The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) recently announced a request for competitive grant applications to the new NFHP/Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships grants program. NFHP is a federally-recognized partnership that includes the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership (MGLP) and 19 other similar fish habitat partnerships. The MGLP is encouraging partners like you to consider this grant program, which is funded by proceeds from the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships. To date, the championships have dedicated nearly $1.6 million to NFHP that were earned through a combination of entrance fees and generous matching donations from tournament sponsors Bass Pro Shops and Toyota.
Higher priority will be given for projects specifically designed to improve aquatic habitat within reservoirs and, by doing so, support enhanced angling conditions and opportunities. Funding may also be used to conserve natural lake habitats and interconnected tributary flows that also impact lake and reservoir habitat conditions and recreational fish production.
Examples of on-the-ground conservation could include riparian and underwater vegetation planting, shoreline native habitat planting, bank sloping and shaping in tributaries, and habitat structure placement or other habitat conservation actions that ensure adequate amounts of clean water will be available to sustain aquatic productivity of and within these important habitats.
Grant projects must be “implemented through” fish habitat partnerships such as the MGLP. In the MGLP’s case, this means that the project should 1) Meet objectives identified within the MGLP Strategic Plan, and 2) Receive a letter of support from the MGLP. Requests for letters of support should be sent to MGLP Coordinator, Joe Nohner (nohnerj@michigan.gov) by April 29th if possible.
To help applicants put forward the best possible projects, NFHP and Beyond the Pond have established a set of criteria that will be used to determine which projects are eligible for funding and prioritization. Applicants should address these criteria in their project applications. A budget template is also available if needed for your application. There is no match funding requirement for grant eligibility. All funding request levels for eligible project proposals will be considered. Funded projects must successfully complete and use all grant funds allocated by 12/1/2023. Grant program funds will be administered by Beyond the Pond, the 501c3 organization established to manage private NFHP financial donations.
The deadline to submit a project application under this initial grant cycle for the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships Grants Program is May 16, 2022. Grant applications can be submitted here: https://form.jotform.com/220734963436056
Please contact Ryan Roberts (rroberts@fishwildlife.org) with questions related to the grant.
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