The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is announcing the ninth annual funding opportunity of the Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: New Mexico, Texas
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/10/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
NFWF will award grants to voluntarily restore and sustain healthy rivers, streams and grassland systems that provide important wildlife habitat in the Pecos watershed and adjacent areas of New Mexico and Texas.
Grants will be awarded in four categories: Habitat Restoration, Species Intervention, Species Information, and Capacity. Program priorities include implementing habitat restoration strategies and increasing baseline species information for species of interest within specific aquatic and grassland focal areas.
Priorities
Habitat Restoration and Management Grants
Grants will be awarded for projects that improve habitat for one or more of our target species:
- Stream and Riparian Habitat Restoration- Create and enhance riparian habitat in focal geographies to benefit target aquatic species listed below. This work may include flexible management prescriptions for upland grazing and restoration of native vegetation.
- Grassland Habitat Restoration and Management- Implement outcome-based grassland restoration and grazing management projects that use a range of practices and prescriptions to create, sustain or improve large blocks of high quality Chihuahuan desert grasslands for the focal species listed below.
- Outreach and Technical Assistance- Improve the management of public and/or private lands that contain habitat or potential habitat for focal species.
Species Intervention Grants
Grants will be awarded for projects that secure or establish populations of certain target aquatic species, including Pecos gambusia, Pecos pupfish and Texas hornshell:
- Securing existing populations- Implement strategies that protect target species from invasion and/or disease.
- Establishing new populations- For target species with limited range that are threatened by invasion, translocate individuals to suitable habitats that will increase redundancy and establish protected populations.
Species Information Grants
This RFP is seeking proposals that fill information gaps on the Rio Grande cooter, a species that inhabits the Pecos watershed, but about which not enough is known to prioritize conservation strategies.
Capacity Grants
Increase capacity for implementation of priority conservation activities through NRCS partner positions and technical assistance.
Funding Information
- Applicants are required to provide $1 in matching funds for every $1 of NFWF grant funds requested.
- Grant requests should be between $100,000 and $500,000, with larger grant requests being considered on a case-by-case basis.
Project Period
Projects should begin within six months of the award date and be completed within three years of the agreed start date.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include: local, state, federal, and tribal governments and agencies (e.g., townships, cities, boroughs), special districts (e.g., conservation districts, planning districts, utility districts), non-profit 501(c) organizations, educational institutions.
For more information, visit NFWF.
