Regional Wetland Program Development Grants

 

To assist state, territory, tribal, and/or local government (S/T/LG) agencies in building programs which protect, manage, and restore wetlands. The primary focus of the grants is to build state, territory, and tribal wetland programs. A secondary focus is to build local (e.g., county or municipal) programs. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2023/Fiscal Year 2024: Under the Regional Wetland Program Development Grant (WPDG) competition, EPA has identified the following four Core Elements for improving state/tribe/local governments' (S/T/LGs) ability to protect and restore their wetlands: (1) Monitoring and Assessment; (2) Voluntary Restoration and Protection; (3) Regulatory Approaches Including CWA 401 Certification; and (4) Wetland-Specific Water Quality Standards. EPA will include a website in each Regional Request For Applications (RFA) where potential applicants can find a list of actions and activities under each Core Element that will develop or refine a S/T/LG's wetlands program. In addition, two National Priorities will be included for projects relating to climate change and the Justice 40 Initiative. EPA has identified two funding Tracks. Track One is for states and tribes that propose to develop a Wetlands Program Plan (WPP) as described at https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/developing-state-or-tribal-wetland-program-plan or carrying out projects from an EPA-approved WPP. WPPs can be found on-line at https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/state-and-tribal-wetland-program-plans#r1. Track Two is for states, tribes, local governments, interstate agencies, intertribal consortia, and universities that are agencies of a state that submit proposals that are consistent with the Four Core Elements as described above. Regions may add additional Region specific priorities that are compatible and consistent with the core element(s) and action(s) in the Appendix of development and refinement actions found at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-03/documents/wpdg_cef_appendix.pdf. Under the National Tribal competition EPA has identified the following four Core Elements for improving a tribe's ability to protect and restore their wetlands: (1) Monitoring and Assessment; (2) Voluntary Restoration and Protection; (3) Regulatory Approaches Including CWA 401 Certification; and (4) Wetland-Specific Water Quality Standards. EPA will include a website in the National Tribal RFA where potential applicants can find a list of actions and activities under each Core Element that will develop or refine a tribe's wetlands program. In addition two National Priorities will be included for projects relating to climate change and the Justice40 Initiative. EPA has identified two funding Tracks. Track One is for tribes that propose to develop a WPP as described at https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/developing-state-or-tribal-wetland-program-plan or carrying out projects from an EPA-approved WPP. WPPs can be found on-line at https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/state-and-tribal-wetland-program-plans#r1 . Track Two is for tribes and intertribal consortia that submit proposals that are consistent with the Four Core Elements as described above.

Active 66.461 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 Five of the ten EPA Regional Offices will issue a competitive announcement based on available funds and Agency priorities. The number of applications and the number of awards made is dependent on the competitive announcement issued. The announcements include the number of anticipated awards. In FY 16, five Regional competitive announcements were issued. In FY 16, approximately 4 to 30 proposals were received by each Region under the five Regional competitive announcements. In FY 16, projects have not yet been awarded but all will support activities to build state/tribal/local wetland program building and improvement. In FY 16 five of the ten EPA Regional Offices issued a competitive announcement based on available funds and Agency priorities. The number of applications and the number of awards made is dependent on the competitive announcement issued. The announcements include the number of anticipated awards. In FY 16, projects were funded to support activities such as: developing state or tribal Wetland Program Plans (WPPs); assessing a marsh's sustainability; developing a functional assessment of a state's wetlands of past and present; developing scenario models to analyze impacts of groundwater withdrawal on calcareous fens; advancing a state's wetland monitoring and assessment; developing a framework for evaluating the environmental results of one state's wetland mitigation banks; determining the local importance of vernal pools; and sentinel monitoring and mapping of coastal wetland condition and response to climate change.
Fiscal Year 2017 In FY 17 eight of the ten EPA Regional Offices issued a competitive announcement based on available funds and Agency priorities. The number of applications and the number of awards made is dependent on the competitive announcement issued. The announcements include the number of anticipated awards. In FY 17, approximately 4 to 30 proposals were received by each Region under the Regional competitive announcements. 74 projects were awarded to support activities to build state/tribal/local wetland program building and improvement.
Fiscal Year 2018 In FY 18 four of the ten EPA Regional Offices issued a competitive announcement based on available funds and Agency priorities. The number of applications and the number of awards made is dependent on the competitive announcement issued. The announcements include the number of anticipated awards. In FY 18, approximately 4 to 30 proposals were received by each Region under the Regional competitive announcements. Projects have not yet been awarded but all will support activities to build state/tribal/local wetland program building and improvement.
Fiscal Year 2019 In FY 2019 eight of the ten EPA Regional Offices issued competitive announcements based on available funds and Agency priorities. The number of applications and the number of awards made is dependent on the competitive announcement issued. The announcements include the number of anticipated awards. Projects will support activities to build state/tribal/local wetland program building and improvement. In FY 19, approximately 8 to 30 proposals were received by each Region under the Regional competitive announcements. The eight Regions that held a competition in FY19 awarded 94 new projects to support activities to build state/tribal/local wetland program building and improvement. Two of the ten EPA Regional Offices continued to fund the projects selected from the previous year's competition.
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY 2022 the national Tribal program issued an announcement based on available funds and Agency priorities. The number of applications and the number of awards made was dependent on the competitive announcement issued. The announcement included the number of anticipated awards. Projects supported activities to build tribal wetland program building and refining. In FY2022 funding continued for projects under the FY2021-FY2022 Regional Request for Applications. Examples of funded projects for FY2022 included: develop a tribal wetland inventory, monitoring and assessment program.; developing a Wetland Program Plan; a Level 3 Biological Assessment of culturally significant headwater wetlands; developing user-friendly digital tools for wetland plant identification; documenting salt marsh ponds (SMPs) as potential reservoirs of harmful algal blooms (HABs); and assessing the vulnerability of a state's wetlands to climate change.
Fiscal Year 2023 In FY 2023 funding continued to support 15 projects selected for funding under the Tribal FY2022 national competition. Examples of projects include: development of a non-regulatory, comprehensive wetlands protection plan, providing useful information to regulators regarding the condition of the regulatory wetlands and suggestions for improvements; developing an accounting procedure for calculating functional gain and losses in wetlands for restoration and mitigation projects; an accurate ArcGIS map of high quality, culturally important headwater wetlands; and developing an updated wetlands QAPP that includes QA/QC procedures for data entry and management. In FY 2023 ten Regions will issue announcements based on available funds and Agency priorities. The number of applications and the number of awards made is dependent on the competitive announcements issued. The announcements included the number of anticipated awards. Projects will support activities to build and refine state, tribal, territory, and local wetland programs. Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), as amended, Public Law 92-500, 33 U.S.C. 1254(b)(3) States, Territories, Tribes, local government agencies, interstate agencies, and intertribal consortia are eligible to apply to the Regions. Past recipients include, but are not limited to, wetland regulatory agencies, water quality agencies (Section 401 water quality certification), planning offices, wild and scenic rivers agencies, departments of transportation, fish and wildlife or natural resources agencies, agriculture departments, forestry agencies, coastal zone management agencies, park and recreation agencies, non-point source or storm water agencies, and city or county and other S/T/LG governmental agencies that conduct wetland-related activities. In order to be eligible for WPDG funds, Tribes must be federally recognized, although "Treatment as a State" status is not a requirement. The term "interstate agency" is defined in CWA Section 502 as "an agency of two or more States established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more States, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator." Intertribal consortia that meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504 are eligible for direct funding. Intertribal consortia projects must be broad in scope and encompass more than one State, Tribe, or local government. Universities that are agencies of a State government are eligible to receive funds through these competitions. Universities must include documentation showing that they are chartered as a part of a State government in their proposal. For-profit organizations are not eligible. Non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in prohibited lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Applicants need not be located within the boundaries of the EPA regional office to be eligible to apply for funding but must propose projects that affect the States, Tribes, and Territories within the Region. State, Territory, Tribal, and local governments involved in administering wetlands protection, restoration and/or management programs, or programs related to or that complement wetlands protection programs. Tribes may be asked to demonstrate that they are Federally recognized. Interstate organizations may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority which establishes their status. Intertribal consortia may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504. Universities must include documentation showing that they are chartered as a part of a State government in their application. 