FY 2021 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Service Legacy Region 1) | F21AS00163

Opportunity Information: Apply for F21AS00163

The FY 2021 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Service Legacy Region 1) is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help states build, strengthen, and carry out their programs for conserving and recovering threatened and endangered species under federal jurisdiction. The central purpose is practical, on-the-ground conservation: the funding is meant to support projects that produce direct conservation benefits for species and their habitats, either by accelerating recovery of species already listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or by addressing threats early enough to prevent future listings.

Grant funds can be used for work that targets three main groups of species. First are federally listed species (threatened or endangered), specifically resident species covered under a state’s existing ESA Section 6 cooperative agreement. Second are candidate species and other “at-risk” species, meaning species that are in some stage of the federal listing pipeline or formal review process. For this program, “at-risk” includes: (1) species with a positive 90-day finding on a petition where no proposed rule has been issued yet, (2) species with a proposed listing rule but not a final rule, (3) species undergoing an initiated ESA status review that has been announced in the Federal Register, and (4) species on the National Listing Work Plan. The full list of these at-risk species is referenced as being available in Attachment A of the funding notice. Third are recently delisted species, defined here as species delisted within the past five years, but only when the delisting occurred because the species recovered (not for other reasons). These projects can include post-delisting monitoring and related actions intended to maintain recovery.

The program supports a wide range of conservation approaches, as long as applicants clearly explain how the work contributes to recovery or reduces the likelihood that a species will need to be listed under the ESA. Projects may include management actions, scientific research, monitoring, and outreach, or a blend of these. Examples of eligible activities include reintroducing species into suitable habitat within their historical range, restoring or enhancing habitat, conducting surveys and inventories (both habitat-focused and species status-focused), propagating plants or animals, and conducting research such as genetic studies to evaluate genetic diversity, population structure, and overall population health. The program also supports public education and outreach when it is tied to addressing specific threats, such as developing targeted tools (including websites) or organizing and coordinating workshops with local landowners to reduce pressures on a particular species. Monitoring is explicitly eligible not only for candidate and at-risk species, but also for recently recovered (recently delisted) species, which reflects an emphasis on sustaining gains after recovery.

Eligibility is limited to state governments, and more specifically to state agencies that have an ESA Section 6(c) cooperative agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service. A state agency that does not currently have such an agreement may still be eligible if it enters into or reconfirms the cooperative agreement within 30 days of the application deadline. Importantly, even if an application is otherwise strong, the Service cannot obligate federal funds unless it has a complete, signed cooperative agreement in place, consistent with the cited regulatory requirements (including 50 CFR 81.3 and 81.5, and 43 CFR 12.50(b)(3)). While only states can be the direct recipients of these grants, the program allows collaboration: local governments, nonprofits, conservation organizations, and other partners can participate through the state as subgrantees or project partners, as long as the state agency with the cooperative agreement is the applicant and lead entity.

Key administrative details from the opportunity listing include the funding opportunity number F21AS00163 and CFDA number 15.615, with the Fish and Wildlife Service as the administering agency. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity area is natural resources. The original application closing date listed is May 12, 2021. The award ceiling shown is $4,363,840, and the opportunity was created on November 12, 2020. In terms of what the Service is looking for competitively, the strongest applications are expected to be those that make a clear, specific case for direct conservation outcomes for the target species or its habitat, backed by a well-defined work plan that links proposed actions to measurable recovery or threat-reduction benefits.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2021 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Service Legacy 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 2020-11-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-12. (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 $4,363,840.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F21AS00163

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: