National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative
The Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative will award grants to restore and sustain healthy rivers, streams, and grassland systems that provide important wildlife habitat in the Pecos watershed and adjacent areas of New Mexico and Texas. Initial program priorities include habitat restoration strategies, specific river and grassland focal areas, and wildlife species of interest. Projects must address at least one of these priorities to be eligible for consideration. Proposals that address two or more of the priorities will be prioritized.
Specifically, grants will be awarded in two categories:
1. Habitat restoration and management grants: Grants will be awarded for projects around the following focus areas:
- Stream and riparian habitat
- Grassland habitat restoration and management
- Outreach and technical assistance
2. Species information grants: The initiative is seeking to fill information gaps on specific species that inhabit the Pecos watershed. Competitive proposals in this category include those that inform future habitat restoration priorities through improved species distribution maps and better understanding of stressors affecting those species. See the solicitation for a listing of target aquatic/riparian and grassland/upland species of interest.
Amount: Up to $1,700,000 is available to make five to ten grants that will typically range from $50,000-$250,000. Matching contributions (either cash or in-kind) are required and must be valued at 50% of the total project costs (1:1 ratio). Matching funds may be federal or non-federal in origin.
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, federal natural resource management agencies, Indian tribes, and educational institutions.
The geographic focus is around specific areas in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas that include:
- Delaware River and Black River watersheds, and other tributary streams that flow from the Guadalupe and Davis mountains
- Pecos River above Red Bluff Reservoir
- Pecos River below the confluence with Independence Creek
- Large grassland areas including the Alpine/Marfa/Marathon, Texas areas, Otero Mesa, and BLM managed rangelands in New Mexico
Note: See solicitation website (link below) to review a map of eligible geographic areas.
Link: http://www.nfwf.org/swrivers/pecos/Pages/home.aspx
This post was filed under: