State dedicated funding
Preserving and promoting conservation funding at the state level is critical to consistent and successful habitat management. Each state employs its own uniquely dedicated process for conservation funding often via various steams and procedures such as state law, state legislative efforts, and state regulatory action. Additionally, each legislative session provides important opportunities to monitor, track, and lobby various efforts such as oversight of existing funding streams to ensure effective habitat management projects, reauthorizing ongoing conservation funding and allocation plans, monitoring the potential interruption or shift of conservation funds, as well as exploring new opportunities for funding based on each state’s needs.
Federal Appropriations
For many federal conservation programs, including most of those authorized in the farm bill, Congress provides “mandatory” funding, which does not rely on the annual appropriations to continue operations. Others, like those under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, receive “discretionary” funding which is subject to the annual appropriations process. That’s why we work with our partners and Congressional appropriators to secure robust funding for priority programs each year, to ensure program funding remains strong and to meet the needs of landowners, farmers, and ranchers interested in enhancing and conserving habitat on their lands. Learn more about our top three appropriations priorities below:
» North American Wetlands Conservation Act
First enacted in 1989, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act provides federal funding to leverage non-federal matching funds from state wildlife agencies and other non-profit and local conservation partners to protect, restore, and manage wetland habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Since 1989, has provided more than $2.1 billion in federal grants, leveraging over $4.3 billion in matching funds. This has resulted in the conservation of almost 32 million acres of habitat throughout North America. NAWCA received $49 million in funding from appropriations in Fiscal Year 2024.
» Partners for Fish and Wildlife
Like NAWCA, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. PFW provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners, including farmers and ranchers to help them conserve and improve wildlife habitat on working landscapes. All projects are voluntary and are specifically designed to meet the landowner’s needs while allowing them to continue to manage and work their lands while improving wildlife habitat. Since 1987, PFW biologists have worked with over 30,000 landowners on more than 50,000 projects, and the program has impacted more than six million acres of habitat nationwide. In Fiscal Year 2024, PFW received $59 million from annual appropriations.
» NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance
In addition to the financial assistance offered through farm bill programs, the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program provides private landowners with conservation planning and specialized technical assistance to help them voluntarily conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources on their land. The CTA program supports partnerships with conservation districts, state agencies, and NGO partners like Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, enabling them to provide the tools and technical assistance capacity needed to help decision makers put conservation on the ground. This vital program supports PF & QF’s Farm Bill Biologist program, a “boots-on-the-ground” delivery system collaborating with local producers to educate and assist with enrollment in various voluntary incentive-based conservation programs. The Conservation Technical Assistance program received $773 million in Fiscal Year 2024.