F24AS00061 - FY 2024 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program | F24AS00061

Opportunity Information: Apply for F24AS00061

The FY 2024 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program (Funding Opportunity Number F24AS00061) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support on-the-ground and strategic work that benefits fish and wildlife species and the habitats they depend on. The program is designed to help state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies, along with their partners, carry out conservation efforts that are directly tied to each jurisdiction's Wildlife Action Plan (often called a WAP or SWAP), which must be approved by the Service. In practical terms, the grant is meant to strengthen and advance coordinated wildlife conservation by funding projects that either improve the planning framework behind a Wildlife Action Plan or implement specific actions already identified in that plan.

Funded work generally falls into two broad categories: conservation planning and conservation implementation. Planning activities must contribute directly to developing a new Wildlife Action Plan or modifying an existing, Service-approved plan. That means planning is not just general research or broad strategy development; it needs to clearly connect to revising, updating, or strengthening the plan itself. Implementation activities are the actions carried out to execute the Wildlife Action Plan, such as habitat restoration, species management interventions, applied conservation projects, or other tangible steps that advance plan priorities. A central requirement is that projects prioritize Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) identified by the applicant and the habitats important to those species. The program also expects applicants to consider how much other funding is available for those species and habitats, essentially pushing limited funds toward needs that are both high priority and comparatively underfunded.

The opportunity also makes clear what it will not support, or will only support in very limited circumstances. Wildlife education, outreach, and law enforcement activities are considered ineligible unless they are minor or incidental components that are still critical to the success of an otherwise eligible project. In other words, an outreach campaign or enforcement initiative cannot be the main purpose of a proposal, but limited outreach or related support elements may be allowed when they are clearly necessary to accomplish the core conservation outcomes tied to the Wildlife Action Plan.

Eligibility is restricted to specific government and regional entities. Only State, Territory, or District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies may apply and receive funding directly, along with the four regional associations of fish and wildlife agencies: the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA), Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA), Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA), and Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). Other partners such as nonprofits, universities, tribes, or local governments may still participate as collaborators or subrecipients, but they are not listed as eligible to apply for and directly receive C-SWG awards under this opportunity.

Key administrative details from the notice include that the funding instrument is a grant, the activity area is Natural Resources, and the assistance listing is CFDA (Assistance Listing) 15.634. The original closing date for applications was February 23, 2024, and the listed award ceiling is $1,000,000. The opportunity was created on October 27, 2023. The notice also points applicants toward additional guidance and frequently asked questions in the full announcement and encourages potential applicants to contact their WSFR (Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration) Regional Office for region-specific direction, expectations, and clarification on allowable costs and project design.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F24AS00061 - FY 2024 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.634.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-10-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-23. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others.

Apply for F24AS00061

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