Alternatives to Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) U.S. Standard grants are competitive, matching grants that support public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the U.S. that involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds. A 1 to 1 match to grant ratio is a requirement. For US Standard scoring criteria (page 33 of US Standard Instructions) and US Eligibility criteria, visit: https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-us-standard-grantsTo view previously successful awarded NAWCA US Standard Projects, visit NAWCA's external facing database to query for your viewing: https://www.fws.gov/grantsum/

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs (OPA) announces an open competition for a U.S. institution, company, or organization (see eligibility information in B.1) interested in submitting an application to conduct ocean mapping, seabed exploration, habitat and resource characterization, and data management and analysis in Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories – Base and Competitive. Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Competitive Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Base Funds. A project may not be proposed for funding in both funding opportunities.More information on the HCA program is available at www.fws.gov/program/highlands-conservation-act-grant

The BLM Wildlife Program, including the Sage-Grouse Conservation Program, implements statutory authorities to address the management of wildlife resources on the public lands for the social and economic well-being of all Americans. Specific BLM Wildlife Program priorities include: 1. protection, maintenance, and development of wildlife habitat; 2. wildlife reintroduction and propagation; 3. field study programs involving wildlife; 4. law enforcement; 5. educational programs; 6. toxicity/mortality investigations and monitoring; 7. wildlife damage management; 8. management activities affecting wildlife and their habitat. The BLM Wildlife Program works with partner organizations to meet the goals above on national, regional, or state-scales by:Implementing management actions such as the implementation of grassland, shrubland, forest, riparian, and other plant community treatments that fulfill statutory and legal requirements, align with approved land use plans, and support habitat objectives for priority wildlife species, including upland game, waterfowl, big game, non-game, and watchable wildlife.Collaborating with state fish and wildlife agencies, and other partners, on efforts that conserve and restore habitats in priority winter ranges and migration corridors for elk, deer, and pronghorn on BLM-managed lands, in support of Secretary's Order 3362 "Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors."Collecting and analyzing monitoring and inventory data on priority species and habitats including terrestrial and aquatic plant communities, to assess status and trends, inform plan implementation, improve management effectiveness, and support Administration priorities.Enhancing efficiency by integrating and sharing coordinated wildlife and habitat monitoring data to streamline decision-making and management actions.Coordinating with state agencies and other partners to support recovery and augmentation of species identified in State Wildlife Action Plans through proactive, voluntary, on-the-ground collaborative conservation efforts.Collaborating with state agencies and other partners under the Sikes Act to develop and implement fish and wildlife conservation and habitat improvement projects, including grassland, shrubland, forest, riparian, and other plant community treatments.Developing and implementing activity plans and Habitat Management Plans (HMPs) in partnership with state agencies and other partners to address habitat needs for regionally important species, including big game, waterfowl, upland game, and non-game species. Providing wildlife habitat management training opportunities to support effective plan implementation, meet legal mandates, and advance agency and Administration priorities.The following Administration priorities are applicable to this program:Executive Order (EO) 13443, Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife ConservationEO 14192 - Unleashing Prosperity Through DeregulationEO 14303 - Restoring Gold Standard ScienceEO 14225 - Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production EO 14313 - Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again CommissionSO 3356 - Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and Wildlife Conservation Opportunities and Coordination with States, Tribes, and TerritoriesSO 3362 - Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration CorridorsSO 3421 - Achieving Prosperity through DeregulationSO 3447 - Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and WatersOne Big Beautiful Act, H.R. 1, 119th Cong. (2025)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program helps private landowners restore and protect habitats for fish and wildlife. It offers both technical assistance and financial support, mainly through cooperative agreements.The PFW Program has approximately 220 staff working in all 50 states and territories. They work together with project partners and stakeholders to find key areas for conservation and set habitat goals. These focus areas guide the program on where to direct resources for conserving important habitats for federal trust species. The Program also has strategic plans that help determine which projects receive funding.Since it began in 1987, the PFW Program has successfully assisted many landowners. When choosing projects, the Program aims to support specific priorities set by the Secretary of the Interior and identified in regional strategic habitat conservation plans. All projects will promote the goals of the Program, the Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These goals focus on using sound biological principles and voluntary partnerships to accomplish the mission of the Service to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.Applicants seeking technical or financial assistance from the PFW Program are required to consult with a local Program office BEFORE developing or submitting an application by visiting our website.

The Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program provides Federal cost-sharing awards that help the State, Territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and their regional associations design and implement proactive conservation programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats. Proactive approaches to conservation help these recipients and their conservation partners avoid more prescriptive Federal regulatory requirements associated with species listing under the Endangered Species Act.The C-SWG Program prioritizes implementation of conservation actions described in the State and Territory Wildlife Action Plans (Plans). Projects must benefit one or more species of greatest conservation need or their habitats as identified in the Plans.This announcement provides complete information on preparing and submitting an application, including details on award tiers, partnership requirements, and the maximum Federal share of an award. The award tiers and related requirements are intended to encourage partnerships dedicated to cross-jurisdictional conservation efforts supporting landscape-scale conservation.

The Bureau of Reclamation"s Desalination and Water Purification Research (DWPR) Program aims to increase water supplies by reducing the costs, energy requirements, and other barriers to adoption of treating impaired water for beneficial uses. This NOFO invites proposals from eligible applicants to conduct innovative laboratory and pilot-scale water treatment research. Strong applications will demonstrate widespread applicability and benefits of the proposed research and provide a pathway for technology commercialization. This initiative supports the Bureau of Reclamation's mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public by providing water managers with new and innovative technologies and approaches to develop additional water resources and increase water supply flexibility. The DWPR Program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O. 14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332).

Public lands managed by the BLM offer exceptional and unique recreational experiences that benefit the American public while supporting local communities and their economies. The Recreation and Visitor Services Program is prioritizing the implementation of Administration priorities and key legislation, including the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (EXPLORE Act), the Great American Outdoors Act, and the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. In fiscal year 2026, the BLM will focus on supporting projects that align with administration priorities and these recreation related laws. It is essential to note that all project submissions must specifically enhance recreation and visitor services on BLM-managed public lands and improve the overall experience for BLM visitors to be considered for funding.

The Bureau of Land Management"s Plant Conservation and Restoration Program (PCRP) is a national leader in building the native seed supply chain essential for restoring resilient public lands and supporting multiple use and sustained yield. PCRP advances Department of the Interior mission to protect and manage America's natural resources. The native seed PCRP adds to the commercial market enables rapid recovery following wildfire, hurricanes, and other natural disasters; can be used by proponents to help satisfy revegetation requirements for energy and infrastructure projects; and helps farmers and creates jobs by expanding market access for small producers.A core mission of PCRP is to grow the national native seed supply chain through partnerships with eligible state, tribal, academic, and non-governmental organizations. Reliable native seed supplies are critical to improving rangeland health, restoring wildlife habitat and migration corridors, reclaiming mined and timber-harvested lands, and reducing invasive species. Expanding this pipeline lowers seed costs, reduces producer risk, creates American jobs, and ensures long-term project success with durable vegetative establishment.In 2026, PCRP is strategically focused on:Local seed collections to diversify species in the marketplace while creating employment opportunities.Support for farmers and nonprofits entering the native seed market to strengthen rural economies and shared stewardship.Nursery production of species unsuitable for direct seeding to support healthy rangelands, forests and watersheds, big game and healthy wildlife habitat,Applied science and innovation to reduce costs, lower risk, and improve restoration outcomes.Manage native plant communities and special status plants to maintain multiple use and sustained yieldPCRP seeks partnerships to:Collaborate with state agriculture departments, NRCS, and others to expand farmer access to the seed market.Work with wildlife agencies and others to implement post-fire recovery, restore migration corridors, and protect priority species.Develop technology and infrastructure for seed collection, cleaning, banking, and production of hard-to-grow species.Advance applied science to sustain special status plant species and prevent regulatory impacts on energy development.Support technology development, technology transfer and education so native seed is used more effectively. Integrate native seed use across BLM programs including Wildlife, Oil & Gas, Minerals, Fuels, Range, and Renewable Energy.Through this NOFO, PCRP invites partners to join in strengthening America"s native seed supply chain—ensuring healthier public lands, stronger rural economies, and cost effective lasting ecological resilience.

