Opportunity Information: Apply for F13AS00240
Apply for F13AS00240
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Fish Habitat Action Plan" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608 Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 11, 2013 and posted on Jul 11, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by There is no closing date for applications. Project proposals are accepted continuously. Proposals are held in a FWS database until the project is funded or no longer avaible.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 65 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- This announcement is only open to entities associated with Fish Habitat Partnerships approved by the National Fish Habitat Board. Information on Fish Habitat Partnerships is available at www.fishhabitat.org
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F13AS00240) is a discretionary funding program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through its Fisheries Program. It is designed as a national investment strategy that combines federally appropriated dollars with privately raised funds to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitats and the broader aquatic communities that depend on them. A central feature of the program is its partnership-based approach: projects are meant to be planned and delivered collaboratively with the National Fish Habitat Board and the network of Fish Habitat Partnerships, which serve as the main on-the-ground work units for implementing the Action Plan.
Fish Habitat Partnerships are organized around real-world ecological and management needs rather than one single template. Some are built around specific geographic areas (such as river basins), others around keystone fish species, and others around particular system types like large lakes, impoundments, or estuaries. The grant funding is intended to support both on-the-ground habitat outcomes and the science and coordination work needed to make those outcomes durable. In practice, that means funding can be used for national and regional efforts that protect, restore, or enhance fish habitat, as well as planning, coordination, prioritization, and other supporting activities that align with Partnership priorities or with priorities set by the National Fish Habitat Board.
The program uses cooperative agreements as the primary funding instrument, reflecting that FWS expects to remain actively involved in supported efforts rather than simply issuing a pass-through grant with minimal federal engagement. If FWS does not have the capacity to implement a particular project directly, the opportunity allows for all or part of project funds to be transferred to partner organizations so the work can still move forward. Regardless of who carries out the work, projects must clearly connect to fish habitat conservation: they must protect, restore, or enhance fish and aquatic habitats, or otherwise directly support habitat-related priorities established by Fish Habitat Partnerships or the National Fish Habitat Board.
A key administrative requirement is that every project must be entered into the Fisheries Operational Needs System (FONS). FONS is a Fisheries Program database used to document operational needs at field stations, including fish habitat project needs. Fisheries Program field offices coordinate with Fish Habitat Partnerships to identify appropriate projects and ensure they are entered into FONS, which effectively acts as the internal pipeline for project consideration and tracking. Organizations interested in proposing a fish habitat conservation project are expected to start by contacting a local or Regional Office of the FWS Fisheries Program to discuss fit, partnership alignment, and the steps needed for entry into the system.
Eligibility is technically listed as “unrestricted,†but the announcement clarifies that it is only open to entities associated with Fish Habitat Partnerships that have been approved by the National Fish Habitat Board. More information about Fish Habitat Partnerships is available through fishhabitat.org. The opportunity falls under CFDA 15.608 (Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance). There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated for this announcement, which can lower barriers for eligible partners, although partnership projects often still leverage additional non-federal contributions as part of the overall investment strategy.
In terms of funding scale, the announcement lists an estimated total of $4,000,000 with an expected 65 awards. Individual awards range from a floor of $1,000 up to a ceiling of $250,000, allowing the program to support both smaller coordination or science efforts and larger habitat restoration or enhancement projects. The solicitation is open on a continuous basis: there is no closing date, proposals are accepted continuously, and submitted proposals are held in an FWS database until they are funded or are no longer available for consideration. The additional information link points to grants.gov for full posting details, and the listed contact for access issues is Tom Busiahn, Coordinator for the National Fish Habitat Partnership (703-358-2056, tombusiahn@fws.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the National Fish Habitat Action Plan grant opportunity?
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F13AS00240) is a discretionary funding program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through its Fisheries Program. It supports projects that protect, restore, or enhance fish habitats and the broader aquatic communities that depend on them. A major emphasis is on partnership-driven delivery through the National Fish Habitat Board and the network of Fish Habitat Partnerships.
2) Which federal agency runs this program?
The program is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through its Fisheries Program.
3) What is the program trying to accomplish?
