F25AS00289 FY 2025 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Traditional Conservation Grants Program Region 2 | F25AS00289

Opportunity Information: Apply for F25AS00289

Funding Opportunity F25AS00289 is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, specifically the Traditional Conservation Grants Program for FY 2025 in Region 2. Its main purpose is to strengthen and support State and Territorial programs that conserve and help recover threatened and endangered species that fall under FWS jurisdiction. The program is geared toward practical, on-the-ground conservation results, and proposals are expected to show a clear line of sight between the work being funded and measurable benefits to a species or its habitat, either by advancing recovery of listed species or by reducing the likelihood that a species will need to be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Eligible applicants are limited to State governments, and more specifically to State agencies that already have a Section 6(c) cooperative agreement in place with FWS under the ESA, or that will enter into or reconfirm that cooperative agreement within 30 days after the application deadline. A complete, signed cooperative agreement must be in place before FWS can obligate any federal funds for a project, so eligibility is tightly tied to that formal State-FWS partnership. Although funding is awarded only to States, the opportunity explicitly recognizes that local governments, counties, tribes (if working through the State), universities, and conservation organizations may participate through the State as subgrantees or partners, as long as the State remains the applicant and primary recipient.

The work that can be funded centers on voluntary conservation efforts carried out within the United States. To be considered, applications must request support for conservation work on federally listed resident species that are currently covered by the State’s Section 6 cooperative agreement. In addition to listed species work, States may also seek funding to monitor species that meet certain status categories by the application deadline, including candidate species, “eligible unlisted” species, and species that have been delisted due to recovery within the past five years. Funded projects can include management actions, research, monitoring, and outreach, or any combination of these, as long as the proposal spells out how those activities directly contribute to recovery outcomes or proactive conservation goals.

Project alignment with recovery planning is a core requirement. Activities supported under a grant must be consistent with approved or draft recovery plans, and proposed work cannot conflict with an approved recovery plan (with relevant regulatory citations including 50 CFR 81.2). In practice, this means proposals should reference the recovery plan framework and explain which objectives, actions, or limiting factors the project addresses, rather than describing conservation work in general terms. Competitive applications are expected to be specific about methods, locations, target populations or habitats, deliverables, and how success will be evaluated, because the program prioritizes proposals that demonstrate a direct benefit to the species or its habitat.

Several important compliance and cost rules shape what can and cannot be proposed. If a project involves “take,” interstate transport, introducing wildlife outside its historical range, or holding wildlife in captivity for more than 45 days, a permit from the Regional Director may be required, and an Environmental Assessment must be submitted in advance if those activities are anticipated (referencing 50 CFR 81.9 and related requirements). The grant also cannot be used, either with federal funds or the required non-federal cost share, to satisfy ESA regulatory obligations. In other words, this money cannot be used to pay for compliance-driven mitigation, minimization, or monitoring required under Section 7 biological opinions, Section 10 habitat conservation plans, or other federal regulatory mitigation requirements (including examples like Clean Water Act permit mitigation). The opportunity also notes that applications cannot include FWS Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) costs, and that State administrative costs must be handled by the State or included only in ways that comply with federal cost principles and grant requirements.

From a budgeting and timing standpoint, the general rule is that only costs incurred and budgeted during the official period of performance are reimbursable, starting on the effective date established when the grant is approved. However, the program allows a State to request reimbursement for certain pre-award costs when they are necessary to meet the proposed schedule, but only if the grant is ultimately awarded, only if the costs would have been allowable if incurred after award, and only with written approval from the awarding agency (citing 2 CFR 200.458). Applicants can propose either new work or continuation work. For continuation projects, the application must briefly summarize accomplishments to date and explain why continued funding is justified, with consistent scope, objectives, and expected outcomes over time. One clear restriction is that land acquisition is not eligible under this funding opportunity, so proposals should focus on conservation actions other than purchasing land.

Key administrative details include the program’s CFDA number (15.615), the agency (Fish and Wildlife Service), and the activity category (Environment). The application deadline listed is October 20, 2025. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,428,564, and it indicates that awards are expected, though the exact number of awards is not specified in the provided text. Overall, the opportunity is designed for States that can demonstrate strong, recovery-focused conservation projects for listed species (and strategic monitoring for certain at-risk or recently recovered species), with clear benefits, solid alignment with recovery planning, and strict separation from regulatory mitigation or compliance obligations.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F25AS00289 FY 2025 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Traditional Conservation Grants Program Region 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.615.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-07-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-20. (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 $1,428,564.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F25AS00289

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