Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Environmental Advisory Committee_Tab 05_2/12/2025 Agenda Item #5. Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) STAFF MEMO R Meeting: Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) - Feb 12 2025 Staff Contact: Brad Freese Department: Environmental Advisory Committee EMM3Mn Florida's Urban and Community Forestry- Plantings, Preservation, and Invasives Control (UCF- PPIC) Grant. SUMMARY-----:' See attached memo from Chair Brad Freese about the Urban and Community Forestry-Plantings, Preservation, and Invasives Control (UCF-PPIC) Grant Program. The grant notice is also attached. Staff will provide additional, information at the meeting. This document and any attachments may be reproduced upon request in an alternative format by completing our Accessibility Feedback Form, sending an e-mail to the Village Clerk or calling 561- 768-0443. BUDGET INFORMATION: BUDGET AMOUNT n/a AMOUNT AVAILABLE n/a EXPENDITURE AMOUNT: n/a FUNDING SOURCES: n/a IS THIS A PIGGYBACK: ❑ Yes ❑ N/A DID YOU OBTAIN 3 QUOTES? ❑ Yes ❑ N/A QUOTE AMOUNT3 COMMENTS/EXPLANATION ON SELECTIONn/a Urban and Community Forestry Grant Memo FDACS Grant-Urban and Community Forestry Grant Page 9 of 21 Agenda Item #5. V *111age of T 345 Tequesta Drive 561-768-0700 Tequesta, FL 33469 www.tequesta.org TO: Environmental Advisory Committee FROM: Brad Freese, Chair EAC DATE: 02/12/2025 SUBJECT: VOT EAC Workshop The purpose of Florida's Urban and Community Forestry- Plantings, Preservation, and Invasives Control (UCF- PPIC) Grant Program is to provide financial assistance to local governments, Native American tribal governments, volunteer groups, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to initiate or enhance local urban and community forestry programs and improve the urban environment within the state of Florida by providing funding for projects aimed at enhancing green infrastructure. The state of Florida anticipates an allocation of$200,000 for fiscal year 2024-25. The primary purpose of the Urban and Community Forestry- Plantings, Preservation, and Invasives Control (UCF- PPIC) grant program is to promote better urban forest management and to provide resources necessary for the retention and expansion of community tree canopy throughout the State of Florida. Trees are a vital component of urban infrastructure but must be properly managed to maximize the benefits they provide the community. By properly managing their tree infrastructure, communities can increase property values, tourism appeal, and the physical and mental health of residents, while reducing storm water runoff, energy consumption, and air and water pollution. Community forest management also helps to identify public safety hazards to residents and structures and is a useful tool in storm preparation. Local community leaders and the public should learn more about how their urban trees benefit their community, from an economic, social, and environment standpoint. They also should learn about proper species selection, planting, and care for trees to minimize future maintenance problems and how to utilize green infrastructure to reduce storm water runoff. This document may be reproduced upon request in an alternative format by contacting the Village Clerk's Office at 561-768-0440 or by completing our accessibility form: https://bit.ly/3mnfeU4 Page 10 of 21 Agenda Item #5. }s*` 1YxZ, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services fE �% '``, Division of Administration x NOTICE OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING y.- OPPORTUNITY REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS WILTON SIMPSON COMMISSIONER 2 CFR Part 200 Funding Opportunity Number: 24-DG-1108112-430 I. Overview Recipient: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Funding Opportunity Title: Urban and Community Forestry- Planting, Preservation, and Invasive Control (UCF-PPIC) Grant Announcement Type: Request for Federal Financial Assistance Applications Funding Opportunity Number: 24-DG-1108112-430 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.664 Federal Agency Name: USDA Forest Service The information requested is pursuant to CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and the federal awarding gency statutory authority. II. Federal Financial Assistance Funding Opportunity Description The purpose of Florida's Urban and Community Forestry- Plantings, Preservation, and Invasives Control (UCF- PPIC) Grant Program is to provide financial assistance to local governments, Native American tribal governments, volunteer groups, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to initiate or enhance local urban and community forestry programs and improve the urban environment within the state of Florida by providing funding for projects aimed at enhancing green infrastructure. The state of Florida anticipates an allocation of$200,000 for fiscal year 2024-25. The primary purpose of the Urban and Community Forestry- Plantings, Preservation, and Invasives Control (UCF- PPIC) grant program is to promote better urban forest management and to provide resources necessary for the retention and expansion of community tree canopy throughout the State of Florida. Trees are a vital component of urban infrastructure but must be properly managed to maximize the benefits they provide the community. By properly managing their tree