Tribal Wildlife Grants

Support the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitats and species of Tribal cultural or traditional importance, including species that are not hunted or fished.

Participation is limited to Federally recognized Indian tribal governments.

The following criteria is used to select proposals: (1) Resource Benefit: What are the expected benefits to fish and wildlife resources, including species that are not hunted or fished, and their habitat if this program is successfully completed? The Service requires that the Tribe articulate how the benefits of its proposal support the goals and objectives of the TWG and Service and Tribal Performance Goals in their proposal narratives. (2) Performance Measures: To what extent does the proposal provide obtainable and quantifiable performance measures and a means to monitor, evaluate, and report on these measures compared to an initial baseline? The measures should be specific and clear, and should provide demonstrable benefits to the target species of the action. These actions must support the goals and objectives of the TWG, the Service and the Tribe. (3) Work plan: Are the program activities and objectives well-designed and achievable? (4) Budget: Are all major budget items justified in relation to the program objectives and clearly explained in the narrative description? (5) Capacity Building: To what extent does the program increase the grantee's capacity to provide for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat? (6) Contributions and Partnerships: To what extent does the applicant display commitment to the project proposal through in-kind contribution or matching funds and to what extent does it incorporate contributions from other nonfederal partners in the form of...

Fiscal year 2025: Sitka Tribe of Alaska ($200,000) Artificial Intelligence for Subsistence Salmon Monitoring and Management Sitka Tribe of Alaska will partner with Wild Salmon Center and the US Forest Service to install artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled video chutes to produce automated real-time counts of Redoubt Lake sockeye salmon for a fraction of the cost of traditional weirs. Once the model meets accuracy targets, it will substantially reduce long-term monitoring costs and be able to generate accurate in-season salmon counts in real-time with minimal human input. Navajo Nation, within Arizona ($100,000) Estimating Abundance, Preserving Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Resolving Human-Bear Conflict of Black Bears on the Navajo Nation This project is led by University of Arizona with technical and logistical support from Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife. The project aims to assess the current status of the black bear population on the Navajo Nation to contribute to effective habitat management while preserving Traditional Ecological Knowledge and minimizing human-wildlife conflicts. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, within North Carolina...