The BLM Threatened and Endangered Species Program (T&E) focuses on conservation and recovery of endangered, threatened and BLM Sensitive Species (collectively referred to as BLM Special Status Species) and their habitats to help inform a balance of multiple uses of BLM-managed lands, including the Nation"s need for domestic sources of energy, minerals, timber, grazing, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat for future generations. The T&E Program emphasizes implementing the Department of Interior"s priorities by emphasizing actions that help streamline permitting processes and reduce regulatory requirements for authorizations on land uses such as minerals, energy, timber, grazing, and recreation. Overall, this can be achieved by: 1. Conserving and recovering species and their habitats to help delist or help preclude the need to list species as endangered and threatened, thereby reducing future regulations and 2. Improving available information and data that can be used to support approval permits and authorizations. To meet these goals, the BLM T&E Program is seeking opportunities to work with partner organizations to increase program efficiencies and effectiveness. The following Administration priorities are applicable to this program:Executive Order (EO) 13443, Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife ConservationEO 14192 - Unleashing Prosperity Through DeregulationEO 14303 - Restoring Gold Standard ScienceEO 14225 - Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production EO 14313 - Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again CommissionSO 3356 - Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and Wildlife Conservation Opportunities and Coordination with States, Tribes, and TerritoriesSO 3362 - Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration CorridorsSO 3421 - Achieving Prosperity through DeregulationSO 3447 - Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and WatersEndangered Species Act of 1973 (signed December 28, 1973) (16 USC § 1531)Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 USC § 703-712)Sikes Act of 1960-Conservation Programs on Military Installations (amended in 1974 to include Conservation on Public Land (Public Law 93-452) (16 USC § 670) One Big Beautiful Act (H.R. 1, 119th Congress, 2025)

The BLM and its partners inventory and mitigate abandoned mine hazards to protect public health and safety and the environment, and restore watersheds for recreation, fish, wildlife and domestic animals, manage air quality for the protection of public health and sensitive ecosystems, and return lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources. Extractive industry activities of the past, including underground and surface mining have contributed to degradation of natural resources. Unrestored sites pose a threat to the safety and health of public land users, as well as to wildlife, biota, groundwater, surface water, and soil resources.Inventory and mitigation measures are implemented through core programs such as the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program, which addresses physical safety hazards and contamination posing risks to human health and/or the environment. The BLM estimates there are over 160,000 abandoned mine features located on BLM-administered lands, many of which will need to be addressed further.The AML program identifies and inventories abandoned hardrock mines, prioritizes those mines that pose a risk to public safety, human health, and the environment, and seeks funding to address those high-risk mine features and sites. Specifically, the AML program addresses physical safety hazards through performing NEPA, including cultural and biological surveys, a variety of closure methods including fencing, signing, back-filling, installation of bat-friendly grates, etc., and addresses risks to human health and the environment through a variety of removal and remedial response actions. The AML program also work to restore abandoned hardrock mines sites and restore the Nation's watersheds impacted by abandoned mines through a risk-reduction based watershed approach that uses partnerships to effectively leverage funding and facilitate projects; and reduces environmental degradation caused by abandoned mines to ensure compliance with all applicable soil, water, and air quality standards, and applicable Federal, State, Tribal, and local laws and regulations. For the NRDAR program, and any actions taken pursuant to BLM"s authority under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, potentially responsible parties must be investigated.The BLM seeks to develop partnerships with States, local governments, Tribal Nations, and voluntary environmental and citizen groups. In addition, BLM seeks to return lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources. These partnerships will provide financial assistance, through cooperative agreements to protect surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment and air from abandoned mine sites, address releases of hazardous substances, safeguard dangerous mine sites, and restore sites.

The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories – Base and Competitive. Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Base Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Competitive Funds. A project may not be proposed for funding in both funding opportunities.More information on the HCA program is available at www.fws.gov/program/highlands-conservation-act-grant