Over $122 million from the 'America the Beautiful Challenge' to restore lands and waters

WASHINGTON — The Biden-Harris administration joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and public-and private-sector partners today in announcing $122.4 million in grants through the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). The 61 new grants announced today will support landscape-scale conservation projects across 42 states, 19 Tribal Nations, and 3 U.S. territories. The grants will generate at least $8.7 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $131.1 million. Approximately 42 percent of all 2024 ATBC funding will support projects implemented by Indigenous communities and organizations, representing another year of record funding dedicated to Tribally led projects for a single grant program at NFWF.
ATBC grants support projects that conserve, restore and connect wildlife habitats and ecosystems while improving community resilience and access to nature, which also advance President Biden’s ambitious environmental justice goals. The competitive grant awards were made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, other federal conservation programs, and private sources. The Biden-Harris Administration launched the Challenge in 2022 as a partnership with the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Defense, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and NFWF.
To streamline access to these funds, federal agencies established the ATBC to create a centralized and simplified competitive grant program for landscape-scale conservation and restoration projects that contribute to conservation plans across the nation. Now in its third year, the 2024 ATBC request for proposals received 331 pre-proposals requesting $677 million for conservation efforts. Of those, NFWF and partners invited 133 applicants to submit full proposals. The grants announced today address about 18 percent of this overall level of demand, illustrating the highly competitive nature of the ATBC.
These projects will enable states, Tribal Nations, U.S. territories, nonprofits, academic institutions, and other grantees to develop and implement multi-jurisdictional, high-priority restoration projects on both public and private lands. The program is intended to encourage the development and implementation of voluntary, diverse and comprehensive landscape-level projects that:
Address priority conservation and restoration needs
Showcase cumulative benefits to fish and wildlife

Enhance carbon sequestration and storage
Engage with and benefit communities, including underserved communities
Connect people with nature
Advance existing conservation plans and/or are informed by Indigenous Knowledge
Help safeguard ecosystems and communities through resilience-focused and nature-based solutions 
The ATBC includes an emphasis on supporting Tribal Nations' access to grant funding for restoration, conservation and capacity-building, and seeks projects that incorporate Indigenous Knowledge in planning and implementation. The number of proposals awarded to Tribal Nation applicants in 2024 far exceeded minimum funding and demonstrated the high demand and clear need for innovative funding approaches to Tribally led conservation efforts.