infrastructure, communities can increase property values, tourism appeal, and the physical and mental health of residents, while reducing storm water runoff, energy consumption, and air and water pollution. Community forest management also helps to identify public safety hazards to residents and structures and is a useful tool in storm preparation. Local community leaders and the public should learn more about how their urban trees benefit their community, from an economic, social, and environment standpoint. They also should learn about proper species selection, planting, and care for trees to minimize future maintenance problems and how to utilize green infrastructure to reduce storm water runoff. FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 1 of 11 Page 11 of 21 Agenda Item #5. The maximum grant allocation is $50,000 for each category and each applicant. Practices may be implemented on county or municipally owned lands, including parks or natural areas, as well as highway and street rights-of-way not maintained by the Federal government. Priority will be given to fiscally distressed communities as identified on the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool https://screen i ngtool.geoplatform.gov/ FDACS, Florida Forest Service (FFS) is requesting proposals for grants to: • Remove invasive plants and replace them with native trees in areas where they will provide direct benefit to Floridians through energy reduction, mitigating urban heat, water or air quality improvement, stormwater runoff avoidance, or increase greenspace accessibility. Projects in this category must follow the tree planting requirements listed later in this section. • Plant trees in riparian or coastal waterway areas to decrease erosion, improve stormwater runoff capture, and enhance the water quality of Florida's waterways. Projects in this category must follow the tree planting requirements listed later in this section. • Provide a service that enhances tree preservation during construction by offering advising to developers and homebuilders at no cost to the builder. Other proposals by local governments to enhance tree preservation during construction will be considered. Sco e: There are 3 categories for this grant funding: 1. Invasive species remove/replace 2. Riparian area tree plantings 3. Tree preservation during construction consulting Invasive Species Remove/Replace: • Projects should be aimed at conducting invasive plant species control through mechanical, herbicidal, or other means as long as they are recommended through best management practices for invasive species control. • Selected applicants will be required to submit a count of how many invasive tree species were removed through this grant program. • Once the invasive species are removed, selected applicants will then be required to replant the site with an appropriate number of native tree species suitable to the project site. No one species should make up more than 25% of the planting selection. Riparian Area Tree Planting: • Plantings must be completed within 200-feet of a riparian area, such as a stream, river, canal, or other waterbody. • All projects must follow the planting requirements listed later in this section. • Trees must be suitable to the site, and applications must show that care will be taken as to not disturb the waterbody with planting or maintenance activities. FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 2 of 11 Page 12 of 21 Agenda Item #5. Tree Preservation During Construction • This category offers a new opportunity for eligible entities to provide incentives for tree preservation during construction within their jurisdiction. The objective of this program is to provide an opportunity for selected applicants to fund the availability of expert advising towards those in the construction industry. • Eligible activities for this category include the contractual hiring of a certified arborist to provide consulting to a construction project. City staff that is comparably qualified may be funded with this grant as well, so long as the staff-person(s) being funded are not otherwise associated with enforcement of the jurisdiction's tree protection or related ordinances. • If selected, applicant(s) must utilize a competitive process to determine which contractor will receive advising services pursuant to all federal, state, and local requirements regarding competitive selection. Tree Planting Requirements: 1. Trees/palms (including those planted as part of the local match) must be at least Florida Grade #1 or equivalent Florida Division of Plant Industry, Grades and Standards found at ccmediaJdacs.goy/content/d own load/103635/file/grades-and-standards-for-nurseryplants-2022.pdf 2. Trees may not exceed a 4-inch caliper. Palms may not be taller than 16 feet, clear trunk. 3. Minimum tree size is 1Y2 inch caliper, in at least a 15-gallon container. 4. At least three tree species native or naturalized to the area and suitable for the site and objective must be planted. No species may represent over 25% of the total number of trees planted during the project. 5. Up to ten percent (10%) of the grant award may be used for the purchase and/or installation of irrigation equipment or an irrigation system, or for supplemental watering during the 60-day grow-in period. 