Description
In accordance with the President's Executive Order, Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, this Notification of Funding Opportunity, F25AS00133, is currently suspended. Consistent with the President's Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, this program is not processing any Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) or convening any technical evaluation committees pending a review of foreign assistance programs. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The purpose of USFWS is to protect the natural world so current and future generations can live with, live from, and find awe in lands, waters, and wildlife. USFWS envisions a future where people and nature thrive in an interconnected way and where every community feels part of and committed to the natural world around us. The USFWS International Affairs program works to coordinate domestic and international efforts to protect, restore, and enhance the world’s diverse wildlife and their habitats with a focus on species of international concern, including domestic species that range or migrate beyond our borders or are traded or trafficked internationally. We envision a world where all people value nature and conserve living resources for the well-being of life on Earth. The USFWS International Affairs program achieves its goals by providing financial support for important projects that achieve clear conservation results for key species and their habitats around the world. Congress passed the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. §5301) in 1994 because they recognized the increasing threats to tigers and rhinoceros and the American people's commitment to conserving these iconic species. This law helps protect tigers and all rhinoceros species by supporting conservation programs in their habitats. The goal of the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund (RTCF) is effective, long-term conservation of rhinoceros and tigers and their habitats. RTCF supports projects that have lasting benefits for Asian rhinoceros and tigers. RTCF funds projects that are designed to increase rhino and tiger populations, manage their habitats, create protected areas, involve local communities and Indigenous peoples in conservation, deal with conflicts between people and wildlife, and educate the public about these animals.This RTCF NOFO invites applications for conservation projects in Asia that have lasting benefits and:Support protected areas and restore habitats where rhinoceros and tigers live in Asia.Ensure strong protections to stop illegal killing and end the illegal trade in live tigers and rhinos, their products, and their body parts.Work with local communities to protect biodiversity, plan how land is used, and provide alternative ways to earn a living that have lasting benefits.Promote coexistence by reducing the negative impacts of humans on Asian rhinoceros and tigers and their habitats, tackling the root causes of conflicts between humans and these animals, and finding solutions to minimize such conflicts.Conduct research on Asian rhinoceros and tiger populations and their habitats, that informs conservation decision-making, including surveys and monitoring.Enforce CITES and other relevant treaties and laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of rhinoceros and tigers or control how their habitats are used and managed.Eliminate the demand for illegal rhinoceros and tiger parts, products, and live animals in countries that consume them.Reintroduce Asian rhinoceros to places where they once lived.Improve cooperation between countries to promote conservation of tigers and Asian rhinoceros across borders.