F25AS00332 Highlands Conservation Act - Competitive Funding Round
Open Posted
- Opportunity number
- F25AS00332
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Applications due
- Award size
- $25,000 to $3,850,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
-
- 15.667 Highlands Conservation
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Natural Resources
- Eligible applicants
-
- State Governments
- Points of contact
-
- Shelley DiBona shelley_dibona@ios.doi.gov (413) 253-8509
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting applications for the Highlands Conservation Act Competitive Funding Round to support land acquisition and conservation easement projects in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, with applications due October 31, 2026. All applicants must provide a 50 percent non-Federal cost share; Federal funding cannot exceed 50 percent of total project costs.
Only the Lead State Agency designated by each state's Governor may apply. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are the current Lead State Agencies. Funds may be subawarded to counties, municipalities, or other state conservation agencies. An estimated $3.85 million will be distributed across four expected awards, with individual award ceilings of $3.85 million and a floor of $25,000. Projects must be completed within four years of the award date, with a project period of January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2032.
Eligible projects must acquire fee simple or conservation easement interests in land within the defined Highlands Region or approved expansion areas from willing sellers to conserve resources of high conservation value in water, forest, agriculture, wildlife, recreation, or cultural resources. Eligible costs include acquisition costs and typical transaction costs such as appraisals, surveys, title work, and environmental assessments; up to five percent of award amounts may be used for program administration.
Merit review awards up to 115 points across five resource categories: Wildlife (25 points), Water (15 points), Forest/Agriculture (15 points), Recreation (20 points), and Cultural Resources (15 points). An additional up to 20 points are awarded for alignment with Presidential and Department of Interior priorities. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov or GrantSolutions.gov. Award notices are planned for January 2027.
CFDA 15.667.
Synopsis
The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories - Base and Competitive. Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Competitive Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Base Funds. A project may not be proposed for funding in both funding opportunities.More information on the HCA program is available at www.fws.gov/program/highlands-conservation-act-grant
Eligibility
Only the Lead State Agency (or Agencies) as determined by the Governor of each Highlands State may be the applicant for funding under the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program. If the Governor assigns multiple Lead Agencies, those Agencies must coordinate on funding requests prior to submission and ensure no more than the maximum allowable amount is requested through this funding opportunity. All or part of the funds received by the Lead State Agency may be subawarded to a County or Municipality within the Highlands Region, or to another State Conservation Agency.The current Lead State Agencies are:Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Contact Matt Starr: matthew.starr@ct.govNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Contact Lynn Kovach: lynn.kovach@parks.ny.govNew Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Contact Liz Ward: elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.govPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Contact Dan Pierce: danipierce@pa.gov
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 5.19.2026 Foa_Content_of_F25AS00332.pdf | ||
| PKG00292858.pdf |
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