FY 2025 Region 4 Wetlands Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 is offering the Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) to support the development and enhancement of wetland programs by state, Tribal, territorial, local government agencies, and interstate or intertribal entities within EPA Region 4. The overarching goal of this program is to increase both the quantity and quality of wetlands in the United States through effective conservation, restoration, and management strategies. These grants aim to build the capacity of eligible governmental entities to develop or refine comprehensive wetland protection and management programs aligned with the EPA’s Core Elements Framework and Wetland Program Plans (WPPs). The Region 4 Wetland Program Development Grant initiative distinguishes itself with a two-track structure. Track One is intended for state, Tribal, and territorial governments developing or updating EPA-approved Wetland Program Plans or implementing grant-eligible actions from such plans. Track Two is tailored for local governments, interstate agencies, intertribal consortia, and state-affiliated institutions of higher education. These applicants must implement one or more actions listed in the EPA's Program Development and Refinement Actions appendix or contribute to an existing EPA-approved WPP of a state, Tribe, or territory. Under both tracks, demonstration projects are only eligible if they involve innovative, experimental technologies or methods that generate transferrable knowledge and meet strict eligibility requirements. Funding under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is provided through Assistance Listing 66.461 and is supported by the Clean Water Act Section 104(b)(3). The EPA expects to award approximately 8 to 10 grants with a total program funding of $3,946,000. Each award may range from $200,000 to $600,000 depending on the quality of applications, agency priorities, and availability of appropriated funds. Projects may span one to four years, with a maximum project period of five years. A minimum 25 percent cost share is required unless the applicant is a Tribe using a Performance Partnership Grant, in which case the cost share is waived. Applications exceeding the $600,000 cap or failing to demonstrate the match requirement may be deemed ineligible. Eligible applicants must propose activities occurring within the geographical bounds of EPA Region 4, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and associated Tribal lands. Proposed projects must focus on program development or refinement, not implementation, and may include tasks such as wetland mapping, water quality assessments, education and outreach, regulatory development, and creation of management tools. Implementation-only efforts, such as routine wetland restoration or permit compliance work, are not eligible. The EPA encourages partnerships and the dissemination of project results to broaden the impact of funded work. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov by April 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. A pre-submission Q&A period is available until April 1, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to attend a pre-budget webinar on March 17, 2026, by contacting Rosemary Calli no later than March 12, 2026. Required application components include federal forms (SF-424, SF-424A), a project narrative, detailed budget, EPA Key Contacts Form, and optional supporting documents like letters of commitment or resumes. The narrative, limited to 26 double-spaced pages, must follow EPA’s format and address threshold eligibility criteria and selection factors such as environmental benefit, project need, outputs and outcomes, partnerships, and transfer of results. EPA’s evaluation process consists of an initial responsiveness review followed by a panel scoring eligible applications based on defined criteria. The Region 4 Water Division Director serves as the selection official and may consider additional factors like geographic distribution and project diversity. Selected applicants will be notified by June 2026, with awards anticipated in September 2026. The award process may take up to 90 days, and recipients must comply with post-award administrative, reporting, and transparency requirements including performance and financial reporting, subaward disclosure, and adherence to EPA’s Quality Assurance/Quality Control and geospatial data standards.

Emphasize project need and environmental benefits; clearly define outputs/outcomes; ensure results transfer; align with EPA Wetland Program Plans; avoid ineligible tasks.