A pair of buck white tail deer lock antlers at the edge of a woods in Zelienople, Pa., Friday, Oct. 2, 2015. The Pennsylvania archery season for hunting deer starts Oct.3, 2015. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is accepting Wildlife Habitat Grant Program applications now through July 21. Projects featuring habitat enhancement for game species will be given priority.

The Wildlife Habitat Grant Program, which began in 2013, is funded with a portion of the revenue from hunting and fishing licenses sold each year. The DNR administers the program through a cooperative effort between its Wildlife Division and Grants Management section.

Funding is available for local, state, federal and tribal governments, for-profit and nonprofit groups and individuals through an open, competitive process.

Minimum grant amounts will be set at $15,000, with the maximum being the amount of funds available for that grant cycle. The 2017 overall available grant amount is approximately $1 million.

The main objective of the Wildlife Habitat Grant Program is to enhance and improve the quality and quantity of game species habitat in support of goal 2 of the Wildlife Division’s strategic plan, managing habitat for sustainable wildlife populations and wildlife-based recreation.

The grant application period began June 1. Applications must be postmarked no later than July 21 to be considered for funding. Successful grant applications will be announced by Oct. 2. The detailed program handbook and application are available at mi.gov/dnr-grants.