FY 2018 Multistate Conservation Grant Program

The Sport Fish Restoration Act and the Wildlife Restoration Act, as amended by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-408) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make up to $6,000,000 ($3,000,000 each from the Sport Fish Restoration and Wildlife Restoration Program trust funds) available annually under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) for the purpose of funding multistate conservation project grants. The primary goal of the Program is to provide grant funds to address regional or national level priority needs (national conservation needs) of the State fish and wildlife agencies that are beyond the scope and capabilities of a single state. Projects awarded are published annually in the Federal Register. The Association and the Service work cooperatively to manage the Program. The Association administers the grant application process, providing oversight, coordination and guidance, and the Service awards and manages the grants. The Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP) is a competitive grant program where eligible LOIs and full grant proposals are submitted to the Associationas National Grants Committee (NGC) for review to develop a relative ranking order to aid in the selection process. LOIs and proposals must address one or more of the Associationas National Conservation Needs (NCNs) to be eligible. NCNs are annually solicited and selected by the Association to establish the State fish and wildlife agenciesa conservation priorities, and they are used to guide proposal development and grant selection for the MSCGP.