Search Grant Opportunities

Highlands Conservation Act - Pilot - Under-Resourced Communities Funding Round

ID: F24AS00447 • Type: Posted

Description

The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the permanent protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Subject to availability of funds through Federal appropriation, Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region. Highland States may also request that the Service add Municipalities from within the identified Expanded Opportunity Area for the Highlands Landscape to the Highlands Region. In recent years, funding appropriated under the HCA has been divided into two separate categories Base and Competitive. Notice of Funding Opportunities for the Base and Competitive rounds are posted separately.This Notice of Funding Opportunity is a pilot grant round for land protection projects in under-resourced and under-served communities within the Highlands Region. Eligible areas for land conservation for this grant round are shown here: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a9614d676a704ee482a1112449a10cce/page/Main/Once the map is open, click the box next to under-resourced communities in the highlands region layer to make the layer visible. Land or easement acquisition projects within this layer and in the eligible Highlands Region are eligible for funding. A project may not be proposed for funding in multiple funding opportunities.An online overview of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is scheduled for Friday, September 27 at 11:00 AM EST. Email the Service contact (Section G.1) to receive an invitation for the overview.
Background
The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the permanent protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region.

The program supports land conservation projects where a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value. This pilot grant round specifically targets under-resourced and underserved communities within the Highlands Region.

Grant Details
Eligible areas for land conservation are defined in a specific GIS layer that can be accessed online. Projects eligible for funding must involve land or easement acquisition within this layer.

The HCA grant program funds only land acquisition projects and associated administrative costs. Each project must not be proposed for funding in multiple opportunities. The total Federal funding request cannot exceed 50% of the total project cost, with a maximum award amount of $830,862 and a minimum award amount of $25,000. The program anticipates awarding up to 4 grants totaling approximately $3,323,450.

Eligibility Requirements
Only Lead State Agencies designated by the Governors of each Highlands State may apply for funding. Eligible applicants include state governments from Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. A 50% non-Federal cost share is required for all projects.

Period of Performance
The anticipated project start date is January 31, 2025, with project periods lasting no longer than four years from the date the grantee is notified of an award. A one-year extension may be considered under extenuating circumstances.

Grant Value
The total estimated funding available is $3,323,450 with individual grants ranging from $25,000 to $830,862.

Place of Performance
The grant will be performed within the Highlands Region encompassing parts of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
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Overview

Agency
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) [DOI]
Category of Funding
Natural Resources
Funding Instruments
Grant
Grant Program (CFDA)
15.667 - Highlands Conservation
Grant Category
Discretionary
Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement
True
Source
Grants.gov
On 8/29/24 Fish and Wildlife Service posted grant opportunity F24AS00447 for Highlands Conservation Act - Pilot - Under-Resourced Communities Funding Round with funding of $3.3 million. The grant will be issued under grant program 15.667 Highlands Conservation.

Timing

Posted Date
Aug. 29, 2024, 12:00 a.m. EDT
Closing Date
Dec. 31, 2024, 12:00 a.m. EST Due in 114 Days
Closing Date Explanation
Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed application due date.APPLICATION CHECKLISTProject AbstractProject NarrativeProject Criteria (section E.1)Separate Budget Narrative (including Request for Pre-Agreement Costs if applicable)Indirect Cost Statement and related documentationConflict of Interest DisclosureSingle Audit Reporting StatementSF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (when applicable)Overlap or Duplication of Effort StatementSF-424, Application for Federal AssistanceSF-424C, Budget InformationFailure to provide complete information may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of the application.
Last Updated
Aug. 29, 2024, 2:30 p.m. EDT
Version
1

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants
State governments
Additional Info
Only the Lead State Agency (or Agencies), as determined by the Governor of each Highlands State, may be the applicant for funding under the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program. If the Governor assigns multiple Lead Agencies, those Agencies must coordinate on funding requests prior to submission and ensure no more than the maximum allowable amount is requested through this funding opportunity. All or part of the funds received by the Lead State Agency may be subawarded to a County or Municipality within the Highlands Region, or to another State Conservation Agency.The current Lead State Agencies are:Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Contact Matt Starr: matthew.starr@ct.govNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Contact Lynn Kovach: lynn.kovach@parks.ny.govNew Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Contact Liz Ward: elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.govPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Contact Dan Pierce: danipierce@pa.gov

Award Sizing

Ceiling
$830,862
Floor
$25,000
Estimated Program Funding
$3,323,450
Estimated Number of Grants
Not Listed

Contacts

Contact
Fish and Wildlife Service
Contact Email
jason_rasku@fws.gov   Profile
Contact Phone
22041-3803

Documents

Posted documents for F24AS00447

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