On March 20, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, will soon be soliciting proposals through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund to conserve, restore, and connect people with fish and wildlife habitat in the Delaware River watershed.

Applications will tentatively be due in early May.  

NFWF expects to post the RFP to the website in the coming weeks and will send a notification email when the application period is open.

The DWCF will award grants of $75,000 to $2,000,000 each to conserve, restore, and protect habitats on public and private land, across rural, urban, and Tribal areas, that contribute to the overall health of the Delaware River watershed—as well as benefit the quality of life and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed.

NFWF will award DWCF grants in four grant categories including: Implementation Grants; Capacity Building Grants; Planning Grants; and Research, Monitoring & Evaluation Grants.

In 2025, the DWCF can award up to a maximum of $2,000,000 each.

The DWCF will award funds to implement voluntary, on-the-ground restoration, conservation, and community engagement projects that achieve the goals of the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program Framework and the Delaware River Watershed Business Plan.

Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations; federal, state, interstate and local governments; Tribal governments and organizations; and educational institutions.

Applicant Webinar

An informational applicant webinar recording will be available on the DWCF RFP website and will provide general program information, application tips, and guidance on frequently asked questions.

If you have any questions about the 2025 RFP, please submit them here and we will do our best to answer them in the webinar.

Proposal Labs

Proposal labs provide a focused 30-minute one-on-one coaching session with NFWF and U.S. FWS Delaware River Watershed program staff.

In these virtual sessions, partners can actively pitch their proposal ideas, receive coaching and constructive feedback, and work to enhance the competitiveness of their project proposals.

Proposal labs will be held on select Tuesday and Thursday afternoons through early May.

Click Here to sign up.

In 2025, applicants requesting $1,000,000 or more are required to meet with the DWCF team before submitting an application via a virtual proposal lab.

NFWF strongly encourages prospective applicants to contact NFWF program staff and use the resources above to obtain guidance on program fit and competitiveness.

Watch the NFWF Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund webpage for all the details.

Related Articles This Week - Watersheds:

-- Lt. Gov. Davis, DEP, Community Celebrate The Opening Of Federal/State Funded Blacklick Creek Mine Drainage Treatment Plant To Clean Up 25 Miles Of Waterways In Cambria, Indiana Counties  [PaEN]

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For First Round Of Federally-Funded Local Abandoned Mine Reclamation Grants, Deadline April 25  [PaEN]

-- Abandoned Mine Post: Foundation For PA Watersheds Offers Help To Groups With Projects Caught In Federal Funding Freeze  [PaEN]

-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Program Healthy Waters Update Highlights Many Partner Accomplishments; Critical Federal Support For Bay Cleanup; 2,100 More Best Management Practices Installed Than In Previous Year   [PaEN]

-- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Now Accepting Proposals For Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants; March 31 Webinar  [PaEN]

-- Coming Soon: National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund Request For Proposals   [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Using Live Stake Nurseries To Engage Communities In Stream Health  [PaEN]

-- Senate Environmental Committee Meets March 24 On Stream ‘Cleaning,’ Solar Energy Facility Decommissioning, Lake Erie Groin Fee Bills [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 34 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In January  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves New Into-Basin Transfer General Permit, Water Withdrawals, Including 6 Shale Gas Development Water Withdrawals  [PaEN]

-- Volunteers Needed! Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy April 11-12 Stream Clean-Up At 200 Sites In Montgomery County  [PaEN]

-- PA Sea Grant, Partners Host April 16 Storm Drain Marking Workshop In Delaware County  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Indiana Gazette: Blacklick Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment Facility Celebrated Near Vintondale

-- Tribune-Democrat: Federal Office Of Surface Mining In PA To Close, Staff Cut, May Significantly Impact Abandoned Mine Reclamation Efforts In PA  [PDF of Article]

-- WTAE: DOGE Targets Shutdown Of Federal Offices In Western PA, Including 3 Mine Safety & Health Administration Offices

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal Forum: Our Charge Is Clear - Focus On What People And Nature Need For Chesapeake Bay Restoration - By Hilary Harp Falk, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

-- The Daily Herald: ClearWater Conservancy Seeks Volunteers For April 12 Watershed Cleanup

 -- Penn State Extension Hosts Soak Up Science - Be A Stream Doctor Day Camp For Youth 8-12 July 29 To Aug. 1 At The Southeast Agricultural Research Farm In Centre County  [PaEN]

-- MCall: Rock Salt’s Impact On Lehigh Valley’s Water Will Linger Long After Winter Passes

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Penn State Scientists Found Microplastics In Freshwater Environments Across Pennsylvania

-- York Daily Record: Why The Drought In York County Could Get Worse In The Coming Months

-- WITF/StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: US Supreme Court Ruling Could Affect Pollution Entering PA Waterways [But State Law Still Applies]

-- Erie Times: Republican Candidate For Governor In Ohio Wants To Rename Lake Erie Lake Ohio

[Posted: March 20, 2025]

3/24/2025