Wildlife Conservation and Appreciation

The Department of the Interior's Wildlife Conservation and Appreciation program (CFDA 15.617) has not issued new awards since December 4, 2008, making this program inactive for grant-seeking purposes. The program historically funded wildlife research, habitat restoration, species population studies, and conservation education initiatives through 399 total awards dispersed over an 11-year period from 1997 to 2008. Combined federal dollars obligated across the portfolio reached $20.2 million, with non-federal cost-share contributions of $1.1 million.

Awards under this program were predominantly Cooperative Agreements (245 awards, 61 percent) with a smaller share of Project Grants (154 awards, 39 percent). The Department of the Interior was the sole funding source across all 399 awards. Award magnitudes varied widely, from small grants under $10,000 to larger multi-year commitments; representative awards included a $1.8 million Cooperative Agreement for wolf management in 2005, a $223,552 Project Grant for leatherback sea turtle research in Gabon in 2006, and a $219,811 Cooperative Agreement for wetland and prairie habitat restoration in 2007.

Recent awards funded concrete conservation activities including sea turtle nesting research and population recovery in Panama and Honduras, leatherback and hawksbill turtle monitoring in international locations, webless migratory game bird research, double-crested cormorant management, wetland and native prairie habitat restoration and enhancement, and conference sponsorship for conservation biology and wildlife management organizations. The program also funded wildlife education initiatives, land acquisition for conservation purposes, and collaborative research frameworks between federal wildlife agencies and academic or nonprofit partners.

Award volume declined sharply in 2008, with only three awards issued that year compared to 17–36 annual awards in prior years. No recent grant opportunities are currently posted under this Assistance Listing, and no new awards have been disbursed in over 17 years. This program should be marked inactive pending confirmation of formal discontinuation or reactivation by the Department of the Interior.