Western Big Game Fund
The Western Big Game Fund promotes habitat management, connectivity, and long-term protection of big game habitat. Eligible activities may include vegetation management, wildlife-friendly fencing measures, and voluntary conservation easements or management agreements that protect priority habitat, stopover areas, and migration corridor bottlenecks.
There are two distinct funding options available through the Western Big Game 2026 Request for Proposals (RFP). While the eligible activities are the same under both options, there are important differences between Option A and Option B related to applicant eligibility, geographic focus, and match requirements, as detailed in the RFP and explained further in our recorded presentation. Projects funded under both options must be prioritized by states or Native Nations consistent with Secretarial Order 3362 (SO 3362), with the specific geographic focus for each option outlined below.
Field Liaison Led Applicant Webinar
Below is a recorded applicant-support presentation developed by ECT to complement NFWF’s live Western Big Game Fund webinar (March 12, 2026). This presentation provides practical guidance for developing competitive proposals and includes a federal compliance overview presented by SWCA. Topics covered in ECT’s webinar include proposal strategy, budgeting and match fundamentals, eligibility requirements, and federal compliance considerations. Applicants are encouraged to register for NFWF’s live March 12 webinar session above.
NFWF Led Applicant Webinar
Watch NFWF’s Western Big Game Fund Applicant Webinar, recorded on March 12, 2026, 3 PM – 4PM ET.
Timelines
March 12, 2026, 3 PM – 4 PM ET
Applicant Webinar
April 21, 2026, 11:59 PM ET
Full Proposal Due Date
April 2026 – August 2026
Review Period
August 2026
Awards Announced
Schedule a Proposal Lab
Option B applicants are eligible to meet with NFWF and Program Field Liaisons.
Click here to schedule a proposal lab session with the Field Liaison Team.
Click here to schedule a proposal lab session directly with the NFWF Staff.
Contact Us
For more information, contact NationalProgramLiaisons@ectinc.com.
Option A
Eligible Applicants
501(c) organizations
U.S. Federal government agencies
State government agencies
Local governments
Municipal governments
Tribal Governments and organizations
Educational institutions
Geographic Focus (see map):
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
Option A Project Activities prioritize shovel-ready efforts that address seasonal habitats, stopover areas, and/or migration corridors. All projects must align with state or Tribal wildlife priorities. Preference will be given to projects that have completed NEPA and are shovel-ready, as well as those that can be implemented within approximately two years.
Option B
Eligible Applicants
State government agencies
Federally recognized tribes
Geographic Focus (see map):
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, along with Alaska, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas
Option B Project Activities have a focus on ecosystem restoration with additional consideration given to projects in six Great Plains States and Alaska that address the goals of the recently developed Action/Connectivity Plans that resulted from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) “Implementing Landscape Connectivity and Permeability Plans Across the Western Continent” initiative.
Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc. (ECT) serves as a field liaison team to help Option B applicants navigate the application process, understand program requirements and evaluation criteria, and submit compelling and competitive applications. ECT is part of the overall Western Big Game review team and will provide debriefs to unawarded applicants. While we clarify expectations and answer applicant questions, ECT does not draft, edit, or prepare proposals. All funding decisions are made by NFWF.
This page provides resources to applicants interested in submitting project ideas to the NFWF Western Big Game Programs. It also includes available Field Liaison generated Western Big Game resources. These resources are intended to complement NFWF’s materials by offering applicants additional guidance.