Unlock Great Lakes Funding for Wildlife Restoration Projects

This program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Beginning in fiscal year 2010, applications will be received for regional projects in addition to restoration proposals. Regional projects are authorized activities of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) related to fish and wildlife resource protection, restoration, maintenance, and enhancement impacting the resources of multiple States or Indian Tribes with fish and wildlife management authority in the Great Lakes Basin. The USFWS will be responsible for accomplishing regional projects on behalf of the State and/or Tribal agencies submitting the regional project request.

The projects are funded under authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006. Supported in part by President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a total of $8 million will be available to support projects this fiscal year. This represents the largest amount appropriated for this effort since the grants program began in 1998. Available funding and project awards are subject to final Congressional appropriations for Fiscal Year 2010.

Funds may be used for approved Tribal and State sponsored projects which benefit Great Lakes fish and wildlife restoration. Restoration projects require a 25% non-federal match. Regional projects selected shall be exempt from cost sharing if the USFWS Director determines that the authorization for the project does not require a non-Federal cost-share. The two page pre-proposals are submitted to the USFWS for review.

Successful applicants are invited to submit full proposals, which are reviewed and ranked.