Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Grants | F21AS00170

Opportunity Information: Apply for F21AS00170

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition Grants program is a competitive grant opportunity run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help conserve habitat for species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), especially because many of these species rely on non-Federal lands for part of their life cycle. The program sits under ESA Section 6, which is designed to support state-led conservation programs through federal financial assistance. In practical terms, the Service is using this grant program to partner with states and territories so that habitat protection and species recovery efforts can be carried out effectively across landscapes where private, local, and state land ownership dominates.

This specific funding opportunity focuses on land acquisition tied to approved and permitted Habitat Conservation Plans. HCPs exist because, prior to 1982, non-Federal landowners who carried out otherwise legal activities could run into ESA Section 9 violations if those activities resulted in the "take" of a listed species. Congress created a voluntary pathway in the 1982 ESA amendments through Section 10(a)(1)(B), allowing the Service to issue incidental take permits to non-Federal entities. To receive that permit, the applicant must prepare an HCP explaining how impacts to covered species will be minimized and mitigated in order to meet the statutory issuance criteria in Section 10(a)(2)(B). Once approved, the HCP commitments become enforceable parts of the permit, and in many places HCPs have evolved into larger-scale planning tools that guide development while setting aside meaningful conservation actions.

A key feature of HCPs, highlighted by this opportunity, is that they often include not only currently listed species but also candidate, at-risk, or otherwise rare species within the plan area. That approach can reduce the chance those species decline to the point where federal listing becomes necessary, and it can also provide more predictability for landowners and developers. If a non-listed species covered by an HCP becomes listed later during the permit term, the HCP can streamline authorization for incidental take of that newly listed species, avoiding the disruption and delay that could come with reopening or amending permits. In that sense, the grant program supports a broader strategy: using proactive habitat protection now to reduce conflict later while improving long-term conservation outcomes.

Congress established the HCP Land Acquisition Grant program in FY 1997 to directly reduce conflicts between species conservation and competing land uses on specific parcels associated with approved HCPs. The grants are matching grants to states, and the funded projects are specifically about acquiring land or interests in land that will protect habitat in perpetuity. The program supports two main acquisition methods: fee simple purchase (outright acquisition) and the purchase of permanent conservation easements. The intent is durable protection that secures habitat values over the long term, helps connect conservation lands across a landscape, and strengthens the recovery prospects of listed species while also helping prevent future listings.

Importantly, lands acquired through these grants are meant to complement HCP obligations, not replace them. The Service makes clear that acquisitions funded here are additive to the minimization, mitigation, and monitoring commitments already required under an HCP. That distinction matters because it frames the grants as a way to leverage and amplify non-Federal conservation investments already embedded in HCPs, rather than allowing permittees to shift required responsibilities onto federal funding. By using federal dollars to help states protect key parcels tied to HCP implementation, the program aims to deliver measurable conservation gains beyond baseline permit requirements.

Eligibility is limited to state agencies that have an active Cooperative Agreement with the Service under ESA Section 6(c) and that have also provided the information needed for annual renewal (reconfirmation) of that agreement. If a state agency has not met both conditions, it will not be considered for funding. While only state governments can receive awards directly, the program anticipates collaboration: counties, conservation organizations, and other partners may participate by working with an eligible state agency as subgrantees on mutually beneficial conservation efforts.

From the source details provided, this opportunity is a discretionary grant administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.615. The funding opportunity number is F21AS00170, and the original application closing date listed is April 9, 2021. The award ceiling shown is $39,276,000. The notice emphasizes that the NOFO contains updated information compared to prior years and recommends early coordination with the appropriate Service contact before investing significant time and resources into project planning and application development, reflecting the complexity and long-term commitments typical of land acquisition projects tied to HCP implementation.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.615.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-09. (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 $39,276,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F21AS00170

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