The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (“Section 6”) provides funding to states and territories (as authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act) for species and habitat conservation on non-federal lands. The Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Recovery Land Acquisition (RLA) grants under Section 6 are funded through LWCF and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
The HCP Land Acquisition program promotes voluntary conservation in areas where landowners, states, and other stakeholders have agreed on conservation and development goals. Combined with state, local, and private contributions toward habitat protection, this competitive grant funding has been an important and effective mechanism to avoid land-use conflicts and to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species, providing additional protected habitat while allowing development to proceed in other areas with a minimum of red tape.
RLA grants similarly provide states and landowners an opportunity to protect habitat essential to listed species as a problem-solving alternative to the regulatory process; grant funds are matched by states and non-federal entities to acquire these habitats from willing sellers in support of approved species recovery plans.
Nonprofit partners can collaborate with states and municipalities to identify community needs, develop a strong grant application, and secure matching funds from a variety of public and private sources.
Habitat Conservation Plan Grant Eligibility
- Funding may only be awarded to States and U.S. Territories; however, individuals or groups such as counties or conservation organizations may work with a State agency that has a cooperative agreement on conservation efforts that are mutually beneficial, as a subgrantee.
- States and Territories must contribute a minimum non-Federal match of 25% of the estimated project costs, or 10% when two or more States or Territories implement a joint project.
- The Regional Director shall waive up to $200,000 of the required match for each grant awarded to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- State or Territory must currently have, or enter into, a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior to receive grants.
- To be considered for funding under this opportunity, the land proposed for acquisition must benefit at least one eligible species included on an active section 10(a)(1)(B) permit. The following species are eligible for consideration under this funding opportunity if included on the section 10(a)(1)(B) permit:
- Federally listed species
- Candidate species
- At-risk species
Recovery Land Acquisition Grant Eligibility
- Funding may only be awarded to States and U.S. Territories; however, individuals or groups such as counties or conservation organizations may work with a State agency that has a cooperative agreement on conservation efforts that are mutually beneficial, as a subgrantee.
- States and Territories must contribute a minimum non-Federal match of 25% of the estimated project costs, or 10% when two or more States or Territories implement a joint project.
- The Regional Director shall waive up to $200,000 of the required match for each grant awarded to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- State or Territory must currently have, or enter into, a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior to receive grants.
- To be considered for funding through this opportunity, the land proposed for acquisition must benefit at least one listed species for which (1) habitat loss is identified as a threat; and (2) habitat protection is identified as a priority recovery action in the species’ most recently approved recovery planning document.
Grant Announcements
- FY20 HCP Grant Funding Notice - Closed 4/9/21
- FY20 RLA Grant Funding Notice - Closed 4/9/21
More Information
Previous Year Grant Awards
**A property may not be submitted for funding consideration under both the RLA Grant Program and the HCP Land Acquisition Grant Program in the same fiscal year.**
Top Photo: Washington County HCP, Utah, Credit: Mike Schirf