Because many listed species spend at least part of their life cycle on privately owned lands, we recognize that species recovery hinges on working cooperatively with landowners, communities, and Tribes to foster voluntary stewardship efforts. States play a key role in catalyzing these efforts.
A variety of tools are available under the ESA to help States and landowners plan and implement projects to conserve species.
The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (see Section 6 of the ESA) makes grants available to States and Territories to participate in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for candidate, proposed, and listed species. Funding can be used for conservation on non-Federal lands. Activities funded in the past include habitat restoration, species/nesting surveys, public education/outreach, captive propagation and reintroduction, genetic studies, and development of management plans. A minimum non-Federal match of 25% is required of applicants, or 10% when two or more States or Territories implement a joint project. A State or Territory must currently have, or enter into, a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior to receive these grants. Alaska entered into a cooperative agreement for wildlife with the Secretary in 1979; there is not a cooperative agreement that covers plants in Alaska. The Service is currently providing Section 6 funding to the State for projects on Kittlitz’s murrelet, Pacific walrus, northern sea otter, and polar bear. There are currently no threatened or endangered fish in Alaska (let’s keep it that way!).
FY 2012 Request for Proposals
Read the news release
Full text of the program announcement (request for proposals and application information)
FY 2011 Awards
Awards for Fiscal Year 2011 announced August 24, 2011.
Read the news release
See the full list of awards [pdf]
Standard Form 424 "Application for Federal Assistance"
Federal Aid Tool Kit (forms and compliance requirements for receiving Federal grants)
