The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to assist Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the permanent protection of land and natural resources in the Highlands Region. HCA grants support land conservation projects in which a State, County, or Municipal entity acquires land or an interest in land from a willing seller to conserve resources of high conservation value. Subject to availability of funds through Federal appropriation, Governors of the four Highlands States may submit proposals for up to 50% of the total cost of land conservation projects in the Highlands Region. Highland States may also request that the Service add Municipalities from within the identified Expanded Opportunity Area for the Highlands Landscape to the Highlands Region. For more information, contact the Lead State Agency listed in section C.1 below.Funding appropriated under the HCA is typically divided into two separate categories Base and Competitive. Eligible applicants may submit requests for the Competitive Funding Round in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. A separate Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Base Funds. This year, a third Notice of Funding Opportunity is being piloted for land protection projects in under-resourced and under-served communities within the Highlands Region. A project may not be proposed for funding in multiple funding opportunities.An online overview of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is scheduled for Friday, September 27 at 11:00 AM EST. Email the Service contact (Section G.1) to receive an invitation for the overview.
