National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements | F19AS00034

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00034

The National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00034) is a discretionary federal funding program run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. It is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal agency expects to stay actively involved in the funded work rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant. The overall purpose is to support improvements and enhancement activities within the National Wildlife Refuge System, aligning on-the-ground conservation and public-benefit projects with the legal authorities that govern refuge management, wildlife conservation, recreation, youth conservation engagement, cultural and archaeological resource protection, and certain transportation-related improvements.

This opportunity is grounded in multiple federal statutes that collectively define what kinds of refuge-related work can be supported. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and the Fish and Wildlife Act provide broad authority for conserving fish and wildlife resources and supporting management actions that sustain those resources over time. The Refuge Recreation Act and the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act are key authorities for managing refuges and providing compatible wildlife-dependent recreation, which can include activities like hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, environmental education, and interpretation when those uses fit refuge purposes and do not compromise conservation goals. The Public Lands Corps Act (including Youth Conservation Corps provisions) supports engaging young people and conservation corps in public lands projects, which often translates into hands-on stewardship, habitat work, restoration, maintenance, and skills-building service projects. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act signals that projects may involve, affect, or need to safeguard cultural and archaeological resources on refuge lands, requiring careful compliance and protection measures. The inclusion of Federal Aid for Highways provisions suggests that some enhancement work could involve eligible access, roads, or related infrastructure components tied to refuge use and management, where appropriate and allowable.

Eligibility for this funding was limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education. In practice, that points to conservation nonprofits, friends groups, and similar charitable organizations that can partner with the Fish and Wildlife Service to implement refuge enhancements. Because it is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect substantial coordination with the Service during planning, implementation, reporting, and potentially in technical decision-making, compliance steps, or project oversight.

The funding details show a very large maximum award amount, with an award ceiling of $22,418,000 and an expectation of a single award. That combination strongly indicates the program was designed for a large, potentially nationwide or multi-site effort rather than many small, independent projects. The assistance listing (CFDA 15.654) corresponds to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge-related assistance, reinforcing that the work is intended to directly benefit refuge lands, resources, visitor services, and/or supporting infrastructure consistent with refuge purposes.

The timeline for the opportunity reflects a specific application window in late 2018. The notice was created on October 30, 2018, and applications were due by November 30, 2018, no later than 4 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Applications were accepted through Grants.gov or by email, which is a useful detail for understanding how the agency expected to receive submissions and how strict the deadline was. Overall, this opportunity can be understood as a large-scale cooperative funding action aimed at tangible refuge system enhancements, implemented through an eligible nonprofit partner, under a suite of conservation, recreation, youth corps, cultural resource, and transportation-related federal authorities.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 30, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 30, 2018 Applications are due via grants.gov or via email no later than 4 p.m. MST, November 30, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $22,418,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for F19AS00034

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