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.

Types of Assistance: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS