Funding Wizard

First awarded in fiscal year (FY) 2001, Recovery Land Acquisition grants promote State and Federal cooperation in listed species conservation by leveraging funds to acquire specific parcels of land, through fee simple or conservation easement, in support of Service-approved recovery plans and outlines. The ESA conveys the importance of recovery plans as a central organizing tool for guiding the recovery process by requiring their development for every listed species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (Service) National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) is accepting proposals from organizations with an interest and capacity to work cooperatively with the USFWS, our Friends Groups and a pre-determined advertising partner to deploy a `high-profile, high-impact" integrated marketing campaign. The goal of the campaign aims to increase broad awareness of the recreational benefits of the NWRS public lands and waters, recruit new users to nearby outdoor recreation, work to ensure welcoming and inviting visitor experiences, and attract new industry and community partnerships. One agreement will be awarded through this announcement. This opportunity is open to non-profit, state, county, city or township.

The Conservation Planning Assistance Grant program provides funding to States to support the development of new Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), Safe Harbor Agreements (SHAs), and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAAs). Funding may also be used to support the renewal or amendment of existing HCPs, SHAs, and CCAAs. The development of HCPs that include only candidate or at-risk species (i.e., no Federally listed species covered by the HCP), such that the HCP would be in place if the species is listed, is also supported through this program.  Funding may be used to support development and planning activities such as document preparation, public outreach, baseline species surveys, habitat assessments, and inventories.  The preparation of environmental compliance review documents, such as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), is also an eligible use of grant funds.

Authority: Section 6202(a) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (7 U.S.C. §426 note [Transferred]. Recodified as §8351 note) Assistance Listing Number: 15.666 Background, Purpose and Program Requirements: Subtitle C of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11) authorized the Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Project (Program) with two purposes: 1) Prevention - Provide funding to assist livestock producers in undertaking proactive, nonlethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss due to predation by wolves; and 2) Compensation - Provide funding to reimburse livestock producers for livestock losses due to such predation. Federal financial assistance, provided in the form of grants, can be used to support the implementation of state and tribal programs designed to assist livestock producers in undertaking proactive, nonlethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss due to predation by wolves and to compensate livestock producers for livestock losses due to such predation. Included in the authorizing language is direction to award this Federal financial assistance through a competitive grant program and to expend funds equally between the program’s two purposes. Proactive, nonlethal preventive measures eligible for funding include, but are not limited to, fencing, livestock guard dogs, and range riders who patrol areas occupied by livestock susceptible to predation by wolves. Depredation Compensation funding may be used for the reimbursement of livestock losses due to confirmed wolf depredation. Qualifying livestock includes cattle, swine, horses, mules, sheep, goats and livestock guard animals. States and tribes (hereafter, applicants) may apply for Depredation Compensation funding for the reimbursement of livestock losses and/or a Depredation Prevention funding for preventative management activities that occur on Federal, state, or private land, or land owned by, or held in trust for the benefit of, a tribe. Grants are awarded directly to applicants. Applicants must establish their own procedures for accepting applications from private entities (including individual ranchers, for-profit corporations, and not-for-profit organizations) interested in obtaining Program funds. Those seeking funds will need to work through the procedures established by their state wildlife management/animal damage control agency. Applicants are eligible to compete for either Depredation Compensation or Depredation Prevention funding, or both. Applicants may submit a proposal that includes both activities but each activity will be ranked and considered separately.

The Arctic Goose Joint Venture (AGJV) is a partnership-based program under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) that provides and improves scientific information to support and promote effective management, monitoring, and conservation of northern-nesting geese. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), a partner in the AGJV, administers financial assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) on a competitive basis for projects and studies that advance the general scientific community's understanding of goose ecology and management and is seeking proposals from interested parties.

