Opportunity Information: Apply for F27AS00009
The F27AS00009 2027 Multistate Conservation Grant Program Announcement is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that funds large-scale wildlife and sport fish conservation work that goes beyond what any single state can realistically take on alone. The program is authorized under federal law (16 U.S.C. 669h-2 and 16 U.S.C. 777m) and is built around addressing regional or national priority needs for state fish and wildlife agencies and their partners. Those priority needs are set each year as the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) Strategic Priorities, developed with input from states and partners, and every project proposed under this announcement has to clearly align with one of the 2027 AFWA Strategic Priorities.
The opportunity supports two main grant tracks. Traditional Multistate Conservation Grants (T-MSCG) fund a wide range of wildlife restoration and sport fish restoration efforts, including research, surveys, restoration, conservation, management, and habitat improvement for eligible species, as well as work that provides public use and benefit from these resources. Public-benefit activities can include things like hunter safety and education, aquatic education, and certain types of recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) initiatives. In contrast, R3 Multistate Conservation Grants (R3-MSCG) are focused specifically on hunting and target shooting R3 projects, including the communications and outreach needed to support a national hunting and target shooting recruitment effort. A key distinction noted in the announcement is that fishing or boating R3 activities are only eligible under the Traditional (T-MSCG) category, while hunting and target shooting R3 activities may be supported through the dedicated R3-MSCG funding (and are also eligible for consideration more broadly as described).
Eligible projects revolve around wild birds, wild mammals, and sport fish, with sport fish defined in a fairly technical way: aquatic, gill-breathing vertebrates with paired fins that have recreational value in U.S. marine or freshwater environments. In practice, that frames the program around species and habitats tied to recreational hunting, angling, and wildlife-related public use, while still allowing for a broad range of conservation and management approaches (from applied research to habitat work to education and participation-focused programming).
A defining eligibility requirement is that projects must be truly multistate in their benefit. Proposals must demonstrate benefit to at least 26 states, or to a majority (over 50 percent) of states within an FWS region, or to a majority (over 50 percent) of the states that belong to a regional association of fish and wildlife agencies. Applicants must explicitly list the regions and the abbreviations for all benefiting states and briefly explain how each identified state or region benefits. When counting which places qualify as "states" for the benefit threshold, the program uses a specific list of U.S. jurisdictions: the 50 U.S. states; the District of Columbia (but only countable as benefiting when the project involves Sport Fish Restoration-eligible activities); Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of 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 cannot apply and also do not count toward the multi-jurisdiction benefit thresholds, even if they participate as partners in regional associations.
The applicant pool is broad and includes state governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits), and other eligible entities as allowed under the program rules. The announcement also highlights a special eligibility pathway connected to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Watching, for which eligible applicants may include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service itself or a state or group of states carrying out that survey work.
From a practical funding standpoint, the grant instrument is a standard grant under CFDA 15.628 (Natural Resources). The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award and anticipates about 45 awards. The original closing date provided in the notice is 2026-07-14. Program management is described as cooperative between FWS (which awards the grants) and AFWA (which works with FWS to manage the overall program structure and annual strategic priority-setting process). The announcement also points applicants to reference materials for defining geographic coverage and benefit claims, including the official FWS regions and AFWA regional associations.Apply for F27AS00009
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F27AS00009 2027 Multistate Conservation Grant Program Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.628.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 45 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - F27AS00009 2027 Multistate Conservation Grant Program (FWS)
1) What is the F27AS00009 2027 Multistate Conservation Grant Program?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to fund large-scale wildlife and sport fish conservation work that is regional or national in scope, meaning it goes beyond what any one state can realistically accomplish on its own.
2) Who runs and manages this grant program?
FWS awards the grants. Program management is described as cooperative between FWS and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), with AFWA working with FWS on program structure and the annual strategic priority-setting process.
3) What legal authority supports this program?
The program is authorized under federal law: 16 U.S.C. 669h-2 and 16 U.S.C. 777m.
4) What are the main goals of the program?
The program focuses on addressing regional or national priority needs for state fish and wildlife agencies and their partners, using projects that deliver multistate benefits tied to wildlife restoration and sport fish restoration.
5) What are the 2027 AFWA Strategic Priorities, and do projects need to align with them?
