Migratory Bird Conservation in the Midwest | F21AS00344

Opportunity Information: Apply for F21AS00344

The Migratory Bird Conservation in the Midwest grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F21AS00344) is a discretionary U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant program focused on conserving native migratory birds that are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but are not listed as Endangered or Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In practical terms, this funding is aimed at improving outcomes for a wide range of migratory bird species that still need targeted conservation attention even though they are not formally ESA-listed.

Projects must be relevant to USFWS Region 3, which covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The program is especially interested in work that addresses key non-breeding season needs within this region (for example, habitat use, threats, and survival during migration stopovers or winter periods). It also allows proposals that occur outside the eight-state footprint if the work clearly supports Region 3 breeding populations, such as research or conservation actions in important non-breeding areas used by birds that breed in Region 3, or broad-scale actions that deliver tangible benefits to birds in these states.

A core feature of the opportunity is that proposals are expected to align with the Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC) framework used by USFWS. SHC is a structured, science-driven approach that links biological planning and priority setting with on-the-ground conservation delivery, then uses monitoring and evaluation to learn what worked and adjust future actions. Applicants are essentially being asked to propose work that fits into a cycle of planning, implementation, measurement, and adaptive improvement, rather than standalone activities with limited follow-through.

For the 2021 funding cycle, the Midwest Migratory Bird Conservation Program highlighted three main proposal themes. The first theme focuses on improving understanding of migration and year-round population dynamics, including migratory connectivity (how breeding, stopover, and wintering areas are linked), migratory threats, wintering ecology, and annual survival. This theme also explicitly includes the local movements of birds-of-the-year between hatching and dispersal or migration, which is a period that can strongly affect survival and recruitment but is often under-studied. Within this theme, preference is given to projects that target focal or priority species identified by Midwest Joint Venture partnerships, with particular interest in grassland-dependent birds, shorebirds, and aerial insectivores. The opportunity points applicants to Joint Venture planning resources (https://umgljv.org/planning/joint-venture-plans/) to help ensure projects are aligned with established regional priorities.

The second theme emphasizes capacity-building for sustainable conservation and monitoring of Neotropical migrants during the non-breeding season. This is less about a single dataset or one-off field season and more about establishing durable capability, such as local partnerships, training, monitoring frameworks, or systems that can continue producing conservation value over time in the places and seasons that matter for these long-distance migrants.

The third theme targets population-level assessment work for specific groups: Great Lakes waterbirds and certain shorebirds. The program calls for proposals that assess trends, status, limiting factors, and/or causes of decline. Example Great Lakes waterbirds mentioned include Herring Gull, American White Pelican, Common Tern, and Black Tern. Example shorebirds include Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Dunlin. The intent here is to fill critical knowledge gaps about what is driving declines or constraining recovery, which can then guide better-targeted management actions.

In terms of administrative basics, the funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is Natural Resources under CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.647. Eligible applicants are broad and include special district governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). For this opportunity, the posted award ceiling is $99,000, the opportunity was created on March 11, 2021, and the original closing date was May 10, 2021.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Conservation in the Midwest" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.647.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $99,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for F21AS00344

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