§ Federal grant opportunity · F25AS00332

    F25AS00332 Highlands Conservation Act – Competitive Funding Round

    Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting applications for F25AS00332 Highlands Conservation Act – Competitive Funding Round. The deadline is October 31, 2026 and the published award range is $25K – $3.9M.

    Key facts

    Funder
    Fish and Wildlife Service
    Application deadline
    October 31, 2026
    Award range
    $25K – $3.9M
    Eligibility
    Only the Lead State Agency (or Agencies) as determined by the Governor of each Highlands State may be the applicant for funding under the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program. If the Governor assigns multiple Lead Agencies, those Agencies must coordinate on funding requests prior to submission and ensure no more than the maximum allowable amount is requested through this funding opportunity. All or part of the funds received by the Lead State Agency may be subawarded to a County or Municipality within the Highlands Region, or to another State Conservation Agency.The current Lead State Agencies are:Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Contact Matt Starr: matthew.starr@ct.govNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Contact Lynn Kovach: lynn.kovach@parks.ny.govNew Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Contact Liz Ward: elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.govPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Contact Dan Pierce: danipierce@pa.gov
    Geography
    United States
    Focus areas
    Environment
    Opportunity number
    F25AS00332

    Program overview

    The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories – Base and Competitive. Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Competitive Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Base Funds. A project may not be proposed for funding in both funding opportunities.More information on the HCA program is available at www.fws.gov/program/highlands-conservation-act-grant

    How to apply

    1. Confirm your organization meets the eligibility criteria above.
    2. Read the full funding opportunity announcement from Fish and Wildlife Service.
    3. Draft your narrative against the funder's stated priorities and review criteria.
    4. Submit before October 31, 2026, allowing time for registration and validation.

    View the official funding announcement

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