F26AS00006 2026 Multistate Conservation Grant Program Announcement
Grant Opportunity Analysis
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced the 2026 Multistate Conservation Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number: F26AS00006), which allocates $11 million to support wildlife and sport fish restoration projects that address regional or national priorities of State fish and wildlife agencies. Eligible applicants include state governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education, with no cost-sharing required, and projects must align with one of the 2026 Strategic Priorities set by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, focusing on conservation, capacity building, and recruitment efforts (R3). This program aims to fund approximately 45 projects, with a maximum award ceiling of $1 million per application, and interested parties must submit a Grant Proposal via the AFWA MSCGP Portal by September 22, 2025, to be considered for funding. For further inquiries, applicants can contact Karen Bennett at karen_bennett@fws.gov.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants also include the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or a State or group of States, for the purpose of carrying out the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The State governments designation refers to agencies with lead management responsibility for fish and wildlife resources in each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia (Sport Fish Restoration only), Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or a group of these agencies.Eligible species include wild birds, wild mammals, or sport fish. Sport fish are defined as aquatic, gill-breathing, vertebrate animals with paired fins, having material value for recreation in the marine and fresh waters of the United States. Eligible activities for T-MSCG funding include projects involving research, surveys, restoration, conservation, management, habitat improvement, and providing for public use and benefit from these resources, including R3 activities and other purposes consistent with the enabling legislation. Fishing or boating R3 activities are only eligible for T-MSCG funding. Hunting and target shooting R3 activities, including related communication and outreach activities, are also eligible for R3-MSCG funding.Eligible projects must address one of the 2026 AFWA Strategic Priorities.Eligible projects must demonstrate a benefit for:A majority of States; orA majority (over 50%) of the States in a U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service Region. Please list the Regions and States in each Region that will benefit (use State abbreviations); orA majority (over 50%) of the States belonging to a regional association of State fish and wildlife agencies (click each of the Associations for the state members, WAFWA, MAFWA, NEAFWA, SEAFWA). Please indicate the regional fish and wildlife association that will benefit and list each region's States.