WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 8, 2025) - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced 27 grants totaling $14.7 million to support the implementation of voluntary conservation practices on farms and ranches across 21 states from the Midwest to western grasslands. The grants will leverage approximately $7 million in matching contributions from grantees, generating a total impact of $21.7 million. This marks the largest grant slate from the Conservation Partners Program, fueled by continued, historic investments from program partners.

"Private landowners are stewards of some of the most important fish and wildlife habitat in the United States," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "With the support of this public-private partnership, today's awards will advance essential technical assistance that will promote voluntary efforts by landowners to sustain agricultural operations and to conserve working landscapes that are home to grassland birds, waterfowl, pollinators and other wildlife."

The Conservation Partners Program is a partnership between NFWF and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, The J.M. Smucker Co., and additional support from a collaboration among General Mills, Walmart and Sam's Club.

Grant recipients will hire or support field professionals to directly collaborate with agricultural producers to implement economically sound management practices and increase delivery of Farm Bill conservation programs. Projects will also facilitate peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing centered on regenerative agriculture systems.

"We are excited to continue partnering with NFWF on strategic nationwide investments to increase the voluntary adoption of conservation practices on working lands," said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. "These efforts will empower networks of American farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to foster long-term economic resilience for their communities while addressing some of the nation's most pressing conservation issues."

The 27 funded projects will address resource concerns in the Great Lakes Basin, Great Plains and Upper Mississippi River Basin. In addition, the program expanded funding to western grazing lands, to sustain working grasslands, pasturelands and shrublands that include regions of the Intermountain West, Pacific Northwest and beyond.

"We are proud to continue our work with the Conservation Partners Program," said Will Meeks, Midwest regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Throughout the Midwest and the Great Lakes basin, this program improves fish and wildlife habitat by providing resources to people who manage working lands. We know that building partnerships with private landowners ensures sustainable landscape-scale conservation."

"EPA is pleased to support conservation in the agricultural community through this important program with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Expanding adoption of conservation practices will protect water quality in watersheds throughout the Great Lakes," said Teresa Seidel, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office.

Grants will fund technical assistance to agricultural producers to plan and implement a range of practices such as cover crops, conservation tillage, grazing management, irrigation improvement, riparian habitat enhancements and conservation easements. Collectively, projects will develop at least 3,000 management plans to improve conservation on more than 700,000 acres nationwide.

"Our partnership with NFWF reflects our commitment to deliver a more sustainable approach to our value chain by working with farmers and leading agricultural organizations in our priority supply chains including corn, wheat and soy," said Rebecca Ott, Director, Corporate Sustainability, The J.M. Smucker Co. "Through our work with partners like NFWF, we are focused on reducing climate impacts, improving soil health and water quality, and increasing farm resiliency."

"We believe NFWF's partnership is essential to advancing critical conservation work for the benefit of all," said Jay Watson, director of regenerative agriculture, General Mills. "This significant investment from the Conservation Partners Program is critical to achieving our shared goals and creating a more sustainable future."

Since 2011, the Conservation Partners Program has awarded 322 grants worth more than $85 million and leveraged an additional $107 million in matching contributions, generating a total conservation investment of more than $192 million. A complete list of the grants announced today is available here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,800 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of more than $10 billion. NFWF is an equal opportunity provider. Learn more at nfwf.org.

About the Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides one-on-one, personalized advice on the best solutions to meet the unique conservation and business goals of those who grow our nation's food and fiber. NRCS helps landowners make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the health of our air, water, and soil. NRCS also generates, manages, and shares the data, research and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science. In simpler terms, NRCS's focus is "Helping People Help the Land." For more information, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.

About the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) coordinates U.S. efforts with Canada under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem, which includes Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. GLNPO brings together federal, state, tribal, local, and industry partners under the strategic framework of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to accomplish the objectives of GLRI action plan which in turn fulfills the aims of the GLWQA. For more information about the GLRI Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) | US EPA.

About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit fws.gov.

About General Mills 
General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly innovate, unleash its scale and stand for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Totino's, Annie's, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. General Mills generated fiscal 2024 net sales of U.S. $20 billion. In addition, the company's share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion. For more information, visit generalmills.com.

About The J.M. Smucker Co.
At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to make food people and pets love by offering a diverse family of brands available across North America. We are proud to lead in the coffee, peanut butter, fruit spreads, frozen handheld, sweet baked goods, dog snacks and cat food categories by offering brands consumers trust for themselves and their families each day, including Folgers®, Dunkin'®, Café Bustelo®, Jif®, Uncrustables®, Smucker's®, Hostess®, Milk-Bone® and Meow Mix®. Through our unwavering commitment to producing high quality products, operating responsibly and ethically and delivering on our Purpose, we will continue to grow our business while making a positive impact on society. For more information, please visit jmsmucker.com.
The J.M. Smucker Co. is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Dunkin'®, which is a trademark of DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin'® brand is licensed to The J.M. Smucker Co. for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, e-commerce and drug stores, as well as in certain away from home channels. This information does not pertain to products for sale in Dunkin'® restaurants.

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Contact:

Rob Blumenthal, 202-857-0166, [email protected]

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