The 2012 Regional Conservation Needs (RCN) Grants Program Request for Proposals closed on March 1.  Ten proposals are now under consideration. Three of the five active priority topics were addressed by the 2012 proposals (see the Topics and Table below).  The proposals cumulatively request $854,940 and pledge $1,105,495.81 in matching funds.  The total amount of funding available for the 2012 cycle of the Northeast RCN Grant program is estimated at $400,000.

Following an initial review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program for eligibility and match funding certification, project proposals will be submitted for review to each of the RCN Technical Review Teams. Individual team members will screen each proposal for relevance to the RFP, clarity and achievability. Those proposals that meet the initial requirements will be assigned a ranking score that reflects several predetermined criteria. All proposals, reviews and ranking scores will be submitted to the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee who will coordinate the state agency review process. Following this tier of the proposal approval process, the Committee will discuss the proposals at their fall meeting to establish priorities for funding. Proposals will then be ranked by fisheries and wildlife administrators. Awarded project proposals will be determined and announced by the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Directors in early November.

2012 Active Priority Topics

• Topic #2: Identify High Priority Northeast Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
• Topic #3: Identify Northeast Species of Greatest Conservation Need Data Gaps, Design Data Collection Protocols, and Collect Data.
• Topic #5: Design and Implement Conservation Strategies for Northeast Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
• Topic #6: Design and Implement Monitoring Protocols, Measures, and Indicators for Northeast Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
• Topic #7: Identify and Assess Threats to Northeast Species of Greatest Conservation Need