Federal Funding Opportunities

Grants ,

Check out these Federal grant opportunities to tie into your fish habitat projects!

DOT Culvert Program - National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program

Due by February 6, 2023

Funding available: $196 Million

Program Overview

The National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program (Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) Program) is an annual competitive grant program that awards grants to eligible entities for projects for the replacement, removal, and repair of culverts or weirs that meaningfully improve or restore fish passage for anadromous fish. Anadromous fish species are born in freshwater such as streams and rivers, spend most of their lives in the marine environment, and migrate back to freshwater to spawn.

See National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grants (Culvert AOP Program) (PDF)

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible entities for the Culvert AOP Program include Tribes, States, and units of local government.

What kinds of projects are eligible?

The Culvert AOP Program focuses on two project categories as differentiated by structure type:

  1. Projects to replace, remove, or repair culverts that would meaningfully improve or restore fish passage for anadromous fish.
  2. Projects to replace, remove, or repair weirs that would meaningfully improve or restore fish passage for anadromous fish. With respect to weirs, the project may include: 1) infrastructure to facilitate fish passage around or over the weir; and 2) weir improvements.

Project Prioritization

The following types of projects will be prioritized for Culvert AOP Program funding:

  1. Projects that would improve fish passage for:
    1. Anadromous fish stocks listed as an endangered species or a threatened species under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. § 1533);
    2. Anadromous fish stocks identified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that could reasonably become listed as an endangered species or a threatened species under that section;
  • Anadromous fish stocks identified by the NMFS or USFWS as prey for endangered species, threatened species, or protected species, including Southern resident orcas (Orcinus orcas); or
  1. Anadromous fish stocks identified by the NMFS or the USFWS as climate resilient stocks; and
  1. Projects that would open up more than 200 meters of upstream anadromous habitat before the end of the natural habitat

Grant Application

DOT uses Grants.gov for receipt of all applications for this program's Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Applicants must register and use the system to submit applications electronically. Applicants are encouraged to register in advance of the submission deadline and to register to receive notifications of updates/amendments to this NOFO. Approval of user registrations for the site may take multiple weeks. It is the Applicant's responsibility to monitor Grants.gov for any updates to this Notice.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on Monday February 6, 2023 (the "application deadline"). Applicants are encouraged to submit applications in advance of the application deadline; however, applications will not be evaluated, and awards will not be made, until after the application deadline.

FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities

Due by January 27, 2023

Funding available: $2.295 Billion

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards.

The BRIC program guiding principles are supporting communities through capability- and capacity-building; encouraging and enabling innovation; promoting partnerships; enabling large projects; maintaining flexibility; and providing consistency.

New nature-based solutions are included in the BRIC opportunity this year including living shorelines and oyster reefs.

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funds may be used for:

  • Capability and capacity building (C&CB) activities
  • Mitigation projects
  • Management costs

Existing project types detailed in the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant program are eligible under the BRIC program.

Projects must:

  • Be cost-effective
  • Reduce or eliminate risk and damage from future natural hazards
  • Meet either of the two latest published editions of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications and standards
  • Align with the applicable hazard mitigation plan (HMP)
  • Meet all Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) requirements

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicants may include states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and federally recognized tribal governments under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994.
  • Each state, territory, federally recognized tribal government and the District of Columbia shall designate one agency to serve as the applicant for BRIC funding. Each agency may submit only one BRIC grant application to FEMA. An application can be made up of an unlimited number of subapplications.
  • Applicants must have a FEMA-approved state or tribal HMP by the application deadline. They also must have one at the time of obligation of grant funds.
  • State or territory: Must have received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act in the 7 years before the application period start date. All states, territories and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply in fiscal year 2022.

USFWS National Fish Passage Program BIL FY2023

Link to grants.gov for full application package

Letter of Intent due to NFPP Regional Coordinator by: December 16, 2022

Funding available: Up to $38 Million (FY2023) ($200 million total    over 5 years)

More information can be found here.

