect a federally endangered butterfly in GGNRA, while also producing information that can improve day-to-day management and help educate the public about the species and its conservation needs.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mission Blue Butterfly Translocation Project" 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 Aug 16, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 28, 2017 NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD. This is not a request for applications. This funding announcement is to provide public notice that the National Park Service will fund the following project under an existing Cooperative Agreement with GGNPC.. (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 $263,000.00 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.

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