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Marine Turtle Conservation Fund (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) - FAQs

1) What is the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund?

The Marine Turtle Conservation Fund is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant program under the Department of the Interior. It supports projects aimed at conserving marine turtles outside the United States and its territories.

2) What law authorizes or grounds this program?

The program is grounded in the Marine Turtle Conservation Act (MTCA) of 2004, enacted in response to widespread declines in marine turtle populations and serious, ongoing threats to their long-term survival.

3) What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?

The central goal is practical threat reduction in natural habitats, emphasizing actions likely to produce durable, on-the-ground conservation results. Projects are expected to focus on conserving nesting populations and protecting or restoring nesting habitat, while also addressing other major pressures that limit survival and recovery in foreign countries.

4) Which marine turtle species are covered by this opportunity?

The opportunity targets work benefiting six species across their global ranges:

• Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
• Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)
• Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)
• Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
• Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea)
• Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

5) Where must project activities take place?

Project work is expected to occur within the species range and specifically outside the United States and its territories.

6) Can a project include work outside a turtle species range?

Yes, but only if the proposal justifies its relevance to conserving marine turtles. Examples mentioned include work addressing trade routes, capacity building tied to range-country management, or other clearly connected interventions.

7) What kinds of conservation activities does the program prioritize?

The program prioritizes action-oriented interventions that directly reduce real-world threats and are likely to produce lasting benefits. A strong emphasis is placed on conserving nesting populations and protecting or restoring nesting habitat.

8) What threats are projects expected to reduce?

The announcement indicates an intent to fund interventions that measurably lower major drivers of decline, such as unsustainable harvest, bycatch, habitat loss or degradation, and disturbance on nesting beaches, as well as other locally important pressures, as long as the proposal clearly explains how the work will reduce those threats.

9) What does "action-oriented" mean for this grant?

Applicants are expected to identify specific conservation measures and explain why those measures have a strong chance of creating durable, on-the-ground conservation benefits rather than short-term outputs.

10) Are monitoring, data collection, or population assessments allowed?

They are not automatically excluded, but they must be justified as directly enabling management decisions or enforcement actions. The application needs to explain how a lack of information has prevented effective management, and how the proposed data will remove that barrier in a way that leads to concrete conservation outcomes.

11) What happens if a proposal does not clearly link activities to threat reduction?

Proposals that fail to show how their activities will reduce threats, or that cannot demonstrate a strong and direct link between data gathering and management action, will be disqualified.

12) Can projects include climate change adaptation, mitigation, or education components?

Yes, the program allows climate change adaptation, mitigation, and education components, but only when they clearly and directly support the primary conservation objectives. These elements are not intended to be standalone themes.

13) What agency runs this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the Department of the Interior.

14) What type of funding is available?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity that provides support through grants and cooperative agreements.

15) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is F16AS00378.

16) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.645.

17) What funding activity categories are associated with this program?

The listing includes environment, natural resources, community development, education, and science and technology/research.

18) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant types may apply, subject to any additional conditions that may appear in the full notice.

19) What is the maximum award amount for this posting?

The maximum award amount listed for this particular posting is $80,000.

20) How many awards are expected?

The posting lists an expected total of about 40 awards.

21) When was the notice created and what was the closing date?

The notice was created on August 2, 2016, with an original closing date of October 2, 2016.

22) Does the program fund marine turtle work inside the United States?

No. The program supports projects aimed at conserving marine turtles outside the United States and its territories.

23) What should an applicant emphasize to align with this program's intent?

Applicants should emphasize practical, on-the-ground conservation measures with a clear path to measurable threat reduction and durable outcomes, especially for nesting populations and nesting habitat, and clearly explain how proposed activities lead to real conservation results.