Service Seeks Proposals from States for 2008 Endangered Species Grants  

For Release on June 25, 2007
Contact:  Claire Markgraf (202) 219-8104

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking proposals from states and
U.S. territories interested in obtaining federal grant assistance to
acquire land or conduct planning for endangered species conservation
efforts. For fiscal year 2008, the President's budget request for the
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund would provide
approximately $80 million in grant funding for conservation planning
activities and habitat acquisition for federally protected species.
Proposals must be submitted to the appropriate Service Regional Offices by
August 24, 2007.

"These grants support the states' efforts to build partnerships with local
communities and concerned citizens to conserve imperiled species," said
Service Director H. Dale Hall. "Providing grants is one of the most
important means the Service has to help conserve wildlife across the
country."

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is authorized under
Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act and provides grants to states and
territories to support participation in a wide array of voluntary
conservation projects for species on the Federal list of threatened and
endangered species, as well as for species that are either candidates or
have been proposed for listing.

The Service is seeking proposals under three Cooperative Endangered Species
Conservation Fund categories:

Recovery Land Acquisition Grants - These grants provide funds to states and
territories for acquisition of threatened and endangered species habitat in
support of approved species recovery plans. Acquiring habitat in order to
secure long term protection is often the critical element in a
comprehensive recovery effort for a listed species.

Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants - This category provides
funds to states and territories to support the development of Habitat
Conservation Plans (HCPs). The purpose of an HCP is to ensure adequate
protection for threatened and endangered species, while at the same time
providing for economic growth and development. These grants provide support
for baseline surveys and inventories, document preparation, outreach, and
similar planning activities.

HCP Land Acquisition Grants - These grants provide funds to states and
territories to acquire land associated with approved HCPs. Grants do not
fund the mitigation required of an HCP permittee, but rather, support
acquisitions by the state or local governments that complement actions
associated with the HCP.

By law, the state or territory must have a current cooperative agreement
with the Secretary of Interior and contribute 25 percent of the estimated
program costs of approved projects, or 10 percent when two or more states
or territories undertake a joint project. The grants are expected to be
awarded soon after federal appropriations are provided for fiscal year
2008.

For more information about these grants and grant application requirements
contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Consultation, Habitat
Conservation Planning, Recovery and State Grants, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203, 703-358-2106. Information also can be
accessed at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/.

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is identified in the
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance as number 15.615.

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 97-million- acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 547 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.