Reintroduction of Trifolium amoenum at Ring Mountain | F17AS00091

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00091

The grant opportunity titled "Reintroduction of Trifolium amoenum at Ring Mountain" is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding action focused on recovering an endangered plant by expanding it back into part of its historical or suitable range in Marin County, California. The project specifically targets Ring Mountain as a reintroduction site for Trifolium amoenum, with the broader conservation purpose of reducing the risk that the species could be wiped out by chance events. Because the species is described as having a single natural population at Dillon Beach in Marin County, a wildfire, extreme drought, disease outbreak, severe storm, or other stochastic event could cause disproportionate harm. Establishing an additional, self-sustaining population at Ring Mountain would spread that risk across more than one location and meaningfully improve long-term persistence.

The work to be funded is practical, on-the-ground restoration combined with structured monitoring and comparison. The project has two core scientific and management questions. First, it aims to compare the survival and overall fitness of two ecotypes of Trifolium amoenum. Ecotypes are distinct forms of the same species that are adapted to different local conditions, so testing them side by side helps determine which plant material performs best under Ring Mountain conditions and whether one ecotype shows better establishment, growth, reproduction, or resilience. Second, it is designed to compare two establishment methods: direct seeding versus planting transplants. Seeding can be less expensive and potentially more scalable but may suffer from low germination or early seedling mortality, while transplants can have higher initial survival but require nursery propagation, more labor, and can experience transplant shock. By evaluating both approaches, the project can generate clear, management-relevant results about which method (or combination) is most effective for building a viable population.

Administratively, this opportunity is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, which typically means the agency expects to have substantial involvement during the project, such as coordination on methods, reporting, and conservation compliance. It is tied to CFDA number 15.657, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program associated with endangered species conservation, and it is explicitly authorized under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq., as amended). In plain terms, the legal basis underscores that the activity is part of federally supported endangered species recovery work.

The listing is a Notification of Intent to award a single-source cooperative agreement to a specific recipient, Diana Immel Jefferey, meaning it is not presented as an open competition intended to result in multiple awards. The opportunity number is F17AS00091. The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service is the issuing agency. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $31,070. The posting dates indicate it was created on December 28, 2016, with an original closing date of January 3, 2017, reflecting a short window consistent with a single-source intent notice rather than a broad solicitation.

Overall, the grant centers on a targeted endangered plant reintroduction with a built-in experimental design: it tests which ecotype performs better and whether seeding or transplanting produces stronger establishment at Ring Mountain. If the effort succeeds, the payoff is straightforward and significant for species recovery: a larger geographic range, an added population outside the lone natural site at Dillon Beach, and better protection against unpredictable events that could otherwise eliminate the species from the wild.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Reintroduction of Trifolium amoenum at Ring Mountain" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.657.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 28, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 03, 2017 This is a Notification of Intent to award a Single Source Cooperative Agreement to Diana Immel Jefferey.. (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 $31,070.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Individuals, Small businesses.

Apply for F17AS00091

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