Asian Elephant Conservation Fund FY21

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) mission is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The International Affairs Program delivers on this mission through its financial assistance programs by supporting strategic projects that deliver measurable conservation results for priority species and their habitats around the world. The Asian Elephant Conservation Fund solicits project proposals for the conservation of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) throughout its range. In 1997, with awareness of the increasing threat to the welfare of the already endangered Asian elephant, The Asian Elephant Conservation Act was signed into law. The Act provides for the conservation of wild Asian elephants by supporting conservation programs in countries within the range of Asian elephants, and the projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of wild Asian elephants. The goal of this program is to reduce threats to Asian elephants in their natural habitats. Proposals should identify specific conservation actions that have a high likelihood of creating lasting benefits. Project activities that emphasize data collection and status assessment should describe a direct link to management action, and explain how lack of information has been a key limiting factor for management action in the past. Proposals that do not identify how actions will reduce threats or that do not demonstrate a strong link between data collection and management action will be rejected.