F24AS00446 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round | F24AS00446

Opportunity Information: Apply for F24AS00446

The Highlands Conservation Act (HCA) Program, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, supports land conservation efforts in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to protect natural resources in the Highlands Region. This funding opportunity provides grants for state, county, or municipal entities to acquire land or conservation easements from willing sellers.

Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for grants covering up to 50% of the total cost of qualified land conservation projects. They may also request expanding the eligible municipalities within the Highlands Landscape. Funding is divided into three categories: **Base Funding**, **Competitive Funds**, and a **new pilot program for under-resourced and under-served communities**. This announcement specifically pertains to the Base Funding Round. Projects cannot apply for multiple funding opportunities simultaneously.

The only eligible applicants are the designated **Lead State Agencies** chosen by each state's governor. If multiple Lead Agencies exist, they must coordinate funding requests to ensure they do not exceed the maximum allowable amount. Lead Agencies may subaward funds to counties, municipalities, or other state conservation groups.

An online overview session is scheduled for **Friday, September 27 at 11:00 AM EST**. Interested applicants should contact the Service representative listed in Section G.1 for an invitation.

Current Lead State Agencies and contacts: - **Connecticut**: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection – Matt Starr (matthew.starr@ct.gov) - **New York**: State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation – Lynn Kovach (lynn.kovach@parks.ny.gov) - **New Jersey**: Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council – Liz Ward (elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.gov) - **Pennsylvania**: Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Dan Pierce (danipierce@pa.gov)

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F24AS00446 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.667.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2025.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,462,500.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F24AS00446

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: