F27AS00009 2027 Multistate Conservation Grant Program Announcement

From the official announcement

Multistate Conservation Grants (MSCG) are authorized under 16 U.S.C. 669h-2 and 16 U.S.C. 777m, providing funding for wildlife restoration and sport fish restoration projects and recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) projects that address regional or national priority needs of State fish and wildlife agencies and their partners that are beyond the scale, scope, and capabilities of a single State. The priority needs, also known as Strategic Priorities, are identified annually by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) with input from State fish and wildlife agencies and their partners. Recipients awarded Traditional Multistate Conservation Grants (T-MSCG) may use the funds for wildlife or sport fish projects involving research, restoration, conservation and management of wild birds, wild mammals, sport fish, and their habitats. These funds may also be used for projects providing for public use and benefit from these resources, including hunter safety and education, aquatic education, and recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) projects and other purposes consistent with the enabling legislation. Recipients awarded R3 Multistate Conservation Grants (R3-MSCG) may use the funds for hunting and target shooting R3 projects that promote a national hunting and target shooting recruitment program, including related communication and outreach activities. Multistate Conservation Grants are awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the FWS and AFWA work cooperatively to manage the grant program. Eligible applicants also include the U.S. 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 Watching. For purposes of the Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP), "States" include the 50 U.S. States; the District of Columbia (eligible under Sport Fish Restoration only); the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Canadian provinces and other non‐U.S. jurisdictions are not eligible applicants and are not counted when determining whether a project benefits more than 50 percent of the States in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service region or regional association of State fish and wildlife 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 2027 AFWA Strategic Priorities.Eligible projects must demonstrate a benefit to:At least 26 States; ORA majority (over 50%) of the States in a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Region; ORA majority (over 50%) of the States belonging to a regional association of fish and wildlife agencies.For benefit‐counting purposes, "States" refers only to the jurisdictions defined under…