The Tribal Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) assist tribal governments and intertribal consortia to develop or refine tribal programs which protect, manage, and restore wetlands. The primary focus of these grants is to develop/refine tribal wetland programs.
Donor Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/07/2022
Size of the Grant: $3,600,000
Details:
The goals of EPA’s wetland program include increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands in the U.S. by conserving and restoring wetland acreage and improving wetland condition. In pursuing these goals, EPA seeks to develop the capacity of all levels of government to develop and refine effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.
Tribal Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) provide tribes and intertribal consortia (hereafter referred to as “applicants”, “successful applicants” or “recipients”) an opportunity to develop and refin comprehensive tribal wetland programs. These programs are meant to:
- Develop the capacity of tribal governments to increase the quantity and quality of wetlands in the U.S. by conserving and restoring wetland acreage and improving wetland condition.
- Use one or more of the following “Core Elements” in order to achieve this goal.
Core Elements
With the work of many states and tribes, EPA has identified a set of core elements, actions, and example/suggested activities that together support a comprehensive wetland program. EPA has summarized these common core elements, actions, and activities in the Core Elements of an Effective State and Tribal Wetland Program Framework, also called the Core Elements Framework (CEF). The CEF describes in greater detail each of the four core elements that support an effective state/tribal wetland program. These four core elements are:
- Monitoring and assessment.
- Voluntary restoration and protection.
- Regulatory approaches, including Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 certification.
- Wetland-specific water quality standards.
The list of activities in the CEF is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all activities that can be carried out to develop a wetland program.
Funding Information
EPA anticipates approximately $3,600,000 in federal funding to be available for assistance agreements under this announcement to fund approximately 10 to 25 awards depending on funding availability and other applicable considerations
Eligibility Criteria
Tribal governments and intertribal consortia are eligible to apply for WPDGs under this announcement. Tribes must be federally-recognized, although “Treatment in a manner similar to a state” status in accordance with CWA Section 518(e) is not required. As explained in Section I, there will be two separate application tracks with tribal governments eligible to apply in Track One: WPP Applications or Track Two: Non-WPP Applications, and intertribal consortia eligible to only apply in Track Two: NonWPP Applications.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.