May 4, 2022

 The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Biden administration announced on May 4, 2022 a request for proposals for a grant program aimed at funding critical conservation and recreation projects across the country.

The “America the Beautiful Challenge” grants will fund conservation and restoration projects for rivers, coasts, wetlands, grasslands and forests, among other critical ecosystems. In line with President Joe Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, grants will also help connect wildlife habitats through land and water corridors.

A wide range of entities, including state and tribal authorities, territories, local groups and non-governmental organizations, will be eligible for the grant program, which is largely funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted in late 2021. 

Applications for the America the Beautiful Challenge program are opening as America loses two football fields’ worth of land and water to development every minute. In the face of mounting biodiversity loss and climate change, setting aside natural areas for conservation offers a critical solution to safeguard threatened species and remove planet-warming carbon from the air.

The Biden administration aims to award $1 billion over the next five years through the America the Beautiful Challenge.