Natural Resource Stewardship
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.944
- Agency
-
National Park Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 966 $204,426,656 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-1036-0-1-303
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The National Park Service awards cooperative agreements under the Natural Resource Stewardship program (CFDA 15.944) to fund conservation, research, restoration, and resource-management activities that enhance natural resources on NPS-managed lands, with the most recent award dated September 26, 2025. The program has disbursed $204.4 million in federal funding across 966 awards since 2006, with an average cadence of approximately 45–50 awards per year over the past five years; grant opportunities have not been posted recently, though a bat inventory opportunity closed on June 12, 2024.
Funded activities span invasive species management, wildlife and bird population monitoring, habitat restoration, fire fuels reduction, rare species recovery, trail maintenance, ecosystem research, post-fire rehabilitation, and educational programming in national parks and recreation areas. Recent awards illustrate the scope: the Nevada Department of Wildlife received $550,000 to operate boat wash stations at Lake Mead to remove invasive mussels; Copper River Watershed Project received $30,000 for invasive plant management at Wrangell–St. Elias; and the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System received $4.694 million for public transportation to reduce vehicle congestion and emissions at Yosemite Valley.
The program is structured almost entirely as Cooperative Agreements (964 of 966 awards; 100 percent of recent activity). Funding is heavily concentrated within the National Park Service itself across regional offices: the NPS Pacific West Region led with 244 awards and $81.6 million in federal dollars obligated, followed by the NPS National Office with 118 awards and $41.6 million. Nine distinct federal agencies participate, but NPS regional and national offices account for approximately 91 percent of awards and federal dollars. Eligible applicants include tribal governments, state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other qualified entities.
Award sizes range from under $30,000 to multi-million-dollar projects; the median recent award falls between $50,000 and $300,000. Notably, a $3 million cooperative agreement addressed orphaned oil and gas well remediation at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. Projects generally run 12–36 months with renewal potential up to five years total. No current grant opportunities are open; the most recent posted solicitation (bat inventory at southeastern parks) closed in June 2024.
Objective and description
- Objective
The Natural Resource Stewardship program is the principle means through which the National Park Service (NPS) evaluates and improves the health of watersheds, landscapes, and marine and coastal resources, sustains biological communities on the lands
- Description
This program provides federal financial assistance to eligible recipients to support conservation, research, restoration, and resource‑management activities that enhance natural resources managed by the National Park Service. Eligible applicants include tribal governments, state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other qualified entities. Supported activities may include ecological research, habitat restoration, invasive‑species management, wildlife monitoring, public education, and stewardship actions aligned with federal priorities. The program emphasizes collaborative partnerships and science‑based approaches that deliver measurable public benefits.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
State, local, or tribal governments, other Federal agencies, other public entities, educational institutions, private nonprofit organizations.
- Beneficiary eligibility
General public
- Uses of assistance
Funds used for all aspects of natural resource (air, water, geological, biological) stewardship activities, including but not limited to resource inventories and monitoring, restoration projects, and wildlife and plant management. Funds may not be used for acquisition of real property.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Assistance length and time depends on project complexity.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Preapplication coordination will be specified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, if applicable. Environmental impact assessment or statement may be required for projects within this program.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Specific evaluation criteria will be included in the funding announcements posted on www.grants.gov.
- Award procedure
Proposals received in response announcements on grants.gov are reviewed on the basis of a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the announcement. Awards may be made to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each specific project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the Program Manager listed as the point of contact. Generally 30 - 120 days.
- Renewals
Projects may generally be renewed on an annual basis, not to exceed a total of 5 years. If renewals or extensions are applicable to the project, this information will be included in the funding opportunity announcement. When renewals or extensions are applicable, continuation of funding for these activities is at the discretion of Congress and will be subject to availability of appropriated funds.
- Appeals
None. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the National Park Service will provide applicants with information on why their proposals were not selected for award, upon request.
Grant opportunities
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Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 966 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Save The Redwoods League | $18,208,393 | 9% |
| 2 | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy | $17,692,734 | 9% |
| 3 | County Of Merced | $14,445,967 | 7% |
| 4 | Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources | $9,573,000 | 5% |
| 5 | New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology | $7,790,531 | 4% |
| 6 | Conservation Legacy | $7,665,827 | 4% |
| 7 | California Institute Of Environmental Studies | $6,883,903 | 3% |
| 8 | Schoodic Institute At Acadia National Park | $6,111,744 | 3% |
| 9 | Texas Railroad Comm | $5,761,283 | 3% |
| 10 | Santa Monica Mountains Fund | $4,874,621 | 2% |
10 of 316 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$100,000 |
| FY2025 | $31,082,422 |
| FY2024 | $21,743,567 |
| FY2023 | $20,874,921 |
| FY2022 | $13,300,575 |
| FY2021 | $16,900,981 |
| FY2020 | $12,909,869 |
| FY2019 | $17,708,280 |
| FY2018 | $12,417,909 |
| FY2017 | $13,645,710 |
| FY2016 | $13,314,435 |
| FY2015 | $9,087,275 |
| FY2014 | $13,070,757 |
| FY2013 | $8,216,859 |
Show all 14
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.944?
Assistance Listing 15.944 is Natural Resource Stewardship, a federal grant program run by National Park Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Natural Resource Stewardship?
Its CFDA number is 15.944: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.944 awarded?
966 grant awards under 15.944 have obligated $204,426,656 in federal funds to 316 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.944?
The recipients obligated the most under Natural Resource Stewardship are Save The Redwoods League ($18,208,393), Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy ($17,692,734) and County Of Merced ($14,445,967).
How much did 15.944 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.944 obligated $31,082,422 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.944?
None of the latest 50 opportunities under 15.944 is open now. The latest, Inventory of Bats to Inform Park Resource Management at Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Cumberland Island National Seashore and Timucuan Preserve, was posted on April 12, 2024.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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