F25AS00008 - NAWCA 2025 Canada Grants | F25AS00008

Opportunity Information: Apply for F25AS00008

F25AS00008, NAWCA 2025 Canada Grants, is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.623) that supports on-the-ground wetland conservation in Canada through strong, multi-partner collaborations. The program is built around the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and is designed to help partners protect and manage an appropriate distribution and diversity of wetland ecosystems and associated habitats that migratory birds and other wildlife rely on across North America. A central emphasis is sustaining and improving the geographic distributions and long-term viability of wetlands-associated migratory bird populations, including waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and swans, while also benefiting other fish and wildlife that depend on wetland systems.

Projects are expected to align with major continental bird conservation strategies and international commitments, including the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, the Waterbird Conservation Plan for the Americas, the Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan, and migratory bird treaties and conventions involving Canada, Mexico, and other countries. In practical terms, proposals should clearly show how partner activities will lead to durable, effective conservation outcomes over the long term, not just short-term habitat work. The program is explicitly partnership-driven, so applicants are generally expected to demonstrate coordinated roles, shared conservation goals, and credible long-term stewardship arrangements that keep conservation benefits in place after the grant period ends.

NAWCA Canada funds two broad categories of conservation work. The first is acquisition-focused: purchasing property that contains wetlands and associated habitats, including water rights where relevant, with the expectation that the acquired lands will be administered for long-term conservation and managed to benefit migratory birds and other wildlife. The second is habitat improvement-focused: restoration, enhancement, or management actions applied to wetland ecosystems and related habitats, again with the requirement that the lands and waters involved will be administered for long-term conservation. The long-term administration requirement is important because it signals that projects should be secured by lasting protection measures or management commitments rather than temporary improvements that could be reversed.

The opportunity also highlights broader environmental and policy outcomes that NAWCA Canada proposals can support, including reducing climate pollution, building climate resilience, advancing land conservation and biodiversity goals, and leveraging partnerships to multiply impact. In other words, while the program is rooted in migratory bird habitat conservation, it is also positioned to support projects that strengthen ecosystems in ways that help communities and wildlife adapt to changing climate conditions, protect carbon-storing landscapes, and conserve biodiversity at meaningful scales.

Eligible applicants span a wide range of entities, including state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions); and small businesses. The funding instrument is a grant, and the listed award ceiling is up to $10,000,000. The opportunity lists an original closing date of August 5, 2024, and interested applicants should confirm current deadlines and any updates in the official posting and program materials. Additional program details and guidance are available through the NAWCA Canada program page maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at https://fws.gov/service/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act-nawca-grants-canada.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F25AS00008 - NAWCA 2025 Canada Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.623.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-05. (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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Small businesses.

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