National Wetland Program Development Grants and Five-Star Restoration Training Grant
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
To assist state, Tribal, territory and/or local government agencies in building programs which protect, manage, and restore wetlands. The primary focus of the grants is to build state, Tribal, and territory wetland programs. A secondary focus is to build local (e.g. county or municipal) programs. For the National WPDGs: EPA has identified the following national priorities - National Priority Area 1: Core Elements Framework. National Priority Area 1 is based on the four core elements of a Comprehensive state/Tribal/territory Wetland Program: 1) Monitoring and Assessment; 2) Voluntary Wetland Restoration and Protection; 3) Regulatory Approaches Including CWA 401 Certification; and 4) Wetland-Specific Water Quality Standards. Further explanation of all of the elements can be found at the following website address: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants. The Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDG) program strives to develop or refine state/Tribal/territory/local government programs that will incorporate each of these elements. For the Five-Star Restoration Training Grants, EPA funds an intermediary organization to provide subawards to eligible subawardees to bring together citizen groups, corporations, youth conservation corps, students, landowners, and government agencies to undertake projects that achieve environmental training through voluntary, community/watershed-based wetland restoration projects.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Interstate Organization
- Other
Non-profit, non-governmental organizations, Interstate agencies, and Intertribal consortia which are capable of undertaking activities that advance wetland programs on a national basis are eligible to compete in this program. 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 must meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504.
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.
Beneficiaries
- U.S. State Government
- Interstate Organization
- Federally Recognized Tribal Government
- U.S. Territory Government
- Municipality/Township Government
- County Government
- Local Government Consortium
- Local
- Other
Public nonprofit institution/organization, Private nonprofit institution/organization, Native American Organizations
State, Territory, Tribal, and local governments involved in administering wetlands protection, restoration, and/or management programs or programs related to or complement wetlands protection programs.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
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.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 120 to 180 days
Grants are usually approved within 4 months of receipt of completed application.
Program details & compliance
Description
To assist state, Tribal, territory and local government agencies in building programs which protect, manage, and restore wetlands. The primary focus of the grants is to build state, Tribal and territory wetland programs. A secondary focus is to build local (e.g. county or municipal) programs.
Mission Categories
Primary: Water Pollution Control
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
The National WPDGs are intended to encourage comprehensive, national wetland program development by promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Projects build the capacity of states, Tribes, territory and local governments programs to effectively protect wetland and riparian resources. Activities must help states, Tribes, territories and local governments develop and refine wetland programs. Projects funded under this program support the initial development of a national wetland protection, restoration or management program, or support enhancement/refinement of an existing national program. Projects must be broad in scope and include more than one EPA Region or be national in scope and cannot be limited to activities that affect such entities in only one EPA Region. For example, projects and tasks can involve advancing science or collecting and making available through publications and other appropriate means, such as training on information about how various wetland programs across the nation protect, manage, and restore their wetland resources and about initiatives to improve state, Tribal, territory and local government wetland programs. EPA's Five Star Restoration Training Grant is anticipated to fund one cooperative agreement to an organization to manage the Five Star Restoration Training Grant subaward process that will award subgrants to achieve environmental training through voluntary, community/watershed-based wetland restoration projects. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA. Projects that are local or encompass only one EPA Region in scope are not eligible for funding under this program but may be eligible for funding under EPA's Regional Wetland Program Development Grants program (Assistance Listing 66.461). Funds cannot be used for the purchase of land or conservation easements. Projects funded under the subgrant process must be limited to activities that conduct or promote the coordination and acceleration of training relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Other activities under section 104(b)(3) will not be considered for funding. Funds cannot be used for implementation of individual mitigation projects, mitigation banks, or in-lieu-fee mitigation programs. Wetland restoration training projects cannot include wetlands constructed for the purposes of treating wastewater or stormwater only. This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement (“discretion”), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.
Required Documentation
Non-profit applicants may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the definition of a non-profit organization. Interstate organizations may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority, which establishes their status. Intertribal consortia may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504.
Matching Requirements
The applicant must provide a minimum of 25 percent of the total cost of the project to the extent allowed by 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable, 40 CFR 35.385, and 35.615. To determine if the minimum match is met, EPA will use the following formula: amount (in dollars) of federal funds requested from EPA divided by 3 = minimum match (in dollars) or Total project amount (in dollars) divided by 4 = minimum match (in dollars). For example, if the applicant requests $75,000 of federal funds or has a total project cost of $100,000 for a three-year project period, it must be able to provide $25,000 in matching funds or services. Applicants can provide a larger share of the project's cost whenever possible (i.e., in excess of the required 25 percent of total project costs). Award recipients can meet the match requirements with in-kind or monetary contributions from entities other than themselves. However, other Federal money cannot be used as the match for this grant program unless authorized by the statute governing the award of the other Federal funds. Matching funds are considered grant funds. They must be used for the reasonable and necessary expenses of carrying out the assistance agreement workplan. Any restrictions on the use of grant funds (i.e., prohibition of land acquisition with grant funds) also apply to the matching funds.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements