Possible Grant Opportunities for Watershed Restoration & Protection |
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Bring Back the Natives Grant Program http://www.nfwf.org The BBN program seeks projects that initiate partnerships with private landowners, demonstrate successful collaborative efforts, address watershed health issues that would lead to restoring habitats and are key to restoring native aquatic species and their migration corridors, promote stewardship on private lands, and that can demonstrate a 2:1 non-federal to federal match. The Bring Back the Natives initiative (BBN) funds on-the-ground efforts to restore native aquatic species to their historic range. Projects should involve partnerships between communities, agencies, private landowners, and organizations that seek to rehabilitate streamside and watershed habitats. Projects should focus on habitat needs of species such as fish, invertebrates, and amphibians that originally inhabited the waterways across the country. Special emphasis is placed on cutthroat trout restoration with specific preference given to projects that will protect or re-establish migration corridors between breeding populations such as Lahontan cutthroat trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Other eligible species include bull trout, redband trout, Apache trout, steelhead trout, desert pupfish, Pacific tree frog, and several species of salamanders and salmon, that are keystone or indicator species of the health of aquatic communities. Preference will also be given to support projects that will keep sensitive or declining species off of the Endangered Species List, or for listed species that have a chance for recovery and de-listing within five to ten years. The BBN program will award between 12-15 matching grants annually evaluated on a national competitive basis by a BBN Review Committee. The average grant size is about $60,000 and can support direct project-related salaries, contractual services and materials needed for on-the-ground restoration. Trout Unlimited – Embrace a Stream Grant Program http://www.tu.org/site/pp.asp?c=7dJEKTNuFmG&b=277882 Embrace-A-Stream (EAS) is the flagship grant program for funding Trout Unlimited grassroots conservation efforts that advance TU's mission of conserving, protecting, and restoring coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Overseen by a committee of TU volunteers and administered by its national office, Trout Unlimited annually raises money from TU members, corporate and agency partners, and foundations to distribute as small grants to local TU projects. Since its inception in 1975, EAS has funded 812 individual projects for a total of more than $3 million in direct cash grants. Local TU Chapters and Councils contributed an additional $5.4 million in cash and in-kind services to EAS funded projects for a total program investment of more than $8 million. The goal of EAS is to conserve coldwater fisheries through innovative grassroots conservation projects. Successful projects are based on sound science, benefit the resource, strengthen the local TU chapter and council, and help build the constituency for protecting trout and salmon. TU volunteers are actively involved in project work and are expected to provide matching funds. An Embrace-A-Stream Committee comprised of TU volunteer representatives and scientific advisors evaluates all proposed projects. Conservation Reserve Program http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crp.htm Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides funds for small-scale, locally driven habitat restoration projects that foster natural resource stewardship within communities. The program seeks to bring together diverse partners to implement habitat restoration projects to benefit living marine resources. Projects might include restoring salt marshes, mangroves, and other coastal habitats; improving fish passage and habitat quality for anadromous species; restoring and creating oyster reefs, removing exotic vegetation and replanting with native species; removing dams; and similar projects to restore habitat or improve habitat quality for populations of marine and anadromous fish. Partnerships are sought at the national and local level to contribute funding, land, technical assistance, workforce support, or other in-kind services. Environmental Quality Incentives Program www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/ The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was established to provide a voluntary conservation program for farmers and ranchers to address significant natural resource needs and objectives. Nationally, it provides technical, financial, and educational assistance, sixty percent of it is targeted to livestock-related natural resource concerns and the rest to more general conservation priorities. EQIP is available primarily in nationwide where there are significant natural resource concerns and objectives. Forest Land Enhancement Program Private landowners should contact their state forestry or equivalent agency directly for more information. See Website: www.stateforesters.org/SFlist.html for individual contact information. The Forest Service's Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) replaces the Forestry Incentives Program and Steward Incentives Program. The program provides financial, technical, educational, and related assistance to State Foresters or equivalent agencies to assist private landowners in sustainable forest management to enhance production of timber, fish and wildlife habitat, soil and water quality, wetland, recreational resources, and aesthetic values. FLEP projects may include implementation of practices to protect and restore forest lands, increase carbon sequestration, control invasive species, and preserve aesthetic quality. Projects may also include reforestation, afforestation, and agroforestry practices. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation General Matching Grants http://www.nfwf.org The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation operates a conservation grants program that awards challenge grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible grant recipients. Grants are awarded to projects that: (1) address priority actions promoting fish and wildlife conservation and the habitats on which they depend; (2) work proactively to involve other conservation and community interests; (3) leverage available funding; and (4) evaluate project outcomes. |
Native Plant Conservation Initiative http://www.nfwf.org The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Native Plant Conservation Initiative (NPCI) supports on-the-ground conservation projects that protect, enhance, and/or restore native plant communities on public and private land. Projects typically fall into one of three categories and may contain elements of each: protection and restoration, information and education, and inventory and assessment. Applicants are encouraged, when appropriate, to include a pollinator component in their project. This program is funded by the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service. Pulling Together Initiative http://www.nfwf.org The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Pulling Together Initiative (PTI) provides a means for federal agencies to partner with state and local agencies, private landowners, and other interested parties to develop long-term weed management projects within the scope of an integrated pest management strategy. The goals of PTI are: (1) to prevent, manage, or eradicate invasive and noxious plants through a coordinated program of public/private partnerships; and (2) to increase public awareness of the adverse impacts of invasive and noxious plants. PTI provides support on a competitive basis for the formation of local weed management area (WMA) partnerships, allowing them to demonstrate successful collaborative efforts and develop permanent funding sources for the maintenance of WMAs from the involved parties. Successful projects will serve to increase public. Five Star Restoration Program http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star/ The EPA supports the Five-Star Restoration Program by providing funds to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its partners, the National Association of Counties, NOAA's Community-based Restoration Program and the Wildlife Habitat Council. These groups then make sub grants to support community-based wetland and riparian restoration projects. Competitive projects will have a strong on-the-ground habitat restoration component that provides long-term ecological, educational, and/or socioeconomic benefits to the people and their community. Preference will be given to projects that are part of a larger watershed or community stewardship effort and include a description of long-term management activities. Projects must involve contributions from multiple and diverse partners, including citizen volunteer organizations, corporations, private landowners, local conservation organizations, youth groups, charitable foundations, and other federal, state, and tribal agencies and local governments. Each project would ideally involve at least five partners who are expected to contribute funding, land, technical assistance, workforce support, or other in-kind services that are equivalent to the federal contribution. Natural Resources Conservation Service: Conservation on Private Lands http://www.nfwf.org The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is working to expand and strengthen its partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support innovative and effective conservation and stewardship of our country's private lands. The goal of the partnership is to support high quality projects that engage private landowners, primarily farmers and ranchers, in the conservation and enhancement of wildlife and natural resources on their lands. Successful projects will address conservation practices in ongoing agriculture, ranching, and forestry operations (at the watershed or landscape scale); offer value for fish and wildlife; include partnerships; and have a strong "on-the-ground" component. North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/NAWCA/grants.htmThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Bird Habitat Conservation administers this matching grants program to carry out wetlands and associated uplands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Grant requests must be matched by a partnership with nonfederal funds at a minimum 1:1 ratio. Conservation activities supported by the Act in the United States and Canada include habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement. Mexican partnerships may also develop training, educational, and management programs and conduct sustainable-use studies. Project proposals must meet certain biological criteria established under the Act. Visit the program web site for more information. (Click on the hyperlinked program name to see the listing for "Primary Internet".) Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program http://www.fws.gov/partners/ The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners to restore fish and wildlife habitats on their lands. Since 1987, the program has partnered with more than 35,000 landowners to restore 722,500 acres of wetlands; 1.6 million acres of grasslands and other upland habitats; and 5,900 miles of in-stream and streamside habitat. In addition, the program has reopened stream habitat for fish and other aquatic species by removing barriers to passage.
Conservation Partnership Initiative Grant
(CPI) - Sponsor NRCS
Program was established to encourage partnerships that develop and implement watershed and regional solutions to pressing natural resource priorities associated with agriculture and rural areas. CPI applications must adhere to the CPI objectives and address one or more of four conservation priorities: terrestrial and freshwater aquatic wildlife habitat, coastal resources, livestock nutrient management, & minor/specialty crop pest management. NRCS intends to select as one of the CPI awards a proposal that addresses these conservation priorities as they impact limited resource or beginning farmers and ranchers or tribes. Grant amount may range from $100,000 to $200,000. A 1:1 match using non-NRCS funding is required. Upon completion of national review and selection, chose applicants will have up to 18 mos. to develop the partnership, generate producer interest and participation, and prepare a final project plan. |
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