Conservation teams could compete for wildlife and plant grants

Interior would award competitive grants, including grants lasting several years, for butterfly conservation. Projects would cover butterflies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the listed Central American and Caribbean countries. Awards would depend on money available in the fund. Applicants would need relevant expertise or meet requirements for control over butterfly habitat and involvement in conservation. Federal agencies could partner but could not lead projects or receive funding.

Interior would award competitive grants, including grants lasting several years, to protect threatened and endangered plants. Projects would cover Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Awards would depend on money available in the fund. State, territorial, and Tribal agencies could apply, along with other applicants Interior finds appropriate who have the needed expertise. Federal agencies could partner but could not lead projects or receive funding.

Interior would award competitive grants, including grants lasting several years, for freshwater mussel conservation. Projects would protect freshwater mussels in the United States. Awards would depend on money available in the fund. Applicants would need conservation expertise; eligible groups would include state and Tribal agencies, research institutions, and nonprofits. Federal agencies could partner but could not lead projects or receive funding.

Interior would award competitive grants, including grants lasting several years, for desert fish conservation. Projects would cover desert fish in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. Awards would depend on money available in the fund. Applicants would need conservation expertise; eligible groups would include state and Tribal agencies, research institutions, and nonprofits. Federal agencies could partner but could not lead projects or receive funding.

Congress would permit federal funding of $5 million a year for each of the four conservation programs. The four programs together could receive $20 million in federal funding each year under this permission. This permission would not itself supply money; Congress would need to approve federal spending separately. The annual funding permission would cover fiscal years 2027 through 2032, inclusive.