Opportunity Information: Apply for F24AS00445
The F24AS00445 Highlands Conservation Act (HCA) Competitive Grant Round is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.667 that supports permanent land conservation in the federally designated Highlands Region across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The central purpose is to help protect land and natural resources with high conservation value by funding projects where a public entity acquires land or a legally enforceable interest in land (such as a conservation easement) from a willing seller. In practice, these projects are meant to safeguard the Highlands landscape and the natural systems it supports, including source waters, forests, habitat connectivity, and other priority conservation resources.
Funding under the HCA is structured so that, when Congress appropriates funds, the Governors of the four Highlands States can submit proposals to cover up to 50 percent of the total project cost. That 50 percent structure effectively creates a matching requirement, meaning the non-federal share must cover the remainder through eligible state, county, municipal, or other allowable sources. While projects are implemented on the ground by state, county, or municipal partners, the only eligible applicants that can submit an application to this Notice of Funding Opportunity are the Lead State Agencies designated by each Governor. If a Governor has designated more than one Lead State Agency, those agencies must coordinate and submit a unified, coordinated request rather than competing or duplicating efforts.
This specific notice is for the Competitive funding category. The program usually splits appropriations into two tracks: Base and Competitive, and the Service issues separate notices for each. For this cycle, the Service is also piloting a third, separate notice focused on land protection projects in under-resourced and under-served communities within the Highlands Region. A key rule is that the same project cannot be submitted across multiple HCA funding opportunities in the same year, so applicants must choose the most appropriate track and keep proposals distinct.
The opportunity also notes that Highlands States may request that the Service add municipalities from the identified Expanded Opportunity Area for the Highlands Landscape into the Highlands Region, which can broaden eligibility geography over time if approved. For prospective project partners like counties or municipalities, the practical takeaway is that participation typically happens through coordination with the appropriate Lead State Agency, which can receive the federal award and then pass funds along through subawards to eligible local governments within the Highlands Region, or to another state conservation agency as needed to carry out the project.
Administrative details in the notice include that the awarding agency is the Fish and Wildlife Service, the funding instrument is a grant, the activity category is Natural Resources, and the eligible applicant type listed is state governments (reflecting the Lead State Agency requirement). The posting lists an award ceiling of $4,316,457 and an original closing date of 2024-12-31. The Service also scheduled an online overview of the notice for Friday, September 27 at 11:00 AM Eastern, with attendance handled by invitation via email to the Service contact identified in the notice.
The current designated Lead State Agencies and points of contact are: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (Matt Starr, matthew.starr@ct.gov), New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (Lynn Kovach, lynn.kovach@parks.ny.gov), New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (Liz Ward, elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.gov), and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Dan Pierce, danipierce@pa.gov). These contacts are the primary entry points for counties and municipalities interested in developing or advancing an HCA-eligible land acquisition or easement project for the Competitive round.Apply for F24AS00445
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F24AS00445 Highlands Conservation Act - Competitive Grant Round" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.667.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-29.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-31. (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 $4,316,457.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the F24AS00445 Highlands Conservation Act (HCA) Competitive Grant Round?
F24AS00445 is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.667. It supports permanent land conservation projects in the federally designated Highlands Region across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, using a Competitive funding category for this grant round.
What is the main purpose of this funding?
The central purpose is to protect land and natural resources with high conservation value in the Highlands Region by funding projects where a public entity acquires land, or acquires a legally enforceable interest in land (such as a conservation easement), from a willing seller. Projects are intended to safeguard the Highlands landscape and the natural systems it supports, including source waters, forests, habitat connectivity, and other priority conservation resources.
Who is the awarding agency?
The awarding agency is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What activity category does this opportunity fall under?
The activity category is Natural Resources.
What geographic area is eligible for projects?
Projects must be located within the federally designated Highlands Region, which spans parts of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Can the eligible geography change over time?
Yes. Highlands States may request that the Service add municipalities from the identified Expanded Opportunity Area for the Highlands Landscape into the Highlands Region. If approved by the Service, that action can broaden eligible geography over time.
Who is eligible to apply to this Notice of Funding Opportunity?
The only eligible applicants that can submit an application under this notice are the Lead State Agencies designated by each Governor in the four Highlands States. The eligible applicant type is listed as state governments to reflect this requirement.
Can counties or municipalities apply directly?
No. Counties and municipalities do not apply directly to this notice. In practice, they participate by coordinating with the appropriate Lead State Agency, which can submit the application and, if awarded, can pass funds along through subawards to eligible local governments within the Highlands Region (or to another state conservation agency as needed to carry out the project).
What kinds of projects are funded?
Funded projects are permanent land conservation projects where a public entity acquires land or a legally enforceable interest in land (for example, a conservation easement) from a willing seller, to protect resources with high conservation value in the Highlands Region.
Does this program require a match?
Yes. Funding is structured so that Governors can submit proposals to cover up to 50 percent of the total project cost when Congress appropriates funds. This effectively creates a matching requirement, meaning the non-federal share must cover the remainder through eligible state, county, municipal, or other allowable sources.
How much of a project can the federal share cover?
Up to 50 percent of the total project cost, based on the program structure described in the notice (subject to Congressional appropriations).
Is this notice the only HCA funding opportunity?
No. The program typically splits appropriations into two tracks: Base and Competitive, and separate notices are issued for each. For this cycle, the Service is also piloting a third, separate notice focused on land protection projects in under-resourced and under-served communities within the Highlands Region.
Can the same project be submitted to multiple HCA tracks in the same year?
No. A key rule is that the same project cannot be submitted across multiple HCA funding opportunities in the same year. Applicants must choose the most appropriate track and keep proposals distinct.
What happens if a Governor designates more than one Lead State Agency?
If a Governor has designated more than one Lead State Agency, those agencies must coordinate and submit a unified, coordinated request rather than competing or duplicating efforts.
What is the award ceiling listed for this notice?
The posting lists an award ceiling of $4,316,457.
What was the original closing date for this opportunity?
The original closing date listed is 2024-12-31.
Was an informational session offered for this notice?
Yes. The Service scheduled an online overview of the notice for Friday, September 27 at 11:00 AM Eastern.
How does someone get invited to the online overview?
Attendance was handled by invitation via email to the Service contact identified in the notice.
Who are the designated Lead State Agencies and points of contact?
The notice lists the following Lead State Agencies and contacts as primary entry points for counties and municipalities interested in developing or advancing an HCA-eligible land acquisition or easement project for the Competitive round:
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection: Matt Starr (matthew.starr@ct.gov)
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation: Lynn Kovach (lynn.kovach@parks.ny.gov)
- New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council: Liz Ward (elizabeth.ward@highlands.nj.gov)
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Dan Pierce (danipierce@pa.gov)
If a county or municipality has a potential project, what is the practical next step?
The practical next step is to coordinate with the appropriate Lead State Agency contact for your state. Those Lead State Agencies are the only entities eligible to submit an application under this notice and are described as the primary entry points for local partners.
Who typically implements projects on the ground?
While the only eligible applicants are the designated Lead State Agencies, the notice explains that projects are implemented on the ground by state, county, or municipal partners, with the Lead State Agency able to receive the federal award and then pass funds along through subawards as needed.
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