OpenOpportunity F25AS00379

F25AS00379 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round

Fish and Wildlife Service · Department of the Interior

At a glance

F25AS00379 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round is an open federal grant opportunity from the Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior). Applications are due October 31, 2026. Individual awards are listed as $25K – $2.29M, with about 4 awards expected and $9.17M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments. Cost sharing or matching is required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 15.667 (Highlands Conservation).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Posted: May 19, 2026
Close date: Oct 31, 2026
Award floor: $25,000
Award ceiling: $2,293,362
Est. total funding: $9,173,450
Expected awards: 4
Cost sharing: Required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Who can apply

State governments

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Only the Lead State Agency (or Agencies) as determined by the Governor of each Highlands State may be the applicant for funding under the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program. If the Governor assigns multiple Lead Agencies, those Agencies must coordinate on funding requests prior to submission and ensure no more than the maximum allowable amount is requested through this funding opportunity. All or part of the funds received by the Lead State Agency may be subawarded to a County or Municipality within the Highlands Region, or to another State Conservation Agency.The current Lead State Agencies are:Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Contact Matt Starr: matthew.starr@ct.govNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Contact Lynn Kovach: lynn.kovach@parks.ny.govNew Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Contact Liz Ward: elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.govPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Contact Dan Pierce: danipierce@pa.govIn FY 2026, $9,173,450 in Base funding is available for grants to Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Each State may request up to $2,293,362 in Base funding. The earliest anticipated project start date is January 1, 2026. Project periods will be no longer than 4 years from the date the grantee is notified of an award. Period of performance extensions may be considered under extenuating circumstances. If the funds are unspent when a grant closes and the HCA grant program is still actively funded, unspent funds will be returned to the program to be redistributed through the next Competitive Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity. If each of the four eligible States does not request the full $2,293,362 available, remaining funds will be distributed through either the concurrent or the next Competitive Grant Round Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value.Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories – Base and Competitive. Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Base Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Competitive Funds. A project may not be proposed for funding in both funding opportunities.More information on the HCA program is available at www.fws.gov/program/highlands-conservation-act-grant

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

15.667Highlands ConservationProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 15.667

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$7.5M

FY25

$13.1M

FY26

$9.7M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 15.667. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Fish and Wildlife Service
Shelley_DiBona@ios.doi.gov
22041-3803

Places named in the notice

Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania

Derived from the notice text. A place being named does not by itself restrict eligibility.

Quick answers

When is the deadline for “F25AS00379 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round”?

According to the official notice, applications are due October 31, 2026. The notice adds: “Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed application due date.” Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for “F25AS00379 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: State governments. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “F25AS00379 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $25k – $2.29m, total estimated program funding is $9,173,450 and the agency expects to make about 4 awards.

How do I apply for “F25AS00379 Highlands Conservation Act - Base Funding Round”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity F25AS00379), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenALN 15.667