As part of the launch of the Make America Beautiful Again Commission, the Administration announced on February 11 that there would be almost $8 million added to the $2 million in base funds available through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for their Western Big Game Seasonal Habitat and Migration Corridors Fund. Projects funded by the program improve habitat in priority areas identified by state wildlife agencies to address the needs of big game species as they travel to and stopover in their summer and winter range habitats.

Since Secretary’s Order 3362 was signed in 2018, there have been seven rounds of NFWF grants awarding $21.6 million across 86 projects, leveraging $67.2 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of more than $88.9 million. These projects have protected private land through conservation easements with willing landowners, addressed barriers through road crossings and wildlife-friendly fencing, and restored hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat. The nearly $10 million available for the 2026 funding cycle will be the most for a single round since the program began.