The federal government is seeking input from state agencies about conservation lands needed to protect endangered species for fiscal year 2009. If you know of currently unprotected lands with documented occurrences of federally protected species (Snail Kite, etc.), now is the time to contact the FWC, the governor, and anyone else who might help in this effort.

From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s press release today:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking proposals from States and
U.S. Territories interested in obtaining federal grant assistance to
acquire land or conduct planning for endangered species conservation
efforts. For fiscal year 2009, the President’s budget request for the
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (the Fund) would provide
approximately $75.5 million in grant funding for conservation planning
activities and habitat acquisition for federally protected species.
Proposals must be submitted to the appropriate Service Regional Offices by
September 22, 2008.

“Conservation grants are among the Service’s most important Federal-State
partnership building tools,” said Service Director H. Dale Hall.  “Local
involvement is the cornerstone of conservation success.  These grants help
to States and Territories to protect vital habitat and work with local
communities, private landowners and others to conserve threatened and
endangered species.”

The Fund is authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act and
provides grants to States and Territories to support participation in a
wide array of voluntary conservation projects for species on the Federal
list of threatened and endangered species, as well as for species that are
candidates or have been proposed for listing.

By law, the participating state or territory must have a current
cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior and contribute 25
percent of the estimated program costs of approved projects, or 10 percent
when two or more States or Territories undertake a joint project.  The
grants are expected to be awarded soon after federal appropriations are
provided for fiscal year 2009.

The Service is seeking proposals for the following three grant categories
under the Fund:

Recovery Land Acquisition Grants – These grants provide funds to States and
Territories for acquisition of threatened and endangered species habitat in
support of approved and draft species recovery plans.  Acquiring habitat in
order to secure long term protection is often the critical element in a
comprehensive recovery effort for a listed species.

Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants  – This category provides
funds to States and Territories to support the development of Habitat
Conservation Plans (HCPs). The purpose of an HCP is to ensure adequate
protection for threatened and endangered species, while at the same time
providing for economic growth and development. These grants provide support
for baseline surveys and inventories, document preparation, outreach, and
similar planning activities.

HCP Land Acquisition Grants  – These grants provide funds to States and
Territories to acquire land associated with approved HCPs.  Grants do not
fund the mitigation required of an HCP permittee, but rather, support
acquisitions by the state or local governments that complement actions
associated with the HCP.

For more information about these grants and grant application requirements
contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Consultation, Habitat
Conservation Planning, Recovery and State Grants, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203, 703-358-2106. Information also can be
accessed at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/.

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is identified in the
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance as number 15.615.