Funding Wizard

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has received funding from Congress for the sole purpose of managing and improving the understanding of submerged aquatic invasive grasses with focus on Hydrilla, Milfoil, and Elodea. The Alaska Region is managing $250,000 of these funds in FY23. The Service is seeking proposals that address information gaps to improve the success of the Alaska Invasive Species Partnership to prevent submerged aquatic invasive grasses from becoming established or further spread in Alaska. The program encourages collaboratives proposals that address knowledge gaps associated with the following general categories of priority research needs:Vector and pathway assessment. Research focused on: determining lethal desiccation rates; expanding on seaplane and watercraft vector analyses; and, conducting social science analyses to understand how to improve behavior change to prevent further spread.Prevention and surveillance prioritization and tool development. Research focused on: what habitat conditions favor establishment or causes the invasive plant to die off after a certain period; identify priority waterbodies based on their ecological services considering current and future climate conditions; and, develop and or assess feasibility of non-traditional (e.g., rake throws) early detection surveys tools (e.g., canine detection, aerial/satellite imagery, eDNA).Impacts of these aquatic invasive grasses and various management techniques on native fish and wildlife and their habitats. Research focused on: understanding how aquatic biota recover after a waterbody has been treated with diquat and or fluridone; assess how using these herbicides to treat Elodea, Milfoil, or Hydrilla may affect non-target species; and, improve the understanding of the persistence of fluridone in various aquatic environments of Alaska.Develop innovative control techniques for remote and road accessible waterbodies. Research focused on the design of effective, low cost, eradication and control application equipment.

This program provides grants for the conservation of birds that are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act but not Federally-listed as Endangered or Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Proposals should address projects in the geographic area that includes USFWS Region 3 (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin); non-breeding season areas important for birds breeding in Region 3 states; or broad-scale actions that will have tangible benefits that include birds in these states. To focus conservation on the highest priority issues with the greatest probability of making a difference for birds, the Midwest Migratory Bird Conservation Program operates under the USFWS business model known as Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC). SHC integrates biological planning, landscape design, conservation delivery, and monitoring and evaluation in a way that generates adaptive feedback that enables sound decisions and constantly improves our efficiency and effectiveness in conserving birds.In 2023, the Midwest Migratory Bird Conservation Program will consider proposals addressing the following themes. NOTE: Applicants must consult with MB Staff as listed below BEFORE submitting an application (see contacts listed below within the respective proposal themes)Further understanding of migration, migratory connectivity, migratory threats, wintering ecology, and annual survival for birds moving within and through the Midwest—including local movements of birds-of-the-year during the period between hatching and dispersal/migration. Proposals addressing focal/priority species identified by Joint Venture partnerships in the Midwest are preferred - especially those focused on grassland-dependent species, shorebirds, or aerial insectivores. Visit https://umgljv.org/planning/joint-venture-plans/, https://www.chjv.org/priority-birds-habitats, or https://ppjv.org/assets/pdf/PPJV_2017_ImplPlan_Sec5.pdf to learn more. Staff Contacts: Andrew Forbes (Andrew_forbes@fws.gov), Sarah Kendrick (sarah_kendrick@fws.gov), Michael Wells (michael_wells@fws.gov), Kelly VanBeek (Kelly_vanbeek@fws.gov) or Rachael Pierce (rachael_pierce@fws.gov). 2) Build capacity for sustainable conservation and monitoring of Neotropical migrants during the non-breeding season. Staff Contacts: Andrew Forbes (Andrew_forbes@fws.gov), Sarah Kendrick (sarah_kendrick@fws.gov), Michael Wells (michael_wells@fws.gov), Kelly_vanbeek@fws.gov) or Rachael Pierce (rachael_pierce@fws.gov).3) Assess trends, status, limiting factors and /or causes of decline of Great Lakes waterbirds (e.g. King Rail, Yellow Rail, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Black Tern) or shorebirds (e.g. Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin). Staff contact: Rachael Pierce (rachael_pierce@fws.gov) or Michael Wells (Michael_wells@fws.gov).

Mexico Standard Program's goal is to promote partnerships between public agencies and groups interested in protecting, improving, restoring, and managing an appropriate distribution and diversity of wetland ecosystems and other habitats for wetlands-associated migratory birds and other fish and wildlife in North America. A 1:1 match is required. This program supports the DOI and FWS mission of protecting and managing the nation's natural resources by collaborating with partners and stakeholders to conserve land and water and to expand outdoor recreation and access.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (“Service”) mission is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The International Affairs Program delivers on this mission through its financial assistance programs by supporting projects that deliver measurable conservation results for priority species and their habitats around the world. Latin America is the single most biologically diverse region of the world and of critical importance to wildlife conservation efforts and global health. The United States and Latin America share a great number of species that largely depend on the region’s unique landscapes for their survival. The region’s ecosystems provide important environmental services and reduce the severity of climate change impacts. Protecting wildlife and their habitats in Latin America is critical for regional stability, security, and economic prosperity. The goal of the Service’s Latin America Regional program is to conserve priority species, habitats, and ecological processes across landscapes with high biodiversity value in the region. The Latin America Regional program is soliciting proposals to reduce threats to key wildlife and ecosystems and to strengthen local capacity to sustain conservation in the long-term. Proposals should describe specific conservation actions that will foster sustainable resource use, mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, and/or combat wildlife poaching and trafficking. The Service works with national governments, U.S. agencies, civil society organizations, and a range of other partners to ensure a results-based approach to wildlife conservation. The Latin America Regional program maintains a strong focus on working with local communities to support rural stability, greater security, and good health for both people and wildlife. For example, efforts that create local support for conserving wildlife by strengthening or creating incentives for communities to be stewards of their biodiversity (e.g., conservation incentive agreements, alternative sustainable livelihood activities, land use stewardship plans, etc.). The Service also supports efforts that decrease the costs of living with wildlife. This includes working with landowners to reduce human-wildlife conflicts that cause damage to human lives and livelihoods and can lead to poaching and/or wildlife trafficking. Project activities should take place in Latin America in eligible geographies. If work is to be conducted in the United States, the proposal must show a clear impact on biodiversity conservation in Latin America to be eligible. Project activities that emphasize data collection and status assessment should describe a direct link to management action and explain how lack of information has been a key limiting factor for management action in the past. Proposals that do not identify how actions will reduce threats or that do not demonstrate a strong link between data collection and management action will be rejected. Please note that local government endorsement is required for all proposals prior to award. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with relevant government authorities prior to preparing applications for Service funds. Due to other grant programs supported by the Service, the Latin America Regional program will not fund projects related to marine turtles, tortoises, and freshwater turtles (Marine Turtle Conservation Fund) or neotropical migratory birds (Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund). Thematic Eligibility For all countries, regions and landscapes under the Geographic Eligibility section below, proposed projects should include one or more of the following three themes, 1) Sustainable Resource Use, 2) Wildlife Trafficking, and 3) Human-Wildlife Conflict to conserve priority species and ecosystems by implementing activities that will measurably: (i) curtail the drivers of deforestation and habitat degradation, (ii) strengthen management of protected areas, community forests, and indigenous territories; (iii) foster habitat restoration, (iv) promote alternative livelihoods, (v) reduce impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on conservation goals, (vi) promote climate change adaptation and resilience, and (vii) mitigate threats to key wildlife. Geographic Eligibility* Mexico geographic eligibility and species of concern: Northern Mexico: Bison, California condor, Sonoran pronghorn, Black-footed ferret, and Black-tailed prairie dog Pacific Southwest and Greater Lacandon system: Jaguar Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve: Monarch butterfly Veracruz and Chiapas: Scarlet macaw Mayan Forest: tropical rainforest Central America geographic eligibility by country: Guatemala El Salvador Honduras South America geographic eligibility by region and country: Gran Chaco:  Eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina   Patagonia:  Southern Argentina and Chile   Andes-Amazon:  Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru  *Priority will be given to projects from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador

For more than two decades, the Klamath Basin has encountered numerous challenges due to ongoing drought conditions, limited water supply and diverse needs. The Interior Department, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), the Bureau of Reclamation and numerous other state and federal entities have sought collaborative solutions to address conditions that impact Tribes and other stakeholders who are intimately connected to the Klamath Basin. For Year 2 (FY 23) of its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding opportunity for the Klamath Basin, the Service is soliciting project pre-proposals that advance restoration activities in the Klamath Basin of Southern Oregon and Northern California. During an Interior Department workshop on Klamath restoration funding opportunities on December 15, 2022, many Klamath Basin stakeholders expressed an interest in having federal agencies adopt a more efficient process for navigating the complexities of funding opportunities across the federal and state government. As an initial response to that request, the Service, in collaboration with the Interior Department and other federal and state partners, invites applicants to submit project pre-proposals for its Year 2 BIL Klamath Basin funding opportunity. This funding opportunity incorporates a two-step process. Step one involves submitting pre-proposals, which will be ranked and evaluated by the Service. For Step two, by invitation only, the Service request full-proposals from the highest ranked projects. Both the pre-proposal process and the by-invitation-only full-proposal process are described below. Potential for Leveraging and Coordinating Funding The Service recognizes that there will likely be more request for project funding, than what is available within the Service’s Year 2 BIL funding opportunity. In an effort to leverage additional funds for high-ranking projects, the Service may share pre-proposal abstracts with other funding agencies and conservation partners in order to determine level of support, overlap with ongoing work, potential additional collaboration opportunities, and potential coordination of funds.

The principle objective of the Traditional Conservation Grant Program is to support the development and implementation of States’ programs to conserve and recover threated and endangered species under the Service’s jurisdiction. Financial assistance, provided in the form of grants, can be used to support projects that have direct benefits for federally listed species, candidate and at-risk species, and recently delisted species. States may apply for funding to conduct conservation work on federally-listed resident species that are included in the State’s cooperative agreement. States may also apply for funding to monitor candidate, at-risk, and recently delisted species. Projects proposed for funding may involve management, research, monitoring, and outreach activities or any combination thereof. Applications should include clear and specific information about how the proposed work would contribute to species recovery or prevent the need to list a species under the Endangered Species Act. Successful applications will be those that clearly demonstrate a direct benefit to the species or its habitat.

