Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., serves as a recipient of federal grants to provide wildlife conservation coordination, program management, and professional development services to state fish and wildlife agencies and federal partners. The organization operates as a prime recipient on 304 of 308 recent awards (99%) and functions as a national convener and capacity-builder for state-level fish and wildlife management aligned with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

The organization's federal footprint centers on grant-funded coordination and program-management work spanning climate adaptation, fish habitat conservation, waterfowl management, and furbearer trapping best practices. Representative work includes a $300,000 Cooperative Agreement from the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (CFDA 10.028, Wildlife Services program) awarded September 2026 to develop methods improving animal welfare in trapping programs through August 2027; a $705,359.84 Project Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Multistate Conservation Grant Program (CFDA 15.628) to support leadership development in state and tribal fish and wildlife agencies through December 2025; and a $300,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.670, Adaptive Science program) awarded June 2023 to facilitate communication and science coordination on fish and wildlife health and "One Health" issues through July 2026. Additional work includes program management for the National Fish Habitat Partnership ($272,036 Cooperative Agreement, CFDA 15.686, May 2025), North American Waterfowl Management Plan communications and marketing ($144,000 Project Grant, CFDA 15.637, April 2025), and coordination of state agency input on USDA Farm Bill conservation programs and renewable energy impacts on golden eagle monitoring (Cooperative Agreements with Bureau of Land Management, September 2024 through September 2026).

Customer concentration reflects a dominant relationship with the Department of the Interior. The top five funding sources account for 82% of award count, led by DOI Fish and Wildlife Service Region 9 Headquarters (116 awards, $27 thousand combined potential value), DOI Fish and Wildlife Service (76 awards), and Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (43 awards). The potential-value ranking diverges: DOI U.S. Geological Survey Office of Acquisitions and Grants carries 11 awards valued at $132 thousand combined, while Region 9 Headquarters accounts for higher volume but smaller reported potential values in the source. This pattern reflects the grant-dominated footprint—many recurring, smaller-dollar annual cooperative agreements and project grants rather than large single awards.

Recent activity shows declining award volume after 2024 peak: eleven awards in 2022, 21 in 2023, 20 in 2024, 14 in 2025, and two through September 2026. Eight awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months. The combined potential value across all 308 awards totals $355 thousand, but actual obligated dollars reach $45.4 million, indicating that the source's potential-value field understates true federal investment in this recipient—obligated amounts have reached 12,797% of reported potential value, a signal that annual recurring grants have accumulated substantial realized funding over the grant periods. This discrepancy underscores AFWA's role as a sustained, multi-year coordinator of federal conservation initiatives rather than a vendor executing discrete task orders.

The organization works as a sub-recipient in four recent awards, including Project WILD curriculum development work with the North American Association for Environmental Education (sub-awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025) and a 2026 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife sub-award from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. AFWA's capability portfolio centers on stakeholder convening, best-practices documentation, professional development delivery through its Management Assistance Team and National Conservation Leadership Institute, data management and communications support for multi-partner conservation initiatives, legal strategy advising through its Legal Strategy Advisory Council ("Think Tank"), and coordination of state-agency input into federal conservation policy—particularly on climate adaptation, habitat restoration, trapping standards, farm bill implementation, and international wildlife trade forums (CITES, IUCN). The organization does not compete for federal contracts and does not hold seats on government-wide acquisition vehicles or schedule contracts.