National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Now Accepting Applications For Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund Grants; Webinar Jan. 30; Project Coaching

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is now soliciting proposals through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF) to conserve, restore, and connect people with fish and wildlife habitat in the Delaware River watershed.

The deadline for applications is March 21.

The DWCF will award matching grants of $75,000 to $1,500,000 each to conserve, restore, and protect habitats on public and private land, across rural, urban, and Tribal areas, that contribute to the overall health of the Delaware River watershed—as well as benefit the quality of life and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed. 

Up to $14.4 million in grant funding is available. Major funding for the DWCF is provided by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and AstraZeneca.

NFWF will award DWCF grants in four grant categories including: Implementation Grants; Capacity Building Grants; Planning Grants; and Research, Monitoring & Evaluation Grants.

New in 2024, NFWF has approximately $400,000 in dedicated funding from NRCS to support projects under the DWCF working on private, working lands that provide technical assistance to direct staff resources to help agricultural producers design and implement conservation practices benefitting American Black Duck and Golden-winged warbler, target species under USDA's Working Lands for Wildlife program, within the watershed.  

Jan. 30 Webinar

NFWF will hold an informational webinar for potential applicants on January 30 starting at 10:00 a.m..

Click Here to register.  Click Here for on-demand for those unable to join.

Proposal Lab Coaching

Proposal labs provide a focused 30-minute one-on-one coaching session with NFWF and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Delaware River Watershed program staff. 

In these virtual sessions, partners can actively pitch their proposal ideas, receive coaching, constructive feedback, and work to enhance the competitiveness of their project proposals. 

Proposal Labs will be held on select Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons through March 12th.  January 24 is the first session.

Click Here to sign up. 

NFWF strongly encourages prospective applicants to contact NFWF program staff and use the resources above to obtain guidance on program fit and competitiveness and discuss proposed projects.

             Visit the NFWF Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund webpage for more information.

Related Article - Watersheds:

-- Mountain Watershed Assn. Files Petition To Designate Parts Of Donegal Township Unsuitable For Coal Mining In Westmoreland County  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Scientists Ponder How Well Are Farm Conservation Practices Helping The Chesapeake Bay?

-- NorthcentralPA.com: Sen. Yaw Elected Chair Of PA Delegation To Interstate Chesapeake Bay  Commission

-- Altoona Mirror: Altoona Water Authority Receives $134,000 DEP Grant For Passive Mine Drainage Treatment System

-- The Center Square: Voter Referendum For New Warehouses Proposed

-- Financial Times: Hurdles In Turning Soil Into A Carbon Sink By Adopting Regenerative Agriculture

[Posted: January 24, 2024]  PA Environment Digest