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. EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that are subject to review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372-and-section-204. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that are not subject to State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c). Each EPA Regional Office will set up its own competitive process for awarding WPDGs. Interested applicants should review information on the WPDG at: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants. Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts". 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. Each EPA Regional Office will establish a competitive process for awarding WPDGs. Regional Offices will accept applications only for projects selected through the competitive process that affect the States, Tribes, and Territories within their Region. The standard application forms, as furnished by the Federal agency and required by 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500, must be used for this program. Grant applications are reviewed by the appropriate EPA Regional Office and, if approved, the grant is awarded by the Regional Administrator. For the National Tribal competition grant applications are reviewed by appropriate EPA staff and, if approved, the grant is awarded by the Regional Administrator. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the competitive announcement. From 120 to 180 days. Grants are usually approved within 4 months of receipt of completed application. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable. Not applicable. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. These grants are intended to encourage comprehensive wetlands program development by promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Projects build the capacity of States, Territories, Tribes, and local governments to effectively protect wetland and riparian resources. Projects funded under this program support the development of a wetlands protection, restoration, or management program or support enhancement/refinement of an existing program. Interstate agency and intertribal consortia projects must be broad in scope and encompass more than one State, Territory, Tribe, or local government. The Regional Office will accept submissions only for projects that affect the States, Tribes, and Territories within their Region. Funds cannot be used for implementation of individual mitigation projects, mitigation banks, or in-lieu-fee mitigation programs. Additional uses and restrictions on funds will be described in detail in the competitive announcements. Projects that are national in scope are not eligible for funding under this Regional program but may be eligible for funding under EPA's National Wetland Program Development Grants program (Assistance Listing 66.462). Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Geospatial information is information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the earth, or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, GPS, remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). Performance Reports: Reporting requirements shall be determined at the time of grant award. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports as required by 2 CFR 200.334. If questions, such as those raised because of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. 25%. The applicant must provide a minimum of 25 percent of the total cost of the work plan to the extent allowed by 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable, 40 CFR 35.385, and 35.615. To determine if the minimum match is met, EPA will use the following formula: amount (in dollars) of federal funds requested from EPA divided by 3 = minimum match (in dollars) or Total project costs divided by 4 = minimum match (in dollars). For example, if the applicant requests $75,000 of federal funds or a Total project cost of $100,000 for the three-year project period, it must be able to provide $25,000 in matching funds or services. A reduced match of zero is available for Tribal grantees that place the Wetland Program Development Grant funds in a Performance Partnership Grant. (See regulations at 40 CFR 536(c).) Please contact your EPA Regional contact person listed in Section VII if you have any questions about calculating the match requirement. We encourage States and Tribes to provide a larger share of the project's cost whenever possible (i.e., in excess of the required 25 percent of total project costs). Award recipients can meet the match requirement with in-kind or monetary contributions from entities other than themselves. However, other Federal money cannot be used as the match for this grant program unless authorized by the statute governing the award of the other Federal funds. Matching funds are considered grant funds. They must be used for the reasonable and necessary expenses of carrying out the assistance agreement work plan. Any restrictions on the use of grant funds (i.e., prohibition of land acquisition with grant funds) also apply to the matching funds.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The terms of the grant shall be determined at time of grant award. The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award. A list of Regional Wetland Grant Coordinators can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants-and-epa-wetlands-grant-coordinators. Myra Price, National Wetland Program Development Grant Coordinator
