Wednesday, January 21, 2026

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:

-- DEP Invests $17.3 Million In 89 Local Growing Greener Projects In 40 Counties To Restore Streams, Reclaim Abandoned Mine Land, Improve Fish, Wildlife Habitats  [PaEN] 

-- Commonwealth Financing Authority Invests $110 Million In 445 Small Water, Sewer, Stormwater, Flood Control Projects; Multimodal Transportation Funding Also Approved [PaEN] 

-- 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]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 16 Funding Conservation Webinar On US Natural Resources Conservation Service  [PaEN] 

-- Delaware River Basin Commission Hosts Jan. 27 Webinar On New Report On The Impact Of Sea Level Rise On Salinity Intrusion In the Delaware River Estuary  [PaEN]  

-- DEP, Delaware River Basin Commission Offering 3-Part In-Person Water Loss Management Workshops For Water System Operators In March  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extensions Hosts March 16 Webinar On Water Law Basics For Farmers  [PaEN]  

-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters News: Gov. Shapiro Leads Chesapeake Bay Executive Council; 2024 Annual Report; Grant & Education Opportunities; Mussel Restoration; County Water Quality Improvement Projects ​​

-- Scientists And Lawmakers To Kick Off Winter Salt Week Jan. 26-30 At PA State Capitol To Tackle Road Salt Pollution  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- TribLive: Ice Blockage Restricting Pittsburgh Water Operations, Water Pressure, Service Could Be Impacted For Some Customers 

-- Post-Gazette: DEP Rejects Connoquenessing’s Controversial Sewage Facilities Plan 

-- WNEP: 30th Anniversary Of Deadly Flood of ‘96 In Pennsylvania

-- Warren Times: Warren County Conservation District Accepting Scholarship Applications

[Posted: January 21, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe To Receive Updates:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner