U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Regional Director Steve Thompson has announced more than $17.9 million in grants to California that will support conservation planning and acquisition of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants. The grants, awarded through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, will benefit numerous species in the state, ranging from the coastal California gnatcatcher to the San Joaquin kit fox.
"With these grants, we build partnerships with landowners who work to conserve our state's most imperiled species," said Thompson. "These partnerships result in on-the-ground benefits we can all appreciate.
Authorized by Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, the grants enable States to work with private landowners, conservation groups and other agencies to initiate conservation planning efforts and acquire and protect habitat to support the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
In California this year, the cooperative endangered species fund provides $2.1 million through the Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants Program, $12.6 million through the Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Grants Program and $3.2 million through the Recovery Land Acquisition Grants Program.
