Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Pre-Proposals for Funding Under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking pre-proposals for conservation projects to restore Great Lakes fish and wildlife resources through its Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Grants Program.

This program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes basin. The projects are funded under authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006.

The Service contributes up to 75 percent of the cost of the projects, with matching funds and expertise coming from partner organizations. In 2006, the Service awarded grants for seven projects totaling $563,000. Partners contributed $207,000 in matching support. Since 1998, 72 restoration projects totaling $6.6 million, including $3.9 million in federal funds, have been implemented. To date, more than 60 organizations have participated in projects funded under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act.

The states, federally recognized Indian tribal governments and Native American treaty organizations within the Great Lakes basin are eligible to apply for funding. Non-government organizations and conservation organizations may also receive funding if sponsored by an organization listed above. Applicants must submit pre-proposals to the Fish and Wildlife Service by Feb. 28, 2007.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

-FWS-