Federal Natural Resources Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofits for projects aimed at managing and controlling invasive and noxious plant species on public lands across the U.S.

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. The program promotes partnerships projects that must involve a) only long-term protection, restoration, enhancement and/or establishment of wetland and associated upland habitats to benefit diversity of wetland ecosystems and b) maintaining an abundance of waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) and other populations of wetlands-associated migratory birds consistent with the objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, Waterbird Conservation Plan for the Americas, and Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan. 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 natural resources by collaborating with partners and stakeholders to conserve land and water and to expand outdoor recreation and access. Also, this program contributes to efforts to reduce climate pollution, support climate resilience, support land conservation and biodiversity efforts and leverage partnerships.

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management National Operations Center (NOC) Forest and Woodlands Resource Management grant aims to fund projects that enhance wildfire resilience, promote sustainable forest management and bioenergy through biomass utilization, with a focus on restoring forest and woodland ecosystems, supporting sustainable wood products, reforestation, and salvaging dead or dying timber, offering between $25,000 to $500,000 per project, with a total fund of $800,000 available, and applications are due by September 30, 2024.

This grant provides funding to a wide range of organizations, including governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions, to promote recreational fishing and boating, enhance public engagement, and support conservation efforts across the United States.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for short-term projects that enhance local governance, infrastructure, education, and public safety in U.S. territories and freely associated states.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to federally recognized Tribes and Tribal Energy Development Organizations for the exploration and development of energy and mineral resources on Indian land.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for organizations affiliated with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU to conduct advanced research in automated landform mapping and geospatial data enhancement using machine learning and lidar technology.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to partners in the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit for developing innovative monitoring strategies to manage invasive aquatic species in the Mississippi River Basin.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations affiliated with the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit for research aimed at improving land reclamation practices following energy and mineral extraction in the western United States.

This funding opportunity provides a portion of the annual catch limit of Atlantic sea scallops to various eligible organizations and individuals for research projects that enhance scientific understanding and management of the scallop fishery.

The Partnerships for Aquatic and Watershed Restoration (PAWR) funding opportunity, issued by the USDA Forest Service, is a mechanism to establish partnerships and support projects addressing aquatic and watershed restoration needs. This opportunity is designed to build relationships with potential and existing partners and encourage collaboration on activities that improve water quality, facilitate aquatic organism passage, and increase the efficiency of restoration efforts on lands managed by the Forest Service. Submissions to this outreach opportunity enable the USDA Forest Service to evaluate ideas and programs for potential federal funding, with the goal of fostering collaborative partnerships that benefit local communities and ensure climate-resilient landscapes. The program’s purpose is to sustainably manage watersheds and enhance ecological integrity across 193 million acres of forest, grasslands, and waterways. Restoration efforts aim to protect and restore water quality, conserve aquatic biodiversity, and manage habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants. These efforts are critical for maintaining hydrologic and ecological functions and for providing educational, recreational, and climate-resilient benefits to the public. The initiative emphasizes science-based approaches and shared priorities with partners to accelerate restoration efforts and expand the capacity to achieve mutual goals. This funding opportunity does not have a specific monetary award ceiling or floor, as it is primarily designed to identify and develop partnership opportunities rather than provide direct funding through grants. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities, such as for-profit organizations, non-profits, institutions of higher education, federal and state agencies, local and tribal governments, and special purpose districts like conservation and utility districts. The program actively seeks both new and existing partners to broaden participation and engagement in watershed restoration projects. Applicants are required to submit their proposals electronically, ensuring that all forms are properly saved with unique file names and uploaded as attachments. Specific instructions for completing and submitting the required forms are provided in the "Outreach of Interest Template Instructions" document. Applications must be submitted by January 23, 2025, and late submissions will not be accepted. The USDA Forest Service encourages potential partners to carefully review submission requirements and consult with the listed grantor contact for assistance. Applications will be evaluated based on their alignment with the program’s goals, including the potential for collaborative partnerships, the effectiveness of proposed activities in improving watershed and aquatic health, and the capacity to support ecological integrity and climate resilience. The Forest Service seeks projects that can advance shared priorities, promote innovative solutions, and build community engagement around aquatic restoration activities. The original closing date for submissions was February 7, 2025, but it has been updated to January 23, 2025. Additional information, including resources and detailed program guidance, is available through the Fisheries Program page on the USDA Forest Service website. For further inquiries, applicants can contact Robin Taylor-Davenport from the Outreach and Partnership Engagement Branch.

This funding opportunity is designed to support citizen science projects that enhance federal fisheries stock assessments and improve understanding of climate change impacts on fish stocks and fishing communities.

The "WaterSMART Drought Response Program: Drought Resiliency Projects for Fiscal Year 2025" grant is designed to provide financial assistance for the development and implementation of comprehensive drought plans and projects that enhance long-term resilience to drought, with a focus on benefiting disadvantaged communities and promoting collaboration among various stakeholders to address water management issues.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for research on oyster pads and wave trip systems to improve coastal resilience and habitat restoration in the Houston Ship Channel, specifically targeting academic and research partners within designated Cooperative Ecosystem Study Units.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to non-federal organizations for advancing the design of a wetland project aimed at improving habitat for endangered fish species in the San Juan River Basin.

