Partners for Fish and Wildlife | F18AS00011

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00011

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant opportunity that supports habitat restoration and conservation projects on private lands through a voluntary, incentive-based approach. Instead of focusing on regulation, the program offers hands-on technical help and financial support through cooperative agreements, with the goal of improving fish and wildlife habitat in ways that benefit federal trust resources and species. It is implemented nationwide, with more than 250 full-time staff working across all 50 states and U.S. territories, which means applicants are generally expected to work closely with local or regional program staff rather than treating it like a purely paper-based, one-size-fits-all grant.

A central feature of the program is its use of geographic focus areas. These focus areas are identified through coordination among PFW staff, partners, stakeholders, and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs, and they guide where the program prioritizes funding and staff time. Within these areas, the program develops habitat conservation priorities so that individual projects fit into a larger strategy rather than being isolated efforts. Project work plans are built strategically and typically involve substantial input from field staff, reflecting the cooperative agreement structure where agency involvement is more active than it would be under a standard grant.

To be competitive and eligible for support, proposed projects must align with the missions of the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the PFW Program itself. Projects are expected to promote biological diversity and be grounded in sound scientific biological principles. The types of projects that the program funds are shaped by program strategic plans, so applicants are expected to demonstrate that their proposed habitat work matches those established priorities and contributes to conservation outcomes for federal trust species.

The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, under the environment and natural resources activity category (CFDA number 15.631). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, which suggests a wide range of applicants may participate, but the program description emphasizes private landowners as key recipients of assistance, often working in partnership with conservation organizations, local governments, tribes, or other stakeholders depending on the project and location. A major practical requirement is early coordination: applicants are specifically asked to contact the appropriate PFW Regional Program office before developing or submitting an application. The program strongly signals that initial consultation is not optional in practice, because it helps align proposals with focus areas, biological priorities, and local implementation considerations.

From the provided opportunity details, the funding opportunity number is F18AS00011, and the stated award ceiling is $750,000. The opportunity anticipated a large volume of awards (expected awards listed as 3,000), reflecting that many projects may be relatively small, site-specific habitat restoration efforts spread across the country rather than a small number of large awards. The original closing date listed is 2018-09-30, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of 2017-10-30, indicating this particular notice was tied to that funding cycle, even though the broader PFW Program continues under its authorizing authorities.

The legal authorities supporting the program include the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-294), the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a-c, 747e-742j), and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958 (16 U.S.C. 661-667(e)). Taken together, these authorities underline the program's longstanding federal role in partnering with non-federal landowners and stakeholders to conserve habitat and support fish and wildlife resources through collaborative, science-based restoration and management.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partners for Fish and Wildlife" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.631.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-10-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-09-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3,000 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for F18AS00011

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