Description
The Tribal Wildlife Grants (TWG) Program was created to support the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitats and species of Tribal cultural or traditional importance, including species that are not hunted or fished. The TWG Program is part of the Congressionally authorized State and Tribal Wildlife Grant (STWG) Program which provides wildlife conservation grants to States, Commonwealths, and to the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Tribes under provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. TWG Program funding originates from the Department of the Interior (DOI) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Pub. L. 107-63), when Congress first specified that the Service use a portion of the funds appropriated under the STWG Program to establish a competitive grant program available to federally recognized Tribes. This language allows the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), to establish a separate competitive Tribal grant program which is not subject to the provisions or other requirements of the STWG Program. The TWG Program provides opportunities for federally recognized Tribes to engage in fish and wildlife conservation efforts on their lands, many of which are located adjacent to DOI-managed lands. Many of the TWG Program-funded project activities increase fish and wildlife populations, allowing for hunting and fishing opportunities on and off Tribal lands. Additionally, the TWG Program funds project activities that align and assist the Service with Endangered Species Act (ESA) activities supporting downlisting, delisting, and preventing new species listings under the ESA. Eligible projects include those that initiate, develop, or implement activities or programs that benefit wildlife and their habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished. Activities may include, but are not limited to:Planning for conservation of fish and wildlife, and their habitatsConservation management actions for fish and wildlife, and their habitatsField and laboratory research related to fish and wildlife resourcesNatural history studiesFish passagesHabitat mapping or evaluationField surveys and population monitoringRestoration of habitatManagement of invasive speciesPublic educationrelevant to the proposed projectWildlife TRACS (Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species) is the tracking and reporting system used by WSFR to capture conservation and related actions funded by its grant programs. TRACS serves as the electronic repository system for all performance and accomplishment reporting related to those Federal awards. TRACS highlights program accountability by documenting program accomplishments and results. As outlined in this announcement, grant and project statement information and performance reporting data may be entered into TRACS but use of this system is optional for Tribes.Since its inception in 2003, the competitive TWG Program has awarded more than $111.6 million to Native American Tribes, providing support for more than 626 conservation projects. In FY 2022, 54 proposals were received, and 37 awards were issued; in FY 2022, 51 proposals were received, and 33 awards issued; and, in FY 2023, an estimated 50-100 proposals are expected to be received and about 20-40 awards are expected to be issued.You are encouraged to work with Service staff in developing proposal applications and addressing all scoring criteria provided in this announcement. Additional information about the TWG Program is on the web at: http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/grants.html. If you do not have access to the Internet and would like to receive information by mail, contact the Service point of contact identified in this announcement.In an effort to fulfill Executive Order 14008 and meet Department of the Interior and Service priorities (https://www.doi.gov/ourpriorities), and commensurate with available appropriations, the Service will implement a second-tier funding process using a portion of available funds.Second-tier grants will target Tribes that have not received TWG Program funds in the past. The purpose is to increase Tribal fish and wildlife management capacity to address threats to tribally identified species, including threats associated with climate change. This second-tier funding process will not modify current project selection procedures or the criteria provided in Section E. of this announcement. Regardless of whether a Tribe has received a previous TWG Program award, we will review all applications using the same procedures and criteria. As funding levels allow, a portion of the highest-ranking applications from Tribes that have not previously received TWG Program funding will be recommended for approval. The Service Director makes the final project selections.