National Fish Habitat Partnership
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.686
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 177 $13,289,044 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- NFHP
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- 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 administers the National Fish Habitat Partnership Program (CFDA 15.686), which coordinates fish habitat conservation work conducted by state, federal, tribal, non-profit, and private entities through 20 congressionally designated Fish Habitat Partnerships, with the most recent grant award issued on July 1, 2026.
The program funds on-the-ground habitat restoration and protection projects, partnership coordination and operational support, and research and monitoring activities. Recent awards demonstrate concrete scope: culvert replacement and fish passage barrier removal to restore upstream habitat access for ESA-listed salmon, steelhead, and other species; invasive species surveillance and removal in freshwater lakes and coastal estuaries; aquatic habitat restoration including large wood installation, streambank stabilization, and native vegetation planting; and research on salmon development and Pacific lamprey conservation. The program also funds partnership infrastructure including coordinator positions, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and public outreach.
Grant awards are predominantly Project Grants (63 percent, 111 awards) with a substantial Cooperative Agreement component (37 percent, 66 awards). The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Regional offices dominate funding concentration. FWS Region 1 led by federal dollars obligated at $2.8 million across 33 awards; Region 3 by award count with 50 awards totaling $2.4 million; and Regions 7, 5, and 8 collectively account for significant volume. These five regions cover 86 percent of all awards and 79 percent of federal dollars obligated.
Combined federal dollars obligated total $13.3 million across 177 awards from May 2023 through July 2026, with combined federal and non-federal investment reaching $28.7 million. Award magnitudes range widely: sub-$50,000 awards fund specific research or invasive species work; mid-range awards ($50,000–$150,000) support habitat restoration and partnership coordination; larger awards ($200,000–$464,000) typically fund multi-year partnership operations or landscape-scale barrier removals and habitat restoration. Representative recent awards include $1.12 million for culvert replacement and aquatic organism passage on Lower Sutton Creek in Oregon (awarded July 2026), $35,028 for two-year aquatic invasive species surveillance in Alaska (June 2026), and $384,456 for brook trout habitat restoration involving non-native fish removal and reintroduction in South Carolina (July 2025).
Applicants must be entities associated with a Fish Habitat Partnership recognized by the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board. Applications flow through individual Fish Habitat Partnerships rather than through Grants.gov; applicants should contact the relevant partnership directly. The program obligates appropriated funding within two years, and awards typically span one to five years. No recent grant opportunities are currently posted; applicants must track the Fish Habitat Partnerships for annual requests for proposals.
Objective and description
- Objective
To comprehensively address the causes of fish habitat decline by working together with partners to maximize the impact of limited funding for fish habitat conservation. Under NFHP, Federal, State, Tribal, and privately-raised funds are leveraged thro
- Description
This Assistance Listing for the National Fish Habitat Partnership Program was established in FY24. Awards made prior to FY23 were reported under Assistance Listing 15.608. This Assistance Listing for the National Fish Habitat Partnership provides funding for the coordination of fish habitat conservation work conducted by state, federal, tribal, non-profit, and private entities to increase efficiency and improve outcomes by leveraging resources among partners working through 20 Congressionally-designated Fish Habitat Partnerships.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Limited to entities associated with a Fish Habitat Partnership recognized by the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board.
- Uses of assistance
Assistance may be used only for aquatic habitat conservation projects recommended by a recognized Fish Habitat Partnership, the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board and selected by the Secretary of the Interior. Assistance may be used for construction as described in a project proposal selected by the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board. Assistance may be used for real property acquisition provided the acquisition has been approved by the State agency in the State in which the project is occurring.
- Use restrictions
Assistance may be used only for aquatic habitat conservation projects recommended by a recognized Fish Habitat Partnership, the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board and selected by the Secretary of the Interior. Assistance may be used for construction as described in a project proposal selected by the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board. Assistance may be used for real property acquisition provided the acquisition has been approved by the State agency in the State in which the project is occurring.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Program funding is appropriated each fiscal year and must be obligated within 2 years. Awards are typically for one to five year projects.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
To apply for NFHP funds, applicants must contact the appropriate Fish Habitat Partnership or visit www.Grants.gov for application procedures and requirements. For a list of partnerships and contact information visit www.fishhabitat.org/the-partnerships.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Contact the individual FHP for more information on their respective project selection criteria (http://www.fishhabitat.org/the-partnerships/).
- Award procedure
Final project approval made by Secretary of the Interior based on recommendations from National Fish Habitat Board and Fish Habitat Partnerships. Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award electronically via the Department's grants management system (currently GrantSolutions).
- Time to approval or disapproval
NFHP project applications are submitted through Fish Habitat Partnerships. Contact Fish Habitat Partnerships for information on approval/disapproval time.
- Renewals
Recipients may request funding for a subsequent year/cycle of a currently funded project. However, these requests are subject to the same submission, review, and approval requirements as all new applications. This program will fund any approved renewal application as new award, not as an amendment to an existing award. Recipients may request approval for budget and project plan revisions of funded projects, including period of performance and reporting due date extensions, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 177 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission | $1,768,030 | 13% |
| 2 | Trout Unlimited, Inc. | $1,297,773 | 10% |
| 3 | Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies | $865,569 | 7% |
| 4 | Kenai Watershed Forum | $482,517 | 4% |
| 5 | Western Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies, Inc. | $335,000 | 3% |
| 6 | Michigan State University | $308,423 | 2% |
| 7 | Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission | $295,025 | 2% |
| 8 | Southeastern Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies | $295,000 | 2% |
| 9 | The Nature Conservancy | $290,602 | 2% |
| 10 | American Rivers Inc. | $269,412 | 2% |
10 of 111 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $250,192 |
| FY2025 | $4,470,401 |
| FY2024 | $4,682,753 |
| FY2023 | $3,885,699 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.686?
Assistance Listing 15.686 is National Fish Habitat Partnership, a federal grant program run by Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for National Fish Habitat Partnership?
Its CFDA number is 15.686: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.686 awarded?
177 grant awards under 15.686 have obligated $13,289,044 in federal funds to 111 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.686?
The recipients obligated the most under National Fish Habitat Partnership are Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission ($1,768,030), Trout Unlimited, Inc. ($1,297,773) and Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies ($865,569).
How much did 15.686 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.686 obligated $4,470,401 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
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