Region 9 Fiscal Year 2025 Wetland Program Development Grants

The Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDG) offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 are designed to support the enhancement and development of wetland protection and management programs at the state, Tribal, U.S. territory, and local government levels. This grant initiative is rooted in the broader goals of the EPA’s wetland program, which seeks to increase both the quantity and quality of wetlands throughout the United States. Through this program, EPA encourages the implementation of strategies aligned with the Core Elements Framework (CEF) and the development of Wetland Program Plans (WPPs), fostering the creation and refinement of comprehensive and effective wetland programs. The FY25 WPDG provides an anticipated total funding pool of approximately $3.456 million, with up to 10 awards expected. Awards will be distributed via grants or cooperative agreements and may span a performance period of up to five years. Funding will be divided between two tracks: approximately $2,073,600 for Track One (WPP) applicants—state, Tribal, and U.S. territory governments—and approximately $1,382,400 for Track Two (Non-WPP) applicants, including local governments, interstate agencies, intertribal consortia, and qualifying higher education institutions. Each applicant may request up to $500,000, and a minimum 25% cost share is required, except in cases where exemptions apply (e.g., qualifying Insular Area projects or Tribal awards included in Performance Partnership Grants). Eligible entities must propose projects taking place within EPA Region 9, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Projects must focus on developing or refining wetland programs, not on implementation, and may involve research, investigations, training, demonstrations, or studies. There are two tracks available depending on the applicant's status and existing program plans. Track One applicants must either be implementing or updating an EPA-approved Wetland Program Plan. Track Two applicants should base their proposals on actions listed in Appendix A or EPA-approved WPPs. The application package must include several required documents: the federal SF-424 form, SF-424A budget, EPA Forms 5700-54 and 4700-4, and a comprehensive Project Narrative (no more than 26 double-spaced pages). The narrative must include details such as project need, environmental benefits, tasks, milestones, budget, outputs, outcomes, and transfer of results. Applicants should describe their partnerships, technical capability, prior performance, and how the project supports national EPA goals, particularly those under the Administrator’s Five Pillars. Optional supporting materials like letters of commitment, resumes, and budget justifications may also be submitted. Applications are due by April 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (8:59 p.m. PT). Questions may be submitted through April 3, 2026. Selections are expected to be announced in June 2026, with awards issued by September 2026. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov, and applicants are strongly advised to ensure their SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations are current. If technical issues arise during submission, applicants must document the error and email a full application PDF to the designated EPA contact prior to the deadline. Evaluation of applications will be based on nine detailed criteria, including the clarity of project tasks, budget adequacy, partnerships, environmental outcomes, and transferability of results. Projects that align with EPA’s emphasis on developing long-term wetland program plans and that demonstrate regional benefit and strong technical planning are more likely to be funded. While the EPA reserves the right to alter the number and distribution of awards, it aims to ensure geographic and project-type diversity across Region 9. Selected recipients will be held to standard federal grant compliance regulations and are expected to report on both financial and performance metrics throughout the project period.

Highlight Core Elements Framework alignment; demonstrate environmental benefit and transferability; submit clear milestone schedule and budget narrative