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The Hawaiʻi Fish Habitat Partnership is seeking proposals for aquatic habitat conservation projects for 2024. Projects must be related to streams, estuaries, and nearshore marine habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands. These projects are developed in coordination with the Hawaiʻi FHP and may be eligible for funding through the National Fish Habitat Partnership and other federal assistance programs. All proposals are due no later than February 24, 2023.
Projects submitted for National Fish Habitat Partnership funding will be reviewed for selection on a competitive basis by the Hawaiʻi FHP Steering Committee. The Hawaiʻi FHP administers financial assistance awards of up to $125,000 for fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.
Learn more about fish passage improvements and aquatic habitat restoration. A minimum one-to-one non-federal match is required for most funding programs. Successful applicants will have funds in place in the second quarter of 2024. Projects scheduled for completion in 12-18 months are preferred.
On-the-ground aquatic habitat conservation projects are given highest priority, especially “shovel-ready” projects that have completed environmental compliance requirements. If funding permits, secondary consideration may be given to support aquatic habitat conservation project planning and design, or applied research that will guide future Hawaiʻi FHP aquatic habitat conservation activities such as engineering for fish passage projects, regional aquatic habitat assessments, aquatic invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species control, and analysis of potential climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change impacts to aquatic systems. Outcomes must closely address the priority objectives of the Hawaiʻi FHP Strategic Plan and the national conservation goals of National Fish Habitat Partnership. Projects located in priority watersheds and habitat types identified in the Hawaiʻi FHP Strategic Plan are preferred. Hawaiʻi FHP objectives are to:
- Preserve and improve habitat connectivity by reducing impacts of barriers to native species passage.
- Develop and implement conservation projects that link inland and nearshore marine ecosystems to protect, restore, and maintain self-sustaining aquatic communities.
- Support regional habitat assessments and applied research to obtain data to guide conservation, management and recovery programs in stream, estuarine, and nearshore marine waters.
How To Apply
Proposals are due February 24, 2023.
Applicants are required to contact Hawaiʻi FHP coordinator Gordon Smith (gordon_smith@fws.gov) well in advance of proposal submission to ensure project suitability for the grant program. Proposals should be roughly 4-6 pages in length in addition to a budget table, timeline, list of required permits, location and site map, and photos/illustrations. The project narrative must contain descriptions of planned project activities, identify measurable outcomes, and highlight the recreationally and culturally important aquatic species expected to benefit from the project. A monitoring plan that evaluates project results must be described in the proposal.
Proposals may be submitted to Gordon Smith by email at gordon_smith@fws.gov.
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