Deadline: 10-Dec-2025
The Minister’s Special Licence Resident Draw Grants provide funding support for activities that promote wildlife conservation, habitat enhancement, and awareness of the role of hunting in sustaining ecological balance.
All applicants to the MSL Resident Draw Grants (MSLRDG) should note that this program is fully funded by the MSL Resident Draw and supported by the hunters of Alberta. Proposals must demonstrate how their projects will conserve, protect, and enhance wildlife populations and their habitats for all Albertans to appreciate. While applications that do not directly align with the funding priorities will still be considered, those that address one or more of the identified priorities will have a higher likelihood of being funded.
The funding priorities include specific habitat enhancement activities that have a demonstrated, direct, positive impact on bighorn sheep, elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, cougar, mountain goat, pronghorn, or turkey populations; tracking and monitoring of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M.Ovi) in bighorn sheep; and developing mechanisms to reduce the risk of the spread of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M.Ovi) from domestic livestock to bighorn sheep, such as livestock surveillance programs. Other priorities include tracking and monitoring chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk, or moose, as well as developing mechanisms to reduce the spread of CWD, including potential vaccine development for wild cervids.
Further priorities involve identifying mortality factors associated with current or potential future population changes in bighorn sheep, elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, cougar, mountain goat, pronghorn, or turkey. The grant also supports activities specifically designed to attract and train new hunters, as well as initiatives that generate awareness of the connection between conservation and hunting, emphasizing the positive impact hunters have on wildlife and habitat within Alberta.
Grants are available for both small and large projects, with no maximum funding amount specified for individual applications. The total funds available for 2026 have yet to be determined; however, as an indicator, in 2025 the grants awarded ranged from $3,750 to $50,000.
The MSL Resident Draw Grants support individuals, organizations, and communities that contribute to healthy wildlife populations and conservation of habitats that sustain them. A portion of the funds may also be allocated to hunter training initiatives and projects that promote awareness and understanding of the role hunters and hunting play in wildlife conservation.
Any legally recognized organization such as a charity, society, or corporation, or any individual with appropriate liability insurance and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) coverage, may apply if they have a suitable project. However, federal or provincial government employees are not eligible to apply as principal applicants or under a federal or provincial ministry. They may, however, participate in the project without leading it.
For more information, visit Alberta Conservation Association.
