F26AS00023 FY2026 Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program

The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program (Prescott program) provides financial assistance to eligible marine mammal stranding participants and stranding network collaborators to provide (A) the recovery, care, or treatment of sick, injured, or entangled marine mammals; (B) responses to marine mammal stranding events that require emergency assistance; (C) the collection of data and samples from living or dead stranded marine mammals for scientific research or assessments regarding marine mammal health; (D) facility operating costs that are directly related to activities described in (A), (B), or (C); and (E) development of stranding network capacity, including training for emergency response, where facilities do not exist or are sparse. Successful applications will be those aimed at helping support these actions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Prescott Grant Program will provide support for response to the stranding of wild populations of species under the Department of the Interior’s management authority per section 3(12) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Under this Funding Opportunity, FWS will recommend projects for funding based on how well and to what extent they support the species-specific priority activities, which are listed below under Species-Specific Funding Priorities. For the purposes of this program, priority is to be given to applications focusing on marine mammal strandings.

Eligible applicants must be a U.S. eligible marine mammal stranding participant or stranding network collaborator that is not an employee of the Department of the Interior or Department of Commerce. The term "eligible marine mammal stranding participant" means a person who is authorized by the FWS under MMPA section 104(c) for response to injured or distressed marine mammals or for scientific research regarding marine mammal health, or under MMPA section 112(c) to take marine mammals as described in MMPA section 109(h) in response to a stranding. Eligible entities also include Federal, state, or local government employees operating in the course of their official duties as indicated under MMPA section 109(h). Applicants may reach out to the FWS for technical assistance to clarify and/or document applicability of the exemption under MMPA section 109(h). For marine mammals that are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), eligibility includes authorization under ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) (except for polar bears as long as authorization has been provided under the MMPA), or exemptions to take prohibitions under 50 CFR 17.21 or 50 CFR 17.31. Applicants may be eligible without the MMPA or ESA authorizations detailed above depending on the nature of the project (see 1. f. below).Specifically, applicants must satisfy either #1 or #2 below1.A participant in a marine mammal stranding network (which is not an entity of a state, local, or eligible federal government employee) and in good standing. To be in good standing means:The applicant is authorized by the FWS under MMPA section 104(c) for response to injured or distressed marine mammals or for scientific research regarding marine mammal health, or under MMPA section 112(c) to take marine mammals as described in MMPA section 109(h) in response to stranded marine mammals (live or dead animal response). For marine mammals, other than polar bears, that are listed under the ESA, the applicant also has authorization under ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) or is otherwise exempt through 50 CFR 17.21 or 50 CFR 17.31.All the Principal Investigators associated with the Prescott Grant Program application who hold or have held authorizations under the MMPA and, if listed, the ESA have fulfilled all applicable requirements, including but not limited to, reports and publications and have fulfilled the terms of any enforcement actions. Noncompliance with MMPA/ESA permit or MMPA cooperative agreement actions will be considered on a case-by-case basis in terms of meeting this requirement.All stranding participants have complied with the terms and conditions of any permit or cooperative agreement issued under the MMPA and, if listed, ESA.The responsible stranding participant cooperates with the FWS regarding the timely submission of data and materials collected, when requested.The stranding participant is not under current enforcement investigation for activities involving the take of marine mammals contrary to MMPA and ESA regulations and do not have a notice of violation pending resolution.If no take will occur from the actions (e.g., strictly training, education, outreach), and therefore authorization is not required under the MMPA and/or ESA (if listed), the applicant must clearly state why take will not occur.Or,2. The entity is a state, local, or eligible federal government employee (but not an employee of the Department of the Interior or Department of Commerce) participating pursuant to MMPA section 109(h) (16 U.S.C. 1379(h)) and, if listed, exempt by 50 CFR 17.21 or 17.31.Unsatisfactory performance under prior or current Federal awards may result in your application not being considered for funding for this fiscal year in this program. FWS evaluates the risk posed by applicants as required in 2 CFR 200.205.