This project will invest in staff capacity to restore, maintain, and enhance habitat for ecologically and culturally significant wildlife species within the omaha tribe of nebraska reservation

The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska received a $199,965 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Tribal Wildlife Grants program (CFDA 15.639) on October 18, 2025, with a completion date of October 17, 2027. The award supports habitat restoration, maintenance, and enhancement efforts for ecologically and culturally significant wildlife species on the Omaha Tribe's reservation lands. The primary deliverable is the establishment of a full-time Conservation Officer position to implement invasive species removal and buffalo management activities across approximately 40,000 acres of tribal land, thereby increasing stewardship capacity and wildlife habitat quality within the reservation.

This project directly addresses the Tribal Wildlife Grants program's objective to develop and implement wildlife conservation programs benefiting fish and wildlife resources of Native American cultural or traditional importance. Through staff capacity building and on-the-ground resource management activities, the Omaha Tribe will enhance its ability to maintain critical habitat and support species populations while demonstrating measurable conservation outcomes aligned with both tribal priorities and federal wildlife conservation goals.

The project addresses the need to increase stewardship by hiring a full-time conservation officer to assist with invasive species removal and buffalo management on approximately 40,000 acres.