F25AS00332 Highlands Conservation Act – Competitive Funding Round
Grant Opportunity Analysis
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is funding the Highlands Conservation Act Competitive Funding Round to support land conservation in the Highlands Region of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The program funds projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve high-value natural resources, and Lead State Agencies may subaward funds to counties, municipalities, or other state conservation agencies. Applications are limited to the Lead State Agency or agencies designated by each Governor, a 50% non-Federal cost share is required, and proposals are evaluated for eligibility, merit, and risk. The round offers an estimated $3,850,000, and electronically submitted applications are due by October 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET.
Eligible Applicants
Only the Lead State Agency (or Agencies) as determined by the Governor of each Highlands State may be the applicant for funding under the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program. If the Governor assigns multiple Lead Agencies, those Agencies must coordinate on funding requests prior to submission and ensure no more than the maximum allowable amount is requested through this funding opportunity. All or part of the funds received by the Lead State Agency may be subawarded to a County or Municipality within the Highlands Region, or to another State Conservation Agency.The current Lead State Agencies are:Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Contact Matt Starr: matthew.starr@ct.govNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Contact Lynn Kovach: lynn.kovach@parks.ny.govNew Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Contact Liz Ward: elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.govPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Contact Dan Pierce: danipierce@pa.gov