6. Trees listed on the Exotic Pest Plant Council's MOST RECENT list of Florida's Invasive Species may not be planted as any part of this grant program. The list may be found at www.fleppc.orgg 7. Maximum allowable cost per individual tree or palm is $500, which can be split between grant and match for purchase and planting. 8. Written approval is required (as part of the proposal) from the Florida Department of Transportation for planting and maintenance on any state right-of-way. 9. Eligible multi-stemmed tree species include only those listed on the Right Tree/Right Place posters produced by the Florida Urban Forestry Council, unless FFS permission is granted for another species. 10. A maximum of$15 per tree may be spent on planting materials during the 60 day grow- in period only. 11. Purchase and planting of shrubs and ground covers in conjunction with tree planting may only serve as a matching cost, and as such cannot be reimbursed. 12. Proposals must include the following information: a. Location map. b. Minimum of three, color photographs of the planting site. c. Detailed planting plan (site plan) which shows the location of the trees/palms, existing structures, and site limitations such as underground utilities and overhead wires. d. Written approval from the Florida Department of Transportation for planting and maintenance on the State right-of-way, if applicable. FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 3 of 11 Page 13 of 21 Agenda Item #5. e. Three (3)-year maintenance plan to be carried out by the grant recipient at their expense. Maintenance costs incurred after certification by the Florida Forest Service are ineligible for reimbursement. f. Resolution from the managing agency of the property (if different from the applicant) which states they concur with the grant proposal and maintenance plan. 13. A 60-day "grow-in period" is required prior to Certification of Acceptance by the Department and the processing of final reimbursement. The proposal should state how the trees will be watered and cared for during the grow-in period. 14. Tree Plantings must follow established procedures for handling, placement, and maintenance. Refer to http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody for additional guidance. 15. After tree planting is completed, an iTree Design report of the project is required to be submitted prior to processing the final reimbursement. This tool estimates the future reduction in storm water runoff and increase in water quality over the life of the planted trees. The report should include assessments for years 5, 15, and 25. iTree Design is an easy to use and free program that can be found at https://design.itreetools.org/. III. Eligibility Information Qualified applicants are local governments, Native American tribal governments, volunteer groups, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. Only one application is allowed per applicant. The scope of work must be performed within the State of Florida. IV. Key Dates Action Item Timeframe Location Notice of Federal Financial From 1/15/25 Posted electronicallyvia Assistance Funding . Opportunity Advertisement To 3/11/25 Grant Opportunities FDACS pp Y From 1/15/25 All questions must be submitted by e- ma ran To 3/7/25 a Question Submission Period mail to ts - acs.g fd ov ov Question Response Posted From 1/15/25 Posted electronically via TO 3/7/25 Grant Opportunities . FDACS Application Submission 2:00 PM EST Urban and Community Forestry PPIC Deadline 3/11/2025 Grant Anticipated Review and evaluation of applications Evaluation of Applications From 3/14/25 To pp begin 5/28/25 Award Notice Anticipated Official FDACS letter via USPS 6/17/2 5 Subrecipient Agreement End Anticipated Subrecipient Agreement Date 8/30/2026 p g Anticipated Period of Performance 7/30/2025 To Subrecipient Agreement 8/30/2026 FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 4 of 11 Page 14 of 21 Agenda Item #5. V. Submission Dates, Times, and Location The application submission deadline is 2:00 PM, March 11, 2025. Applicants must upload a complete digital PDF application packet to Urban and Community Forestry PPIC Grant Applicants must ensure that submissions are in PDF format. It is advised that applicants do not wait until the final date/time to upload their submission. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure its submittal at the proper place and time indicated in this notice of federal financial assistance funding opportunity. No extensions. No exceptions. VI. Statutes and Regulations The UCF Program is authorized by Section 9, Urban and Community Forestry Assistance, of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 as amended [16 U.S.C. 2105]. This law authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture "to provide financial, technical, and related assistance to State Foresters or equivalent State officials for the purpose of encouraging States to provide information and technical assistance to units of local government and others that will encourage cooperative efforts to plan urban forestry programs and to plant, protect, maintain, and utilize wood from, trees in open spaces, greenbelts, roadside screens, parks, woodlands, curb areas, and residential developments in urban areas." The law also states, "In providing such assistance the Secretary is authorized to cooperate with interested members of the public including nonprofit private organizations. The Secretary is also authorized to cooperate directly with