Wildlife Habitat Fencing | USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 01

The Wildlife Habitat Fencing opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 01) is a USDA Forest Service outreach of interest (OOI) designed to find and develop future partners, not a traditional stand-alone grant solicitation with a set award amount. The Forest Service is using this OOI to build relationships and identify project ideas that could later move forward through partnership agreements under the agency's legislative authorities. In practical terms, submitting a response is a way to put your organization on the Forest Service's radar so they can explore fencing-related habitat projects with you that match shared goals on National Forest System lands and, when relevant, across neighboring ownerships.

The focus is increasing on-the-ground capacity to improve wildlife habitat by removing, modifying, or installing wildlife-friendly fencing. The Forest Service highlights that fences can either help or harm ecosystems depending on where they are placed, how they are built, and which species are affected. Examples of beneficial fencing include small exclosures intended to protect sensitive aquatic species, riparian areas, or pollinator habitat from impacts such as ungulate browsing or recreation. On the other hand, removing outdated or unused livestock fencing can improve habitat connectivity for wide-ranging species. The Forest Service also calls out a common problem: fences that are poorly designed or not built to current wildlife-friendly specifications can fragment habitat and populations, block movement across the landscape, and even cause direct wildlife injury or mortality.

A central goal is partnership-based delivery that strengthens co-stewardship and community involvement. The agency is explicitly looking to broaden participation, including increasing representation from diverse and underserved communities, and to engage local partners who have a real stake in long-term management outcomes. The Forest Service frames this work as more than a construction project: it is also meant to create opportunities for job training, conservation service experience, personal development, and building the next generation of natural resource stewards, with community members sharing ownership of project outcomes over time.

Programmatically, the OOI is aligned with several major policy and planning priorities. It supports the Forest Service 2012 Planning Rule and its "all lands" approach, emphasizing ecosystem management that crosses land ownership boundaries and depends on cooperation with other agencies, tribes, and private landowners. It also aligns with the Forest Service National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change, and references Secretarial Order 3362, which aims to improve habitat quality for big game migration corridors and winter range in 11 western states by strengthening collaboration among federal land managers, state fish and wildlife agencies, and private landowners to identify, conserve, and restore priority areas.

Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit entities, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and federal, state, local, and Native American tribal governments, as well as special purpose districts such as public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, school districts, and ports. The listing indicates an original closing date of 2025-02-07. The award ceiling is shown as 0 and the number of expected awards is not specified, which reinforces that this is an interest-gathering and partner-scouting mechanism rather than a conventional grant competition with pre-defined award sizes.

To apply, the announcement directs applicants to follow the instructions in the attached Outreach of Interest Template Instructions document. A typical response would be expected to describe your ideas, relevant experience and capacity, the communities you serve, how you would contribute to wildlife-friendly fencing outcomes (removal, retrofit, or installation), and how your proposed collaboration would support habitat connectivity, species needs, and long-term stewardship goals on or connected to Forest Service lands.

• The Forest Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wildlife Habitat Fencing" 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.

Apply for USDA FS R13 2024 24 22 WLF 01

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