Habitat Conservation (11.463)
Habitat Conservation (Assistance Listing 11.463) is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the Department of Commerce. It awarded $1.3 billion in 299 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $4.3 million per award on average. 1 funding opportunity is open or forecast now.
The typical award was $2.3 million. Half of the 299 awards fell between $659,825 and $6.3 million, and they ranged from $20,415 to $32.8 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$1.3 billion
- Grant awards299
- Typical award$2.3 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$158 million
- Size rank227 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $53.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $158 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 227th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 56% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 31 states and territories.
What the program funds
To provide grants and cooperative agreements for habitat conservation activities including coastal and marine habitat restoration and protection. Projects are funded to carry out public policy pertaining to protection and restoration of the Nation's wetlands, rivers, and other coastal habitats (including Great Lakes habitats), pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act as reauthorized in 2006; Endangered Species Act; Marine Mammal Protection Act; Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA); Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA); Inflation Reduction Act; Oil Pollution Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); Clean Water Act; Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act); and other legislation. Outcomes of most grants and cooperative agreements are tracked as habitat acres restored or stream miles opened to fish passage. Other goals may vary, as stated in published Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs).
Open opportunities
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Eligible applicants for assistance include State and local governments, including their universities and colleges; U.S. territorial agencies; federally and State-recognized Indian Tribal governments; private universities and colleges; private profit and nonprofit research and conservation organizations, and/or individuals, as stated in the NOFO.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funds can be used by recipients to support a wide variety of habitat restoration and conservation projects, public education activities, and research for marine and estuarine habitats, especially for species currently under, or proposed for, Federal or inter-jurisdictional management. Restoration includes, but is not limited to, activities that contribute to the return of degraded or altered marine, estuarine, coastal, and freshwater (diadromous fish) habitats to a close approximation of their function prior to disturbance or that increase the ability of fish to move freely between habitats they rely on for food, growth, reproduction, and other needs. Habitat restoration activities that produce significant ecological habitat features to create buffers or “green infrastructure” that serve to protect coastal communities from sea level rise, coastal storms and flooding, or that provide adaptation to climate change are also included. Projects funded under this CFDA primarily support NOAA’s mission to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. Projects are expected to achieve measurable, sustainable, and lasting benefits. Applicants seeking funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are expected to invest public dollars equitably, create good jobs with high labor standards, ensure goods and services are made in America, and build infrastructure that is resilient and helps combat the climate crisis.
Matching requirements
Statutory Formula: Title Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Uniform Guidance, Part 200, Subpart C,Public Law P.L. 95-405 (Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977),.n/aStatutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing. Matching Requirements: Percent: Other Statutory formulas, if any, are specific to programs that fall under this CFDA number. Project costs are funded at up to 100 percent. Grantee matching contributions vary by specific funding opportunity. CWPPRA projects require a 15 percent match by the State of Louisiana at this time. Under the Community-based Restoration Program guidelines, matching requirements are voluntary.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Award amounts are based on limits stated in NOFOs. Typical awards range from $500,000 to $6,000,000. CWPPRA, DARRP, and IIJA awards are among the largest, typically in the millions or 10s of millions.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2024: Examples of funded projects can be found on the Restoration Atlas website. https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/apps/restoration-atlas/
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Habitat Conservation (11.463) awarded$1.3 billion across 299 grant awards, an average of $4.3 million per award.
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 52% of the money, state and local governments 29% and tribes 15%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 163 | $675 million | 52% |
| State and local governments | 63 | $378 million | 29% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 57 | $194 million | 15% |
| Colleges and universities | 7 | $21.7 million | 1.7% |
| Other | 3 | $8.7 million | 0.7% |
| Small businesses | 2 | $7.3 million | 0.6% |
| Businesses | 4 | $5.1 million | 0.4% |
By state
Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 43 | $237 million |
| Washington | 41 | $146 million |
| Louisiana | 16 | $124 million |
| California | 30 | $107 million |
| Maine | 17 | $90.5 million |
| Florida | 19 | $82.9 million |
| Oregon | 18 | $79.6 million |
| Michigan | 18 | $76.9 million |
| District of Columbia | 11 | $58.1 million |
| Massachusetts | 12 | $57.2 million |
| Maryland | 8 | $46.4 million |
| Alaska | 15 | $34.5 million |
| North Carolina | 4 | $32.5 million |
| Hawaii | 7 | $24.2 million |
| Puerto Rico | 7 | $22.8 million |
| Mississippi | 3 | $17.6 million |
| Texas | 3 | $9.0 million |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 3 | $5.7 million |
| Idaho | 2 | $5.3 million |
| Wisconsin | 2 | $4.9 million |
| Connecticut | 2 | $4.4 million |
| Montana | 1 | $3.8 million |
| Georgia | 2 | $3.4 million |
| South Carolina | 2 | $3.2 million |
| New York | 4 | $2.4 million |
| New Jersey | 1 | $2.3 million |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $2.2 million |
| Illinois | 1 | $1.9 million |
| Alabama | 1 | $1.7 million |
| Rhode Island | 3 | $1.4 million |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | $1.0 million |