Region 1 Fiscal Year 2025 Wetland Program Development Grants

The Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDG) offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 are intended to bolster the efforts of eligible entities in developing or refining their wetland programs. This funding opportunity aligns with the EPA’s overarching mission to improve the quality and increase the acreage of wetlands across the United States. Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance by supporting biodiversity, managing flood risks, filtering pollutants, and contributing to water quality. Through this grant, the EPA seeks to enhance the ability of state, Tribal, territorial, and local governments, as well as eligible agencies and entities, to implement sustainable wetland management and protection programs. This opportunity is specific to Region 1, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Tribal lands located within those states. The EPA anticipates awarding approximately $2,784,000 across 8 to 13 grantees, depending on the quality and scope of applications. Awards may span from one to five years in duration, and EPA reserves the right to fund portions of proposals or alter award distributions across its two designated tracks. Track One: WPP is targeted at states, Tribes, and territories that either have an EPA-approved Wetland Program Plan or intend to develop or update one. Track Two: Non-WPP is designed for local governments, interstate agencies, intertribal consortia, and state-affiliated universities undertaking eligible wetland program development or refinement tasks. Applicants must demonstrate that their project takes place within EPA Region 1 and must identify how their proposed work develops or refines a wetland program per the requirements of their designated track. All proposed activities must align with statutory authority under Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act, which restricts funding to projects involving research, studies, investigations, training, or demonstration efforts—not implementation tasks. The maximum request per application is capped at $350,000. A 25% cost share is required for most applicants, although Tribal applicants using Performance Partnership Grants (PPGs) are exempt from this requirement. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by April 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. Prior to submission, applicants must have active registrations in both SAM.gov and Grants.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Required application materials include standard federal forms (SF-424, SF-424A, EPA Forms 5700-54 and 4700-4), a project narrative, and optional attachments such as letters of commitment, resumes, or maps. The project narrative must cover project need, environmental benefits, specific tasks, budget details, a milestone schedule, and descriptions of outputs, outcomes, and partnerships. The total narrative should not exceed 26 double-spaced pages. Applications will be evaluated based on a comprehensive set of review criteria including project need and environmental benefit (20 points), clarity of project tasks (20 points), milestone scheduling and fund management (11 points), budget soundness (10 points), transfer of results (7 points), anticipated environmental results (10 points), applicant capability and staff experience (6 points), quality of partnerships (10 points), and past performance (6 points). Award announcements are expected in June 2026, and EPA may make additional awards within six months of initial selections if funding becomes available. Contact for questions regarding eligibility or technical details is Donna Smith-Williams at [email protected] or 617-918-1620.

Emphasize project need, environmental benefits, and alignment with Wetland Program Plan actions. High-scoring proposals demonstrate clarity, measurable outputs, strong partnerships, and effective transfer of results.