R3 State Wildlife Grants (TO STATE FISH AND GAME AGENCIES ONLY) | F16AS00083

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - R3 State Wildlife Grants (F16AS00083 / CFDA 15.634)

What is the R3 State Wildlife Grants opportunity?

The R3 State Wildlife Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00083; CFDA 15.634) is a mandatory federal grant program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fund conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat.

Who runs this grant program?

The program is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Who is eligible to apply?

Only state fish and game agencies (state governments only) are eligible applicants under this opportunity.

What is the main purpose of this grant?

The grant is designed to help states conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat through coordinated, statewide conservation strategies rather than isolated, one-off efforts.

Does the program only support game species (hunting/fishing species)?

No. The program is built to support a wide range of conservation work, including species that are not traditionally managed through hunting or fishing.

What types of projects are eligible for funding?

The opportunity supports two broad categories of eligible work: (1) planning and (2) implementation.

What qualifies as an eligible planning project?

Planning projects must directly contribute to developing, revising, or otherwise modifying a state Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) that has been approved by the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

What are examples of activities that planning funds can support?

Planning funds are intended for activities that strengthen the state’s official conservation blueprint, such as updating priority species lists, refining habitat assessments, improving threat analyses, and making other updates that keep the Wildlife Action Plan current and actionable.

What qualifies as an eligible implementation project?

Implementation projects are on-the-ground or programmatic actions a state proposes to carry out specifically to execute its approved Wildlife Action Plan.

What are examples of activities that implementation funds can support?

Examples described in the opportunity include habitat restoration and management, species monitoring and recovery actions, research tied to management decisions, and other conservation actions that are clearly linked back to priorities and strategies in the approved Wildlife Action Plan.

What is a Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) in the context of this grant?

A Wildlife Action Plan is the state’s official conservation blueprint referenced by this program. For planning funds to be eligible, the WAP must be approved by the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and project activities must directly support development or updates of that plan. For implementation funds to be eligible, project activities must be proposed specifically to carry out the approved plan.

How important is the Wildlife Action Plan to eligibility?

It is central. Planning work must directly support development or revision of a Director-approved WAP, and implementation work must clearly execute priorities and strategies laid out in the approved WAP.

Is there a priority focus for what the grant should address?

Yes. A key emphasis is directing resources toward "species of greatest conservation need."

What are "species of greatest conservation need" and how should applicants address them?

The opportunity emphasizes that states are expected to prioritize species of greatest conservation need and to consider the relative level of funding available for their conservation when deciding how to use grant funds. In practice, proposals should focus on the species and habitats most at risk, where grant-funded action can address high-priority threats identified in the Wildlife Action Plan or close important conservation capacity gaps.

Are wildlife education activities eligible?

Wildlife education activities are generally ineligible uses of State Wildlife Grant funds.

Are law enforcement activities eligible?

Law enforcement activities are generally ineligible uses of State Wildlife Grant funds.

Is there any exception that allows education or law enforcement components?

Yes. An education or enforcement component may be allowable only when it is minor or incidental and clearly critical to the success of an otherwise eligible project. The proposal still needs to be primarily planning or implementation tied directly to the Wildlife Action Plan.

What does "minor or incidental" mean in this notice?

The notice indicates that education or enforcement can only be included as a limited piece of a larger eligible project, and only if the project would not succeed without that small, targeted outreach or compliance element.

What is the maximum award size (award ceiling)?

The posted funding details indicate an award ceiling of up to $5,000,000.

How many awards are expected?

The opportunity indicates an expected total of about 150 awards.

When was this funding opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on 2016-01-14.

What was the original closing date listed for this opportunity?

The original closing date listed in the notice was 2017-08-31.

Where can applicants find additional program information?

The notice references the Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants webpage for additional program information.

What if an applicant does not have internet access?

The announcement notes that applicants without internet access could request information by mail through the agency point of contact listed in the full posting.

What are the key differences between planning and implementation under this grant?

Planning is focused on developing or updating the Director-approved Wildlife Action Plan itself (for example, revising priority species lists or threat analyses). Implementation is focused on carrying out concrete conservation actions that execute the approved plan (for example, habitat restoration or species monitoring) and must be clearly linked to that plan.

What kind of project approach does the program prefer?

The program is designed to help states carry out coordinated, statewide strategies rather than isolated, one-off efforts.