 America the Beautiful Challenge Recipients Receive $141 Million in Grants
The Department of Defense’s (DOD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program is pleased to join the Council on Environmental Quality and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in announcing over $141 million in grants through the new America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). The 74 new grants will support projects that conserve, restore, and connect habitats for wildlife while improving community and installation resilience across 46 states and three U.S. territories.
The ATBC coordinates funding from multiple Federal agencies and private philanthropy into one competitive grant program. The Federal agencies contributing to the 2023 ATBC include DOD through the REPI Program, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) through the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Forest Service.
The DOD REPI Program is thrilled to contribute over $5.2 million to seven projects in nine states and territories. These projects span nine designated sentinel landscapes and two landscapes pending formal designation from the Federal Coordinating Committee. In addition to receiving DOD funding, two projects received nearly $2.2 million in funding from DOI’s Fish and Wildlife Service. The DOD projects meet multiple agency priorities by improving climate change resilience, removing invasive species, and advancing on-the-ground partnerships that preserve installation and local community interests. The 2023 ATBC project locations include:
- Southeastern Sentinel Landscapes (Georgia, Northwest Florida, Avon
Park Air Force Range, South Carolina Lowcountry, and Eastern North
Carolina) | REPI Funds: $814K
- Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape | REPI Funds: $1.4M
- Fort Huachuca Sentinel Landscape | REPI Funds: $1.1M
- Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape | REPI Funds: $723K
- Guahan Sentinel Landscape* | REPI Funds: $506K
- Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape | REPI Funds: $501K
- Hawai‘i Sentinel Landscape* | REPI Funds: $250K
* This sentinel landscape has not received formal designation from the Sentinel
Landscape Federal Coordinating Committee.
"The 2023 America the Beautiful Challenge projects will enhance capability across multiple Department of Defense installations and ensure the longevity and sustainability of natural lands that support our missions," said Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Energy, Installations and Environment. "The seven DOD projects are receiving over $5.2 million in DOD REPI Program funding, coupled with nearly $2.2 million in funding from the DOI's Fish and Wildlife Service and nearly $787K in non-federal partner contributions. The shared support from DOI and non-federal partners will help safeguard critical testing and training missions, protect installation and defense community infrastructure from climate change impacts, and bolster new local partnerships that will help ensure our mission readiness."
To learn more about the program, including applicant eligibility, funding priorities and submission requirements, visit the NFWF's ATBC webpage.
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