Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection program under Funding Opportunity Number F26AS00094. This federal funding opportunity is administered through the Office of Conservation Investment in partnership with the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture and the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. The program is designed to address significant environmental problems affecting the Great Lakes ecosystem by supporting long-term habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement projects that conserve native fish and wildlife populations, especially migratory birds. The initiative aligns with the goals and objectives of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan IV, particularly Focus Area 4 concerning habitats and species. Projects are expected to support conservation priorities identified in the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture Implementation Plan, the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain Bird Conservation Region Plan, tribal conservation plans, and State Wildlife Action Plans. The funding opportunity prioritizes projects that address declining or at-risk habitat types including wetlands, forests, and grasslands within the Great Lakes coastal zone as defined by NOAA. Preference is given to projects located adjacent to or within fifteen miles of Great Lakes coastal waters. Eligible projects may include habitat acquisition through fee title or conservation easements, restoration activities, and habitat enhancement efforts. Research-only and monitoring-only projects are specifically excluded because they do not directly accomplish habitat conservation outcomes. Projects must occur within the Great Lakes watershed portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin. The program seeks measurable habitat conservation outcomes, especially acreage protected or restored for migratory bird species and other wildlife. The estimated total program funding available is $800,000 with approximately three awards anticipated. Individual grant requests must range between $25,000 and $300,000. Applicants are required to provide a non-federal match equal to at least twenty-five percent of the requested federal amount. Matching contributions may include cash, donated land value, goods, or services, but all match contributions must be permanent, non-reimbursable, dedicated specifically to the project, and documented through signed commitment letters. The notice specifies that indirect costs may be used toward voluntary committed cost share if allowable under federal regulations. The anticipated project period may not exceed twenty-four months from the award date, and the anticipated project start and end dates are October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Pre-award costs such as engineering, land surveying, or soil testing may be included if properly identified, although reimbursement is not guaranteed until formally approved. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, special district governments, institutions of higher education, independent school districts, public housing authorities, and tribal organizations. For-profit organizations are not eligible. Applicants that are not primarily conservation-focused organizations must explain how their missions and activities align with Great Lakes Restoration Initiative habitat conservation goals and how funded projects will be maintained into the future. Construction and infrastructure projects must comply with Buy America requirements under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including requirements concerning domestically produced iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials. Applications must be submitted electronically through GrantSolutions.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on July 6, 2026. Applicants must maintain active SAM.gov registration and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier before submission. The application package requires submission of multiple federal forms including SF-424, SF-424A or SF-424C depending on project type, SF-429 for real property projects, and SF-LLL if lobbying disclosure requirements apply. Applicants must also provide a project abstract summary, detailed project narrative, budget narrative, maps, and supporting documentation related to environmental compliance and project implementation. The project narrative must include objectives, activities, stakeholder coordination, methods, monitoring plans, timelines, personnel qualifications, and anticipated future funding needs. Shapefiles are encouraged and may be submitted directly to program contacts because they cannot currently be uploaded through GrantSolutions. Applications undergo eligibility review followed by a competitive merit review process. Evaluation criteria include benefits to priority bird species and habitats, magnitude and duration of habitat conservation benefits, project accountability and readiness, partnership strength, alignment with GLRI Action Plan IV objectives, and any additional ecological or public benefits. Long-term conservation commitments receive higher scores, particularly projects with perpetual habitat protection benefits. Projects adjacent to Great Lakes coastal waters also receive additional scoring advantages. The review process includes scoring by the Joint Venture management boards with final funding recommendations made to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Conservation Investment. Applicants are expected to receive notification approximately ten weeks after the submission deadline. Reporting requirements include semi-annual reporting schedules, financial reporting using SF-425 forms, performance monitoring, conflict of interest disclosures, and compliance reporting related to federal regulations. Programmatic technical assistance is available from Doug Gorby for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin applicants and from Aimee Weldon for New York and Pennsylvania applicants. Administrative assistance is provided by Matt Weegman. Applicants using simplified application procedures for requests of $200,000 or less may contact the agency directly for alternate submission instructions if they meet the eligibility conditions described in the notice. Recipients must wait until receipt of a formal Notice of Federal Award before beginning grant-funded work or closing on land acquisitions. The funding opportunity is part of an ongoing Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program and is expected to recur periodically as federal appropriations and restoration priorities continue.

Projects located adjacent to or within 15 miles of Great Lakes coastal waters receive favorable consideration. Emphasize long-term habitat protection benefits and measurable acreage outcomes tied to migratory bird conservation plans. Demonstrate strong partnerships and use of science-based decision support tools aligned with GLRI Action Plan IV objectives.