Environmental Protection Agency, Wetlands Division, Office of Oceans, Wetlands, and Watersheds, Office of Water, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.(Mail Code: 4502-T)
Washington, DC 20460 US
price.myra@epa.gov
Phone: (202) 566-1225 https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants-and-epa-wetlands-grant-coordinators 68-0103-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$10,619,000.00; FY 23 est $12,473,000.00; FY 24 est $16,107,070.00; FY 21$10,080,000.00; FY 20$11,942,000.00; FY 19$12,550,000.00; FY 18$13,590,016.00; FY 17$14,277,576.00; FY 16$14,028,000.00; - Range: $20,000 to $600,000/fiscal year; Average: $250,000/fiscal year. 2 CFR 200 and 1500 (EPA Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); 40 CFR Part 33 (Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in United States Environmental Protection Agency Programs); 40 CFR Part 35 SubPart A (Environmental Program Grants) or SubPart B (Environmental Program Grants for Tribes. Fiscal Year 2016 The WPDG database provides project information for grants funded through this program since 2005 (http://iaspub.epa.gov/pls/grts/f?p=101:1). It is anticipated that projects funded in FY16 may include: developing state or tribal Wetland Program Plans (WPPs); assessing a marsh's sustainability; developing a functional assessment of a state's wetlands of past and present; developing scenario models to analyze impacts of groundwater withdrawal on calcareous fens; advancing a state's wetland monitoring and assessment; developing a framework for evaluating the environmental results of one state's wetland mitigation banks; determining the local importance of vernal pools; and sentinel monitoring and mapping of coastal wetland condition and response to climate change. The WPDG database provides project information for grants funded through this program since 2005 (http://iaspub.epa.gov/pls/grts/f?p=101:1). It is anticipated that projects funded in FY16 include: developing state or tribal Wetland Program Plans (WPPs); developing a discrete wetland data set classifying wetlands by designated and beneficial use categories; assessing the ecological integrity of and risk to wetlands ;building restoration partnerships; developing communication strategies to more effectively reach and serve the public and reach and engage the stakeholders; developing of two pocket guides to common wetland plants of a state; development of a Wetland Restoration Program for a state; and mapping, survey and assessment of critical wetlands for one state.
Fiscal Year 2018 The WPDG database provides project information for grants funded through this program since 2005 (http://iaspub.epa.gov/pls/grts/f?p=101:1). Examples of funded projects include: wetland and stream mitigation studies; development of wetland or watershed conservation plans; development of wetland program plans; wetland training workshops; developing a monitoring and assessment program; development of wetland monitoring and assessment methods and programs; training for State/Tribal/local government staff in monitoring techniques or wetland science such as delineation; wetland monitoring and assessment studies; wetland mapping studies; wetland inventory and classification projects to determine restoration sites; developing a wetland restoration program; development of wetland restoration methods and prioritization schemes; database development to track 404 permit action and compliance; and development of wetland water quality standards.
Fiscal Year 2021 The WPDG database provides project information for grants funded through this program since 2005 (http://iaspub.epa.gov/apex/wdg/f?p=101). Examples of funded projects for FY2021 included: assessing salt marsh vulnerability to sea level rise in Massachusetts; updating the National Wetland Inventory in Puerto Rico; development of new Living Shoreline Guidance in Maryland; Level 3 Biological Assessment of culturally significant headwater wetlands in Mississippi; understanding Depressional wetlands & Mineral Soil Flats wetlands in New Mexico; developing the first protection and restoration strategy for wetlands in Hawaii; and developing a monitoring guidance for wetland compensation sites to informing site management to improve compliance and ecological success in Washington. Examples of funded projects for FY2022 are not available as award selection has not been made.
Fiscal Year 2022 The WPDG database provides project information for grants funded through this program since 2005 (http://iaspub.epa.gov/apex/wdg/f?p=101). Examples of funded projects for FY2022 include: developing a tribal wetland inventory, monitoring and assessment program; developing a Wetland Program Plan; a Level 3 Biological Assessment of culturally significant headwater wetlands; developing user-friendly digital tools for wetland plant identification; documenting salt marsh ponds (SMPs) as potential reservoirs of harmful algal blooms (HABs); and assessing the vulnerability of a state's wetlands to climate change.
Fiscal Year 2023 The WPDG database provides project information for grants funded through this program since 2005 (http://iaspub.epa.gov/apex/wdg/f?p=101). Examples of funded projects for FY2023 include: development of a non-regulatory, comprehensive wetlands protection plan, providing useful information to regulators regarding the condition of the regulatory wetlands and suggestions for improvements; developing an accounting procedure for calculating functional gain and losses in wetlands for restoration and mitigation projects; an accurate ArcGIS map of high quality, culturally important headwater wetlands; and developing an updated wetlands quality assurance project plan (QAPP) that includes QA/QC procedures for data entry and management.