United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Office of Wetlands,
Oceans and Watersheds (4502T)
EPA843-F-01-002f
March 2002
The Caddo Indian
Tribe received a Five-
Star Restoration Grant
to restore a wetland
along the Washita
River in Oklahoma.
Students from the
nearby Riverside
Indian School, which
educates at-risk Native
American youth from
around the country,
are helping to
revegetate the wetland
with ecologically and
culturally significant
plant species. These
species, which once
played an important
role in the Caddo
Indian tribal heritage,
are now absent from
the area due to
grazing and invasive
species. This project
not only initiates the
ecological restoration
of the wetland but
also will result in
important cultural
and educational
benefits for the Caddo
Indian Tribe and other
Native American
youth.
Where Can I Get Funding to Start
a Wetland Project?
Once you've decided to take on a wetland protection,
restoration, or management project, funding may
become an issue. Many state, tribal, and local
governments, as well as some well-established non-profit
organizations, are already familiar with financing
programs and projects. But for many community groups
seeking funds might be a new experience.
Many communities and private landowners
are grappling with how to best protect
their existing wetland resources or restore some
of the thousands of acres the nation has already
lost. In addition to its federal regulatory role in
protecting wetlands, EPA helps states, tribes, and
local governments develop their own programs for
wetland protection and restoration by providing
funds to help them get started. There are never
enough public funds available, however, EPA
also works with communities to leverage non
federal funding for their wetland projects.
Federal Funding Programs
A number of federal programs are specifically
designed to help support wetland projects,
including the following:
• Wetland Program Development Grants.
Support state, tribal, and local government
Heron
With funding from EPA and other state and federal
agencies, the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation initiated a statewide effort to develop
a functional assessment approach, called the hydro-
geomorphic approach, to managing the state's
more than 175 million acres of wetlands. Approx-
imately 43 percent of Alaska is covered by wetlands.
efforts to develop new or enhance existing
wetland protection, management, and
restoration programs (EPA).
www.epa.gov/wetlands/2001 grant
• Five-Star Restoration Program. Through
partner organizations, provides funds to
support community-based wetland and
riparian education/restoration projects (EPA).
www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star
• Wetlands Reserve Program. Provides land-
owners with financial incentives to restore
and protect wetlands (U.S. Department of
Agriculture). http ://wl.fb-net.gov
• National Coastal Wetlands Conservation
Grant Program. Provides matching grants
for the acquisition, restoration, management,
or enhancement of coastal wetlands (U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service).
www.fws.gov/CEP/cwgcover.html
• North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Grant Program. Provides matching grants
to carry out wetland conservation and restora-
tion projects in the United States, Canada,
and Mexico (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
http://northamerican.fws.gov/NAWCA/
nawcahp.html
• NOAA Restoration Center Programs. Uses
money received from various damage claims
to restore saltmarshes and other wetlands.
They also have a community-based
restoration grant program. (National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
www. nmfs. no aa.gov/habitat/restoration
Many other broad-based federal programs fund
wetland projects if they meet the program
requirements.
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State Funding Programs
Funds to support wetland projects are frequently
available at the state level. Many states, for
instance, receive State Revolving Fund loans for
water quality management and source water
protection activities. States also receive federal
funds under Section 319 of the C lean Water Act
that they award to local governments, nonprofit
organizations, or tribes for implementation of
nonpoint source projects. For more information,
contact the agency in your state that is respon-
sible for natural resources management.
Other Funding Sources
Funding for wetland projects is by no means
limited to government funding. Many different
organizations and corporations support wetland
projects across the country. The sources can be
divided into the following categories:
• Philanthropic and community foundations
are legally required to give away at least
5 percent of their assets annually to qualify
for foundation status. Several foundation
directories are available over the Internet or
at your local library.
• Not-for-profit organizations sometimes
have programs to provide financial or in-
kind support for projects that help them to
fulfill their goals.
• Public/Private partnerships combine
public and private efforts to fund projects
or meet environmental goals.
• Corporations give funds through two
mechanisms—corporate foundations and
operating funds. Corporate foundations
operate in a manner similar to other
foundations and are frequently listed in
foundation directories. Corporate operating
funds are usually allocated through their
community relations office.
These are just a few of the many sources of
public and private funding for wetland protection
and restoration projects. To best protect and
manage wetland resources, states, tribes, and
local governments should look beyond
traditional sources of funding and use their
available resources to best leverage funds for
their wetland and watershed programs.
National Fish
and Wildlife
Foundation
The National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation is a
nonprofit charitable
organization dedicated to
the conservation and
management of fish,
wildlife, and plant
resources and the
habitats on which they
depend. The Foundation
administers several grant
programs that support
wetland protection
efforts, including National
Fish and Wildlife
Foundation Challenge
Grants, Migratory Bird
Conservancy Grants,
National Wildlife Refuge
Support Group Grant
Program, and USDA-NFEF
Partnership Challenge
Grants.
www.nfwf.org/programs.htm.
American Avocet
The Wetland Fact Sheet Series
Wetlands Overview
Types of Wetlands
Functions & Values of Wetlands
Threats to Wetlands
Wetland Restoration
Funding Wetland Projects
Wetland Monitoring & Assessment
Sustainable Communities
Volunteering for Wetlands
Teaching about Wetlands
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands.
On the Internet
USEPA's Wetland Program Development Grants www.epa.gov.owow/wetlands/2002grant
EPAs Catalog of Federal Funding for Watershed Protection www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/fund.htm
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov
A Guidebook of Financial Tools: Paying for Sustainable Environmental Systems www.epa.gov/efinpage/guidbk98/index.htm
The Chronicle of Philanthropy www.philanthropy.com
The Foundation Center http://fdncenter.org
National Network of Grantmakers www.nng.org
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant Programs www.nfwf.org/programs/programs.html
In Print and Related Fact Sheets
Private Landowner's Wetlands Assistance Guide: Voluntary Options for Wetlands Stewardship in Maryland. For a copy,
contact EPA Region 3 at (215) 566-2718.
The Oregon Wetlands Conservation Guide: Voluntary Wetlands Stewardship Options for Oregon's Private Landowners. For a
copy, contact the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Division, at (503) 292-9451.
Funding Wetland Projects: Wetland Program Development Grants Fact Sheet, EPA 843-F-01-0021.
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