units of local government and others in implementing this section whenever the Secretary and the affected State Forester or equivalent State official agree that direct cooperation would better achieve the purposes of this section." VII. Award Information Total amount of funding available $200)000 Anticipated number of awards 4 Maximum grant award to a single applicant $50,000 Minimum grant award to a single a licant $5,000 Minimum score required to be considered 60 for funding Period of Performance Three months after application close to one year afterwards. Vill. Definitions Applicant: An entity that submits an application for federal financial assistance under this notice of funding opportunity. Application Packet: Complete written response of the applicant to the notice of federal financial assistant funding opportunity including properly completed forms, supporting documents and attachments. Business hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard time on business days. FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 5 of 11 Page 15 of 21 Agenda Item #5. Business days: Monday through Friday, excluding federal and state holidays. Calendar days: All days, including weekends and holidays. Commissioner: Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Florida. FDACS: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, an agency of the State of Florida. Grant Manager: An employee of FDACS, who is designated to be responsible for the monitoring and management of the subrecipient agreement. Local Government: A county government, a municipality (an incorporated city, town, or village), a school board district or an independent special district. Non-profit Organization: An organization which has filed an application with Florida's Secretary of State for nonprofit corporate status pursuant to Section 617, Florida Statutes, and has been issued a federal employer identification number by the Internal Revenue Service. Subrecipient Agreement: Formal agreement that will be awarded to the successful applicant under this notice of federal financial assistance funding opportunity. IX. Cost Sharing (Matching) Requirements No match funds are required for this funding opportunity. No overhead costs will be paid from grant funds. X. Funding Source and/or Restrictions FDACS reserves the right to award, or not award subrecipient agreement(s) based on the availability of federal funds. FDACS' obligation to pay under this subrecipient agreement is contingent upon funding by the federal agency. Funding is available for project work initiated and completed during the award period. Funding is subject to the amount of spending authority allocated by the Florida Legislature. The allowability of costs shall be in accordance with the federal financial assistance cost principles applicable to the subrecipient. XI. Cost of Preparation FDACS is not liable for any costs incurred by the applicant in response to the notice of federal financial assistance funding opportunity. FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 6 of 11 Page 16 of 21 Agenda Item #5. XII. Public Records Article 1, section 24, Florida Constitution, guarantees every person access to all public records, and Section 119.011, Florida Statutes, provides a broad definition of public record. As such, all responses to a federal financial assistance funding opportunity are public records unless exempt by law. Any applicant claiming that its response contains information that is exempt from the public records law shall clearly segregate and mark that information and provide the specific statutory citation for such exemption. XIII. Request Application Packet The application packet is available online at FDACS Grant Opportunities If you are unable to download the application packet, submit a written request for the application packet to Grants(aD-fdacs.gov XIV. General Instructions for Application Packet Carefully review all materials and prepare responses accordingly. The application packet must be complete and provide all required information by the submission deadline, 2:00 PM, March 11, 2025, for consideration. Application packets that fail to provide all required forms and signatures will be considered non-responsive and consequently will be removed from the evaluation process. For all corporate applicants, proof of corporate status must be provided with the application. For nonprofit applicants, documentation that verifies the official nonprofit status of an organization in accordance with Chapter 617, Florida Statutes, must be provided with the application. Please ensure that all attachments reflect the applicant's name and funding opportunity number. Unless otherwise noted, all application packets must be submitted on 8 1/2" by 11" plain white paper. Pages on digital submission must be consecutively numbered for ease of reading. XV. Application Package Components FDACS forms must be used. Substitute forms will not be reviewed. Do not alter the pages unless the page indicates that it can be modified. Applications that do not include all required pages will be removed from the evaluation process. A complete application package consists of the following pages: • Coversheet/Application for Federal Financial Assistance Subaward • Coversheet • Key Contact Information • Project Narrative • Scope of Work • Budget Plan Narrative • Budget Plan • Key Person/Staff • Performance