Funding Opportunities

Funding is an important part of any project, especially one involving the conservation or restoration of natural habitat. There are several funding sources available to private landowners through the USDA Farm Bill program. Scheduling a talk with your local District Conservationist at the Natural Resources Conservation Service is a good place to start. Another option is to contact a private lands or Farm Bill biologist in your area. Let them know what your priorities are and they can discuss potential funding options for putting additional conservation into your operation.

Funding opportunities through the Farm Bill include:

• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
  • CP23 - Wetland Restoration
  • CP23a - Wetland Restoration, Non-floodplain
  • CP33 - Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds
  • CP38 - State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)
• Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)
• Farm and Ranchland Protection Program
• Grassland Reserve Progam (GRP)
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)

If you are working on a large project with multiple partners, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Environmental Protection Agency all have grant programs that fund wetland protection and are good places to look for funding. When applying for these grants, we advise working through your state wildlife department, a conservation NGO, such as Ducks Unlimited, or contacting the PLJV Conservation Delivery Leader Christopher Rustay at 505-243-0737 for suggestions of other potential partners in your state.