24/7 EMERGENCY +1 985 781 0804
hero img

Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program

Download Document

Grant Insights

The purpose of the Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program is to fund the implementation, improvement, or further development of an applicants’ Pollinator-Friendly Practices (PFP) Plan on routes eligible for Federal aid. By acting as refugia for pollinators in otherwise inhospitable landscapes, roadside habitat can contribute to the maintenance of healthy ecosystems and provision of ecological services such as crop pollination. Program funds are authorized through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

Key Updates U.S. Department of Transportation –  Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 
Funding Opportunity
Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program – FY2023 

NOFO Release Date 04/08/2024 
Application Due Date 06/18/2024 by 11:59 p.m. EST via www.Grants.gov 
# of Programs Roadside Pollinators Projects 
Total Funding Available  $3,000,000
Award Minimum N/A
Award Maximum $150,000
Recipient Cost-Share/Match Requirements: No cost-sharing is required for this program; however, FHWA expects applicants to complete the project for which they are applying, which may require the use of non-Federal or other Federal funds. 
Summary Eligible Pollinator-Friendly Practices (PFPs): PFPs included in a project must fall under one or more of the following nine (9) categories and the number of PFPs an entity has implemented or plans to implement will determine the award size: 
  1. Pollinator-friendly mowing strategies
  2. Implementation of an integrated vegetation management plan or PFP Plan
  3. Planting or Seeding
  4. Safety
  5. Obtaining expert training or assistance on pollinator-friendly practices
  6. Outreach
  7. Updating, improving, or further developing the PFP Plan
  8. Protecting existing habitats
  9. Removing non-native grasses from planting and seeding mixes 
All applicants must attach their existing PFP Plan to their application or provide a weblink to it. By including a PFP Plan in their application, the applicant confirms that the PFP Plan they are using is formal policy or guidance used and recognized by their agency.
Eligible Applicants
  • State Departments of Transportation (DOTs);
  • Indian Tribes; and
  • Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs). 
*Eligible entities that elect to submit more than one application should rank their applications in order of priority. FHWA will fund the application the applicant has ranked the highest that has received an overall rating of Satisfactory.

 
Special Consideration
  • The Roadside Pollinator Program is a unique program that has some important differences from other FHWA and DOT discretionary grant programs, including the requirement for an applicant to submit a PFP Plan, the requirement for FHWA to fund all satisfactory applications, and the requirement for FHWA to base the amount of all awards on the number of PFPs the applicant has implemented or plans to implement. Due to the unique nature of the Roadside Pollinator Program, FHWA requires applicants to use an Application Template.
  • State DOT and FLMA applicants must include documentation of coordination with applicable State agencies—including State agencies with jurisdiction over agriculture and fish and wildlife; and documentation of consultation with affected or interested Indian tribes in the development of the PFP Plan. Any eligible entity may also consult with nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, metropolitan planning organizations, and any other relevant entities in developing their Plan.
  • The application should provide documentation of receipt (or the schedule for anticipated receipt) of all environmental approvals and permits to ensure timely completion of all activities necessary to meet the statutory obligation deadline—including satisfaction of all Federal, State, and local environmental requirements, planning approvals, and completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.
Notes Highway Definition:
  1. a road, street, and parkway;
  2. a right-of-way; bridge; railroad-highway crossing; tunnel; or drainage structure including public roads on dams, sign, guardrail, and protective structure, in connection with a highway; and  
  3. a portion of any Interstate or international bridge or tunnel and the approaches thereto, the cost of which is assumed by a State transportation department, including such facilities as may be required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in connection with the operation of an international bridge or tunnel. 
Pollinator-Friendly Practices Plan Definition: A document, webpage, set of documents or combination thereof that outlines an applicant’s strategy for the preservation, establishment, or maintenance of pollinator populations and/or habitat. 

Number of PFPs in a Plan: FHWA defines the number of PFPs an eligible entity plans to implement to mean the number of practices an applicant has identified from their Plan that they plan to implement using Roadside Pollinator Program grant funds, and for each practice, the measurable benefit to the pollinator as described by the applicant in their application. 

Number of PFPs Carried Out: FHWA defines the number of PFPs the eligible entity has carried out over the past 5 years from the date of the issuance of this NOFO, and for each practice, the measurable benefit to the pollinator as provided by the applicant. 
Contact Information Title: FHWA – Agreement Specialist (Primary Point of Contact)
Name: Mishel McCants
Email/phone: pollinators@dot.gov (preferred); and (202) 366-4004
Title: FHWA – Agreement Officer/Team Lead (Alternate Point of Contact)
Name: Hector Santamaria
Email/phone: pollinators@dot.gov (preferred); and (202) 493-2402

Have Questions?