The Service is the primary fish and wildlife conservation agency within the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, tasked with a diverse array of responsibilities related to conservation and societal valuation of public trust resources. The Migratory Bird and Science Applications programs of the Southeast Fish & Wildlife Service seek to maximize the conservation of birds and other trust resources by jointly working to maintain bird populations at prescribed levels, provide leadership in conservation and management of trust species and their habitats, manage data and information for use in decision making, and ensure the meaningful inclusion of multiple partners and stakeholders in landscape-scale planning and implementation of conservation actions

Quagga and Zebra Mussels are aquatic invasive species that are rapidly expanding their range in the Western United States. Popular recreational reservoirs on or connected to the lower Colorado River are one major source of invasive mussels, which are easily transported via trailered watercraft to areas that have not yet been invaded. This Request For Proposals (RFP) will fund proposals in the listed principal areas towards the fulfillment of the top priorities in the Quagga/Zebra Mussel Action Plan for Western U.S. Waters (QZAP) and will be limited to states within the boundaries of the Western Regional Panel within the United States, not including Canada and Mexico (see map): https://westernregionalpanel.org/about-us/ Limiting the spread of invasive mussels through containment, especially by inspection and decontamination of watercraft moving from invaded water bodies to jurisdictions currently free of dreissenid mussels, and the coordination between states or other jurisdictions to this end; Protecting western ecosystems through support and/or establishment of prevention programs for invasive mussels at identified high risk control points. Limiting the spread of invasive mussels through containment by increasing compliance with federal, state, local and tribal laws; Increasing the effectiveness of outreach and education efforts to help advance prevention efforts; Building capacity to detect and respond to new invasive mussel infestations; Conducting Research that benefits the priorities listed above, including (but not limited to) social science research to evaluate the effectiveness of invasive species prevention messaging, and research on non-target species impacts of invasive mussel control treatments. Efforts to address the risks and impacts of these invasive species are on-going. They include development of QZAP, and funding by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) to address waters at highest risk for spreading invasive mussels. In fiscal year 2022 the Service plans to allocate approximately $2,250,000 to projects that will reduce or minimize the threat of quagga and zebra mussels to Western U.S. waters. Funding is available for a limited number of projects that target containment of quagga or zebra mussels in areas already infested, e.g., the lower Colorado River and connected waters, by minimizing the potential for trailered boats to carry invasive mussels to other waters, through actions that meet the principle areas identified above.

