Great Lakes Restoration
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.662
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 710 $344,741,283 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; Great Lakes Restoration Program
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Block Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-1611-0-1-302
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service is funding invasive species prevention, control, and habitat restoration across the Great Lakes Basin through CFDA 15.662, with the most recent award on May 1, 2025. This program, established under Section 118 of the Clean Water Act and supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), has distributed $344.7 million across 710 awards since 2010, with annual funding volume declining from 36 awards in 2021 to 11 in 2025 through May.
The program funds concrete conservation and management activities: aquatic invasive species surveillance and removal (grass carp population suppression in Lake Erie, invasive crayfish trapping and pesticide treatments in Michigan, hydrilla and phragmites control across multiple states), habitat restoration and enhancement (wetland restoration in the Western Lake Erie Basin, mussel population augmentation, native plant reestablishment), fish and wildlife monitoring (colonial waterbird productivity and contaminant assessment, bald eagle productivity surveys, lake trout ecotype restoration), and pathway prevention (watercraft inspection programs, live-trade monitoring and outreach, web-scraping for online invasive species sales). Recipients include state natural resource departments, tribal governments, conservation organizations, universities, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Awards are evenly split between Project Grants (356 awards, 50 percent) and Cooperative Agreements (351 awards, 49 percent), with minimal Block and Formula Grants. The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region dominates funding, accounting for 333 awards and $262.8 million in federal obligated dollars. Federal dollars obligated total $344.7 million with an additional $17.9 million in non-federal cost-share.
Recent awards exemplify the program's scope: Ohio Department of Natural Resources received $3.022 million for grass carp removal and aquatic invasive species pathway barriers (awarded October 2024); Illinois Department of Natural Resources received $9.054 million for invasive carp prevention and rapid response coordination (awarded February 2025); Ducks Unlimited received $2.761 million for fish habitat restoration in the Great Lakes (awarded December 2024); and Pennsylvania State University received $597,533 for hydrilla control and aquatic invasive species management across Lake Erie (awarded December 2024).
The program maintains a consistent annual solicitation cycle. Currently open opportunities include F26AS00083 (State Aquatic Invasive Species Grants, due December 31, 2026), F26AS00085 (Interjurisdictional Grants, due December 31, 2026), and F26AS00084 (Tribal Aquatic Invasive Species Grants, due December 31, 2026), all administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Office. Eligibility is restricted to Great Lakes states, tribes, and their designees. A non-GLRI opportunity, F25AS00317 Crane Creek Lacustuary Restoration (due January 23, 2026), provides $1.5 million for wetland restoration and is open to broader applicant categories.
Pre-application coordination is required and is program-specific. Recipients must maintain cost records separately for three years after final report submission. The USFWS Midwest Regional Office manages application deadlines and program restrictions on fund expenditure timelines.
Objective and description
- Objective
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) provides environmental and public health benefits to the region's twenty million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation, and fishing. GLRI also fuels local and regional econo
- Description
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is a multiagency program established under Section 118 of the Clean Water Act to protect, restore, and enhance the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Through interagency collaboration led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and supported by federal partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the GLRI directs resources toward habitat restoration, invasive species prevention and control, reduction of toxic substances and habitat impairments in Areas of Concern, and actions that protect public health and local economies across the Great Lakes Basin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) uses GLRI funds to implement science-based conservation actions that recover native species, restore and connect habitats, address threats such as aquatic invasive species, and deliver measurable ecological improvements identified in GLRI Action Plans. These activities are aligned with the Service's mission and longstanding partnerships across the Basin and support broader federal priorities under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Assistance is provided primarily through cooperative agreements, interagency agreements, and other financial assistance instruments to Tribes, states, local governments, conservation organizations, academic institutions, and other partners engaged in protecting and restoring Great Lakes natural resources. Projects funded under this program advance locally led conservation, strengthen community resilience, and contribute to long-term recovery of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats across the eight Great Lakes states.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Program-specific.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Program-specific.
- Uses of assistance
Funds are provided for projects that address aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, environmental contaminants, nonpoint source pollution impacts, and protection and restoration of fish, wildlife, and their habitats in the Great Lakes. Funding for land acquisition and construction projects associated with ecological restoration, e.g. dam removal, river connectivity restoration, coastal and upland habitat restoration etc., is eligible under this program.
- Use restrictions
Funds are provided for projects that address aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, environmental contaminants, nonpoint source pollution impacts, and protection and restoration of fish, wildlife, and their habitats in the Great Lakes. Funding for land acquisition and construction projects associated with ecological restoration, e.g. dam removal, river connectivity restoration, coastal and upland habitat restoration etc., is eligible under this program.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative places restrictions on the time permitted to spend the funds awarded. The Regional Office Contact Person can further explain the restrictions placed on the time period in which to fully expend the funds awarded under the project.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Pre-application coordination is required and is program-specific.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Program criteria are specified in the announcements of the individual financial assistance programs.
- Award procedure
Program requirements are specified in the announcements of the individual financial assistance programs.
- Deadlines
Contact the USFWS Midwest Regional Office for program application deadlines.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Contact the USFWS Midwest Regional Office for program application deadlines.
Grant opportunities
Show 40 more
Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 710 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Fish And Wildlife Foundation | $113,085,728 | 33% |
| 2 | Department Of Natural Resources Illinois | $87,572,533 | 25% |
| 3 | Natural Resources, Ohio Department OF, Division Of Wildlife | $15,227,633 | 4% |
| 4 | Ducks Unlimited, Inc. | $14,607,393 | 4% |
| 5 | Michigan Department Of Environment, Great Lakes, And Energy | $11,837,762 | 3% |
| 6 | Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources | $11,767,785 | 3% |
| 7 | Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources | $9,797,931 | 3% |
| 8 | Oswego County Soil & Water Conservation District | $7,955,657 | 2% |
| 9 | Department Of Natural Resources | $7,456,897 | 2% |
| 10 | The Pennsylvania State University | $6,186,117 | 2% |
10 of 171 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$1,657 |
| FY2025 | $7,880,961 |
| FY2024 | $35,403,411 |
| FY2023 | $34,813,067 |
| FY2022 | $48,283,655 |
| FY2021 | $28,882,633 |
| FY2020 | $13,130,079 |
| FY2019 | $30,377,866 |
| FY2018 | $24,663,777 |
| FY2017 | $21,055,551 |
| FY2016 | $16,576,810 |
| FY2015 | $19,333,673 |
| FY2014 | $18,660,271 |
| FY2013 | $20,025,641 |
| FY2012 | $25,507,141 |
Show all 15
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.662?
Assistance Listing 15.662 is Great Lakes Restoration, a federal grant program run by Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Great Lakes Restoration?
Its CFDA number is 15.662: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.662 awarded?
710 grant awards under 15.662 have obligated $344,741,283 in federal funds to 171 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.662?
The recipients obligated the most under Great Lakes Restoration are National Fish And Wildlife Foundation ($113,085,728), Department Of Natural Resources Illinois ($87,572,533) and Natural Resources, Ohio Department OF, Division Of Wildlife ($15,227,633).
How much did 15.662 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.662 obligated $7,880,961 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.662?
3 of the latest 50 opportunities under 15.662 are open or forecasted. The latest, F26AS00083 Aquatic Invasive Species Grants to Great Lakes States - Fiscal Year 2026 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, was posted on June 10, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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