Federal Funding Resources

Unprecedented levels of federal resources are currently available to support land conservation, restoration, and stewardship. The Conservation Finance Network has compiled a selection of resources and databases that describe federal funding resources that support conservation, many of which have been augmented by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This resource is not meant to be comprehensive, nor is there any guarantee that resources offer the most up to date information. This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a selection of resources developed by others. There is a date next to resources that are from a particular moment in time.

Webinars and Articles

• Article: Federal Investments in Nature-Based Solutions – Aditi Srivastava, Conservation Finance Network, November 2023

  • Article summarizing a recent panel with representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Park Service, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation describing new federal funding for nature-based solutions, emphasizing the significance of legislative frameworks such as the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Great American Outdoors Act, and Farm Bill that have increased funding to historic levels  

• Webinar: Tapping into New Federal Conservation Funding – Open Space Institute + Lyme Timber Advisory Services, August 2023

  • This webinar describes new and expanded federal conservation funding opportunities. The webinar offers advice and strategies to help navigate the federal funding process in several key programs, such as those offered by the U. S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service.  

• Webinar: How to Harvest During a Bumper Crop of Federal Funds – Conservation Finance Network webinar, January 2023

  • This webinar focused on underutilized federal funding and financing sources, what to track, and how best to anticipate opportunities. It featured panelists Shelby Semmes (TPL), Tim Male (EPIC) and Kari Cohen (USDA-NRCS) and was co-hosted by Leigh Whelpton (CFN) and Jackie Rigley (Highstead). 

• Webinar: USDA Investments in Conservation and Climate-Resilience in New England: Assessing the Impacts and Advocating for the Future – Food Solutions New England + Northeast Healthy Soil Network, February 2024

  • This webinar describes USDA-NRCS investments in farmland conservation, and how those investments increase climate resilience.

• Blog Post: Analyzing USDA’s FY 2024 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Funding Announcement – Kari Cohen, Former Projects Branch Chief, USDA-NRCS, April 2024

  • This blog post describes what is in the most recent RCPP funding announcement (applications due July 2024).  

• Nine Steps Consulting Blog

  • This blog offers helpful analysis of NRCS and RCPP programs.

• Webinar: Understanding Federal Land Acquisition Programs – Chesapeake Conservancy, February 2024

  • This webinar describes how to apply for and access federal funding resources.

• Federal Funding for Conservation Database, Land Trust Alliance

• Nature-Based Solutions Funding Database, National Wildlife Federation

• Wildlife and Land Trusts, Defenders of Wildlife

• Resilience Funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Georgetown Climate Center

• Water Infrastructure Investments Funding Navigator, EPIC

• EPA Funding Announcements from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• New York State and Federal Funding Opportunities Overview for Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Other Natural Resource Protection Projects, May 2023

• White House Nature-Based Solutions Resource Guide, 2022

• White House Guidebook to Climate, Environment Investments under BIL 

• White House Guidebook to Climate, Environment Investments under IRA

• REPI Resilience Project Funding Guide

• Local Infrastructure Funding Guide

For a complete listing of current available federal funding opportunities, please visit  grants.gov.