OpportunityTitle: Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition Grants Program
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Only State agencies that have entered into a Cooperative Agreement pursuant to Section 6(c) of the ESA and have provided the information necessary for the annual renewal (reconfirmation) of their Cooperative Agreement are eligible to apply for funding. Applicants that have not fulfilled both criteria will not be considered. While funding may only be awarded to States, 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.
Description: Established by Congress in fiscal year (FY) 1997, the HCP Land Acquisition Grant program was designed to reduce conflicts between the conservation of listed species and competing land uses on specific parcels of land associated with approved and permitted HCPs. Under this program, the Service provides matching grants to States in support of land acquisition projects that will conserve species habitat in perpetuity through fee simple acquisition or the acquisition of permanent conservation easements. The Service considers the use of Federal acquisition dollars by States for habitat protection associated with HCPs to be an important and effective mechanism to promote species recovery, prevent extinction, and preclude the need to list species under the ESA in the future. All land acquired through these grants complements, but does not replace, the mitigation, minimization, and/or monitoring commitments of the HCP. Thus, this work is additive to the conservation commitments entered into when HCPs are permitted and serves as a meaningful way to leverage non-Federal investment in species recovery and connect conservation lands across the landscape.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Kelly_Niland@fws.gov
GrantorContactText: Kelly Niland&lt;br/&gt;Kelly_Niland@fws.gov
CloseDateExplanation: Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 ET, on the listed due date.&#160; This program requires the submission of applications online through GrantSolutions.gov as applicants will receive an acknowledgement of application receipt.&#160; GrantSolutions automatically generates an electronic date and time stamp in the system upon application receipt. Applicants are encouraged to verify the completeness of their application package before submission using the checklist provided below.  APPLICATION CHECKLIST    SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance  SF-424D, Assurances  Project Abstract Summary Form  Project Narrative  Maps  Willing seller letters (when applicable)  SF-424C, Budget Information  SF-429 and SF-429-B, Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish Real Property  Budget Narrative  Indirect Cost Statement and related documentation  Conflict of Interest Disclosure (when applicable)  Single Audit Reporting Statement  Certification Regarding Lobbying &amp; SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities(when applicable)  Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement