Great Lakes Restoration Initiative –Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection | F26AS00094

Opportunity Information: Apply for F26AS00094

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) - Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection grant is a competitive funding opportunity from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service focused on tackling major environmental challenges in the Great Lakes ecosystem by investing in on-the-ground habitat work. The program is designed to support long-term protection, restoration, or enhancement of habitats that sustain native Great Lakes fish and wildlife, with a strong emphasis on migratory birds. Projects are to be advanced in partnership with the two bird habitat joint ventures operating in the Great Lakes watershed, the Upper Mississippi/Great Lakes Joint Venture and the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, working alongside the Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Conservation Investment in the Midwest and Northeast regions.

A central requirement is that proposed projects align with GLRI Action Plan IV, specifically the operating principles and the objectives under Focus Area 4 (Habitats and Species). Applicants are expected to show a clear connection between their proposed actions and established, science-based conservation priorities laid out in key planning documents, including the Upper Mississippi/Great Lakes Joint Venture Implementation Plan and the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain (Bird Conservation Region 13) plan. Proposals can also draw from other relevant bird conservation plans, including Tribal conservation plans and State Wildlife Action Plans, but they must explicitly explain how the work will benefit the bird species identified in those plans. In practice, that means proposals should not just describe habitat work in general terms, but should make a direct, well-supported case for how the project improves conditions for priority species and contributes to measurable conservation outcomes.

Geography and habitat type are major screening factors. Projects must occur within the Great Lakes coastal zone as defined by NOAA, and projects that are adjacent to Great Lakes coastal waters or within about 15 miles of the shoreline are viewed more favorably. The grant prioritizes habitats that are declining or considered at risk in the region, especially wetlands, grasslands, and forests. Applicants are also expected to describe how they will rely on existing science, tools, or decision-support resources to guide site selection, restoration design, and expected outcomes, and to explain how the benefits will hold up over time given future conditions. The underlying theme is durability: the program is looking for investments that will continue to provide habitat value well into the future, not short-lived improvements.

Eligibility is broad across public and nonprofit sectors, but for-profit entities and businesses are not eligible. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status. Regardless of organizational type, applicants must be able to demonstrate the project’s importance to wildlife habitat and Great Lakes conservation and must credibly show that any property or habitat improvements supported by GLRI funds will be properly managed for wildlife over the long term. Organizations that are not primarily conservation-focused can still apply, but they must clearly explain how their mission and capacity align with GLRI and Joint Venture priorities and how they will ensure that the investment is maintained into the future.

From a funding standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program (CFDA 15.637) with an award ceiling of $300,000. The Fish and Wildlife Service anticipates making about three awards under this opportunity. The funding opportunity number is F26AS00094, and the application deadline is July 6, 2026.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Great Lakes Restoration Initiative –Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.637.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-06. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for F26AS00094

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