2020 National Fish Habitat Action Plan | F20AS00018

Opportunity Information: Apply for F20AS00018

The 2020 National Fish Habitat Action Plan grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F20AS00018) is a discretionary funding program run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service under the Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance Program (CFDA 15.608). Its purpose is to provide both technical support and financial assistance to a wide range of partners working to conserve and manage fish and wildlife resources, with a strong emphasis on on-the-ground aquatic habitat conservation. A key part of the program is helping prevent, reduce, and manage the establishment and spread of aquatic invasive species and the damage they can cause to native ecosystems, fisheries, and habitat quality.

Projects funded through this opportunity are expected to align with the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, meaning they should be clearly aimed at protecting, restoring, or enhancing fish and aquatic habitats. In practice, that can include activities that improve habitat condition, reconnect or rehabilitate aquatic systems, address barriers to fish movement, improve water quality or in-stream habitat structure, or otherwise strengthen the ecological function of rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and other aquatic environments. While the program is conservation-focused, it also explicitly recognizes the public benefits of healthy fisheries. Projects should directly or indirectly support public access to recreational fishing opportunities and encourage the sustainable use of natural resources, which can include improving habitat that supports recreational fisheries, maintaining access points, or supporting broader watershed conditions that keep fishing opportunities viable over time.

Eligibility for this opportunity is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open broadly to many types of applicants, with any constraints dependent on details contained in the full opportunity guidance. The listed eligible partners include other federal agencies, state governments, local governments, Native American tribes, non-governmental organizations, citizen groups, and private landowners. This broad eligibility reflects the program's partnership model and its intent to move habitat work forward wherever it can be most effective, including on public and private lands.

Awards may be made as either grants or cooperative agreements, indicating that some projects may involve substantial federal involvement or collaboration during project implementation (typical of cooperative agreements), while others may operate more independently under standard grant terms. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $900,000 and anticipates making around 80 awards, suggesting the program is designed to fund a relatively large number of projects that may range from small to moderately large efforts, depending on the habitat need, geographic scope, and partnership capacity.

A defining feature of this funding opportunity is that projects may be carried out by Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs) recognized by the National Fish Habitat Board, or by the partners of those Board-recognized FHPs. In other words, the program is structured to route habitat work through established regional or species-focused partnerships that already coordinate priorities and strategies for fish habitat conservation. Applicants are directed to work with their local Fish Habitat Partnership to determine the appropriate submission process and the specific deadline, because the closing date is not a single national deadline; instead, the submission timeline depends on the relevant local FHP process. Additional information about Fish Habitat Partnerships and their partners is available through www.fishhabitat.org, which serves as the central resource for identifying the appropriate partnership and understanding how projects are prioritized and advanced within the National Fish Habitat framework.

In summary, this opportunity funds collaborative, habitat-focused conservation actions that advance the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, reduce threats like aquatic invasive species, and contribute to sustainable fisheries and recreational fishing access. It is open to a wide set of applicants and is implemented through recognized Fish Habitat Partnerships, with deadlines and submission details coordinated at the local partnership level rather than through a single universal closing date.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2020 National Fish Habitat Action Plan" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 10, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Contact local FHP to determine submittal deadline.. (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 $900,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 80 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 F20AS00018

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