North American Wetlands Conservation Fund

 

To provide grant funds for wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Active 15.623 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 Program received 163 applications and anticipates issuing 100 awards. Program received 156 applications and issued 94 awards
Fiscal Year 2018 Program received 145 applications and issued 98 awards.
Fiscal Year 2019 Program received 149 applications and anticipates issuing 96 awards.
Fiscal Year 2020 Program received 111 applications and anticipates issuing 100 awards.
Fiscal Year 2021 Program received 132 applications and issued 115 awards.
Fiscal Year 2022 Program received 117 applications and issued 98 awards.
Fiscal Year 2023 Program anticipates receiving 125 applications and anticipates issuing 100 awards.
Fiscal Year 2024 Program anticipates receiving 125 applications and anticipates issuing 100 awards. North American Wetlands Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. §4401 et seq. Available to private or public organizations or to individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Not applicable. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Complete program information and application instruction can be found on the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (DBHC) website, at https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act.php, or can be accessed through grants.gov. Grant applications, including Standard Form 424 Application for Federal Assistance, and the appropriate Assurance forms (SF 424C or SF 424D) are submitted through www.grants.gov. Applications are screened by Fish and Wildlife Service staff, and further reviewed and ranked by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) Staff and North American Waterfowl Management Plan Joint Venture Coordinators. Site visits are conducted as needed. Grant proposals are recommended for approval by the Council to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (Commission). The Council selects proposals in June and December that are recommended to the Commission for final funding approval in September and March. The grant is administered by FWS Division of Bird Habitat Conservation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act review of the projects that the Council selects to recommend to the Commission. U.S. Standard grant proposals are due February 24, 2023 and July 7, 2023. Mexico grant proposals are due by May 17, 2023. Canada grant proposals are due by August 25, 2023. U.S. Small grant proposals are due by October 12, 2023. The range of time from proposal submission to the approval/disapproval notification is 7 to 10 months Not applicable. Proposals are funded on a project-specific basis. Requests for future funding must compete with other requests for project funding. A grant agreement can be modified or extended at the discretion of the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation. The Council selects proposals based on factors given in Section 5 of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, results of site visits, available funds and other factors deemed important to meeting Act objectives. Funds may be used to acquire real property interest in lands or waters, including water rights. Funds may also be used to restore, manage, and/or enhance wetland ecosystems and other habitat for migratory birds and other fish and wildlife. Projects must provide long-term conservation for wetlands-associated migratory birds and other wetlands-associated wildlife. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration act-derived funds eligible for NAWCA projects may be used only in U.S. coastal wetlands ecosystems. More specific restrictions are outlined on the NAWCA grants information and instructions website. For further information, please contact the headquarters office. 100% of funding is discretionary. Performance Reports: Performance reports are required. Recipients must monitor and report on project performance in accordance with the requirements in 2 CFR 200.329. A final performance report is due within 120 calendar days of the award period of performance end date, unless the awarding program approves a due date extension. The FWS details all reporting requirements including frequency and due dates in Notices of Award. Not applicable. The Recipient shall maintain a complete, detailed accounting system to report expenditures of grant funds and a detailed accounting of receipts and expenditures of non-Federal matching dollars or value of services. Records, accounts, and supporting documents must be retained for 3 years after submission of final report. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. The required matching share varies on a grant-by-grant basis and is set forth in the grant award, but must be at least 50 percent of the project costs, except that the project activities located on Federal lands and waters can be funded with 100 percent Federal funding.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants are awarded after the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) approves projects selected by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (NAWCC), and after authorized funds have been made available to the FWS Migratory Birds Program. Projects are awarded for 2-3 year terms, upon which time all funds must be spent or returned to FWS. Program obligates funds and sends a notice of award to successful applicants. Recipients request funds in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E-Cost Principles, unless otherwise dictated by program-specific legislation or special award terms. Program will include any special payment terms and conditions in the notice of award. None/Not specified. Chief,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Birds Program, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, 5275 Leesburg Pike MS:MB
Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 US
DBHC@fws.gov
