F23AS00330 White-nose Syndrome Grants to States and Tribes - 2023

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is pleased to announce the availability of financial assistance to wildlife and natural resource management agencies of states, the District of Columbia, and federally-recognized Native American Tribes for efforts related to the management of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease of bats. Since 2008, funding through the WNS Grants to States has led to critical information and resources for maximizing the benefits of bat conservation efforts by States. In 2019, this funding opportunity was extended to Tribes engaged in, or seeking to engage in, bat management and conservation efforts. The goal of this funding opportunity is to help our State and Tribal partners fulfill information needs, implement management actions for WNS and susceptible bat species, and actively engage in the National Response to WNS. Supported activities will include monitoring bat populations, implementing conservation actions for bats, supporting scientific information gathering, managing WNS and the causative fungus, and maintaining expertise in bat conservation and management.  Proposals for this program will be plans of action responsive to the current status of WNS in the applicant’s location, and will address context-specific conservation needs of bats and the ecosystem as a whole. These priorities are intended to address relevant projects in State or Tribal jurisdictions whether WNS is already affecting resident bats or the fungus has not yet arrived.