The Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI) and our partners are proud to announce our 2023 Small Grants Program Request for Proposals (RFP).
The purpose of the Western Native Trout Initiative’s Small Grants Program is to to catalyze or accelerate smaller, high-impact efforts to restore or recover western native trout. The Small Grants program specifically supports collaborative approaches and partnerships involved in local efforts or community-based programs that provide for outreach or educational activities, volunteer engagement opportunities, or project design/monitoring activities that contribute to the Initiative’s efforts to conserve western native trout.
The focus of WNTI’s Small Grants Program is on projects with a strong element or primary focus on community outreach, education and/or volunteer engagement; or design/planning/monitoring work. Outreach is our top priority for this program and outreach projects will be ranked the highest, all other things being equal. WNTI’s Small Grants program funding is not intended to pay for a small portion of a large habitat restoration or construction project. Habitat restoration-related activities that are requesting support should primarily involve outreach, education, or volunteer engagement, a community outreach event or work day, or project design/planning/monitoring tasks. Read the RFP and detailed grant application instructions HERE.
Approximately $25,000 in funding is available for projects that benefit one or more of WNTI’s 21 focal native trout or char species in their historic ranges in 12 western states. Individual projects can be funded at a maximum of $5,000.
WNTI gratefully thanks our partners at RepYourWater, Wilderness Lite Float Tubes, Running River’s Rocky Mountain Flyathlon, AZ Fly Shop, California Fly Fishers Unlimited, and Western Native Trout Challenge anglers’ registrations and donations, and all of our individual donors for contributing funds in support of the Small Grants Program this year.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Mountain time on May 22, 2023. Project funds are awarded on a reimbursable basis and must be expended by December 27, 2024.
To view previous successful small grant projects, please visit the Small Grants Projects tab on our website. All applicants will be notified by early August of the status of their proposal.
About
Operating under the guidance of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Western Native Trout Initiative is governed by a Steering Committee that represents 12 western states, 3 federal resource management agencies, tribes, and nonprofit fisheries conservation organizations.
