F25AS00332 Highlands Conservation Act – Competitive Funding Round

The Highlands Conservation Act Competitive Funding Round, identified by solicitation number F25AS00332, is a grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Department of the Interior to support land conservation projects in the Highlands Region of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Eligible applicants are limited to state conservation agencies from these four states, which may acquire fee simple title or conservation easements on land of high ecological value from willing sellers. Federal funding may cover up to 50% of the total project cost, requiring a matching Non-Federal cost share of equal value, and projects must demonstrate conservation benefits across at least one of six priority resource categories: wildlife, forest, water, agriculture, recreation, and cultural resources. The funding opportunity is strictly competitive, with separate notice issued for base funding, and no project may be submitted under both rounds. Projects must occur within the officially defined Highlands Region or an approved Expansion Opportunity Area, with precise geographic documentation—such as aerial maps, location maps, and legal descriptions—required as part of the submission. Applicants must use the SF-424, SF-424A, SF-429, SF-LLL, and a Project Abstract Summary, all submitted electronically through Grants.gov by the October 31, 2026 deadline. The evaluation process prioritizes merit-based scoring across multiple weighted factors, with Wildlife Resource and Recreation Resource each carrying 25 and 15 points respectively, Cultural Resource also at 15 points, and Other Benefits at 5 points, with an additional 20 points available for alignment with Presidential and Departmental priorities. Forest, Water, and Agriculture Resources are also evaluated but lack specified point values in the documentation. Proposals undergo a trade-off review, not a lowest-price evaluation, with awards determined based on best overall value. All applicants must be registered in SAM.gov with an active Unique Entity Identifier, and key personnel must pass exclusions screening. Federal compliance requirements include adherence to 2 CFR Part 200 for allowable costs, NEPA, ESA, and NHPA, as well as Buy America provisions for infrastructure. Appraisals must conform to the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisition, and administrative costs are capped at 5% of the award. Final project approval and acceptance rest solely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with obligated funds required to be used within four years of award execution, and project performance spans from January 1,