Service Issues Call for Proposals to Tribes for Grants to Conserve Fish and Wildlife on Tribal Lands

The Interior Departments U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a request for proposals from federally recognized Tribes to conserve and recover endangered, threatened and at-risk species and other wildlife on Tribal lands under the Tribal Landowner Incentive (TLIP) and Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) programs.

Similar to the agencys Landowner Incentive and State Wildlife grants programs, these grant programs are designed to support efforts to conserve and restore the habitat of threatened, endangered and at risk species on tribal lands. This will be the third year these grants, modeled after a successful grant program implemented by President Bush in Texas when he was governor, have been available to Indian Tribal governments.

Grants in the two programs are awarded through a competitive process. TWG, in fiscal year 2005, has $ 5,917,000 available for grants that will benefit wildlife and its habitat, including species that are not hunted or fished. Although matching funds will be considered as an indicator of Tribal commitment to a project, they are not required for these grants. The maximum award under this program is $250,000.

In fiscal year 2005, TLIP has $ 2,126,000 available for federally recognized Indian Tribes to address protection, restoration and management of habitat to benefit species at risk, including federally listed endangered or threatened species, as well as proposed or candidate species. Up to 75 percent of the costs associated with each project funded under this program may be covered by Federal funds. The maximum award under this program is $150,000.

Indian Tribes have a controlling interest in more than 52 million acres of Tribal trust lands with an additional 40 million acres held by Alaskan Native Corporations. Much of this land is relatively undisturbed, providing a significant amount of rare and important fish and wildlife habitat.

Previously awarded grants now support projects such as comprehensive surveys of plant and vertebrate fish and wildlife on reservation lands to establish data bases, habitat and fish restoration, and development of new resource management techniques. Some of the at-risk species benefiting from these projects include lake sturgeon, sage grouse, antelope, pygmy rabbits, and eastern cougar.

The request for proposals was published in the February 3 Federal Register and grant applications must be postmarked by April 4 .

For grant application kits, please visit http://grants.fws.gov/tribal.html or contact Patrick Durham, Office of the Native American Liaison (202) 208 4133. Additional information about all FWS grant programs is available on the Internet at http://www.grants.fws.gov. The CFDA number for Tribal Landowner Incentive grants is 15.638 and 15.639 for Tribal Wildlife grants.

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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 95-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, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management 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 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.

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