Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 02
The USDA Forest Service "Wildlife Habitat Enhancement" opportunity is set up as an Outreach of Interest (OOI), meaning it is not a standard grant application for an immediate, guaranteed award. Instead, it is a way for the Forest Service to find, connect with, and build relationships with potential partners who have ideas for wildlife habitat improvement projects that could later move forward under partnership agreements that fit the agency's legal authorities. Submitting a response is essentially a signal that your organization has concepts, capabilities, or on-the-ground capacity the Forest Service may want to explore and potentially develop into future collaborative projects.
The focus is on increasing the Forest Service's capacity to enhance habitat for wildlife, fish, and other natural resources on National Forest System lands and, where appropriate, adjacent lands. The opportunity emphasizes practical habitat enhancement actions, including the use of certain artificial habitat structures when natural habitat has been lost or degraded. Examples named in the notice include nest boxes, brush piles, and supplemental water sources, along with work that mitigates erosion or restores vegetation, especially plants that are important for wildlife. The agency is clear that these actions are not meant to replace natural habitat, but they can help offset habitat loss and support wildlife abundance or productivity, particularly as landscapes are increasingly affected by wildfire, drought, disease, development, and other human-driven pressures.
A major theme is co-stewardship and community partnership. The Forest Service is explicitly looking to broaden representation, including participation from diverse and underserved communities, and to form new partnerships that better reflect the public the agency serves. The intent is not only ecological improvement but also shared ownership of outcomes, where community members are actively engaged in project planning and implementation and have a vested interest in long-term success. In addition to habitat outcomes, the Forest Service highlights potential community benefits such as job training, personal development, conservation service opportunities, and building appreciation for natural resources, with an emphasis on cultivating the next generation of natural resource stewards.
The types of species and habitats that could be addressed are broad. Projects may focus on terrestrial or aquatic species, including both game and nongame wildlife, and species that are socially or culturally important to the Forest Service, its partners, Tribes, and local communities. The work is also positioned as supporting larger agency priorities, including the Wildfire Crisis strategy, reforestation efforts, and climate adaptation strategies. The agency notes that habitat enhancement can also provide added public benefits by increasing recreation opportunities such as birding, hunting, and general nature viewing.
Eligibility is wide and includes for-profit entities, nonprofits, colleges and universities, and government entities at the federal, state, local, and Tribal levels. It also includes special purpose districts such as public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, school districts, and ports. The listing identifies the agency as the Forest Service and provides the opportunity number USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 02, with CFDA/Assistance Listing 10.699 and an original closing date of 2025-02-07. The award ceiling is shown as 0 and expected awards are not specified, which fits the idea that this is an outreach and relationship-building step rather than a typical competitive grant with a defined pot of funding.
To respond, applicants are directed to follow the instructions in the attached "Outreach of Interest Template Instructions" document. In practical terms, a strong response would describe your organization, the community or landscapes you work in, the wildlife or habitat needs you want to address, the types of enhancement activities you could carry out (including any experience with structures, revegetation, erosion control, or similar restoration work), how you would involve local communities and underserved groups, and what a partnership with the Forest Service could look like in terms of roles, capacity, and long-term stewardship.Apply for USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 02
- The Forest Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wildlife Habitat Enhancement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.699.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Wildlife Habitat Enhancement (USDA Forest Service) - FAQs
1) What is the USDA Forest Service "Wildlife Habitat Enhancement" opportunity?
This opportunity is an Outreach of Interest (OOI) focused on wildlife habitat improvement concepts and partnership ideas. It is designed for the Forest Service to identify and connect with potential partners who can help enhance habitat for wildlife, fish, and other natural resources.
2) Is this a standard grant application with guaranteed funding?
No. The notice describes this as an Outreach of Interest, not a typical grant competition for an immediate, guaranteed award. Submitting a response signals that your organization has ideas or capacity the Forest Service may want to explore for possible future work under partnership agreements that align with the agency's legal authorities.
3) What does submitting an OOI response actually do?
Submitting a response is a way to introduce your organization, concepts, and on-the-ground capabilities to the Forest Service. The intent is to help the agency find potential partners and develop relationships that could later lead to collaborative projects through partnership agreements.
4) What is the main goal of this opportunity?
