The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced nearly $4.2 million in Tribal Wildlife Grants to Native American Tribes in 13 states. The awards will support 22 fish and wildlife conservation projects that benefit a wide range of wildlife and habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished.
“Tribal lands encompass millions of acres of important habitat for hundreds of wildlife species across the nation,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “Tribal Wildlife Grants give us an opportunity for federal and state agencies to work with tribal fish and wildlife partners in the conservation of our shared and highly valued natural heritage; a heritage that we will pass on to future generations of all Americans.”
Since its inception in 2003, the competitive Tribal Wildlife Grants program has awarded more than $68 million to Native American tribes, providing support for more than 400 conservation projects. The funds have also provided technical and financial assistance for development and implementation of projects that benefit fish and wildlife and their habitats, including non-game species.
The grants have enabled tribes to develop increased management capacity, improve and enhance relationships with conservation partners, address cultural and environmental priorities and help train the next generation of conservationists by engaging tribal students interested in fisheries, wildlife and related fields of study. Some grants have been awarded to support recovery efforts for federally listed threatened and endangered species.
The grants are provided exclusively to federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and are made possible under the Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002 through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. Proposals for the 2016 grant cycle are due October 30, 2015.
For additional information about Native American conservation projects and the Tribal Wildlife Grants application process, visit http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/grants.html.
FY 2015 Tribal Wildlife Grants
ALASKA:
Telida Village Council ($200,000)
Monitoring Moose for Heavy Metals
Tyonek Tribal Conservation District ($200,000)
Old Tyonek Creek Fish Passage
ARIZONA:
Gila River Indian Community ($195,854)
Start-Up Wildlife Management Program
Pasque Yaqui Tribe of AZ ($148,660)
Our River, Our Lives: Stabilizing & Recovering Threatened and Endangered Native Fish Species in the Upper Rio Yaqui Basin
Yavapai-Apache Nation ($82,000)
Verde River Habitat Enhancement Project
CALIFORNIA:
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe ($200,000)
Clear Bay Southwestern Willow Flycatcher & Least Bell’s Vireo Habitat Restoration Project
Blue Lake Rancheria ($159,275)
Powers Creek Fish Passage Project
Pinoleville Pomo Nation ($198,905)
Restoration of Ackerman Creek as Habitat for Culturally Important Species
Yurok Tribe ($176,771)
Northern California Condor Program: Building Capacity for a Pilot Release
COLORADO:
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe ($200,000)
Capacity Building for Wildlife Management
FLORIDA:
Seminole Tribe of Florida ($200,000)
Seminole Tribe of Florida Tribal Wildlife Program
MAINE:
Penobscot Indian Nation ($199,980)
Atlantic Salmon Enhancement on Trust Lands
MINNESOTA:
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe ($196,240)
Influence of Forest Structure and Composition on the Space Use Survival and Interactions of Snowshoe Hare and Fisher
NEW YORK:
Seneca Nation of Indians ($199,483)
Seneca Nation Conservation Management Action 2015
NORTH CAROLINA:
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians ($200,000)
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Wildlife Action Plan
OREGON:
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon ($200,000)
Coyote Creek Sub-watershed Restoration and Protection Project
The Klamath Tribes ($200,000)
Re-introducing Extinct Populations of Endangered Suckers in the Upper Klamath Basin
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe ($200,000)
Assessment of Resource Selection and Survival of a Declining Pronghorn Population
WASHINGTON:
Puyallup Tribe of Indians ($199,879)
South Rainier Elk Herd Habitat Enhancement and Population Monitoring
Suquamish Tribe ($200,000)
Sea Cucumber Restoration Pilot Project
Tulalip Tribes of Washington ($199,906)
Using Beaver to Restore Ecosystem Functions in the Snohomish Watershed
WISCONSIN:
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa ($199,761)
American Marten Study: Population Dynamics and Habitat Use on Red Cliff Reservation