Note: Any entity is eligible to receive funding but ALL applicants must work with USFWS field or regional staff to develop NFPP            proposals/projects.

For questions, please reach out to Shannon Boyle at                             shannon_boyle@fws.gov or your NFPP Regional Coordinator.

Key Dates and First Steps for Interested Applicants. 

December 16, 2022 - All applicants are required to send a Letter of Intent to their regional coordinator by December 16.

Ongoing until February 10, 2023 – Regional coordinators work with applicants to develop full proposals. Each region reviews their proposals and sends their priority selections for national consideration and review.

February 10, 2023 - Regional funding requests are due to FAC HQ for consideration under the national review panel.

February / March 2023 – The projects that are submitted by the regions will then be considered under the national review and selection process. The panel hasn’t been established at this time but will include HQ and regional Service staff as well as external subject matter experts. The panel will review projects according to the points and criteria detailed in the NOFO.

April 2023 (Anticipated) – Following final review of project lists by Service and DOI leadership, final selection of projects will be announced. Successful projects will be notified of their selection and will be invited to submit their full application through GrantSolutions. The ANTICIPATED release date to the public is sometime in April.

December 31, 2023 – Due date listed in the NOFO and on GrantSolutions. This deadline only applies to projects that that are ultimately SELECTED FOR FUNDING (notified in April/May 2023) after Service and DOI review and approval. Only those project proponents that have been selected will be INVITED to submit their full application through GrantSolutions to receive their funding award.

Project Selection Criteria 

Ecological Benefits (45 points)

Benefits to Priority Species and Habitats (20 points)

Permanence of Fish Passage Benefits (10 points)

Regional and Watershed Context (15 points)

Community Benefits (35 points)

Benefits for community resilience to climate change impacts and other co-benefits (15     points)

Benefits to Underserved or Indigenous Communities (15 points)

Tribal Support and Partnership (5 points)

Funding and Timeline (15 points)

Leveraged Funds (5 points)

Community Support (7 points)

Estimated Project Duration and Timeline (8 points)

Opportunity to Comment on Use of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funds

The IRA provides NRCS with over $18 billion to support farmers and ranchers in adopting and expanding climate-smart activities and systems. The additional funding for four conservation programs begins in FY 2023 and increases annually over the next four years, with total amounts listed below:

Program Total Funding FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026
EQIP $8.45 billion $250 million $1.75 billion $3 billion $3.45 billion
RCPP $4.95 billion $250 million $800 million $1.5 billion $2.4 billion
CSP $3.25 billion $250 million $500 million $1 billion $1.5 billion
ACEP $1.4 billion $100 million $200 million $500 million $600 million

There is also an additional $1.0 billion going to Conservation Technical Assistance.

NRCS is requesting comments on how to implement this funding.  They are looking for input on how to target program benefits, quantify impact, and improve program delivery and outreach, especially for underserved producers.  A list of questions for commenters is included in the Federal Register Request for Information.  The deadline for comments is December 22nd.

Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Signup 59 for FY 2023 

Information on the new Continuous CRP signup can be found here.  For the FY 2023 State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) approved projects, State Executive Directors (SEDs) will be sent a memo announcing the signup details.  County offices can begin accepting SAFE offers on new land in accordance with the guidance in the SED memo.

USDA Invests in Big Game Conservation Partnership with State of Wyoming  

This year, NRCS is investing $6 million in additional EQIP assistance and $10 million in additional ACEP funding in Wyoming for big game conservation.  As part of a new partnership agreement, USDA is providing a package of investments in key conservation programs for fiscal year 2023 on private working lands supporting migratory big game populations. This includes funding to support increased staffing capacity and the deployment of streamlined program application processes for agricultural landowners. Using lessons learned from this partnership pilot, USDA seeks to scale up this model across the West as part of President Biden’s commitment to support voluntary, locally led, producer-driven conservation efforts.  More information on this partnership can be found here.