The Endangered Species Act of 1973 has been regarded as “the strongest and most effective wildlife conservation law” in the world. This act was put in place by Congress with only one goal to be met, “to reverse the alarming trend of human-caused extinctions that threaten the ecosystem we all share. Section 6 of this Endangered Species Act authorizes the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, which has a budget for 2009 of $75.5 million. This funding covers the Endangered Species Grant program.
The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund provides Endangered Species grants to States and Territories to be used on non-Federal lands for species and habitat conservation. Before States and Territories are eligible to receive funding from these grants they must enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Interior. Also, the States and Territories who receive an Endangered Species Federal Grant are required to contribute at least a 25% non-Federal match of the estimated cost of the all approved projects to be covered by the program. Joint projects implemented by 2 or more states or territories require only a 10% non-Federal match.
There are three types of Endangered Species Grants. These are Recovery Land Acquisition Grants, Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants and Habitat Conservation Plans Land Acquisition Grants. Recovery Land Acquisition Grants fund the acquisition of lands where endangered or threatened species habitats are located. Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants fund Habitat Conservation Plans. Habitat Conservation Plans Land Acquisition Grants fund the acquisition of land that is associated with approved Habitat Conservation Plans.
The State of California received a 2009 Endangered Species Grant that totals $96,542 and is valid from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2011. This grant funds one project. This project is the FY08- Threatened and Endangered Plants – Management and Recovery of Three Listed Plants of the Santa Rosa Plains.
Management and recovery of three listed plants of the Santa Rosa Plains is the primary function of this grant. Simply put, this grant provides funding for knowledge of the “reproductive ecology” that will help management and recovery of the 3 Santa Rosa Plain Vernal pool plant species.
Protecting and restoring the population of endangered species is an important aspect of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Projects that are funded by the Endangered Species Grant program are one way that the USFWS combines with the states and territories to accomplish what needs to be done to assure a future for these particular species of wildlife, plants and fish..
