Acres for America is the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) premier land conservation program and was established to provide urgently needed funding for projects that conserve important large-scale habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants through voluntary land acquisitions and perpetual conservation easements.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territories: American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Challenge
Deadline: 04/20/20022
Size of the Grant: $200,000 to $2 million
Grant Duration: 2-3 years
Details:Â
The ATBC vision is to streamline grant funding opportunities for new voluntary conservation and restoration projects around the United States. This RFP consolidates funding from multiple federal agencies and the private sector to enable applicants to conceive and develop large-scale, locally led projects that address shared funder priorities spanning public and private lands.
In year two of the ATBC approximately $116 million will be awarded in nationwide funding to conserve, connect and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife upon which we all depend. The ATBC seeks to fund projects across the following themes:
- Conserving and restoring rivers, coasts, wetlands and watersheds
- Conserving and restoring forests, grasslands and important ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks
- Connecting and reconnecting wildlife corridors, large landscapes, watersheds, and seascapes
- Improving ecosystem and community resilience to flooding, drought, and other climate-related threats
- Expanding access to the outdoors, particularly in underserved communities
Collectively, these themes invite applicants to develop landscape-level ATBC proposals that address conservation and public access needs with: cumulative benefits to fish and wildlife, enhanced carbon sequestration and storage, benefits to and engagement with underserved communities, and protection of ecosystems through resilience-focused and nature-based solutions.
Priorities
- Benefit At-Risk Fish, Wildlife, and Plant Species
- Expand Habitat Connectivity
- Provide a Range of Ecosystem Services
- Strengthen Ecosystem and Community Resilience
- Expand Public and Community Access to Nature
- Engage Local Communities
- Support Tribally Led Conservation and Restoration Priorities
- Contribute to Local or Tribal Economies
- Contribute to Workforce Development
- Advance Sentinel Landscape Partnership Priorities
Grant Categories
Implementation Grants
Grants to implement projects that address program priorities on public, Tribal, and/or private lands; partnerships with NGOs and others through subawards are encouraged.
- Eligible applicants: States, U.S. territories, and federally recognized Tribes
- Size: $1 million to $5 million, Landscape scale restoration requests beyond $5 million may be considered on a limited case-by-case basis.
- Length: up to four years Grants under this category are contingent upon awards by DOI
Planning Grants
Grants that enhance local capacity to implement future on-the-ground actions that address program priorities through community-based assessments, partnership building, planning, project design, and other technical assistance activities. Projects in this category should include multiple partners, be at a significant scale for the landscape/watershed/seascape, and clearly demonstrate how efforts will lead to implementation projects.
- Eligible applicants: States, U.S. territories, and federally recognized Tribes
- Size: $200,000 to $2 million
- Length: 2 to 3 years
- Grants under this category are contingent upon awards by DOI
Sentinel Landscape Grants
Grants will be funded through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program and will be prioritized to Sentinel Landscapes or areas that preserve or enhance military readiness.
- Eligible applicants: Non-profits, local municipal governments, and educational institutions, States, U.S. territories, and Tribes
- Size: $250,000 to $1.5 million
- Length: 2 to 4 years
- Grants under this category are contingent upon awards by DOD
National Forest Grants:
Grants will support projects on National Forest System lands to achieve the restoration of a forest ecosystem through the removal of vegetation, the use of prescribed fire, or the decommissioning of an unauthorized, temporary, or system road. Projects should target outcomes identified in a conservation or restoration implementation plan Projects completing vegetation management should be connected to a watershed protection plan.
- Eligible applicants: Non-profits, local municipal governments, and educational institutions, States, U.S. territories, and Tribes
- Size: $250,000 to $1.5 million
- Length: 2 to 4 years
- Grants under this category are contingent upon awards by USFS.
 Private Forests, Rangeland and Farmland Grants:
Grants will support outreach and engagement with private landowners for voluntary conservation efforts on working lands to advance NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife Framework and Initiatives (e.g. sagebrush, grasslands, bobwhite quail, northeast turtles, golden-winged warbler).
- Eligible applicants: Non-profits, local municipal governments, and educational institutions, States, U.S. territories, and Tribes
- Size: $200,000 to $500,000
- Length: 2 to 3 years
- Grants under this category are contingent upon awards by NRCS
Geographic Focus
ATBC is a nationwide program. Projects throughout the U.S., U.S. territories, and Tribal Nations are eligible for funding. Projects can be on public lands, Tribal lands, and private lands, and ideally span multiple landownership boundaries and jurisdictions. Locations will be prioritized where projects are guided by existing conservation or restoration plans as well as the program priorities listed below.
Based on legislative funding authorities, the DOI funding in this round can only support states, territories, and federally recognized Tribes.
Eligible and Ineligible Entities
- State government agencies, territories of the United States, and Indian Tribes are eligible to apply for all five grant categories.
- Non-profit 501(c) organizations, local governments, municipal governments, and educational institutions are eligible to apply for grants in categories (3) Sentinel Landscape Grants, (4) National Forest Grants and (5) Private Forests, Rangelands and Farmlands Grants.
Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations.
For more information, visit America the Beautiful Challenge.