Site/Locations FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 7 of 11 Page 17 of 21 Agenda Item #5. • Assurances Subrecipient Award • Certification Regarding Lobbying • Certification Regarding Debarments, Suspension, Ineligibility • Certification Statement XVI. Clarifications/Revisions Before award, FDACS reserves the right to seek clarifications or request any information deemed necessary for proper evaluation of submissions from all applicants deemed eligible for the subrecipient agreement. Failure to provide requested information may result in rejection of the application. XVII. Resection of Applications FDACS reserves the right to reject any and all applications or waive any minor irregularities when to do so would be in the best interest of the State of Florida, and to reject the proposal of an applicant whom FDACS determines is not in a position to perform the scope of work. Minor irregularities are those which will not have a significant or adverse effect on overall completion or performance. XVIII. System for Award Management (SAM) Registration The applicant must be registered in the System of Award Management (SAM) https://sam.gov/SAM/. The applicant will be required to maintain a registration for the duration of the award. Applicants who have an active exclusion may not be eligible for award. XIX. Late Applications Applications, hard copy or digital, received by FDACS after the application submission deadline will be rejected as untimely. XX. Evaluation Criteria An initial review of all applications will be completed and applications failing to submit all required information will be removed from consideration. Each application will be evaluated and scored based on the criteria listed below. (Listed below are general guidelines for evaluation criteria. Add or change or delete evaluation criteria based upon your award) a. Project Narrative: Up to 20 points will be awarded based upon the extent to which the project narrative demonstrates a clear understanding of the grant purpose and the expected project outcomes. The applicant's project narrative score will be based upon the following criteria: • Does the applicant provide a statement as to the need for the federal financial assistance? • Does the applicant tie the need for assistance to the purpose of the grant? • Are the expected project outcomes related to the purpose of the grant? • Does the applicant provide details as to the implementation strategies? • Does the applicant provide a timeline which coincides with the award period? FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 8 of 11 Page 18 of 21 Agenda Item #5. b. Scope of Work: Up to 35 points will be awarded based upon the goals, measurable objectives and activities presented in the scope of work. The application must include a clear and complete plan for the project. The applicant's scope of work score will be based upon the following criteria: • Does the applicant describe specific project objectives, tasks, and deliverables? • Do the objectives and tasks relate to the project narrative? • Is the timeline for each task reasonable? • Does the applicant provide staff names as to who is responsible for completing each task? • Is the scope of work feasible for completion during the award period? c. Budget Narrative: Up to 20 points will be awarded based upon the relationship between the scope of work and the itemized budget narrative. The application must demonstrate the need and reasonableness of the projected costs. The applicant's budget narrative score will be based upon the following criteria: • Did the applicant provide an itemized budget narrative? • Does the itemized budget narrative relate to the details in the scope of work? • Is each itemized budget line reasonable and necessary? • Does the budget plan tie to the budget narrative? Is the budget adequate for the scope of the project? d. Resources: Up to 15 points will be awarded based upon the staff qualifications and capacity of the applicant. The application must include the background and qualifications of key personnel to carry out the proposed scope of work. The application should demonstrate the adequacy of the applicant to support the project—facilities, equipment, supplies, etc. The applicant's resources score will be based upon the following criteria: • Did the applicant include the background and qualifications of key personnel? • Does it appear the applicant has sufficient personnel assigned to complete the project on time? • Does the application describe the facilities to be used? • Does the application list adequate equipment, supplies, and other resources to complete the project on time? • Does the applicant indicate the project is ready to implement quickly? e. Performance: Up to 10 points will be awarded based upon the applicant's past performance on FDACS subrecipient agreements. New applicants that have never received an award from FDACS will receive these points automatically. The applicant's past performance score will be based upon the following criteria: • Did the applicant achieve the project plan as planned or were changes made to the original project plan? • Did the applicant submit timely and accurate reports? • Did the applicant have any unresolved programmatic or audit monitoring concerns? • Did the applicant expend the entire grant award? • Did the reimbursement request contain excessive unallowable costs or