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Central Appalachia

Formed 480 million years ago, the Appalachians are the oldest mountain range in North America. Central Appalachia boasts some of the world’s oldest river systems and most biologically diverse temperate deciduous forests. The region’s forests, streams, rivers, wetlands and floodplains host a remarkable variety of flora and fauna with long evolutionary histories. For centuries local economies have relied on the region’s rich and abundant natural resources — its expansive forests for logging, its fertile valleys for farming, and its abundant sources of energy.

Youth conserve California’s fire-prone forests

Landscapes

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has selected a set of priority landscapes aimed at delivering ambitious but measurable outcomes for species and habitats in the region. Each landscape has a business plan developed by scientists and other experts, and approved by the Foundation's Board of Directors. These business plans outline the conservation goals, strategies and metrics the Foundation will use to track progress. Grants are available to support the strategies and actions identified in the business plan. Our landscapes will continue to grow as more business plans are developed.

Species

Conservation programs funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation benefit hundreds of species and the habitats they depend on across the United States. NFWF has developed conservation strategies with measurable outcomes that track progress for many of these species. These species are good indicators of healthy habitats.

Programs

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awards competitive grants through our programs to protect and conserve our nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. The Foundation works with public and private partners in all 50 states and U.S. territories to solve the most challenging conservation problems. Explore our programs below to learn about their conservation goals and strategies, and the species and landscapes they support.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Recognized as a “national treasure” for its historical, cultural, economic and ecological significance, the Chesapeake is the largest estuary in North America and one of the most productive in the world. Its watershed stretches across more than 64,000 square miles in the Mid-Atlantic, spanning from Norfolk, Virginia to Cooperstown, New York and from the sandy coastal plains of Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware and Maryland to the headwaters of the Potomac River in West Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains.

Offices

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation maintains five regional offices across the United States to administer our programs, manage and develop our partnerships and deliver local services.

Trending Topics

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation works with our public and private partners to address current conservation challenges and prepare for future challenges impacting fish, wildlife and local communities across the country. Our grant programs increase wildlife and community resilience to the impacts of storms, recovers and enhances land impacted by wildfire, improves water quality for healthier ecosystems, and conserves ranch lands in the West.

Become a Partner

Support from corporate, federal and state, and private partners has helped NFWF become one of the world’s largest conservation grant makers.

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo supports the Resilient Communities program, which funds projects that can measurably improve resilience to a changing climate through conservation, community capacity building, and adaptation focused on affordable housing and small businesses.