Fish and Wildlife Service · Department of the Interior
F25AS00332 Highlands Conservation Act – Competitive Funding Round
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Oct 31, 2026 · 25 days left
- Award size
- $25K – $3.9M
- Total available
- $3.9M · about 4 awards
- Cost share / match ?
- Required: you cover 50% of the total project
- Who can apply
- State government
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
Your share in dollars
For a $3,850,000 grant you'd put in about $3,850,000 of your own money or donated help, for a total project of about $7,700,000.
“The Federal share of the project cost shall not exceed 50 percent of the total project cost.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.” — federal program listing 15.667
Based on this official rule. Some programs lower it for distressed counties or accept in-kind help. The notice has the exact rule.
Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. The deadline is in 25 days. If your registration isn't already active, it may not be ready in time, so check it today. Grant-ready checklist
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- Requires a cost share / match
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
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Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/970063e5-d342-4a0d-97c2-17646ac315ba · Printed from grantme.click/grants/5d473a53-536f-4838-96fc-9596460475c5
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About this grant
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
Eligibility (from the notice)
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
About the program (15.667)
Highlands Conservation
How applications are judged
The Notice of Funding Opportunity directs the Highland States to apply directly to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for eligible land acquisition projects in the Highlands region. Only lands with high conservation value that can be obtained by fee acquisition or conservation easement from willing sellers will be considered.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula.
The Federal share of the project cost shall not exceed 50 percent of the total project cost.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Program has not yet selected projects for funding. The Program anticipates funding eligible State Agency, County, or Municipal land acquisition projects that protect land of high conservation value in the Highlands region of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.Fiscal Year2026: Program has not yet selected projects for funding. The Program anticipates funding eligible State Agency, County, or Municipal land acquisition projects that protect land of high conservation value in the Highlands region of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.