numerous corrections? FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 9 of 11 Page 19 of 21 Agenda Item #5. The scores for each factor will be added to obtain a total score for each application. Funding will be awarded to applications according to the total score received. FDACS reserves the right to recommend partial funding of applications. Evaluator(s) could be municipal/county arborists or county foresters, non-profit organization representatives, city municipal staff(Parks and Recreation, etc.) and/or FFS personnel. XXI. Eval uator(s) FDACS' evaluator(s) will consist of three (3) individuals who FDACS determines have the experience and knowledge in the program areas. The evaluator(s) will conduct a fair, impartial, and comprehensive evaluation of applications received in response to this notice of federal financial assistance funding opportunity. XXII. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates The evaluation and selection process are expected to take place no longer than 45 days after the submission deadline. The announcement of awards is anticipated to take place within 75 days after the submission deadline. XXIII. Award Notice Upon the completion of FDACS' evaluation of applications, all applicants will be notified regarding their status. FDACS reserves the right to negotiate and/or adjust the final award amount and scope of work prior to award. Successful applicants will have thirty (30) days to fully execute the FDACS Subrecipient Agreement. Failure by the subrecipient to sign and return the Subrecipient Agreement, within 30 days upon receipt of the agreement, shall constitute forfeiture of the award. Although it is the intent of FDACS to expedite the subrecipient grant award process as much as possible, applicants should be aware that execution of a Subrecipient Agreement could be delayed for some time until federal funding is received. Projects should be scheduled accordingly. No costs to be charged against the subrecipient award or counted as match can be incurred before the Subrecipient Agreement is executed. THIS IS NOT A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION SUBJECT TO THE NOTICE OR CHALLENGE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 120.57(1) AND 120.57(3), FLORIDA STATUTES. XXIV. Programmatic, Administrative and National Policy Requirements The applicant shall be in compliance with all laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the federal funds provided by the federal financial assistance funding opportunity. The applicant shall maintain an accounting system and a set of accounting records which allow for the identification of revenues and expenditures related to this funding opportunity. FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 10 of 11 Page 20 of 21 Agenda Item #5. XXV. Acknowledgment of Funding The subrecipient shall have an acknowledgement of the USDA Forest Service support placed on any publication written or published or audiovisual produced with grant support and, if feasible, on any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity, or audiovisuals produced with grant support. This requirement does not apply to audiovisuals produced as research instruments or for documenting experimentations or findings and not intended for presentation or distribution to the public. XXVI. Performance Report The applicant will submit a performance report as required using the format and content shown on the FDACS form which is downloadable at http://forms.fdacs.gov/02018.pdf. XXVII. Reimbursement Requests All reimbursement requests must be submitted using FDACS' standard payment request packet, unless otherwise noted in the special conditions of the subrecipient agreement and provide supporting documentation for each cost. The subrecipient shall submit the payment request packet to the recipient's grant manager not more often than monthly, but not less often than quarterly. To be eligible for reimbursement, costs shall be allowable, necessary, and reasonable, and must be submitted by budget category consistent with the budget plan submitted with applicant's application. The payment request packet is downloadable http://forms.fdacs.gov/02019.pdf. Bills for any authorized travel expenses shall be submitted and paid in accordance with the rates specified in Section 112.061, Florida Statutes, governing payments by the State for travel expenses. Any travel expenses must be specified in the budget plan and scope of work. The FDACS agreement with the federal agency is a cost reimbursement format; therefore, no advance payments will be provided. Any work performed on the project and/or any expenditure made prior to a fully executed subrecipient agreement and written authorization from FDACS is ineligible for reimbursement. XXVIII. Disclaimer The receipt of applications in response to the notice of federal financial assistance funding opportunity does not imply or guarantee that any one or all qualified applicants will result in a subrecipient agreement with FDACS. XXIX. Questions Applicants shall address all questions regarding this federal financial assistance funding opportunity notice to the purchasing office by e-mail to grants(aD-fdacs.gov All questions submitted shall be published and answered in a manner that all applicants will be able to view. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. FDACS-02031 Rev.02/23 Page 11 of 11 Page 21 of 21