Deadline: 31-May-22
The West Virginia Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund (OHCF) Fund is now accepting applications for small and large grants.
The OHCF’s land-protection projects can include important wildlife habitats, working forests and farmlands, as well as hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreational areas.
The West Virginia Legislature created the Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund to invest in the conservation of unique and important wildlife habitats, natural areas, forest lands, farmlands, and lands for hunting, fishing and recreation.
The fund is used to acquire interest in real property for conservation in keeping with the Wildlife Conservation Action Plan or other conservation plans and to award competitive grants for conservation purposes to eligible recipients.
Funding Information
- Small Grant Program ($5,000-$25,000)
- Large Grant Program (Over $25,000)
- Applications for grants of $5,000 to $25,000 will compete against one another and applications for over $25,000 will compete against one another.
Eligible Grant Activities
To carry out the mandate set by statute, the West Virginia Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund (OHCF) provides grants for three primary activities:
- Capital costs, and associated transaction and closing costs, to purchase real property interest(s), including conservation easements, land in fee, and other interests acquired for conservation purposes,
- Due diligence costs associated with the donation of real property interest(s) for conservation purposes, including baseline documentation, surveys, appraisals, Environmental Hazards Assessments, and title examinations,
- Stewardship of real property interest(s) for conservation purposes, such as the costs of monitoring and legally defending conservation easements.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include:
- Nonprofit corporations registered with the West Virginia Secretary of State that have as a primary part of their mission to acquire interests in real property for conservation purposes,
- West Virginia Division of Forestry, and
- West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
For more information, visit West Virginia Departement of Commerce.
For more information, visit https://commerce.wv.gov/boards-commissions/outdoor-heritage-conservation-fund/