Highlands Conservation

To conserve priority lands and natural resources and recognize the importance of the water, forest, agricultural, wildlife, recreational, and cultural resources, and the national significance of the Highlands region of the United States. Preserve an

The Highlands Conservation Act (H.R. 1964, 2004; 16 U.S.C. 3901) (HCA) authorizes a grant program in four States (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) to support State Agency land conservation priorities and protect natural resources in the Highlands Region, a nationally-important landscape distinguished by Appalachian ridges, hills, and plateaus that provides outdoor recreational opportunities for millions of people living in and visiting the Northeast. Conservation land acquired under the program may only be held by a State Conservation Agency, a County, or a Municipality within the designated Highlands Region. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the lead agency for administering the HCA Grant Program, and works in partnership with State Conservation Agencies, the counties and municipalities of the Highlands Region, and the U.S. Forest Service. Since passage of the HCA in 2004, more than 20,000 acres of state-priority land have been conserved under the program. Projects support key conservation objectives outlined in the HCA such as protecting high priority water, forest, wildlife, agriculture, and recreational resources.

Any State Agency with authority to own and manage land located within the Highlands region for conservation purposes may apply by identifying the source of non-Federal funds, describing the management objectives for the project land, identifying the purpose of the use of the land, and providing that the land will not be converted, used or disposed of for a purpose inconsistent with land conservation. State Conservation Agencies, or Counties and Municipalities within the Highlands Region, are eligible to receive grant funds and hold the fee or conservation easement interest in the acquired land.

Beneficiaries are State Agencies with authority to own and manage land within the Highlands region for conservation purposes, including the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, as well as Counties and Municipalities located within the Highlands Region.

A State Agency with authority to own and manage land located within the Highlands region, as well as Counties and Municipalities located within the Highlands Region, may use a land conservation partnership project to acquire conservation-valued land, either through fee acquisition or conservation easement, from a willing seller to permanently protect, conserve, or preserve land. The Federal grant share of the land conservation partnership project will not exceed 50% of the total cost of partnership to acquire conservation-valued land.

Funds will be made available in the fiscal year they are appropriated. Awarded projects must be completed within 4 years, with the possibility of an additional one-year extension.

The U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, is responsible for conducting the resource assessment and preparing the Highlands project lands of conservation value update for the states involved. The U.S. Forest Service will identify in the update the lands that have high conservation value.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity directs the Highland States to apply directly to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for eligible land acquisition projects in the Highlands region. Only lands with high conservation value that can be obtained by fee acquisition or conservation easement from willing sellers will be considered.

Only lands available from willing sellers in the Highlands region will be considered in the program. The Department of the Interior (DOI) has the sole responsibility for project grants. The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service will award grants to the States or their entities for the acquisition of land, or interests in land, for conservation purposes in the Highlands.

Please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Regional Office for application deadlines.