Desert Tortoise Recovery Partnership
This grant funds collaborative science and habitat restoration projects to recover the threatened Mojave desert tortoise in California’s western Mojave Desert.
Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2026 | May 2027
Funding Amounts: Typical awards: $200,000–$1,000,000 (Category 2); up to $1,500,000 (Category 1); total program budget ~$60M over 10 years; project duration typically 1–3 years.
Summary: Supports collaborative projects for habitat restoration, management, and recovery of the threatened Mojave desert tortoise in California’s western Mojave Desert.
Key Information: Pre-application call required for Category 2 proposals; match encouraged but not required.
Description
The Desert Tortoise Recovery Partnership (DTRP), led by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and federal partners, funds projects that address urgent conservation needs of the Mojave desert tortoise in California’s western Mojave Desert. The program targets habitat restoration, management, and threat mitigation to reverse population declines due to habitat loss, fragmentation, invasive species, and other stressors. Projects must deliver measurable outcomes for the recovery of the species and align with the Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery Implementation Plan.
The DTRP supports two main categories:
- Category 1: Landscape Resilience — Projects that improve watershed and ecosystem function, particularly benefiting military readiness and natural infrastructure.
- Category 2: Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery and Sustainment Partnership (RASP) — Projects that directly restore, protect, and enhance tortoise populations and habitat, especially in six focal areas of the Western Mojave Recovery Unit.
