March 28, 2022
On behalf of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP), the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership is excited to announce that the competitive grant application period for the new Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships grants program is open effective March 25, 2022. This grant program is funded by proceeds from the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships. To date, the championships have dedicated nearly $1.6 million to NFHP that were earned through a combination of entrance fees and generous matching donations from tournament sponsors Bass Pro Shops and Toyota.
The grant program funds will be administered by Beyond the Pond, the 501c3 organization established to manage private NFHP financial donations.
Higher priority will be given for projects specifically designed to improve aquatic habitat within reservoirs and, by doing so, support enhanced angling conditions and opportunities. Funding may also be used to conserve natural lake habitats, and interconnected tributary flows that also impact lake and reservoir habitat conditions and recreational fish production.
Examples of on the ground conservation could include riparian and underwater vegetation planting, shoreline native habitat planting, bank sloping and shaping in tributaries, and habitat structure placement or other habitat conservation actions that ensure adequate amounts of clean water will be available to sustain aquatic productivity of and within these important habitats.
Eligibility Criteria:
To help applicants put forward the best possible projects, NFHP and Beyond the Pond have established a set of criteria that will be used to determine by which projects are eligible for funding and prioritization. Applicants should address these criteria in their project applications. A budget template form is also provided if needed for your application.
All grant projects meeting these criteria will be considered regardless of the amount of funding requested. There is no funding match requirement for grant eligibility. All funding request levels for eligible project proposals will be considered. Successfully funded projects must successfully complete and use all grant funds allocated by 12/1/2023.
The deadline to submit a project application under this initial grant cycle for the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships Grants Program is May 16, 2022.
We hope to receive some great competing projects to select and implement and hope to continue this grant program for future years. Incomplete applications will be returned. Please contact Ryan Roberts, Program Manager [email protected] with grant application related questions.
Please Submit your Grant Application, HERE: https://form.jotform.com/220734963436056