The Tribal Wildlife Grants (TWG) Program was created to support the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitats and species of Tribal cultural or traditional importance, including species that are not hunted or fished. The TWG Program is part of the Congressionally authorized State and Tribal Wildlife Grant (STWG) Program which provides wildlife conservation grants to States, Commonwealths, and to the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Tribes under provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. TWG Program funding originates from the Department of the Interior (DOI) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Pub. L. 107-63), when Congress first specified that the Service use a portion of the funds appropriated under the STWG Program to establish a competitive grant program available to federally recognized Tribes. This language allows the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), to establish a separate competitive Tribal grant program which is not subject to the provisions or other requirements of the STWG Program. The TWG Program provides opportunities for federally recognized Tribes to engage in fish and wildlife conservation efforts on their lands, many of which are located adjacent to DOI-managed lands. Many of the TWG Program-funded project activities increase fish and wildlife populations, allowing for hunting and fishing opportunities on and off Tribal lands. Additionally, the TWG Program funds project activities that align and assist the Service with Endangered Species Act (ESA) activities supporting downlisting, delisting, and preventing new species listings under the ESA. Eligible projects include those that initiate, develop, or implement activities or programs that benefit wildlife and their habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished. Activities may include, but are not limited to:Planning for conservation of fish and wildlife, and their habitatsConservation management actions for fish and wildlife, and their habitatsField and laboratory research related to fish and wildlife resourcesNatural history studiesFish passagesHabitat mapping or evaluationField surveys and population monitoringRestoration of habitatManagement of invasive speciesPublic educationrelevant to the proposed projectWildlife TRACS (Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species) is the tracking and reporting system used by WSFR to capture conservation and related actions funded by its grant programs. TRACS serves as the electronic repository system for all performance and accomplishment reporting related to those Federal awards. TRACS highlights program accountability by documenting program accomplishments and results. As outlined in this announcement, grant and project statement information and performance reporting data may be entered into TRACS but use of this system is optional for Tribes.Since its inception in 2003, the competitive TWG Program has awarded more than $111.6 million to Native American Tribes, providing support for more than 626 conservation projects. In FY 2022, 54 proposals were received, and 37 awards were issued; in FY 2022, 51 proposals were received, and 33 awards issued; and, in FY 2023, an estimated 50-100 proposals are expected to be received and about 20-40 awards are expected to be issued.You are encouraged to work with Service staff in developing proposal applications and addressing all scoring criteria provided in this announcement. Additional information about the TWG Program is on the web at: http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/grants.html. If you do not have access to the Internet and would like to receive information by mail, contact the Service point of contact identified in this announcement.In an effort to fulfill Executive Order 14008 and meet Department of the Interior and Service priorities (https://www.doi.gov/ourpriorities), and commensurate with available appropriations, the Service will implement a second-tier funding process using a portion of available funds.Second-tier grants will target Tribes that have not received TWG Program funds in the past. The purpose is to increase Tribal fish and wildlife management capacity to address threats to tribally identified species, including threats associated with climate change. This second-tier funding process will not modify current project selection procedures or the criteria provided in Section E. of this announcement. Regardless of whether a Tribe has received a previous TWG Program award, we will review all applications using the same procedures and criteria. As funding levels allow, a portion of the highest-ranking applications from Tribes that have not previously received TWG Program funding will be recommended for approval. The Service Director makes the final project selections.

The principle objective of the Traditional Conservation Grant Program is to support the development and implementation of States’ programs to conserve and recover threatened and endangered species under the Service’s jurisdiction. Financial assistance, provided in the form of grants, can be used to support projects that have direct benefits for federally listed species, candidate and at-risk species, and recently delisted species. States may apply for funding to conduct conservation work on federally-listed resident species that are included in the State’s cooperative agreement. States may also apply for funding to monitor candidate, at-risk, and recently delisted species. Projects proposed for funding may involve management, research, monitoring, and outreach activities or any combination thereof. Applications should include clear and specific information about how the proposed work would contribute to species recovery or prevent the need to list a species under the Endangered Species Act. Successful applications will be those that clearly demonstrate a direct benefit to the species or its habitat.

The principle objective of the Traditional Conservation Grant Program is to support the development and implementation of States’ programs to conserve and recover threated and endangered species under the Service’s jurisdiction. Financial assistance, provided in the form of grants, can be used to support projects that have direct benefits for federally listed species, candidate and at-risk species, and recently delisted species. States may apply for funding to conduct conservation work on federally-listed resident species that are included in the State’s cooperative agreement. States may also apply for funding to monitor candidate, at-risk, and recently delisted species. Projects proposed for funding may involve management, research, monitoring, and outreach activities or any combination thereof. Applications should include clear and specific information about how the proposed work would contribute to species recovery or prevent the need to list a species under the Endangered Species Act. Successful applications will be those that clearly demonstrate a direct benefit to the species or its habitat.

The principle objective of the Traditional Conservation Grant Program is to support the development and implementation of States’ programs to conserve and recover threated and endangered species under the Service’s jurisdiction. Financial assistance, provided in the form of grants, can be used to support projects that have direct benefits for federally listed species, candidate and at-risk species, and recently delisted species. States may apply for funding to conduct conservation work on federally-listed resident species that are included in the State’s cooperative agreement. States may also apply for funding to monitor candidate, at-risk, and recently delisted species. Projects proposed for funding may involve management, research, monitoring, and outreach activities or any combination thereof. Applications should include clear and specific information about how the proposed work would contribute to species recovery or prevent the need to list a species under the Endangered Species Act. Successful applications will be those that clearly demonstrate a direct benefit to the species or its habitat.