The U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service announced it is accepting applications for its Fish & Wildlife Conservation Grants Program to develop and evaluate technological tools for fish and wildlife habitat improvements.

Proposals are due April 27.

Individual grants will range from $10,000 to $200,000. Selected applicants may receive up to 50 percent of the project cost. Applicants must provide nonfederal matching funds for at least 50 percent of the project cost, up to half of which may come from in-kind contributions. An exception allows for limited resource and beginning farmers and ranchers, tribes, and community-based organizations representing these groups to obtain up to 75 percent of project matching funds from in-kind contributions.

In their project proposals, applicants will be asked how they will develop, test, implement and transfer innovative solutions that benefit fish and wildlife on cropland, grassland, forestland, rangeland, riparian areas, wetlands, streams, rivers, vernal pools and areas where farmland and urban land meet.

Projects can be single- or multi-purpose and can run from one to three years. They must address the following natural resource concerns on working agricultural land:

· effects of buffers, field borders and riparian areas on fish and wildlife;

· improvements to wetland restoration and management practices;

· grassland establishment and management for wildlife;

· evaluation of fisheries habitat, stream restoration and management;

· use of electronic technology, including Geographic Information Systems, to measure fish and wildlife response to conservation practices; and

· improvements of fish and wildlife management systems for limited resource and beginning farmers and ranchers and Native American tribes.

For more information about the wildlife announcement of funding, please visit the

Fish & Wildlife Conservation Grants Program webpage.

3/31/2006