The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking applications for its Wetland Program Development Grants (Region 4).
Donor Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/06/2026
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The goals of the EPA’s wetland program include increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands in the U.S. by conserving and restoring wetland acreage and improving wetland conditions. In pursuing these goals, as indicated in Assistance Listing 66.461, the EPA seeks to develop the capacity of all levels of government to develop and/or refine effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.
Wetlands are areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.
Tracks
Under this announcement, the EPA will have two separate tracks for eligible applicants.
- States, Tribes and territories can apply under Track One: WPP or Track Two: Non-WPP.
- Interstate agencies, Intertribal consortia, local governments and colleges and universities that are agencies of a state can only apply under Track Two: Non-WPP.
Funding Information
- The amount of funding is expected to be $200,000 to $600,000 per grant.
- EPA anticipates awarding approximately $2,446,000 in federal funds under Track One: WPP and approximately $1,500,000 in federal funds under Track Two: Non-WPP.
- Under the two tracks in this NOFO, the EPA may award up to $600,000 over approximately one to four years, consisting of incremental funding of about $300,000 per year for two years, contingent on the quality of applications received, funding availability, future appropriations, satisfactory performance of work, and other applicable considerations.
Eligibility Criteria
Only these types of organizations may apply:
- Indian Tribes.
- State & Local Governments.
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs).
- Interstate agencies.
- Intertribal consortia.
Applications must meet the following threshold criteria and those found in Section 6.A to be considered eligible:
- Applications must include activities taking place within states, Tribes, and territories within EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) and Tribal lands located within those states. Inter-jurisdictional watershed projects must primarily be conducted in EPA Region 4.
- All applications submitted under this NOFO, regardless of track, must be for projects that develop or refine state, Tribal, territory or local government wetland programs. All applicants must demonstrate in their application how the proposed project will develop or refine a state, Tribal, territory or local government wetland program according to the requirements of the track the application falls under. The two tracks are described below and further in A: Track Concept
- Track One: WPP – Applicants must demonstrate (1) how they will develop/update a Wetland Program Plan, or (2) reference one or more grant-eligible action(s) from an EPA-approved Wetland Program Plan they plan to undertake as part of the proposed project.
- Track Two: Non-WPP – Applicants must demonstrate (1) which objectives and associated action(s) from their application is developing or refining, or (2) if the applicant is an interstate agency or intertribal consortia, by referencing one or more grant-eligible action(s) from an EPA-approved Wetland Program Plan they plan to undertake as part of the proposed project.
- Applications are limited to no more than $600,000 each.
- Applicants may submit more than one application under this announcement under the applicable tracks. Each application must be separately submitted and be for a different project. Applications will be evaluated separately.
- In addition, state, Tribal, and territorial government applicants may submit separate applications for different projects under Track One: WPP or Track Two: Non-WPP. Local governments, interstate organization and intertribal consortia can only apply under Track Two: Non-WPP. Each application must be submitted under either Track One: WPP or Track Two: Non-WPP.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
