Urban Wildlife Habitat
Conservation Grants

These grants target protecting natural areas that provide habitat for plants and animals that may not be endangered.

These grants help protect:

• Habitat near cities or urban growth areas.
• Sites that provide for outdoor environmental education.
• Habitat that has low-impact trails or other passive recreational uses.

Grant Examples

• Purchase of land along a river for wildlife habitat, low impact recreation, and to assists with local flood prevention efforts.
• Buying land as a wildlife corridor.
• Purchase of a mountain top for wildlife habitat, to protect its view shed, and to use as a "watchable wildlife" area for nearly city residents.

If your project does many things, you’ll want to pick the grant program that applies to the most significant element.

Overview of state lands conservation grant programs

To get more details on a particular grant, click on the grant program title.

Applications Accepted	Eligible Project Types	Who’s Eligible	Match	Grant Limit
Grant Program:  Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account - Provides funding to buy, improve, protect, and provide public access to the waterfront. Learn more. (this would link to grant program page.)
Distinguishing Characteristic:  Projects must be associated with navigable waters of the state as defined by Washington Administrative Code 332-30-106, Revised Code of Washington 79.105, and Article 17 of the State Constitution. Partial list of navigable waters. (Link)
April 1, 2010-May 1, 2010	Land acquisition Development Restoration	Local agencies*	50 percent. At least 10 percent of the total project cost must be from a non-state, non-federal source.	Acquisition:  $1 million Development:  $500,000 Restoration:  $500,000 Combination (acquisition with either development or restoration):  $1 million; not more than $500,000 may be for development or restoration costs.
		State agencies	50 percent
		Tribes	50 percent
Grant Program:  Land and Water Conservation Fund – Provides funding to buy or develop public outdoor recreation areas and facilities. Learn more. (this would link to grant program page.)
Distinguishing Characteristic:  Program emphasizes active and passive recreation areas and conservation lands. Projects that improve existing sites rather than develop new sites, and meet statewide recreation priorities score better. Public use is required. A comprehensive plan is required (learn more). this would link to planning requirement page.
April 1, 2009-May 1, 2009	Land acquisition Development Renovation	Local agencies*	50 percent. At least 10 percent of the total project cost must be from a non-state, non-federal source.	$500,000
		State agencies	50 percent
		Tribes	50 percent
		Tribes	50 percent
Grant Program:  Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Water Access Category - Provides funding to create access to shorelines for non-motorized, water-related recreation activities such as boating and fishing. Learn more. (this would link to grant program page.)
Distinguishing Characteristic:  Program is for projects that provide physical access to shorelines for non-motorized, water-related recreation. At least 75 percent of funding in this grant program is dedicated to acquisition projects. A comprehensive plan is required (learn more). this would link to planning requirement page.
April 1, 2010-May 1, 2010	Land acquisition Development Renovation	Local agencies*	50 percent. At least 10 percent of the total project cost must be from a non-state, non-federal source.	None
		State agencies**	None
		Tribes	50 percent
Grant Program:  Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Urban Wildlife Habitat Category – Provides funding to conserve wildlife habitat in cities. Learn more. (this would link to grant program page.)
Distinguishing Characteristic:  Projects must be within 5 miles or inside a city or town (or its adopted urban growth area boundary) with a population of at least 5,000; or within 5 miles of an adopted Urban Growth Area in a county that has a population of at least 200 people per square mile. A comprehensive plan is required (learn more). this would link to planning requirement page.
April 1, 2010-May 1, 2010	Land acquisition Development Restoration	Local agencies*	50 percent. At least 10 percent of the total project cost must be from a non-state, non-federal source.	None
		State agencies**	None
		Tribes	50 percent
Grant Program:  Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Riparian Protection Category – Provides funding to protect riparian areas. Learn more. (this would link to grant program page.)
Distinguishing Characteristic:  Projects must include land acquisition. Projects to extend leases for a minimum of 25 years on lands enrolled in the Conservation Enhancement Reserve Program are allowed. A comprehensive plan is required (learn more). this would link to planning requirement page.
April 1, 2010-May 1, 2010	Land acquisition Development Restoration and enhancement Site stewardship plan development	Local agencies* Nonprofits Salmon recovery lead entities	50 percent. At least 10 percent of the total project cost must be from a non-state, non-federal source.	Acquisition:  None Development:  None Restoration and enhancement:  None Site stewardship plan development:  1 percent of total project cost or $10,000, whichever is less
		State agencies: Conservation Commission Department of Corrections, Department of Fish and Wildlife Department of General Administration Department of Natural Resources State Parks and Recreation Commission Department of Transportation	None
		Tribes*	50 percent
Grant Program:  Family Forest Fish Passage Program – Provides funding to remove barriers to salmon and bull trout migration. Learn more. (this would link to grant program page.)
Distinguishing Characteristic:  Projects must be for Projects must be for repairing or removing fish passage barriers.
June 30	Repair or removal of fish passage barriers	Small forest landowners	25 percent of $5,000, whichever is less	None