Regional Wetland Program Development Grants

To assist state, territory, tribal, and/or local government 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. Under the Regional Wetland Program Development Grant (WPDG) competition, EPA has identified the following four Core Elements for improving state/Tribe/territory/local governments' ability to protect, manage, 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 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) where potential applicants can find a list of actions and activities under each Core Element that will develop or refine a state, Tribal, territory, or local government’s wetlands program. EPA has identified two funding Tracks. Track One is for states, Tribes and territories 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, territories, 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 NOFO 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. 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.

The term "interstate agency" is defined in CWA Section 502 as "an agency of two or more States established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more States, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator." Intertribal consortia that meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504 are eligible for direct funding. Intertribal consortia projects must be broad in scope and encompass more than one state, Tribe, or local government. Universities that are agencies of a state government are eligible to receive funds through these competitions. Universities must include documentation showing that they are chartered as a part of a state government in their proposal. For-profit organizations are not eligible. Non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in prohibited lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Applicants need not be located within the boundaries of the EPA regional office to be eligible to apply for funding but must propose projects that affect the states, Tribes, territories and local governments within the Region.

State, territory, Tribal, and local governments involved in administering wetlands protection, restoration and/or management programs, or programs related to or that complement wetland protection programs.

Grant applications are reviewed by the appropriate EPA Regional Office and, if approved, the grant is awarded by the Regional Administrator. For the National Tribal competition grant applications are reviewed by EPA staff and, if approved, the grant is awarded by the Regional Administrator. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the NOFO. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements.

Grants are usually approved within 4 months of receipt of completed application.