R7 - State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program- Open ONLY to State Fish and Game Agency | F19AS00127

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00127

The R7 State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program is a mandatory federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), under CFDA 15.634. It is open only to state-level fish and game agencies and other eligible state government entities representing States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and U.S. Territories. The program provides funding to help these agencies develop and carry out wildlife conservation work that benefits wildlife and their habitats, with an explicit emphasis on species that are not hunted or fished as well as broader habitat needs.

The grant supports two main categories of work: conservation planning and conservation implementation. Planning activities must directly contribute to developing, revising, or otherwise modifying a State Wildlife Action Plan (often called a Wildlife Action Plan or WAP) that has been approved by the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Implementation activities, by contrast, are the on-the-ground or operational actions a state proposes to complete in order to execute the priorities and strategies laid out in its approved Plan. In practice, that can mean using funds either to strengthen the scientific and strategic foundation of a state plan, or to move from planning into direct conservation actions aligned with that plan.

A central requirement of SWG funding is that projects must benefit Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) that are identified in the applicant's Wildlife Action Plan. The opportunity also directs applicants to be thoughtful about prioritization, particularly by considering how much other funding is already available for different species and conservation needs. In other words, SWG dollars are intended to fill important gaps and support high-priority conservation needs that might otherwise remain unfunded or underfunded.

Congressional direction also shapes how the Fish and Wildlife Service wants states to prioritize SWG funds. The agency specifically encourages states to prioritize conservation for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as well as species being considered for listing, including candidate species and those already designated as threatened or endangered, as long as those species are included in the state Plan and funding them aligns with the state's priorities and operational approach. This emphasis is meant to strengthen proactive conservation that can stabilize or recover vulnerable species and, where possible, reduce the likelihood that additional species will require federal listing.

The opportunity includes clear boundaries around what the funds cannot be used for. Wildlife education and law enforcement activities are generally ineligible. The only exception is when those components are minor or incidental and still critical to the success of an otherwise eligible project, meaning they cannot be the main purpose of the proposal but may be allowed if they are necessary support elements tied directly to accomplishing conservation outcomes.

From an agency mission standpoint, the SWG Program is framed as part of the broader work of the FWS Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program area. WSFR emphasizes partnerships to conserve and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats for current and future generations, with a vision of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that provide recreation, economic benefits, and essential ecological functions. The SWG Program is presented as directly aligned with those aims and also tied to Department of the Interior priorities focused on building a conservation stewardship legacy, responsibly utilizing natural resources, and restoring trust with local communities.

In terms of award details provided in the notice, the funding opportunity number is F19AS00127, first posted March 7, 2019, with an original closing date of August 31, 2020. The instrument type is a grant, the activity category is natural resources along with science, technology, and other research and development. The listed award ceiling is $3,000,000, and the notice anticipates approximately five awards.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "R7 - State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program- Open ONLY to State Fish and Game Agency" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.634.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 07, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2020. (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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F19AS00127

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