Conservation Partners Legacy Grants Program

The CPL program fulfills MS 97a.056 Subd. 3a, directing LSOHC to establish a conservation partner’s grant program encouraging/supporting local conservation efforts.  $3,494,000 of the appropriated $3,860,000 was available for grants.  This is a stand-alone program, but depends on support/technical advice from public land managers, habitat and acquisition specialists, and  support staff.   Grant activities: enhancement, restoration, protection of forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota.  A 10% match from nonstate sources is required for all grants.  Match: Cash or in-kind, identified at time of application. CPL Program Staff develop a Request for Proposal/Program Manual incorporating LSOHC  priorities, solicit applications, work with applicants to submit scorable applications, oversee grant selection, prepare/execute grant documents, review expenditure documentation, ensure financial integrity, make payments, monitor grant work, assist recipients with closing out agreements, and prepare required reports.   Applicants describe: location of work, activity type and habitat; benefit to habitat, fish, game and wildlife; and duration of benefits.  Acquisition projects: applicants describe parcel selection process.   CPL staff complies with the Department of Administration-Office of Grants Management policies.  Stakeholders involved in this program are applicants, reviewers, land managers.  No opposition is known.  Application Process A Request for Proposal/Program Manual was posted on the CPL website in August, 2013.  Document contains all grant program information. Applications are submitted using CPL’s Online Grant Application System (OLGA).  Applicants use OLGA’s mapping tool to map project sites.  Applications accepted beginning in August, 2013, until round one deadline in mid-September, 2013.  Applications requesting grants up to $25,000 or Preapproved Project Grants have a shorter application form. The application system will accept Preapproved Project Grant applications year-round.  Examples of Preapproved Projects and criteria for each will be on the website. Grants over or under $25,000 were selected for funding once.  Preapproved (ECP) Project Grants were awarded 4 times during the year. DNR were able to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with DNR and OHF policy and guidance, if additional funding became available or if a grantee could not complete a project as planned.  Grant Selection Process CPL Grant Program Staff review applications for completeness.  Technical Review Committee(s), selected by the Commissioner of Natural Resources, evaluate applications based on criteria listed below.  A final score is given to all applications. Committee(s) include representatives from DNR, BWSR, the University of MN, state universities or private colleges, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, or other appropriate members from government, non-profit and business organizations.  A final ranking committee of Directors of the DNR Divisions of Fish and Wildlife, Ecological Resources/Waters, and Forestry consider TRC, Division and Regional DNR comments, and recommend projects/funding levels to the Commissioner.  Preapproved Project Grants are reviewed by CPL staff, using criteria established for each type of project, and make recommendations. The Commissioner makes final decisions.  CPL Grant Program staff work with grantees to complete financial reviews, grant agreements, and other paperwork.  Work may not begin until grant is executed. Application Criteria Applications is evaluated on these criteria:         Amount of habitat restored, enhanced, or protected Local support        Degree of collaboration        Urgency        Multiple benefits        Habitat benefits        Consistency with current conservation science        Adjacent to protected lands        Full funding of project       Budget/ cost effectiveness       Public access for hunting/fishing       Use of native plant materials       Applicants’ capacity to successfully complete, sustain work Project Reviews and Reporting Grantees submit annual accomplishment reports on forms provided by CPL staff, based on L-SOHC report forms.  Reports account for the use of grant/match funds, and outcomes in measures of wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat restored, enhanced, and protected.  The report must include an evaluation of these results.  A final report is required by all grantees 30 days after project completion.  CPL Grant staff submits accomplishment reports to L-SOHC as required.   CPL Administration Budget Grant administration costs total $366,000, include salary/fringe for grants staff, direct and necessary costs, travel, supplies, and expense.  An internal Service Level Agreement (SLA) is developed with DNR’s Management Information Systems to update/manage the online grant application system.  DNR Land Acquisition Costs Applicants are required to budget for DNR Land Acquisition costs that are necessary to support the land acquisition process for parcels to be conveyed to the DNR.  These costs are billed to awarded grants on a professional services basis. DNR Technical Support The Division of Fish and Wildlife provides ongoing technical guidance, helping applicants prepare grant proposals and meet requirements for working on state lands.  Project development and oversight is provided by area managers and additional guidance is provided for land acquisitions.   Grantee Payment Grantees are paid on reimbursement or “for services rendered” basis, meaning payment is made to the grantee after work has been performed or materials purchased, but before the vendor is paid by the grantee.  Grantees provide proof that work is completed or a purchase made to receive payment.  Proof that the vendor was paid must be submitted to CPL staff before additional grant payments are made.  Reasonable amounts may be advanced to projects to accommodate cash flow needs, match federal share, or for acquisitions.  Advances must be specified in final grant agreement.  Partial payments are allowed.  Funds are built into grants for required Legacy logo signage and forms of acknowledgement/notification including, but not limited to, local news advertisements announcing completion of grantees' projects. Since the creation of the CPL program, grantees have restored, protected or enhanced nearly 9982 acres of habitat in Minnesota.