4»EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Office of Wetlands,
Oceans and Watersheds (4502T)
EPA843-F-01-002I
March 2002
Funding Wetland Project
Developing Wetland Monitoring Programs and Improving
Compensatory Mitigation
Wetlands are an essential part of our landscape. They provide numerous benefits
that include rich floral and faunal habitat, improved water quality, flood
abatement, water storage and groundwater recharge, support of fisheries, and
opportunities for education and recreation. Given these benefits, many
communities are exploring how to best protect their existing wetland resources
and restore the thousands of acres that have been lost or impaired.
In addition to its federal regulatory role in protecting wetlands, EPA works with
partners to develop state, tribal, and local wetland protection and restoration
programs. Initiated in 1990, EPA's Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDG)
provide $15 million annually to state, tribal, and local governments. EPA
funds more than 100 innovative wetland program projects every year.
Eligible
Applicants
States, tribes, and local
governments, and
national non-profit,
non-governmental
organizations.
Eligible Projects
Development and
enhancement of new or
existing wetland
protection,
management, and
restoration programs.
Restrictions
1. Grant funds cannot
be used for operational
support of wetlands
programs.
2. To use WPDG dollars
for field work, the
application must
illustrate a clear,
demonstrable link to
program development.
3. Grant dollars cannot
be used to fund land
acquisition or purchase
of easements, but can
support planning
efforts to identify areas
for acquisition.
Web Site
www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands
FY2002 Funding Priorities
Although WPDGs can be used by state, tribal, and local governments to build and refine all
elements of a comprehensive wetland program, the national wetland program identifies program
priorities every fiscal year. For FY02, the three priorities are:
1. Developing a comprehensive monitoring and assessment program.
2. Improving the effectiveness of compensatory mitigation.
3. Refining the protection of vulnerable wetlands and aquatic resources.
Hence, funding priority will be given to projects that address these three areas.
Sample proposals for wetland monitoring and assessment:
1. Identify state's or tribe's training needs for developing a wetland monitoring program and
conducting training such as:
a. Introduction to wetlands biological monitoring and assessment and to the
hydrogeomorphic approach.
b. Wetland inventory and GIS.
c. Developing assemblages: attributes, variables and field indicators, field sampling,
field data acquisition.
2. Establish a state/tribal interagency workgroup to develop a wetland monitoring program
and participate in or lead a regional wetland monitoring workgroup.
3. Conduct preliminary field work to:
a. Fine-tune methods and protocols for setting priorities and approaches for monitoring
wetlands, e.g., by wetland type, degree of threat, or rotating basin.
b. Develop protocols for monitoring programs, e.g.,
sampling protocol, monitoring method, data management.
(See Restriction 2 at left)
4. Implement a wetland monitoring strategy and report
wetland quality data in the 305 (b) report. % ^
(See Restriction 1 at left) *»
-------
Sample proposals for compensatory mitigation:
1. Develop or improve success criteria for monitoring compensatory
mitigation projects.
2. Develop or enhance compensatory mitigation tracking data bases.
3. Identify reference wetlands for compensatory mitigation monitoring.
4. Perform landscape-level evaluations to identify and inventory the
most appropriate locations for compensatory mitigation projects.
5. Perform cumulative impact assessments to identify opportunities to
use compensatory mitigation projects to help offset past losses of
particular wetland types.
Sample proposals for vulnerable wetlands and aquatic
resources:
1. Develop or strengthen a comprehensive state wetland statute with
protection for waters unregulated by federal law.
2. Amend state water quality regulation to better protect wetlands.
3. Develop or augment conservation easement and land acquisition
programs. (See Restriction 3)
4. Develop an education and outreach project to increase voluntary actions
that protect these aquatic resources.
5. Enhance mapping of isolated wetlands and aquatic resources.
Wetland Program Development Grants
can be used for a variety of projects,
including monitoring and assessment.
The Wetland Fact Sheet Se
Wetlands Overview
Types of Wetlands
Funding Wetland Projects
Wetland Monitoring & Assessment
Functions & Values of Wetlands Sustainable Communities
Threats to Wetlands
Wetland Restoration
Volunteering for Wetlands
Teaching about Wetlands
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands.
Contact your regional grant coordinator for more information.
Region 1 - CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Bob Goetzel
(617)918-1671 • goetzel.robert@epa.gov
Kegion £ — 1\J, 1\ I, ruerto Jvico, Virgin Islands
John Cantilli
(212)637-3810 • cantillli.john@epa.gov
Regi0n 3 - DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
Alva Brunner
(215)814-2715 • brunner.alva@epa.gov
Regi0n 4 - AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
Sharon Ward
(404)562-9269 • ward.sharon@epa.gov
Region 5 - IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
Cathy Garra
(312)886-0241 • garra.catherine@epa.gov
Region 6 - AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Sondra McDonald
(214)665-7187 • donald.sondra@epa.gov
Region 7 - IA, KS, MO, NE
Raju Kakarlapudi
(913)551-7320 • kakarlapudi.raju@epa.gov
Region 8 - CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
Brent Truskowski
(303)312-6235 • truskowski.brent@epa.gov
Region c/ — A^, CA, 111, iV V, American Oamoa, (jruam
Cheryl McGovern
(415)744-2013 • cgovern.cheryl@epa.gov
Region 10- AK, ID, OR, WA
Dave Kulman
(206)553-6219 • kulman.david@epa.gov
------- |