National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Now Accepting Applications For Chesapeake Watershed Defense WILD Grants

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is soliciting proposals through the 2026 Chesapeake Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (WILD) Grants Program to protect and restore water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams.  Applications are due April 9.

NFWF will award funding through three distinct funding opportunities--

-- WILD Implementation grants of $75,000 to $500,000 will be awarded for projects that result in direct and measurable on-the-ground actions to restore, conserve, and connect fish and wildlife habitats.

-- WILD Collaborative Conservation grants of up to $200,000 will be awarded for projects that support and enhance the capacity of partnerships, networks, and other collaborative models working collaboratively to advance place-based, landscape-scale, and cross-jurisdictional habitat restoration, conservation, and connectivity outcomes.  

-- WILD Planning and Technical Assistance (PTA) grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded for projects that help advance future on-the-ground actions to restore, conserve, and connect fish and wildlife habitats and related conservation benefits in the Bay watershed through community-based assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.  

Jan. 27 Webinar

NFWF will host an applicant webinar detailing this Request for Proposals at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Interested applicants must register in order to participate. 

A recording of the webinar will be made available on the program page by Thursday, January 29, 2026.

Consultation

While NFWF does not require consultation prior to application, we strongly encourage interested applicants to schedule a proposal lab with NFWF staff and/or contact its contracted field liaisons to discuss their proposed project to gather constructive feedback in developing a competitive proposal and to obtain guidance on the most appropriate program and funding opportunity for project consideration.  

Interested applicants may schedule virtual Chesapeake WILD Proposal Lab project consultations with NFWF staff here and are also encouraged to review the Applicant Toolbox for further guidance on proposal development.

For all the details, visit the NFWF Chesapeake WILD Grants webpage.

Related Articles This Week:

-- PennVEST Now Accepting Proposals For Nutrient, Sediment Reduction Projects For Funding Thru Clean Water Procurement Program  [PaEN] 

-- National Fish And Wildlife Foundation Now Accepting Applications For Chesapeake Watershed Defense WILD Grants  [PaEN]

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[Posted: January 21, 2026]  PA Environment Digest