Division of Bird Habitat Conservation

Donate to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Account!

Recognizing the importance of conserving migratory birds, the Congress of the United States passed the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (Act, or NMBCA) in 2000. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with assistance from an international Advisory Group, manages a grants program to implement the terms of this legislation. This website provides information on the program and instructions on how to apply for grants.

Deadlines

NMBCA Grants Deadline: November 13, 2008.

Purpose and Scope

The Act establishes a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean that promote the long-term conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats. The goals of the Act include perpetuating healthy populations of these birds, providing financial resources for bird conservation initiatives, and fostering international cooperation for such initiatives.

History

The grants program began supporting projects in 2002, when it received its first appropriation in the amount of $3 million. Funding for the program was $3 million in 2003, $4 million in 2004 – 2007, and will be $4.5 million in 2008.  At least 75 percent of the total funding available for grants each fiscal year is to be used to support projects outside the USA.

Current Funding

Total funding for the Act’s Grants Program in FY 2008 is approximately $4.5 million.

The Process

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Division of Bird Habitat Conservation (Division) is responsible for managing the Act’s Grants Program. Applicants submit project proposals to the Division during the program’s one funding cycle per year, and the proposals are reviewed for eligibility by program staff. A panel of Service staff reviews eligible project proposals and makes recommendations for funding to the Service’s Director. The Director approves the projects for funding on behalf of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior. The Division administers the grants for all approved projects.

Accomplishments

Between 2002 and 2008, the program supported 260 projects, coordinated by partners in 48 U.S. states/territories and 36 countries. More than $25.5 million from NMBCA grants have leveraged about $116.5 million in matching funds and $6.1 million in nonmatching funds. Projects involving land conservation have affected about 1.9 million acres of bird habitat. In 2008, 37 projects were approved for funding.

Collaboration

The program collaborates with national and international bird conservation initiatives, including Partners in Flight, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), and the U.S. Bird Conservation Joint Ventures.

Applying for a Grant

Applicants submit project proposals to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Bird Habitat Conservation during the program’s one funding cycle per year. Please read Proposal Application Overview for eligibility requirements and instructions.

Contact

For more information, contact Doug Ryan or Andrea Grosse, NMBCA Program Coordinators, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation at 703-358-1784 or neotropical@fws.gov.

/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/index.shtm was last updated 05/16/08 09:46:31

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