Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration

 

To provide competitive matching grants to coastal States for coastal wetlands conservation projects. The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (Section 305, Title III, Public Law 101-646 U.S.C. 3954) established the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program to acquire, restore, and enhance wetlands in coastal States.

Active 15.614 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 The program received 25 applications from 11 coastal States. Of these, 20 projects from 10 states were funded with $17.4 million federal share and $20.3 million in non-federal share. The projects cumulatively protect, restore or enhance more than 13,000 acres of important coastal wetland habitat, including several miles of shoreline. Conservation of this habitat not only benefits coastal-dependent federal trust species, but also enhances flood protection and water quality, and provides economic and recreational benefits to commercial fishermen and anglers. The program received 25 applications and issued 20 awards.
Fiscal Year 2018 In FY18 the program received 29 applications and issued 22 awards.
Fiscal Year 2019 In FY19 the program received 28 applications and issued 22 awards.
Fiscal Year 2020 22 applications received, 22 projects awarded grants.
Fiscal Year 2021 33 awards protecting, restoring or enhancing nearly 28,000 acres of coastal wetlands and associated upland habitats.
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY 2022, the program received 28 applications and issued 25 awards.
Fiscal Year 2023 In FY 2023, the program received 23 applications and issued 22 awards.
Fiscal Year 2024 In FY 2024, the program anticipates receiving 28 applications and issuing 25 awards. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act—National coastal wetlands conservation grants (16 U.S.C. §3954. Eligible applicants include any agency or agencies designated by the Governor of a coastal State. It is usually a State natural resource or fish and wildlife agency. Eligible coastal States are States bordering the Great Lakes (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin); States bordering the Atlantic, Gulf (except Louisiana), and Pacific coasts (Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington); and American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Not applicable. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. The Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service will select projects to be funded based on established criteria. June 25, 2022 to June 23, 2023 Approximately 150 days. Regional Directors will consider differences of opinion concerning the eligibility of proposals. Final determination rests with the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Applications for successive project phases are competed as new project applications Applications are scored and then ranked based on criteria published in 50 CFR 84.32. See the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and Attachment A to this NOFO for more information on ranking criteria. The NOFO is available at www.Grants.gov. Funds are available to coastal States for acquisition of real property interests in coastal lands or waters, and for restoration, enhancement or management of coastal wetlands ecosystems. Performance Reports: Performance reports are required. Recipients must monitor and report on project performance in accordance with the requirements in 2 CFR 200.329. Final performance reports and final SF-425, Federal Financial Reports are due within 120 calendar days of the award period of performance end date, unless the awarding program approves a due date extension. The FWS details all reporting requirements including frequency and due dates in Notices of Award. In addition, they are subject to Program specific audits contracted by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Cost records must be maintained separately for each project. Grantees must retain records, accounts, and supporting documents for three years after submission of final request for reimbursement. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. States with a dedicated fund for land conservation are required to provide a minimum cost share equal to 25 percent of the total project costs, including requested program funds and eligible match. All other States are required to provide a 50 percent cost share. We waive the first $200,000 of match for the following insular areas: American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Once money is awarded, the money is available to the State for the time designated in the grant agreement (50 CFR 84.44). Program obligates funds and sends a notice of award to successful applicants. Recipients request funds in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E-Cost Principles, unless otherwise dictated by program-specific legislation or special award terms. Program will include any special payment terms and conditions in the notice of award. Territories/Commonwealths: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii: Chris Swenson USFWS-WSFR 911 