The Tribal Wildlife Grants (TWG) Program was created to support the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitats and species of Tribal cultural or traditional importance, including species that are not hunted or fished. The TWG Program is part of the Congressionally authorized State and Tribal Wildlife Grant (STWG) Program which provides wildlife conservation grants to States, Commonwealths, and to the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Tribes under provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. TWG Program funding originates from the Department of the Interior (DOI) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Pub. L. 107-63), when Congress first specified that the Service use a portion of the funds appropriated under the STWG Program to establish a competitive grant program available to federally recognized Tribes. This language allows the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), to establish a separate competitive Tribal grant program which is not subject to the provisions or other requirements of the STWG Program.
The TWG Program provides opportunities for federally recognized Tribes to engage in fish and wildlife conservation efforts on their lands, many of which are located adjacent to DOI-managed lands. Many of the TWG Program-funded project activities increase fish and wildlife populations, allowing for hunting and fishing opportunities on and off Tribal lands. Additionally, the TWG Program funds project activities that align and assist the Service with Endangered Species Act (ESA) activities supporting downlisting, delisting, and preventing new species listings under the ESA.
Eligible projects include those that initiate, develop, or implement activities or programs that benefit wildlife and their habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished. Activities may include, but are not limited to:
Wildlife TRACS (Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species) is the tracking and reporting system used by WSFR to capture conservation and related actions funded by its grant programs. TRACS serves as the electronic repository system for all performance and accomplishment reporting related to those Federal awards. TRACS highlights program accountability by documenting program accomplishments and results. As outlined in this announcement, grant and project statement information and performance reporting data may be entered into TRACS but use of this system is optional for Tribes.
Estimated Total Program Funding:
