Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program – Competitive Funding | F20AS00159

Opportunity Information: Apply for F20AS00159

The Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program - Competitive Funding is a federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that helps the four Highlands states (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) permanently conserve high-value lands and natural resources within the Highlands Region. The program is built around the Highlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3901), which focuses on land conservation projects where a state entity purchases land or an interest in land from a willing seller in order to protect resources with long-term conservation importance. The goal is not short-term management or restoration work, but permanent protection through acquisition or conservation interests that secure the land's conservation values for the future.

Projects must align with the areas identified as having high conservation value in the Highlands studies the USDA Forest Service was directed to use for this purpose: the New York-New Jersey Highlands Regional Study (2002 Update) and the Highlands Regional Study Connecticut and Pennsylvania (2010 Update). In practical terms, that means proposed acquisitions need to be located in, and consistent with, the mapped or described priority resource areas in those documents. Funding is subject to annual federal appropriations, and proposals are submitted by the states at the direction of each state's Governor. A key cost-share feature of the program is that federal funds may cover up to 50 percent of the total cost of an eligible land conservation project, so states are expected to bring the remaining match from non-federal sources unless otherwise allowed by program rules.

This particular notice covers the Competitive Funding portion of Highlands Conservation Act appropriations. Appropriated funds are split into two tracks: Base and Competitive. Applicants responding to this notice are seeking the Competitive funds, while Base funds are handled under a separate notice. One important restriction is that the same property cannot be submitted for both Base and Competitive funding; the acquisition proposal has to be placed in one lane or the other. The competitive structure is meant to direct limited funding toward the strongest projects that best meet the program's conservation priorities and the Highlands Region resource goals.

Eligibility is limited to state governments, and more specifically only the Lead State Agency (or agencies) designated by the Governor of each of the four Highlands states may apply. Other entities such as local governments, nonprofits, or land trusts cannot apply directly under this notice, although they may still play a role as partners depending on how a lead agency structures a project. Each designated lead agency is allowed to submit multiple applications in this competitive round, which gives states flexibility to propose several distinct acquisitions rather than bundling everything into a single submission.

From a policy standpoint, the notice frames these acquisitions as supporting Department of the Interior priorities by strengthening long-term conservation stewardship, improving relationships and trust with local communities through state-federal partnership, and safeguarding natural resources that have broad public value. The program also emphasizes that state acquisition can increase public access and outdoor recreation opportunities, including hunting and fishing, while protecting resources like forests and drinking water sources that are essential to both ecological health and human communities.

Key administrative details in the posted opportunity include the opportunity number F20AS00159, the funding instrument type (grant), the activity category (natural resources), and the CFDA number 15.667. The original application closing date listed for this notice is 2020-08-17. The award ceiling is listed as $2,000,000, and while the posting references expected awards, the number is not specified in the provided source text.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program – Competitive Funding" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.667.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-06-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-08-17. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F20AS00159

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