The main goal is to increase the Forest Service's capacity to enhance habitat for wildlife, fish, and other natural resources on National Forest System lands and, where appropriate, adjacent lands. The emphasis is on practical habitat enhancement actions and partnership-based implementation.
5) Where can projects take place?
The focus is on National Forest System lands. The notice also mentions that work may be appropriate on adjacent lands in some cases.
6) What kinds of habitat enhancement actions are of interest?
The opportunity emphasizes practical habitat enhancement actions. Examples named include:
- Artificial habitat structures such as nest boxes
- Brush piles
- Supplemental water sources
- Erosion mitigation
- Vegetation restoration, especially plants important for wildlife
7) Are artificial habitat structures meant to replace natural habitat?
No. The Forest Service states these actions are not meant to replace natural habitat. Instead, they may help offset habitat loss or degradation and support wildlife abundance or productivity, especially where landscapes are impacted by wildfire, drought, disease, development, and other human-driven pressures.
8) What drivers or challenges is this opportunity responding to?
The notice highlights increasing impacts on landscapes from wildfire, drought, disease, development, and other human-driven pressures. Habitat enhancement is presented as a way to help address habitat loss and degradation under these conditions.
9) What species or habitats are eligible to be addressed?
The scope is broad. Projects may focus on terrestrial or aquatic species, and may include game and nongame wildlife. The notice also notes projects can address species that are socially or culturally important to the Forest Service, partners, Tribes, and local communities.
10) How does this opportunity relate to broader Forest Service priorities?
The notice positions habitat enhancement as supporting larger agency priorities, including the Wildfire Crisis strategy, reforestation efforts, and climate adaptation strategies.
11) Are community benefits part of the purpose?
Yes. Alongside ecological outcomes, the Forest Service highlights potential community benefits such as job training, personal development, conservation service opportunities, and building appreciation for natural resources, with an emphasis on cultivating the next generation of natural resource stewards.
12) What does "co-stewardship" mean in this opportunity?
Co-stewardship is a major theme in the notice. It emphasizes community partnership and shared ownership of outcomes, where community members are actively engaged in project planning and implementation and have a vested interest in long-term success.
13) Is the Forest Service looking for participation from underserved or diverse communities?
Yes. The notice explicitly states the Forest Service is looking to broaden representation, including participation from diverse and underserved communities, and to form partnerships that better reflect the public the agency serves.
14) Can projects include recreation-related benefits?
Yes. The notice states habitat enhancement can provide added public benefits by increasing recreation opportunities such as birding, hunting, and general nature viewing.
15) Who is eligible to respond to this Outreach of Interest?
Eligibility is described as wide and includes:
- For-profit entities
- Nonprofits
- Colleges and universities
- Government entities (federal, state, local, and Tribal)
- Special purpose districts (including public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, school districts, and ports)
16) Which agency is offering the opportunity?
The offering agency is the USDA Forest Service.
17) What is the opportunity number and Assistance Listing information?
The listing identifies:
- Opportunity Number: USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 02
- CFDA/Assistance Listing: 10.699
18) What is the closing date?
The original closing date shown is 2025-02-07.
19) How much funding is available (award ceiling / expected awards)?
The award ceiling is shown as 0, and expected awards are not specified. This aligns with the notice framing this as an outreach and relationship-building step rather than a typical grant with a defined funding pot and guaranteed awards.
20) How do you respond to the opportunity?
Applicants are directed to follow the instructions in the attached "Outreach of Interest Template Instructions" document. The response should be prepared according to that template and guidance.
21) What information should a strong OOI response include?
Based on the notice description, a strong response would typically describe:
- Your organization and its capabilities
- The community or landscapes you work in
- The wildlife or habitat needs you want to address
- The enhancement activities you could carry out (including experience with habitat structures, revegetation, erosion control, and similar restoration work)
- How you would involve local communities and underserved groups
- What a partnership with the Forest Service could look like, including roles, capacity, and long-term stewardship
22) Does the opportunity focus only on ecological outcomes?
No. While ecological improvement is central, the notice also emphasizes community partnership, shared ownership of outcomes, workforce and service opportunities, and building long-term stewardship and appreciation for natural resources.
23) What kind of partnership arrangements might result from this OOI?
The notice indicates that ideas may later move forward under partnership agreements that fit the Forest Service's legal authorities. The OOI itself is the starting point for relationship-building and exploring potential collaborative projects.
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