Summary:
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Iowa is requesting applications from eligible entities to provide the services necessary to improve monarch butterfly/pollinator habitat restoration practices on existing Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easements and possibly existing Emergency

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Watershed Protection Program – Floodplain Easements (EWP).

The purpose of conservation easements are to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands on eligible lands.

Applicants will provide services including but not limited to:
site assessment/planning, site preparation, seed procurement, seeding and establishment practices necessary to implement monarch butterfly habitat restoration plans consistent with NRCS standards and specifications.

Overview:
The NRCS is requesting proposals from qualified individuals and organizations that share a common interest in the conservation of monarch butterflies and wetland resources throughout Iowa.

Project Description:
The overall objective of this work is to improve WRP and EWP vegetation to include plant species that are critical habitat for the Monarch, a butterfly species that has declined precipitously in recent decades and currently undergoing a status review for potential federal listing.

Critical habitat includes, but is not limited to, providing for protection, restoration, and/or management of migratory and breeding habitats.

The NRCS and the recipient will work to conserve and restore landscapes beneficial to Monarch butterflies and a broad suite of native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Applicants will be responsible for all operations necessary to install vegetative restoration practices in a timely and effective manner.

Work may include any of the following monarch butterfly habitat restoration activities:
site assessment/preparation, prescribed fire, herbaceous weed control (mowing, herbicide application, disking), seed procurement and no-till drill or broadcast seeding.

All practices must meet NRCS standards and specifications.

All services shall be provided in accordance with applicable NRCS policy and criteria found at the following website:
NRCS Field Office Technical Guide:
http://efotg.nrcs.usda.gov.

The awardee will be expected to provide for the inspection and quality control on all practices implemented and will provide NRCS, at a minimum, a monthly status report of work in progress.

Evaluation Criteria:
Prior to the evaluation review, each application will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice by the appropriate NRCS staff.

Incomplete applications and those that do not meet the provisions of this notice will be eliminated from competition and notification of elimination will be mailed to the applicant.

Applications meeting the provisions of this notice will be evaluated by an evaluation team against the evaluation criteria.

The evaluation team will make recommendations to the State Conservationist for final selection and award.