Background The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) mission is to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service’s International Affairs Program delivers on this mission through its financial and technical assistance programs by supporting strategic projects that deliver measurable conservation results for priority species and their habitats around the world. In 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding economic crisis. The Act provides funds to the Service to “address wildlife disease outbreaks before they become pandemics” via research and extension activities. Because bats (Order Chiroptera) have been identified as an international focal taxon for the prevention of disease spillovers and pandemics, the International Affairs Program is focused on the need for greater capacity development to address interactions between bats, people, and the environment. The Service has a strong track record of working closely with national governments, U.S. agencies, and a range of other partners to ensure a strategic, evidence-based approach to capacity development in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This funding opportunity aligns with the Service’s mission, including the commitment to international cooperation and the conservation of endangered or threatened species in foreign countries as authorized and encouraged by the Endangered Species Act. Funding Opportunity MENTOR Model Description: The Service currently supports multi-year cooperative agreements to develop the capacity of conservationists through the series of USFWS MENTOR Fellowship programs. [See: Abu-Bakarr, I., Bakarr, M., Gelman, N., Johnny, J., Kamanda, P., Killian, D., . . . Wadsworth, R. (2022). “Capacity and leadership development for wildlife conservation in sub-Saharan Africa: Assessment of a programme linking training and mentorship.” Oryx, 1-9. doi:10.1017/S0030605321000855. ] MENTOR programs establish transdisciplinary teams of emerging conservation leaders who work together to problem solve on threats to wildlife, such as the unsustainable commercial bushmeat trade and uncontrolled extractive industry exploitation, as well as species conservation focusing on pangolins, manatees, chimpanzees, and fish. For a given MENTOR program, a lead recipient organization works with the Service to further co-design the program. Teams of eight to ten MENTOR Fellows are identified and assembled to participate in rigorous academic and field-based training that emphasizes technical conservation skills, as well as team building, conflict management, environmental governance, outreach, and leadership. Training occurs through a combination of virtual and in-person learning. Fellows learn adaptive management in order to design pilot conservation projects, which they then work as a team to implement in 8-12 months. Fellows work with technical and capacity development Mentors who help them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. At the end of the 18-month program, Fellows earn a post-graduate certificate, diploma, or degree from a national or regional university or college. As the program has grown, international MENTOR Forums serve an important purpose of bringing together Fellows from the series of MENTOR programs to network and focus on conservation leadership. The first MENTOR Forum, held in 2020 in Sierra Leone, included over 30 participants from the seven USFWS MENTOR programs. The Forum sought to share and evaluate the MENTOR programs implemented across Africa over the last decade. The three-day bilingual meeting provided an opportunity for mentoring, exchanging technical information, sharing approaches to address common threats to wildlife, examining experiences on species conservation, and synthesizing lessons on capacity development initiatives for conservation leadership. Having Fellows from different MENTOR programs meet in-person is critical for forging future collaboration and helping wildlife champions have the support they need to address conservation challenges. Hosting regular MENTOR Forums is a key component of the MENTOR Model. Using species celebration days, such as World Pangolin Day on the third Saturday each February, have played a key role in the MENTOR programs as they help the general public to recognize and celebrate different animals, but they can also be a time for launching species outreach campaigns and seeking policy changes. MENTOR Subject Focus: The Service is soliciting proposals for MENTOR-Bat, a global conservation fellowship program focused on the linkages between the health of bats, people, and the environment. Having co-evolved with a variety of viral pathogens, bats have become reservoir hosts to many pathogens and, therefore, live with the viruses without suffering from the effects of the disease. Disturbance to forest and cave habitats and direct disturbance to bat roosts disrupts this delicate host-pathogen balance, resulting in bats shedding the virus, potentially infecting other animals. Such disturbances may also change the bat hosts’ ranging patterns, resulting in greater contact with humans. For example, in West and Central Africa, the emergence of Ebola virus outbreaks has been associated with areas of elevated forest fragmentation Rulli 2017]. Broadly, the greater the human disturbance of bats and their habitat, the greater the risk of zoonotic disease spillover to humans. The goal of the MENTOR-Bat program is to promote healthy environments where bats and humans coexist with reduced risk of disease transmission. The proposed MENTOR-Bat program should address the relationships between bats, people, and environmental health that impact the potential for spillover and pandemic interventions such as: The influence of habitat disturbance on the stress and health of bats and the impact this may have on increasing potential zoonotic disease spillover. The relationship between the health status of bats and the degree to which they shed viruses and thus pose a zoonotic disease risk. The role that the consumption and trade of bats plays in the risk of zoonotic disease transmission through direct human contact. The importance of public attitudes and messaging towards bats in influencing bat persecution, human-bat contact, and opportunities for zoonotic disease transmission. The impact of education and outreach regarding safer practices and coexistence initiatives on the nature of human-bat interactions and zoonotic disease transmission risk. How understanding of ecosystem services and economic value provided by bats influences habitat management policy and contributes to public perception of bats.

The goal of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem by funding and implementing federal projects that address these problems. As part of this initiative, the two bird habitat joint ventures that are in the Great Lakes watershed – the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture (https://umgljv.org/) and the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (https://acjv.org/) – will be working with the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration programs in the Midwest and Northeast Regions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to competitively fund partner projects for long-term habitat protection, restoration, or enhancement, for conservation of native Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory birds. Preference will be given to activities that help meet the habitat goals of the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture Implementation Plan (https://umgljv.org/planning/joint-venture-plans/) or the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain (BCR 13) Bird Conservation Region Plan (https://acjv.org/planning/bird-conservation-regions/bcr-13/), other relevant bird conservation plans, and State Wildlife Action Plans (https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-informs/state-wildlife-action-plans).

The U.S. Standard Grants Program is a competitive, matching grant program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States that further the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Projects must involve only long-term protection, restoration, enhancement and/or establishment of wetland and associated upland habitats to benefit migratory birds. The program requires a 1:1 non-federal match and research funding is ineligible. This program supports the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 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.