The program is designed as a national investment strategy that combines federally appropriated dollars with privately raised funds to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitat. It also supports the science and coordination needed to make habitat outcomes durable over time.
4) What kinds of projects are eligible for funding?
Projects must clearly connect to fish habitat conservation. Supported work can include on-the-ground habitat protection, restoration, or enhancement, as well as planning, coordination, prioritization, and other supporting activities that align with Fish Habitat Partnership priorities or priorities set by the National Fish Habitat Board.
5) Do projects need to be connected to a Fish Habitat Partnership?
Yes. While eligibility is listed as "unrestricted," the announcement clarifies that the opportunity is only open to entities associated with Fish Habitat Partnerships that have been approved by the National Fish Habitat Board.
6) What are Fish Habitat Partnerships?
Fish Habitat Partnerships are the primary on-the-ground work units for implementing the Action Plan. They are organized around real-world ecological and management needs rather than a single template. Some partnerships focus on a geographic area (such as a river basin), some focus on keystone fish species, and others focus on system types like large lakes, impoundments, or estuaries.
7) Where can we learn more about Fish Habitat Partnerships?
The announcement points to fishhabitat.org for more information about Fish Habitat Partnerships.
8) What is the primary funding instrument used for awards?
The program primarily uses cooperative agreements. This reflects that FWS expects to remain actively involved in supported efforts, rather than issuing a pass-through grant with minimal federal engagement.
9) Can project funds be transferred to partner organizations?
Yes. If FWS does not have the capacity to implement a particular project directly, the opportunity allows for all or part of project funds to be transferred to partner organizations so the work can still move forward.
10) Is there a required internal step before a project can be considered?
Yes. Every project must be entered into the Fisheries Operational Needs System (FONS).
11) What is FONS and why does it matter?
FONS (the Fisheries Operational Needs System) is a Fisheries Program database used to document operational needs at field stations, including fish habitat project needs. Projects must be entered into FONS as part of the process for consideration and tracking within FWS.
12) Who is responsible for coordinating entry into FONS?
Fisheries Program field offices coordinate with Fish Habitat Partnerships to identify appropriate projects and ensure they are entered into FONS.
13) How should an organization get started if it has a project idea?
Organizations interested in proposing a fish habitat conservation project are expected to begin by contacting a local or Regional Office of the FWS Fisheries Program to discuss project fit, partnership alignment, and the steps needed for entry into FONS.
14) Is cost sharing or match required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is stated in this announcement. The program description notes that partnership projects often still leverage additional non-federal contributions as part of the overall investment strategy, but a match is not listed as a requirement here.
15) How much total funding is expected to be available?
The announcement lists an estimated total of $4,000,000.
16) How many awards does the program expect to make?
The announcement indicates an expected 65 awards.
17) What is the minimum and maximum award size?
Individual awards range from a minimum (floor) of $1,000 to a maximum (ceiling) of $250,000.
18) Does the program support both small and large projects?
Yes. The stated award range (from $1,000 up to $250,000) allows the program to support smaller coordination or science efforts as well as larger habitat restoration or enhancement projects.
19) Is there an application deadline?
No. The solicitation is open on a continuous basis, with no closing date.
20) How are proposals handled if there is no closing date?
Proposals are accepted continuously and are held in an FWS database until they are funded or are no longer available for consideration.
21) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under CFDA 15.608 (Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance).
22) Where is the full posting available?
The additional information link points to grants.gov for full posting details.
23) Who should we contact if we have access issues?
The listed contact for access issues is Tom Busiahn, Coordinator for the National Fish Habitat Partnership, at 703-358-2056 or tombusiahn@fws.gov.
24) What is the role of the National Fish Habitat Board in this program?
The program is meant to be planned and delivered collaboratively with the National Fish Habitat Board and the network of Fish Habitat Partnerships. Projects and supporting activities should align with priorities established by Fish Habitat Partnerships or priorities set by the National Fish Habitat Board.
25) What makes this program "partnership-based" in practice?
The program emphasizes collaborative planning and delivery with the National Fish Habitat Board and Fish Habitat Partnerships, and it can fund both on-the-ground habitat outcomes and the coordination, planning, prioritization, and science work that supports those outcomes.
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