agriculture · USDA-NRCS

Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program competition for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026

Natural Resources Conservation Service · USDA-NRCS–NHQ-VPA-26-NOFO001448

Closed

Award Range

$100K – $3.0M

Total Program Funding

$52.0M

Expected Awards

Deadline

June 8, 2026

GRANTQUICK SUMMARYPlain-English Overview

Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program competition for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026. Natural Resources Conservation Service. NRCS is announcing the availability of up to $52 million in Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) funding through One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Public Law 119-21 to create or enhance state and Tribal government programs that encourage owners and operators of privately... $100,000-$3,000,000 per award; $52,000,000 total program funding; ~30 awards expected.

Who Should Apply

Federally Recognized Native American Tribal Governments

Who Should NOT Apply

Individuals and organizations outside the specified eligible types

Key Requirements (Plain English)

•State government
•Deadline: 2026-06-08

💡 GrantQuick Tip

High-value award — invest significantly in proposal quality. Consider hiring a grant writer.

Competitiveness: Moderate to high — federal grants are always competitive

What This Grant Funds

NRCS is announcing the availability of up to $52 million in Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) funding through One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Public Law 119-21 to create or enhance state and Tribal government programs that encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily make that land available for access by the public for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation. VPA-HIP is a competitive grant program and only state and tribal governments may apply. Projects may be up to 3 years in duration. The maximum amount for a single award is $3 million. Up to 25% of the funding for each award may be used to provide incentives to improve wildlife habitat on enrolled public access program lands. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for information about steps required before submitting an application through Grants.gov.

Application deadline: Submit via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 8, 2026.