F25AS00285 FY 2025 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Traditional Conservation Grants Program Region 1 | F25AS00285

Opportunity Information: Apply for F25AS00285

The FY 2025 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Region 1), funding opportunity number F25AS00285, is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) under CFDA 15.615. Its core purpose is to help State and Territorial wildlife agencies build, strengthen, and carry out conservation programs that directly conserve and recover threatened and endangered species under FWS jurisdiction. The program is geared toward on-the-ground, practical conservation outcomes, and it prioritizes proposals that clearly show how the work will improve the status of a species or its habitat in a way that supports recovery under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or helps prevent a species from needing to be listed in the first place.

Only State governments are eligible applicants, and there is a key eligibility شرط: the applying State agency must have an active ESA section 6(c) cooperative agreement with FWS, or it must enter into or reaffirm that cooperative agreement within 30 days of the application deadline. FWS also emphasizes that it cannot obligate federal funds until there is a complete, signed cooperative agreement in place, consistent with 50 CFR 81.3, 50 CFR 81.5, and 43 CFR 12.50(b)(3). While the grant award itself can only go to a State, the program explicitly allows other entities such as counties, local groups, Tribes in practice when working through the State, or conservation organizations to participate by partnering with the eligible State agency and potentially serving as subgrantees on mutually beneficial conservation work.

Projects funded through this opportunity must deliver direct conservation benefits to species that qualify under the program rules. At minimum, to be considered for funding, an application must seek support for conservation work on federally listed resident species that are already included in the State's section 6 cooperative agreement. In addition, States may request funding to monitor species that meet certain other status categories: species that are candidates or eligible unlisted species by the application deadline, and species that have been delisted due to recovery within the last five years. The work supported can span management actions, research, monitoring, and outreach, or a combination of these, as long as the proposal is specific about what will be done and why it matters for species recovery.

The program is limited to voluntary conservation efforts within the United States, and all proposed activities must align with approved or draft recovery plans for the species involved. Proposals cannot conflict with approved recovery plans (50 CFR 81.2), which effectively means applicants need to show how their methods and objectives fit within the recovery framework already established for the species. In situations where project activities could involve certain regulated actions such as take, interstate transport, introducing wildlife outside its historical range, or holding wildlife in captivity for more than 45 days, the State may need a permit from the Regional Director. If those kinds of activities are anticipated, an Environmental Assessment must be submitted prior to permit issuance (50 CFR 81.9 and 43 CFR 12.50(b)(3)), which is an important planning and scheduling consideration for applicants.

There are also clear restrictions on what grant funds can and cannot be used for. Neither the federal award funds nor the required non-federal cost share may be used to meet ESA regulatory compliance obligations, including fulfilling terms of a section 7 biological opinion, meeting mitigation/minimization/monitoring requirements tied to section 10 habitat conservation plans, or satisfying other federal regulatory mitigation requirements such as mitigation for Clean Water Act permits. In other words, this funding is intended to produce conservation gains beyond what is already required by regulation, not to pay for compliance. The opportunity also states that an application cannot include FWS Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) costs, and that State administrative costs must either be covered by the State or addressed in the proposal in line with federal cost principles and administrative requirements.

From a budgeting and timing standpoint, the general rule is that only expenses incurred and budgeted within the approved period of performance are reimbursable, with that period starting on the effective date established when the grant is approved. However, the program allows for pre-award costs in limited circumstances if they are necessary for the proposed period of performance, are otherwise allowable, and receive written approval from the awarding agency, consistent with 2 CFR 200.458. The program will consider both new projects and continuation projects. If the application is for an ongoing effort where the scope, objectives, and expected outcomes remain consistent over time, it is treated as a continuation project and must include a short summary of accomplishments to date along with a justification for why continued funding is needed.

Finally, land acquisition is explicitly not eligible under this funding opportunity, so proposals should focus on conservation actions like habitat management and restoration work (as activities), research, monitoring, and outreach rather than purchasing land or conservation easements. Key administrative details included in the posting are that the opportunity was created on 2025-07-21, applications are due by 2025-09-19, and the listed award ceiling is 4,525,074. The strongest applications, according to the description, will be the ones that make a clear, specific case for measurable conservation benefits to targeted species or habitats and show tight alignment with recovery objectives and program rules.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F25AS00285 FY 2025 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Traditional Conservation Grants Program Region 1" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.615.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-07-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-09-19. (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 $4,525,074.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F25AS00285

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