State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program

References to ¿you¿ in this NOFO refer to the State, Commonwealth, or Territory agency completing the application and any sub-recipient, if applicable. References to ¿we,¿ ¿our,¿ or ¿us¿ in this NOFO refer to the Service.The State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program provides States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and Territories (States) Federal grant funds for the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitats, including species that are not hunted or fished. Eligible activities include both conservation planning and implementation activities. Conservation planning activities must contribute directly to the development or modification of your current Wildlife Action Plan (Plan) approved by the Director of the Service. Implementation activities are those that you intend to carry out to execute your Plan. SWG Program funds must benefit species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) identified in your Plan, and when prioritizing use of these funds you should take into consideration the relative level of funding available for the conservation of those species. As directed by Congress, the Service encourages you to prioritize funding for conservation of species listed or considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)¿including candidate, threatened, and endangered species¿when such species are identified in your Plan and when directing SWG Program funds for their conservation is consistent with your priorities and operations. Ineligible activities include wildlife education and law enforcement activities, unless the activity is minor or incidental and is considered critical to the success of a project. Additional information about the SWG Program is available here. WSFR¿s mission is to work through partnerships to conserve and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. WSFR¿s vision is of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that offer recreation, economic activity, and other societal benefits, in addition to sustainable ecological functions. WSFR¿s guiding principle is that society benefits from conservation-based management of fish and wildlife and their habitats and opportunities to use and enjoy them. The SWG Program aligns with WSFR¿s mission, vision, and guiding principle, and supports three of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior¿s priorities including:1. Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt; 2. Utilizing our natural resources; and3. Restoring trust with our local communities.