F26AS00030 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Recovery Land Acquisition Grant Program

Who can apply

• State governments

Only State and Territorial (hereafter, "State") agencies that have entered into a cooperative agreement pursuant to section 6(c) of the ESA and have provided the information necessary for the annual renewal (reconfirmation) of their cooperative agreement are eligible to apply for funding. While funding may only be awarded to States, groups such as counties or conservation organizations may work with a State agency that has a cooperative agreement on conservation efforts that are mutually beneficial, as a subgrantee. Projects must support at least one listed species" most recent FWS-approved recovery planning document in which habitat loss is identified as a threat and habitat protection is identified as a priority recovery action.The specific parcel(s) of land proposed for acquisition with grant funds, or as non-Federal cost share, must be identified and sufficiently described to facilitate merit review based on the evaluation criteria listed in this Funding Opportunity. Parcels must be individually identified but can be grouped and described for evaluation purposes at the property or transaction level.Applications must include a commitment to funding for, and implementation of, management of the land in perpetuity consistent with the conservation needs of the species.A property may not be submitted for funding consideration under both the Recovery Land Acquisition Grant Program and the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition Grant Program in the same fiscal year.Projects must involve voluntary conservation efforts within the United States. Applications cannot include FWS Full-Time Equivalent costs.Neither funding awarded through this opportunity, nor the associated non-Federal cost share, may be used to satisfy regulatory requirements of the ESA, including complying with a biological opinion under Section 7, fulfilling Federal mitigation, minimization, and/or monitoring requirements of an HCP permitted under section 10, or any other Federal regulatory miti