National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements | F19AS00293

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00293

The National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00293) was a discretionary funding program offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. It was structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the Fish and Wildlife Service expected to have substantial involvement in the project during implementation (for example, coordination on project design, technical oversight, or shared decision-making as work proceeds), rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal participation.

The purpose of the opportunity, as reflected in both its title and the legal authorities cited, was to support enhancements to the National Wildlife Refuge System. While the posted description is largely a list of statutory authorities rather than a narrative statement of work, those authorities collectively point to projects that conserve fish and wildlife resources, strengthen habitat and wildlife-dependent recreation on refuges, improve refuge management and administration, and support related public-benefit activities such as youth and conservation corps work, protection of archaeological resources, and certain transportation or access-related improvements connected to federal-aid highway provisions. In practical terms, the program was positioned to fund work that improves refuge lands and waters for conservation outcomes and for compatible public uses, such as wildlife observation, hunting, fishing, environmental education, and interpretation, as allowed under refuge laws and policy.

Eligibility was limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education. That eligibility framing suggests the program was aimed at established conservation or community-based nonprofits capable of partnering with the Fish and Wildlife Service to plan and deliver on-the-ground refuge enhancement work, potentially including stewardship projects, facility or visitor-access upgrades tied to refuge purposes, and engagement of youth or conservation corps participants where appropriate under the Public Lands Corps Act and Youth Conservation Corps authorities.

The funding activity categories listed were Disaster Prevention and Relief and Natural Resources, and the CFDA number associated with the program was 15.654. The opportunity anticipated making a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with a stated award ceiling of $4,975,389. This combination of a high ceiling and only one expected award indicates the agency likely intended one large-scale project or a bundled set of related enhancement efforts administered through one lead nonprofit partner, rather than multiple smaller awards to different organizations.

The timeline for the competition was short. The opportunity was created on July 10, 2019, with an original closing deadline of July 16, 2019, at 4:00 p.m. MDT. Applications were to be submitted through Grants.gov (preferred) or by email, and all required documents and forms needed to be received by the deadline. This tight window often signals either a targeted competition, a continuation or expansion of an existing partnership, or an urgent need to obligate funds quickly for time-sensitive work, though the source text does not explicitly state the reason.

The legal authorities cited provide the backbone for the types of activities that could be supported. They include the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and the Fish and Wildlife Act (broad conservation and management authorities), the Refuge Recreation Act (authorities related to recreation and visitor services on refuges), and the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (the core statute governing refuge system management and compatible uses). The inclusion of the Public Lands Corps Act and Youth Conservation Corps authorities indicates support for conservation work that can be carried out through corps-style programs, including youth engagement and job-skill development tied to public lands stewardship. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act reference suggests that projects involving ground disturbance, site protection, or cultural resource stewardship would need to align with federal protections for archaeological resources. Finally, the references to Federal Aid for Highways provisions (23 U.S.C. 201, 204, and 206) point toward potential connections with access, roads, or transportation-related improvements where appropriate and legally allowable, especially when such infrastructure supports refuge purposes and visitor or management access.

In summary, this opportunity was a single, potentially multi-million-dollar cooperative agreement intended for a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit partner to help the Fish and Wildlife Service carry out significant enhancements across the National Wildlife Refuge System, grounded in major federal conservation, refuge management, recreation, corps employment, cultural resource protection, and certain transportation/access authorities, with applications due mid-July 2019.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the disaster prevention and relief, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 10, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by All required documents and forms are due no later than Tuesday, July 16, 2019, by 4 p.m. MDT whether submitted via grants.gov (preferred) or via email.. (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 $4,975,389.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for F19AS00293

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