State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program
Celebrating a Decade of Conservation Success!
Since the State Wildlife Grants program began in 2000, Minnesota has received $12.5 million which has been used to support over 50 projects focused on the state's 292 species in greatest conservation need. For more information about this milestone, we invite you to view the brochure (11mb, formatted to print as a booklet on 8.5" x 14" paper in landscape orientation) highlighting conservation projects by congressional district. For information about celebrating a decade of conservation success at the national level, visit the Teaming with Wildlife website.
Recognizing the vast unmet needs of our nation's wildlife resource, Congress created the State Wildlife Grants Program in 2000. This proactive program has two aims: to prevent wildlife species from becoming threatened or endangered and to recover species currently listed.
As a requirement for receiving SWG funds, each state wildlife agency must have a "comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy"–a wildlife action plan–that evaluates wildlife conservation needs and outlines the necessary action steps. The plans, referred to as State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP), share a common framework, but are tailored to each state's unique wildlife, habitats and conservation needs.
Minnesota's wildlife action plan is called Tomorrow's Habitat for the Wild and Rare. The plan focuses on wildlife species in greatest conservation need (SGCN) and the habitats that support them. SGCN are defined as native animals whose populations are rare, declining, or vulnerable to decline and are below levels desirable to ensure their long-term health and stability.
How are SWG dollars invested?
SWG dollars must be use to implement the State's wildlife action plan. The money is distributed to state wildlife agencies under a formula based on the state's population (2/3) and land area (1/3). Congress has appropriated over 11 million in State Wildlife Grants to Minnesota since 2001. This has been matched with at least 5 million of state and partner dollars.
Minnesota invests its SWG funds in projects that support the goals and priority conservation actions found in Tomorrow's Habitat for the Wild and Rare, including projects that:
- Maintain, protect, or restore key habitats for SGCN
- Implement existing federal recovery plans
- Implement existing SGCN management plans or develop and implement new plans
- Improve knowledge about SGCN (population and/or habitat research or surveys)
- Develop best management practices for SGCN
- Monitor long-term trends in SGCN populations and/or habitats
- Address emerging issues affecting SGCN populations or habitats
SWG projects funded to date (1.3 mb) includes project descriptions and project results as summaries and full reports. Learn how SWG dollars are supporting important conservation work targeted at Minnesota's most vulnerable wildlife species.