Securing funding to build and sustain a wetland program can be a major challenge. Tribal wetland programs may have to pay for personnel, monitoring supplies, laboratory analyses, travel, contractual work, data management, mapping, website maintenance, outreach & education, training, permitting (e.g., site visits, applications), vehicles for field work, overhead expenses, grant administration, and other costs. Funding for tribal wetland programs is often a combination of Tribal and Federal sources. The following sections provide resources on applying for EPA Wetland Program Development Grants and other potential funding sources for tribal wetland programs.
EPA Wetland Program Development Grants
Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) assist tribal, state, territorial, and local government agencies, as well as intertribal and interstate entities, in developing or refining programs that protect, manage, and restore wetlands. WPDGs are EPA's primary source of financial support for tribal (and state) wetland programs and are competitive grants for projects that can last between two and four years. EPA Regions issue regional Requests for Applications (RFAs) every two years, typically in the spring of odd numbered years. EPA Headquarters issues a tribal-only RFA in alternating years (i.e., in even numbered years). Tribes can apply for both the Regional RFA and the Headquarters tribal-only RFA. WPDG RFAs include two tracks:
- Track One is for Tribes, states, and local governments that have or are developing/refining a Wetlands Program Plan
- Track Two is open to intertribal consortia and states, as well as local governments, interstate agencies, and eligible colleges and universities that are agencies of a state government.
WPDGs are meant to develop the capacity of tribal governments to increase the quantity and quality of wetlands. These grants cannot be used for implementation activities, which would include ongoing, routine activities. In order to be eligible for a WPDG, the proposal needs to demonstrate a linkage with the Core Elements Framework.
NAWM Resources:
Fact Sheet on Wetland Program Development Grants
Wetland Program Development Grant Application Checklist
Webinar Recording: A Path to Successful EPA Grant Applications for Your Tribal Wetland Program, December 8, 2022
Other Useful Resources on WPDGs:
EPA’s webpages on Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) and Wetland Program Development Grants Case Studies
PowerPoint Slides from EPA on Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) – Overview and Tricks and Tips
EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment provides information and training programs on putting grant applications, developing budgets and work plans, and other relevant topics, and includes the following resources:
- EPA training modules on grants management
- Information on past and upcoming EPA Grants webinars
The PNW Tribal Wetland Working Group (TWIG) held training sessions on developing competitive WPDGs. The trainings were recorded and can be viewed here:
- Part 1 (introductions; grant application elements and examples)
- Part 2 (grant budgets, applications, and management; Q&A)
Other Potential Funding Sources
Tribal wetland managers often draw on a number of funding sources to build and maintain their wetland programs and have to “think outside the box” when looking for funding opportunities. This Fact Sheet on Wetland Program Funding Options provides an overview of potential funding sources for wetland programs. This EPA webpage includes potential funding sources from EPA and other federal agencies.
Additional places to look for potential wetland program funding include:
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience: Annual Awards Program
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Funding webpage
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NWFW): Apply for a Grant webpage
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Getting Assistance webpage
- Tribal Climate Change Funding Guide, which is part of the Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Project from the University of Oregon
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS): Financial Assistance webpage
NAWM webpage on Sustainable Financing for States and Tribes
Webinar Recordings about Wetland Program Funding:
- Funding Tribal Water Programs, November 4, 2021
- Creative Approaches to Funding Wetland Programs and Inventories, June 15, 2022