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 ------- |