Phone: (703) 358-1784 https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-standard 14-5241-0-2-302 (Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$127,999,998.00; FY 23 est $101,000,000.00; FY 24 est $69,999,998.00; - Range is $0 to $100,000 for Small Grants; over $100,000 to $2,000,000 for U.S. Standard Grants. Average award is approximately $93,000 and $923,000 for Small Grants and U.S. Standard Grants, respectively. U.S. Standard Grants Application Instructions; Small Grant Instructions; Mexico Standard Grants Application Instructions provided in English and Spanish; Canada Standard Grants Application Instructions; U.S. Grant Administration Standards; 2 CFR 200. Fiscal Year 2017 Example of US Standard Grant project, “Southwest Wetlands Initiative of Minnesota (SWIM) III.” SWIM III provides an efficient and effective partnership to deliver long term wetlands and wetland-associated upland habitat for the benefit of waterfowl and other wildlife. This proposal focuses on wetlands in the Prairie Coteau of Minnesota and works primarily on restoring converted wetlands and enhancing degraded wetlands through permanent habitat protection efforts on both public and private lands. This is the third proposal of a multiple year initiative with an overall goal to accelerate the permanent protection of prairie wetland complexes open to the public and to ensure every Waterfowl Production Area and Wildlife Management Area is providing the maximum benefits for waterfowl and wetland dependent species. More specifically, SWIM III accelerates efforts to permanently protect in fee title and easement 690-acres of Waterfowl Production Areas and Wildlife Management Areas and 61.9-acres via Re-Invest in Minnesota perpetual conservation easement. Further, this partnership restores 40-acres on Hurricane Lake WMA and enhances another 270-acres of wetland habitat on Chen Bay and Sioux Valley WMAs. Projects within this proposal will address both reproductive and migration habitat needs of waterfowl and wetland dependent species within the area. The project area and project components are important to successful implementation of the NAWMP and the PPJV Implementation Plan. Several stateside conservation plans are served by the work outlined in this proposal as well, including the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan and Minnesota's duck and pheasant plans.
Fiscal Year 2018 Example of Mexico Grant project: “Integrated Conservation Activities in the Sayula Lagoon Watershed.” This project will protect wetlands through a sustainable management agreement; restore some of the seasonal wetlands in the protected area; and rehabilitate two artificial wetlands. It will also conduct environmental education in surrounding communities; install ecological dry toilets; sign a conservation agreement with a state agency; and sign an infrastructure maintenance agreement with local municipalities.
Fiscal Year 2019 Example of US Small grant project, “Samish Island Wetlands I’’- This effort will acquire, restore and enhance two tracts in Skagit County, Washington. SLT will work with match partners and the community to restore and enhance 500 feet (2 acres) of Padilla Bay estuarine intertidal wetlands plus 18 acres of wetland-associated uplands on both Tracts 1 & 2. Tract 2 of the Samish Flower Farm property encompasses 10 acres and will be acquired using project funds. Goals for restoration activities are to control invasive species and to return wetland function by removing ditches and other water diversion mechanisms and planting native species in wetlands & buffer areas. Enhancement activities include controlling invasive species in wetland-associated uplands, native species plantings, posting boundary signs, installing bird boxes, and removing fencing interfering with wildlife activities.
Fiscal Year 2020 Example of Mexico grant project, “ Integrated Management in Santiaguillo Lagoon Watershed’’- This effort is within the Santiaguillo Lagoon, a wetland in the Chihuahuan Desert, that is critical for the migration of aquatic birds in the Central Flyway. An innovative social governance scheme has been established for this lagoon, featuring an active citizen committee. The grant project follows guidance from this committee, and is consistent with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the North American Shorebird Conservation Plan, the Waterbird Conservation Plan of the Americas, and the Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plans. This project will establish conservation reserves on 19,027 acres. It will enhance 2,508.12 acres of aquatic habitat; restore 15,936.75 acres of degraded uplands in the upper and middle watershed; and manage 11,119 acres of aquatic habitat. It will also develop a protocol for the remediation of contaminants and establish two oxidation lagoons.
Fiscal Year 2021 Example of US grant project - The goal of this project is to protect in perpetuity 1,693 acres of wetlands and associated uplands along both the upper and lower Pearl River, as well as its tributaries. Furthermore, this project will restore 100 of these acres to bottomland hardwood forest. This project will protect habitats along the Pearl River, including palustrine wetland types, riverine, bottomland ponds, interior streams adjacent to upland pine, and mixed hardwoods.
Fiscal Year 2022 This project will protect and restore valuable habitat in an area considered one of the world’s most biologically productive environments, the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, which hosts 2,000 species of plants and animals. Maine’s high-quality wildlife habitat supports some of the highest densities or populations of American Black Duck, Common Eider, Eastern Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper in the continental United States.
Fiscal Year 2023 Program has not yet selected projects for funding. Program anticipates funding projects that protect and improve habitat for migratory birds and other wetland-associated species.
Fiscal Year 2024 Program has not yet selected projects for funding. Program anticipates funding projects that protect and improve habitat for migratory birds and other wetland-associated species. More examples of NAWCA projects can be found at https://www.fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-us-standard.