For the past few years, the MGLP has announced its request for proposals in November, so we would typically be announcing our request for fiscal year 2027 proposals in November 2025. We’ve worked to reduce the time it takes for our decision-making process, providing partners with a faster turnaround time on their grant applications. So, starting in the upcoming grant cycle, we’ll be sending that same request out in August 2026. We’ll still be awarding Lake Conservation Grant funds every year, but with no request for proposals until August 2026, it may feel like there hasn’t been a request for proposals for a long time while we catch up with the grant cycle. The timeline below illustrates the revised schedule for the 2027 Lake Conservation Grant.
The new timeline was enabled by legislative changes supported by the National Fish Habitat Partnership and the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership. Funding for the Lake Conservation Grant is overseen by the National Fish Habitat Partnership and administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service through the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act). Changes to the ACE Act now allow fish habitat partnerships such as the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership to submit our ranked project lists to the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board at a later date, shortening the decision-making process and providing quicker responses on grant applications. You can learn more about the grant by visiting our Lake Conservation Grant webpage.