Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW)

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides free technical and financial assistance to landowners, managers, tribes, corporations, schools and nonprofits interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land. Projects are voluntary and customized to meet landowners’ needs. Participating landowners continue to own and manage their land while they improve conditions for wildlife.

Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program staff provide free technical and financial assistance to plan, design, supervise and monitor customized habitat restoration projects. These projects range in size from a wetland of a few acres to a grassland restoration covering several hundred thousand acres. Many Partners for Fish and Wildlife projects take place on working landscapes such as forests, farms and ranches.

Examples of habitat treatments include:

• Livestock exclusion fencing

• Alternate water supply construction

• Streambank stabilization

• Restoration of in-stream aquatic habitats

• Longleaf or shortleaf pine planting

• Prescribed burning

• Native grass and forb planting

• Wetland restoration/enhancement

• Riparian reforestation

• All private landowners interested in restoring wildlife habitat on their land are eligible to participate.

• Current partners include farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, recreational landowners, corporations, local governments and universities.

• To get funding, PFW projects must be on private lands.

• "Private lands" means any properties not owned by the state or federal government. This includes tribal lands, Hawaiian homelands, cities, municipalities, non-governmental properties, and private properties.

• Priority goes to projects judged likely to provide habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species.

• The PFW Program can reject projects that do not fit with regional strategic plans or priorities.

• Participating landowners do not forfeit any property rights and are not required to allow public access.

Projects have a minimum duration of 10 years.

Prior to implementing habitat improvement projects on private lands, the Service and the landowner(s) must sign an agreement that secures the Federal investment. The duration of the agreement must be commensurate with the technical and financial assistance provided by the Service and must not be less than 10 years.

The goal of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is to secure at least 50 percent of project costs, including cash and in-kind services, from non-Service sources. This goal applies to the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program overall, and does not have to be achieved on a project-by-project basis. For each of the following methods of implementing habitat improvement projects on private lands, any landowner cost-sharing requirements may be met with funds, labor, materials, or other valuable contributions.

Each Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program project is guided by an approved agreement that outlines goals, expected outcomes, and specific activities. These agreements also describe the project budget and the terms under which funding is provided.

Certain project costs are not allowed and include land acquisition, foreign travel, pre-award costs, unauthorized equipment, and indirect costs above the negotiated rate.

A phone call or email is all it takes to get started. Contact your state coordinator to schedule an initial site visit and learn how Partners for Fish and Wildlife can help you.

The Program seeks projects year-round. Program staff work with applicants to find common conservation goals. The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program requires that all interested applicants contact their local PFW staff before submitting an application.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should reach out to local Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program office for more information and deadlines. Informal award notice is given before recipients are invited to apply via Grant Solutions. Formal award notices will be sent after the GrantSolutions application is received, reviewed and approved.

• Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program policy (640 FW 1)

• FY26 Notice of Funding Opportunity F26AS00068 on Grants.gov

• Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act

• State, regional and national program contacts

• Farm Bill Brochure