United Slates
              Environmental Protection
              Agency
Office of Water (WH-556F),
Office of Wetlands, Oceans.
and Watersheds (A-104 F)
EPA843-F-93-001v
March 1993
wEPA   WETLANDS FACT SHEET #22
              State  Wetlands Grants  Program
          Background

      States have been interested and involved
in wetlands protection for a long time. How-
ever, in many cases their efforts have been ham-
pered by the  lack of funds to support State
wetlands protection programs.

      In FY90 Congress first appropriated
funds for a grant program to support State wet-
lands protection efforts. This grant program
has provided an important opportunity for the
States to improve their wetland protection ef-
forts.

       Current Program

      These grant funds can be used to de-
velop State wetland protection programs that
enhance existing programs or develop new pro-
grams.  However, grant funds cannot be used
for operational support of State wetland protec-
tion programs. Lack of funds to support opera-
tion of State wetlands programs will continue to
be a serious impediment to State involvement in
wetlands protection.

      The State Wetlands Protection Develop-
ment Grant Program was initiated in FY90 with
$1 million appropriated to support the grant
program. In FY93 $10 million was appropriated
by Congress to support the grant program. State
interest in the grant program continues to grow.
States usually request more than double the
amount of grant funds available each year.
During FY92, EPA received approximately 160
applications from 43 States, 29 Tribes  and two
Territories, and awarded 80 grants to 41 States,
9 Tribes and one Territory (see chart).
         During the first three years of the grant
   program,«EPA has awarded a total of $14.5
   million in grant funds to 48 States, 15 Tribes,
   and pnf .Territory.
           FT 90
                                    Applications
                                  Grants Awarded
                  FY'91
                          Ft  92
               Examples
   Currently, the grant program is supporting:
         • Section 404 assumption efforts in
   Florida, Louisiana, and North Dakota;
         • development of State Wetland Con-
   servation Plans for the Tribal lands of the Red
   Lake Band of Chippewa Tribe and in New York,
   Ohio, Delaware, New Jersey, Michigan, North
   Dakota, Montana, and other States;
         • Watershed Protection Approach Dem-
   onstration Projects in Michigan (Grand Traverse
   Bay), Delaware (Nanticoke River), and Oregon
   (Willamette Valley);
         • development of wetland water qual-
   ity standards in Washington, Massachusetts,
   Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio and other
   States;
         • incorporation of wetlands into Sec-
   tion 401 Water Quality Certification programs
   in Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ne-
   braska, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Minnesota,
   South Carolina and other States.
 For More Information: Contact the EPA Wetlands Hotline* at 1-800-
 832-7828 for copies of "Catalog of State Wetlands Protection Develop-
 ment Grants,* available for Fiscal Years 1990,1991,1992,
                               Yellow Perch
                                                           1 Printed on Recycled Paper

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