North America Wetlands Conservation Act 2020-1 U.S. Standard Grants | F19AS00031

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00031

The North America Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) 2020-1 U.S. Standard Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00031) is a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). It provides competitive funding to support on-the-ground wetlands conservation work within the United States, specifically projects that advance the goals of NAWCA by delivering lasting benefits for migratory birds. The program is designed to encourage strong public-private partnerships, meaning proposals are generally expected to be collaborative efforts that combine the capacity of government agencies, nonprofits, conservation organizations, and other partners to achieve measurable habitat outcomes.

The core purpose of the program is habitat-focused and long-term in nature. Funded projects must involve only the long-term protection, restoration, enhancement, and/or establishment of wetland habitats and associated upland habitats. In practical terms, this can include activities such as securing permanent conservation protection (for example, through acquisition or conservation easements), restoring degraded wetlands, improving habitat quality through enhancement actions, or creating/establishing wetlands where appropriate. A central requirement is that these habitat actions must be aimed at benefiting migratory birds, aligning the program squarely with broader continental bird conservation priorities and the statute that authorizes NAWCA.

A key financial feature of this opportunity is the matching requirement: applicants must provide a 1:1 non-federal match. This means every federal dollar requested must be matched by at least one dollar from non-federal sources, which can come from partners and other eligible non-federal contributions. Because the program is built around leveraging federal funds with partner resources, the competitiveness of a proposal often depends on both the conservation impact and the strength and credibility of the partner match.

The opportunity is open in terms of applicant type, listed as “Unrestricted,” meaning it is broadly available to any type of entity as long as it meets any additional eligibility details included in the full announcement. The funding activity category is Environment and Natural Resources, and the assistance listing is CFDA 15.623. Importantly, the program does not fund research; research funding is explicitly ineligible. The emphasis is on implementation and tangible habitat outcomes rather than studies or exploratory work.

For this cycle, the announcement indicates an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award and an expectation of approximately 50 awards. The posting lists a creation date of December 20, 2018, with an original closing date of February 22, 2019. Submission requirements included sending the SF-424 and SF-424D forms through Grants.gov by midnight Eastern Time on the closing date, along with emailing the proposal and other required documents to the designated FWS email address by the same deadline. This reflects a dual-submission process where standard federal forms are routed through Grants.gov while the full proposal package is also provided directly to the program office for review.

Finally, the opportunity is framed as supporting the broader Department of the Interior and FWS mission to conserve and manage the nation’s natural resources. The grant program explicitly ties wetlands conservation to collaboration with partners and stakeholders, conservation of land and water, and expanding outdoor recreation and access. In other words, while migratory bird habitat is the central driver, the program also fits within a wider public benefit context that includes durable conservation outcomes and, where relevant, improved opportunities for people to engage with conserved landscapes.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "North America Wetlands Conservation Act 2020-1 U.S. Standard Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.623.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 20, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 22, 2019 February 22,2019 SF-424 and SF-424D due to grants.gov by midnight EST on February 22, 2019. Email proposal and other documents to dbhc@fws.gov by midnight EST on February 22, 2019.. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for F19AS00031

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