The AFWA Strategic Priorities are priority needs set each year by AFWA, developed with input from states and partners. Every project proposed under this announcement must clearly align with one of the 2027 AFWA Strategic Priorities.
6) What are the two main grant tracks under this announcement?
The opportunity supports two tracks:
- Traditional Multistate Conservation Grants (T-MSCG): supports a wide range of wildlife restoration and sport fish restoration efforts, including research, surveys, restoration, conservation, management, habitat improvement, and certain public-benefit activities.
- R3 Multistate Conservation Grants (R3-MSCG): focused specifically on hunting and target shooting recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) projects, including communications and outreach supporting a national hunting and target shooting recruitment effort.
7) What kinds of activities are eligible under Traditional (T-MSCG) funding?
Traditional (T-MSCG) may fund wildlife restoration and sport fish restoration efforts such as research, surveys, restoration, conservation, management, and habitat improvement for eligible species. It can also support public use and public benefit from these resources, including activities like hunter safety and education, aquatic education, and certain R3 initiatives.
8) What kinds of activities are eligible under the R3-MSCG track?
R3-MSCG is focused on hunting and target shooting R3 projects, including communications and outreach needed to support a national hunting and target shooting recruitment effort.
9) Are fishing or boating R3 projects eligible under the R3-MSCG track?
No. The announcement notes that fishing or boating R3 activities are only eligible under the Traditional (T-MSCG) category.
10) Are hunting and target shooting R3 projects eligible under this opportunity?
Yes. Hunting and target shooting R3 activities may be supported through the dedicated R3-MSCG funding, and they are also eligible for consideration more broadly as described in the announcement.
11) What species or resources does the program focus on?
Eligible projects revolve around wild birds, wild mammals, and sport fish, with an emphasis on species and habitats connected to recreational hunting, angling, and wildlife-related public use.
12) How does the program define "sport fish"?
Sport fish are defined as aquatic, gill-breathing vertebrates with paired fins that have recreational value in U.S. marine or freshwater environments.
13) What does it mean for a project to be "truly multistate" in benefit?
A defining eligibility requirement is that proposals must demonstrate multistate benefit. Specifically, projects must demonstrate benefit to at least 26 states, or to a majority (over 50 percent) of states within an FWS region, or to a majority (over 50 percent) of the states that belong to a regional association of fish and wildlife agencies.
14) How should applicants document which states benefit?
Applicants must explicitly list the regions and the abbreviations for all benefiting states and briefly explain how each identified state or region benefits.
15) Which jurisdictions count as "states" for meeting the multistate benefit threshold?
The program uses a specific list of U.S. jurisdictions when counting toward multistate benefit thresholds:
- The 50 U.S. states
- The District of Columbia (countable as benefiting only when the project involves Sport Fish Restoration-eligible activities)
- Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
- American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
16) Does Washington, D.C. count toward the benefit threshold?
It can, but only in a specific case: the District of Columbia is countable as benefiting only when the project involves Sport Fish Restoration-eligible activities.
17) Can Canadian provinces or other non-U.S. jurisdictions count toward the multistate threshold?
No. Canadian provinces and other non-U.S. jurisdictions do not count toward the multi-jurisdiction benefit thresholds. The announcement also notes they cannot apply, even if they participate as partners in regional associations.
18) Who is eligible to apply?
The applicant pool is described as broad and includes state governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits), and other eligible entities as allowed under the program rules.
19) Is there a special eligibility pathway related to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Watching?
Yes. The announcement highlights a special eligibility pathway connected to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Watching. For that survey work, eligible applicants may include FWS itself or a state or group of states carrying out the survey.
20) What type of grant instrument is used, and what is the assistance listing identifier?
The grant instrument is a standard grant under CFDA 15.628 (Natural Resources).
21) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award.
22) How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity anticipates about 45 awards.
23) What is the closing date listed in the notice?
The original closing date provided in the notice is 2026-07-14.
24) What kinds of public-benefit activities are mentioned as examples?
Examples include hunter safety and education, aquatic education, and certain types of recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) initiatives.
25) Where can applicants find guidance for defining geographic coverage and benefit claims?
The announcement points applicants to reference materials for defining geographic coverage and benefit claims, including the official FWS regions and AFWA regional associations.
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