National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.954
- Agency
-
National Park Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 2,204 $351,290,784 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project 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 Department of the Interior National Park Service funds natural and cultural resource conservation, protection, outreach, and education projects through the Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education program (CFDA 15.954), with the most recent grant award disbursed on February 9, 2026.
The program backs habitat restoration, historic feature preservation, visitor access improvement, environmental education, invasive species control, trail maintenance, tribal consultation and cultural programs, and climate adaptation work across national parks and monuments. Recent awards funded youth engagement programs (including civic education at Civil War battlefields and water safety training in American Samoa), trail restoration and invasive plant management, groundwater monitoring adjacent to Yellowstone to protect geothermal resources, forest management and invasive species removal, and interpretive programming at cultural and historic sites.
Cooperative Agreements dominate the assistance-type mix at 98 percent of awards, with Project Grants and Block Grants comprising the remainder. The program is administered primarily through five NPS organizational units: the National Office leads by federal dollars obligated at $118.7 million across 220 awards, followed by the Pacific West Region ($67.8 million, 203 awards), the main NPS entity ($79.6 million, 1,399 awards), the Northeast Region ($36.1 million, 85 awards), and the Intermountain Region ($19.7 million, 154 awards). Combined federal dollars obligated total $351.3 million, with recipients contributing $46 million in non-federal cost-share.
Award cadence is consistent: the program averaged 61 awards annually over the past five years (59 in 2022, 64 in 2023, 65 in 2024, 59 in 2025, with only 2 awards recorded as of February 2026, reflecting a partial-year snapshot). Award magnitudes range from under $10 thousand to multimillion-dollar projects; representative recent examples include decommissioning 50 miles of legacy logging roads in Redwood National Park ($17.8 million), supporting Junior Ranger programming nationwide ($905 thousand), and trail restoration at Mount Rainier ($66.7 thousand). One mega-award to Capital Concerts, Inc. for Memorial Day and Independence Day concerts at the Capitol ($10.4 million) stands apart as a non-competitive, congressionally authorized award.
Two grant opportunities are currently open. The National Parks Business Plan Internship (P26AS00055) seeks a Cooperative Agreement partner to administer a graduate-level internship program in business management and operations, with applications due January 4, 2027; eligible applicants include state, local, and tribal governments, public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofits. Public Programming and Educational Outreach for Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park (P26AS00046) seeks a partner to support events and programs across five Brown communities leading to a seventy-fifth anniversary commemoration in 2029, with applications due February 9, 2026; eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, state and local governments, and federally recognized tribes. Consultation with NPS prior to application submission is strongly recommended for both opportunities.
Objective and description
- Objective
This program supports projects complementary to National Park Service program efforts in natural and cultural resource conservation, protection, and environmental sustainability. This program funds projects that support the mission of the National
- Description
This program supports projects that help care for and protect the natural and cultural resources found on public lands while expanding opportunities for people to learn about and enjoy these places. Funding may be used for activities such as restoring habitats, preserving historic features, improving visitor access, and offering educational programs that connect communities with nature, history, and science. The program also helps strengthen environmental sustainability by supporting projects that reduce impacts to sensitive resources and promote responsible outdoor recreation. This assistance listing serves a broad group of partners, including nonprofit organizations, government entities, industry groups, researchers, and members of the public who benefit from healthier landscapes, improved access, and expanded learning opportunities.
Eligibility
- Beneficiary eligibility
Profit organizations, public nonprofit institutions/organizations, private nonprofit institutions/organizations, and State, local and tribal governments, industry and public decision makers, research scientists, engineers, and the general public.
- Uses of assistance
Applications must be for projects within the National Park Service area of responsibility. 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
Consultation with NPS is strongly recommended prior to submission of applications.
- 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
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
Show 40 more
Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 2,204 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downeast Transportation, Inc. | $27,036,179 | 8% |
| 2 | Capital Concerts, Inc. | $18,219,074 | 5% |
| 3 | Save The Redwoods League | $17,837,304 | 5% |
| 4 | City Of Visalia | $16,897,585 | 5% |
| 5 | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy | $12,229,504 | 3% |
| 6 | National Park Foundation | $12,201,133 | 3% |
| 7 | Blue Star Families Inc. | $11,753,098 | 3% |
| 8 | City & County San Fran | $11,480,726 | 3% |
| 9 | National Park Trust, Inc. | $10,983,000 | 3% |
| 10 | Accokeek Foundation Inc. | $8,953,000 | 3% |
10 of 735 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $6,377,015 |
| FY2025 | $58,109,540 |
| FY2024 | $32,938,098 |
| FY2023 | $28,771,609 |
| FY2022 | $21,163,065 |
| FY2021 | $27,083,353 |
| FY2020 | $18,415,897 |
| FY2019 | $19,567,543 |
| FY2018 | $20,954,728 |
| FY2017 | $23,720,508 |
| FY2016 | $32,401,414 |
| FY2015 | $27,350,722 |
| FY2014 | $20,117,610 |
| FY2013 | $19,900,594 |
Show all 14
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.954?
Assistance Listing 15.954 is National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education, a federal grant program run by National Park Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education?
Its CFDA number is 15.954: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.954 awarded?
2,204 grant awards under 15.954 have obligated $351,290,784 in federal funds to 735 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.954?
The recipients obligated the most under National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education are Downeast Transportation, Inc. ($27,036,179), Capital Concerts, Inc. ($18,219,074) and Save The Redwoods League ($17,837,304).
How much did 15.954 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.954 obligated $58,109,540 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.954?
1 of the latest 50 opportunities under 15.954 is open or forecasted. The latest, National Parks Business Plan Internship, was posted on September 28, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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