Habitat protection proposals sought for Florida burrowing owl

FLORIDA — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is accepting funding proposals for habitat protection projects benefiting the state-threatened burrowing owl using mitigation contributions from burrowing owl incidental take permitting

Up to $875,000 in funding is available from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to fund land acquisitions and/or conservation easements benefitting the species.

Habitat protection proposals will be accepted between March 1 – May 15, 2022, according to a [press release by the FWC.

Proposals and attachments should be emailed to Imperiled@MyFWC.com with the subject line: Burrowing Owl Proposal.

Proposal instructions, required forms, and a complete list of requirements and evaluation criteria for the funding opportunity, are available at https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/species-action-plans/rfp/

Government agencies and non-governmental organizations accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission are eligible to apply.

Mitigation contributions from burrowing owl incidental take permitting are available to help improve the conservation status of burrowing owls in Florida.

The applicant’s ability to procure matching funds for acquisition or perpetual conservation easement costs is not a prerequisite but may have bearing on the possibility of being funded.

Please note that the applicant is responsible for demonstrating a commitment to land management in perpetuity. Multi-year projects will be considered.

Future opportunities may focus solely on habitat restoration and management, voluntary conservation on private lands (e.g., installation of artificial burrows, posting and signage, etc.), and research.

Questions can be directed to Imperiled@myfwc.com