The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks proposals to conserve aquatic habitat in the southeastern United States.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/08/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
Funds from this program will support projects that improve water quality, water quantity, instream condition, and riparian condition. In only some geographies, funding is also available to support aquatic connectivity, species recovery, monitoring, and planning. Funding is provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Altria and Southern Company.
Program Goals and Strategies
The priorities of the Southeast Aquatics Fund are informed by the aquatic goals and strategies of the Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan, which was adopted by the NFWF Board of Directors in 2018 (updated 2023). To the extent possible, proposals should describe how activities will advance specific goals and objectives of the Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan and/or other relevant conservation plans. The plan seeks to conserve the extraordinary biodiversity found across the southeast by prioritizing northern Alabama and Georgia. It utilizes a suite of aquatic species as indicators of healthy aquatic habitat in prioritized watersheds. Because of the priority given to this subregion, funding is available for a wide range of activities in the Conasauga River (GA) and Locust Fork and Middle Coosa (AL) watersheds.
Priority will be given to projects that would benefit the following focal species:
- Conasauga River – Endemic and Native Fishes (Alabama shiner, banded sculpin, blue shiner, bridled darter, Coosa darter, Coosa shiner, Greenbreast darter, tricolor shiner and trispot darter).
- Middle Coosa – Trispot darter.
Funding Information
Grant awards are expected to range from $150,000 to $500,000, depending on the overall scale and duration of the project.
Grant Period
Anticipated completion time for funded projects typically will be 24 – 36 months following finalization of a grant agreement.
Eligible Projects
- Private Landowner Technical Assistance and Project Implementation
- Water Conservation and Aquifer Recharge in Texas
- Forest Management for Improved Gulf Water Quality
- Restore and Enhance Instream and Riparian Habitat
- Assessment, Prioritization and Planning for Watershed Resilience and Aquatic Connectivity
- Villosa Mussel Conservation and Focal Species Monitoring.
Geographical Areas
Grants to improve the condition of aquatic habitats may be considered across the southeast region of the US (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas).
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations, and educational institutions.
For more information, visit NFWF.