NE 11th Avenue Portland, OR 97232-4181 503-231-6758 Chris_Swenson@fws.gov; States: Oregon, and Washington: Heidi Nelson USFWS-WSFR 911 NE 11th Avenue Portland, OR 97232-4181 503-231-2096 Heidi_Nelson@fws.gov; State: Texas: Kelly Oliver-Amy USFWS-WSFR P.O. Box 1306 500 Gold Avenue, SW, Room #8514 Albuquerque, NM 87103 505-248-7457 Kelly_Oliver-Amy@fws.gov; States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin: Casey Nelson USFWS-WSFR 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990 Bloomington, MN 55437-1458 612-713-5143 Casey_Nelson@fws.gov; States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina Commonwealths/Territories: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: James Duffy USFWS-WSFR 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 240 Atlanta, GA 30345-3319 404-679-4169 James_Duffy@fws.gov; States: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia: Bill Perry USFWS-WSFR 300 Westgate Center Drive Hadley, MA 01035-9589 413-253-8302 Bill_Perry@fws.gov; State: Alaska: Kyle James USFWS-WSFR 1011 East Tudor Road, MS 261 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-786-3696 Kyle_James@fws.gov; State: California: Becky Miller USFWS-WSFR 2800 Cottage Way Room W-1729 Sacramento, CA 95825 916-978-6185 Becky_Miller@fws.gov Chris Darnell
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, The National Refuge System - Division of Natural Resources and Conservation Planning
5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: NWRS,
Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 US
chris_darnell@fws.gov
Phone: (703) 358-1849 https://www.fws.gov/service/national-coastal-wetlands-conservation-grants 14-8151-0-7-303 (Project Grants) FY 22$20,100,000.00; FY 23 est $19,800,000.00; FY 24 est $19,999,999.00; - Range: $125,000 - $1,000,000; Average: $575,000 50 CFR 84 Fiscal Year 2017 Grays Harbor, WA -The Washington State Department of Ecology, partnering with Ducks Unlimited, was awarded $1 million to acquire 1,750 acres of diverse and threatened habitats, including wetlands in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The project site is located within close proximity to protected areas, including Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Multiple fish and bird species that use watershed along with elk, deer, black bear and river otters will benefit from the protection. Red Banks Alvar State Natural Area, WI - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was awarded $152,496 to help acquire and protect 140 acres on the Red Banks Alvar State Natural Area located adjacent to the Bay of Green Bay in Brown County, Wisconsin. The property is dominated by palustrine emergent, scrub/shrub and forested wetlands that provide important habitat for the threatened dwarf lake iris as well as migratory and breeding birds and other wildlife. Lower Altamaha River watershed, GA - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) was awarded $1 million to acquire and protect approximately 2,091 acres of diverse habitat known as Sansavilla Phase 4. This tract is part of a long-term initiative by GA DNR, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Marine Corps, to conserve priority habitats in the lower Altamaha River watershed. More than 100 rare plants and animals occur within the tidal wetlands and adjacent uplands; of these 15 are federally listed as threatened or endangered, and 17 are state listed and are considered globally rare or imperiled.
Fiscal Year 2018 The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant (NCWCG) Program provides Federal grant funds to acquire, restore, enhance, and manage wetlands in coastal areas through competitive matching grants to eligible State agencies. Examples of FY 2018 projects include: Washington Department of Ecology, in partnership with Skagit Land Trust, is acquiring 143 acres of coastal and riparian forest on Guemes Island in Skagit County; Ohio Department of Natural Resources is proposing to purchase a conservation easement encumbering the 65-acre Bay Point peninsula in Ottawa County, Ohio; and Alaska Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Conservation Fund and the Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, is establishing conservation easements in northeast Lake Iliamna, in Southwest Alaska to protect a total of 13,876 acres of wetlands habitat covering 173 total islands with 283 miles of shoreline.
Fiscal Year 2019 Project examples: 1. The Washington State Department of Ecology will acquire, restore, and permanently protect a 158‐acre former cattle ranch that contains 85.7 acres of wetlands and 4.6 miles of Skookum Creek and tributary shoreline draining directly into Puget Sound in Mason County, Washington. 2. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) will acquire approximately 2,733 acres of diverse coastal habitats known as Floyd’s Neck & Grover Island in Camden County, Georgia. 3. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will purchase, in fee simple, and conserve in perpetuity approximately 75 acres of coastal habitats.
Fiscal Year 2020 Protection and restoration of coastal wetland ecosystems and associated uplands.
