F25AS00332 Highlands Conservation Act – Competitive Funding Round
This US Fish and Wildlife Service program funds land conservation projects in the Highlands Region of CT, NJ, NY, and PA, where a state, county, or municipal entity acquires land or land interests …
- Deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Posted
- May 19, 2026
- Award amount
- $25,000–$3,850,000
- Focus areas
- Natural Resources
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We’ll email you before Oct 31, 2026 so you have time to apply.
In plain English
This US Fish and Wildlife Service program funds land conservation projects in the Highlands Region of CT, NJ, NY, and PA, where a state, county, or municipal entity acquires land or land interests from willing sellers. Only the Lead State Agency designated by each Highlands state's Governor may apply, so eligibility is restricted to those specific government agencies (funds may be subawarded to counties or municipalities). Awards range from roughly $25,000 to $3.85 million, and the program covers up to 50% of project cost, meaning a non-federal match is required. Nonprofits, businesses, individuals, and most organizations cannot apply directly.
AI-generated summary to help you decide quickly — verify the official eligibility rules before applying.
Who can apply
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
About this grant
The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories – Base and Competitive. Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Competitive Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Base Funds. A project may not be proposed for funding in both funding opportunities.More information on the HCA program is available at www.fws.gov/program/highlands-conservation-act-grant
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Source: public records via Grants.gov. UseGrants is an independent aggregator, not affiliated with any funding agency. Always confirm details on the official listing before applying.