This Program Announcement is issued under the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (codified at 42 USC 10301 et seq.) and amended by Public Laws 101-397, 104-147, 106-374, 109-471, and 117-58. The Water Resources Research Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer program grants to Institutes established under the provisions of section (a) of the Act. Water Resources Institutes or Centers have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Institute in Hawaii also serves American Samoa. Institute Directors or their designee(s) are responsible for submitting applications. Responsibility for administration of the State Water Resources Research Institute program has been delegated to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).Section 104(b) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 requires the Institutes or Centers to:(1) plan, conduct, or otherwise arrange for competent applied and peer reviewed research that fosters (A) improvements in water supply reliability;(B) the exploration of new ideas that (i) address water problems; or (ii) expand understanding of water and water-related phenomena;(C) the entry of new research scientists, engineers, and technicians into water resources fields; and(D) the dissemination of research results to water managers and the public.(2) "cooperate closely with other colleges and universities in the State that have demonstrated capabilities for research, information dissemination, and graduate training in order to develop a statewide program designed to resolve State and regional water and related land problems." (3) "cooperate closely with other institutes and other organizations in the region to increase the effectiveness of the institutes and for the purpose of promoting regional coordination."Applications submitted under this Announcement are to be in furtherance of these objectives and promote the national mission and objectives of the U.S. Geological Survey which are focused on providing water-quality and -quantity information, understanding water availability, addressing the influence of climate on water resources, and responding to water-related emerging needs. Specific areas of emphasis are at the discretion of the individual Institute or Center Directors.

This program provides funding to Connecticut local governments and non-profits to improve urban forests, focusing on preserving trees and expanding tree canopy in underserved communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofits in New Mexico for projects that reduce wildfire risks and promote community resilience against climate change.

This grant provides funding to state and territorial agencies for projects that protect and restore coastal wetlands, ensuring their conservation for at least 20 years.

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPAFA-24-NOFO0001355 Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 12, 2024. Note: The RCPP AFA and Classic FY 2024 notices of funding opportunity (NFO) will run concurrently. For information on Classic proposals please see USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354. The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer valueadded contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services. Using guidance contained in this notice, partners propose projects that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource concerns in a state or multistate area or by addressing one or more priority resource concerns within an NRCS-designated critical conservation area (CCA). NRCS and partners collaborate to design, promote, and implement RCPP projects on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land. Through RCPP, NRCS may provide both financial assistance (FA) and technical assistance (TA) funds to project partners and agricultural producers for implementing projects. RCPP proposals are evaluated through a competitive proposal process based on three criteria: impact, partner contributions, and partnership and management. Up to $1.5 billion is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2024 Classic announcement, which includes $300 million of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding and $1.2 billion of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Proposals will be accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture and forestry conservation activities as described in section F.3.a. of this announcement. Up to $100 million is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2024 Classic announcement. Any unused funds may be available for other partnership agreements. RCPP AFAs are intended to support project structures and approaches that cannot be carried out as effectively through the RCPP Classic NFO. RCPP AFA applicants must describe the innovative nature of the conservation approach they are proposing to justify potential funding through an RCPP AFA NFO rather than an RCPP Classic NFO. Moreover, applicants should consider the additional administrative and technical assistance responsibilities that accompany receipt of an RCPP AFA award. The 2018 Farm Bill provides the following examples of project types that might be implemented through RCPP AFA: projects that use innovative approaches to leverage the Federal investment in conservation; projects that deploy a pay-for-performance conservation approach; and projects that seek large-scale infrastructure investments that generate conservation benefits for agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forest owners. Although RCPP AFA provides flexibilities to partners, these projects share the overarching focus of RCPP, which is to engage with producers and landowners to implement conservation practices, systems, and approaches on (or for the benefit of) agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands. NRCS can make up to 15 awards through this funding opportunity through Farm Bill funding. This limit does not apply to projects funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential. Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below. For More Information: Applicants are expected to contact the appropriate state conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservation questionnaire to record the results of these conversations. Proposals without a completed questionnaire may have their score and ranking reduced. A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcements posting) is on the NRCS How to Apply to RCPP web page. Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox (rcpp@usda.gov) with any questions about the announcement. The NRCS RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply. 2024 RCPP NFO Applicant Outreach Webinar This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The same material will be covered at both webinars followed by a question-and-answer section. Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) April 23, 2024, RCPP Applicant Outreach Webinar Registration Link 2pm to 4pm EDT - https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/e2f45f75-7ea4-410b-b1c9-567537cd2454@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 May 30, 2024, RCPP Applicant Outreach Webinar Registration Link 2pm to 4pm EDT - https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/226dcb51-0b57-43b1-b340-95e535238713@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 NRCS will schedule additional webinars on RCPP easements and providing outreach to tribal applicants. Information on all webinars will be posted to the RCPP how to apply page.