Fiscal Year 2021 Black River State Park – Mead Tract The South Carolina Conservation Bank is proposing to acquire and protect in perpetuity approximately 841 acres of diverse coastal habitats along the Black River in Williamsburg County, South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has designated the Black River corridor as a Scenic River. The acquisition of this parcel will provide protection for high priority species and habitats along the Black River, including the State endangered Swallow-tailed kite and federally threatened Wood stork. The fire-maintained pine uplands are ideal for restoration to longleaf pine forest, which is important for Northern Bobwhite reintroduction and Red-cockaded woodpecker habitat. This tract will be part of a new State park along the Black River corridor, and will aid in connecting over 24,520 acres of existing privately protected conservation easement and preserve lands. The State park will create a growing network of public access and provide recreation and economic development opportunities. Stillaquamish Tidal Wetland Acquisition Phase 2 The Washington Department of Ecology, in partnership with the Stillaguamish Tribe, is acquiring 537 acres of former coastal wetlands in Snohomish County, Washington. This project is the second step towards restoring tidal and riverine influence to a large swath of land diked in the late 1800s. The first step of this project included the acquisition of 248 acres to the southeast through a previous National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program award. The current project will benefit a wide range of fish and wildlife species, including Endangered Species Act-listed Chinook salmon populations of the Stillaguamish and Skagit Rivers, while linking together conserved lands to the north and south and creating a protected swath of over 1,200 acres. The tidal wetland restoration carried out in this project is specifically called for in the Puget Sound Chinook Recovery Plan. Protecting and restoring these lands will lead to benefits for waterfowl and shorebirds that use the Pacific Flyway. Monitoring data collected on the bird, fish and vegetative communities at the site will inform future tidal wetland projects in Port Susan and Skagit Bay. San Francisco Bay Wetlands Revegetation Project Phase 2 The California Coastal Conservancy will carry out the San Francisco Bay Coastal Wetlands Revegetation Project Phase II, which includes enhancing 2,270 acres of degraded tidal marsh in the San Francisco Estuary. This project includes planting 40,000 native seedlings on 500 acres in Central Bay, and treating non-native Spartina on 1,770 acres of tidal marsh habitat in the North Bay by 2024. Treating the Spartina will protect prior tidal marsh restoration that was carried out in the converted salt ponds. Establishing native vegetation in the tidal marsh and adjacent habitat will provide foraging, nesting, breeding, and high tide refuge habitat for the State and federally endangered California Ridgeway’s rail. Native tidal wetlands will also provide valuable green infrastructure that functions as resilient shoreline protection in the face of sea level rise and a predicted increase in storm events and flooding. Kasilof River “Dinosaur Parcel” Acquisition The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Conservation Fund, is acquiring 309 acres of pristine habitat along the Kasilof River on the western Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska. The project will protect a total of 283 acres of coastal wetland habitat in the Kasilof River Flats, including 2.25 miles of river shoreline. The parcel provides undisturbed and intact coastal wetlands, with over 85 percent of the project area composed of nationally declining coastal wetland types. Once acquired, the parcel will be added to an existing State park unit for wildlife habitat and compatible public recreation. The property also provides migratory, nesting, and overwintering habitat for 165 bird species, 37 of which are Species of Greatest Conservation Need identified in the Alaska Wildlife Action Plan. Among the species that will directly benefit from this habitat are Rock sandpipers, Chinook, Sockeye, Coho, and Pink salmon, and the federally endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale. He’eia Wetlands Restoration The Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources is restoring a freshwater wetland system in the He’eia wetlands located on the island of O’ahu. The estuarine habitat of Heʻeia and the adjacent fishpond and coral reefs of Kāneʻohe Bay comprise one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Oʻahu. The project will focus on restoring the 15.6 acres of rare wetland ecosystem to recreate the hydrological and vegetation conditions necessary for native birds and diadromous and estuarine fish to thrive. This project will leverage the successful removal of a stand of invasive mangrove trees. The restoration of the He‘eia wetlands will increase biodiversity by opening up waterways, recreating freshwater pond and wetland systems, and replanting native vegetation to increase the abundance and diversity of native birds, while providing connectivity to Hawaii’s unique diadromous fish.
Fiscal Year 2022 The Georgia Department of Natural Resources used a grant from the National Coastal Wetlands Program to acquire and permanently protect approximately 2,400 acres of freshwater wetlands and adjacent uplands in the Turtle River watershed in Wayne County, Georgia.
Fiscal Year 2023 The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is using a grant from the National Coastal Wetlands Program to purchase and protect 3,360 acres of coastal wetlands in Pender County, North Carolina.
Fiscal Year 2024 Program has not yet selected projects for funding. Program anticipates funding projects that support state and territory efforts to acquire, restore, enhance, and manage coastal wetlands for the benefit of at-risk species and coastal communities.