Partners for Fish and Wildlife | F19AS00024

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00024

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program is a long-running U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) grant and technical assistance program under the Department of the Interior that helps restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat primarily on private lands. It is a voluntary, incentive-based program that works through cooperative agreements and grant agreements to support habitat projects that benefit federal trust resources (species and habitats for which the federal government has specific responsibilities). The program has operated since 1987 and is implemented nationwide through a network of more than 250 field-based staff working in all 50 states and U.S. territories, which is a central feature of how the program builds partnerships and delivers projects locally.

Funding is provided under CFDA 15.631 and is authorized by several laws, including the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-294), the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958. The opportunity is listed as a discretionary federal funding program, using the cooperative agreement instrument type, and it falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category. Eligibility is described as broadly open (unrestricted) as long as applicants meet any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement, but the program emphasis is clearly oriented around working with private landowners and on-the-ground partners.

A major operational concept in PFW is the use of geographic focus areas, which are places where the program concentrates staff time and funding to achieve the highest habitat conservation return for priority species. FWS staff coordinate with partners, stakeholders, and other FWS programs to define these focus areas and set habitat conservation priorities, typically guided by regional strategic plans. Project work plans are developed strategically with substantial involvement from local FWS field staff, reflecting the cooperative nature of the program and the expectation that projects are planned and delivered in coordination with the Service rather than as stand-alone, applicant-driven proposals.

Project selection is framed around alignment with Department of the Interior and FWS missions, the PFW mission, and the Secretary of the Interior's priorities, with an emphasis on biological diversity and sound science. The notice highlights several priority themes that can make projects more competitive. These include building and restoring trust with local communities (supported by the fact that PFW biologists live and work in the communities they serve), modernizing conservation-related infrastructure (such as improving fish passage, upgrading structures to reduce flood damage, and improving wetland levees, water control structures, and fencing), supporting tribal priorities and sovereignty through projects that strengthen tribal partnerships, and improving habitat that supports hunting and fishing opportunities consistent with referenced Secretarial Orders.

The program also places special value on projects that complement the National Wildlife Refuge System, especially work on private lands near refuges that supports refuge conservation goals or helps resolve refuge problems caused by nearby land uses. In a similar vein, PFW prioritizes projects that expand and connect priority habitats, reduce fragmentation, create buffers, and establish wildlife movement corridors, particularly when these projects occur near other protected or managed lands (such as refuges, national forests, national parks, USDA lands, tribal lands, state lands, or conservation NGO holdings). While focus areas and regional priorities drive where the program concentrates resources, the announcement notes that high-value projects outside designated focus areas can still be considered.

A practical takeaway for applicants is that the program strongly encourages early coordination with the appropriate Regional PFW Office before developing or submitting an application. The announcement provides regional contact phone numbers for the Pacific, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, Northeast, Mountain-Prairie, Alaska, and Pacific Southwest regions, and it also points applicants to the PFW website to locate the nearest program office. This pre-application consultation is positioned as important for confirming fit with program priorities, understanding regional focus areas, and improving the chances that a proposal aligns with how PFW plans and approves projects.

For the specific listing provided, the funding opportunity number is F19AS00024, the award ceiling is stated as $750,000, and the opportunity anticipated a large number of awards (listed as 2,500). The original posting information shows an October 19, 2018 creation date and an original closing date of September 30, 2019, indicating this is a particular cycle or notice for a broader, ongoing program that operates continuously through regional and field offices.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the 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 Oct 19, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2019. (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 2,500 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for F19AS00024

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: