State Natural Resources Grants

The Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Trails (ORPT) Program, formerly known as the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund (DTF), is a matching grant program assisting with public park land acquisition and outdoor recreation facility development in Delaware. Donor Name: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control State: Delaware County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant | Matching Grants Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Eligible Projects ORPT grant assistance is available for the following types of projects: Fee simple acquisition of parkland, open space, or conservation areas Purchase of development rights for public parkland, open space, or conservation areas Replacement of outdated and unsafe outdoor facilities Outdoor recreation facility engineering and design Outdoor recreation facility construction for example: Athletic fields and courts Playground equipment Swimming pools Picnic tables and pavilions Park maps for information boards or kiosks Park infrastructure such as entrance roads, parking, restrooms, and way finding Municipal or countywide park/open space comprehensive plans Universal accessibility upgrades to outdoor recreation facilities Professional services for park master planning Eligibility Criteria County and municipal governments and park districts may request and receive ORPT grant assistance. Projects sponsored by municipalities and counties may receive up to fifty percent (50%) in ORPT assistance of an approved project’s total costs; park districts, municipalities that have not received ORPT funds in the past, and projects located in or serving Census Tracts identified as highest vulnerability by the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI score range 0.75 – 1.00) are eligible to receive up to seventy-five percent (75%) in ORPT assistance of an approved project’s total costs. The Sponsor may obtain its share through partnerships with other governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and other non-traditional recreation providers. Partnerships with other agencies and organizations are encouraged however, only the municipalities and counties are eligible to apply for ORPT assistance. For more information, visit DNREC.

The FY25 LAND Grant Program, managed by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), offers financial assistance to Massachusetts municipal conservation and agriculture commissions. The program supports the acquisition of conservation land to enhance outdoor recreation, conserve natural resources, and address climate change impacts. Eligible projects include purchases of land or conservation restrictions, and all properties acquired under this program are required to be open to the public for passive recreation. Grant renwed every year

This program provides financial assistance to eligible governmental organizations, non-profits, and Indian Tribes in Arizona for repairing infrastructure damaged by wildfires or fire suppression activities since July 1, 2020, with a focus on those most significantly impacted and lacking other funding sources.

The FY25 Conservation Partnership Grant, overseen by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), supports qualified 501(c)(3) organizations and conservation districts in acquiring conservation or recreation land within Massachusetts. The grant encourages projects that conserve natural resources, offer recreational opportunities, and address climate resilience aligned with Executive Order 569. Funding is aimed at land purchases or conservation restrictions, with due diligence costs eligible for gifts of land. This reimbursement grant emphasizes protecting strategic open spaces that provide public access and maintain ecological value.

The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) offers Irrigation Modernization Funding to enhance water use efficiency in existing agricultural irrigation systems. This initiative focuses on improving the operational efficiency of irrigation methods and infrastructure on currently irrigated agricultural lands. Eligible projects include piping, lining, installing sprinkler or microirrigation systems, upgrading existing infrastructure such as flumes or pipes, and integrating technology like SCADA systems and irrigation scheduling software. Projects are required to meet public economic, environmental, and social/cultural benefits to be eligible for funding.

This funding opportunity supports landowners, watershed groups, and nonprofits in Montana to improve fish habitats and populations by restoring natural stream channels, enhancing fish passage, and protecting essential spawning areas.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks accepts applications twice annually from landowners, watershed groups, and other nonprofits for the Future Fisheries Improvement Program. This program aims to fund habitat projects that benefit Montana's wild fish, focusing on improving or maintaining fish passage, restoring or protecting natural stream channels, riparian areas, essential habitats for spawning, and enhancing stream flow. Applicants must demonstrate public benefits and alignment with specific goals to improve fishing and protect wild fish populations. Preference is given to projects restoring habitats for native fishes. Funding covers design/build, construction, and maintenance costs, excluding administration and other indirect costs. Grant renewed every year. Grant Annual Summer deadline: May 15th

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is currently accepting grant applications for the Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters Program. This initiative aims to support wildlife, shooting, fraternal, and nonprofit civil organizations in recruiting the next generation of hunters and shooters. Priority will be given to hunting events over shooting-only events. Eligible expenses for reimbursement include advertising and promotion, event insurance premiums, rental of specific equipment and facilities, hunting and safety equipment, nonmonetary landowner appreciation gifts, and costs related to ammunition, targets, clay throwers, etc. The program has previously funded various youth pheasant and waterfowl hunts, along with trap and shooting events such as archery and rifle shooting. A 25% in-kind match, which can include volunteer time valued at $28/hr or other expenses, is required for all events. Grant renewed every grant. Grant Annual deadline: May 1st.

The solicitation is to fund a project that will evaluate the feasibility of using existing underground gas storage facilities to store clean renewable hydrogen in California. Donor Name: California Energy Commission (CEC) State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/28/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: This project will develop technical and economic assessments of storing and retrieving hydrogen blends and/or pure hydrogen as well as California-specific decision-making tools, risk mitigation strategies, market and policy recommendations, and community engagement approaches related to those facilities. Project Focus  Research under this solicitation will support comprehensive technical and economic feasibility assessments of at least two existing underground gas storage facilities in California for their potential to store clean renewable hydrogen. The project is encouraged to assess a selection of geographically diverse sites (i.e., a Northern California site and Southern California site). The project must meet the following requirements: Engage with local communities and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) located around the selected sites for the study and assess the communities’ awareness of and support for underground hydrogen storage. Leverage feedback and learnings from this engagement to inform an experimental design responsive to community interests and concerns. Inform communities of project results and potential impacts of underground hydrogen storage. Study the characteristics of two selected sites representing existing underground gas storage facilities in California and conduct experiments to assess potential impacts of introducing hydrogen to the selected sites. Experiments should be inclusive of use cases involving storage as well as retrieval of hydrogen blends and sufficiently pure hydrogen for separation and end-use needs. Proposals for small-scale pilot testing or field experiments are eligible but must include a robust risk mitigation strategy. At a minimum, experiments should examine: Well integrity including the direct impacts to equipment and mechanical barriers from hydrogen exposure, and the impacts of subsurface environmental and microbial changes following hydrogen injection. Deliverability and reservoir dynamics such as permeability, viscosity, injection and withdrawal optimization, and potential hydrogen losses due to leakage, microbial activity, and time-dependent changes in the subsurface environment. Necessary mitigation measures (e.g., material selection, inspection tools, operational changes) to ensure safety and reliability. Conduct a quantitative risk assessment and techno-economic analysis for converting the selected underground gas storage facilities to store clean renewable hydrogen . This assessment will: Compare costs and risks of potential use cases, considering interactions with connected gas infrastructure (e.g., storage and delivery of hydrogen blends, storage of hydrogen blends with separation at the surface, storage and distribution of pure hydrogen). Estimate levelized cost of hydrogen storage, levelized total capital costs, and operations and maintenance costs for the selected sites, leveraging existing frameworks such as the Local-Scale Framework for Techno-Economic Analysis of Subsurface Hydrogen Storage,  considering California-specific characteristics. Develop recommendations for Gas IOUs, CBOs, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders to support decision making on next steps pertaining to the role of underground hydrogen storage in California, which may include additional R&D or demonstrations. Optional but desired project elements include: Compare the levelized cost of hydrogen storage and life-cycle emissions between underground hydrogen storage and alternative storage options like hydrogen carriers and conversion of hydrogen into synthetic methane. In addition to studying existing underground gas storage facilities, also examine potential of storing hydrogen in saline aquifers in preferable locations that allow for reuse of existing gas pipeline infrastructure. Funding Information There is up to $3,000,000 available for the grant awarded under this solicitation. The minimum funding amount for the project is $2,500,000. The maximum funding amount is $3,000,000. Grant Period November 1, 2024 – September 30, 2027. Eligibility Criteria  This solicitation is open to all public and private entities. Demonstration projects in this solicitation must be located in the service territory of a California gas Investor Owned Utility (Gas IOU), which includes Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company. All projects in this solicitation must benefit Gas IOU ratepayers. For more information, visit CEC.

The Multipurpose Drainage Management grant program provides financial assistance to model, design, and construct projects and practices that will control water volume and rates to protect infrastructure, improve water quality and related public benefits, and mitigate climate change impacts. Donor Name: Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources State: Minnesota County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/03/2024 Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 Million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Multipurpose Drainage Management RFP is now open, with $900,000 in funding available for FY 24. This competitive grant program funds multipurpose drainage management practices, targeting critical pollution source areas to reduce erosion and sedimentation, reduce peak flows and flooding, and improve water quality, while protecting drainage system efficiency and reducing drainage system maintenance for priority Chapter 103E drainage systems. Eligible Projects  Eligible activities can consist of structural practices and projects; non-structural practices and measures, project support, grant management and reporting. Technical and engineering assistance necessary to implement these activities are considered essential and are to be included in the total project or practice cost. Eligibility Criteria This grant program strongly encourages a Chapter 103E drainage authority (County, Joint County Board, or Watershed District) and Soil and Water Conservation District(s) to establish or define a partnership to apply for and use these grant funds. One SWCD or drainage authority partner is eligible to apply on behalf of a partnership, but must verify in the proposal that all the partner(s) are committed to the project. The following entities are eligible: Drainage authorities as defined by Minn. Stat. Chapter 103E Local governments (counties, watershed districts, watershed management organizations, and soil and water conservation districts or local government joint power boards) working under a current State approved and locally adopted local water management plan, comprehensive watershed management plan or soil and water conservation district comprehensive plan. Municipalities are eligible if they: 1) have a water plan that has been approved by a watershed district or a watershed management organization as provided under Minn. Stat. 103B.235; or 2) adopted an approved comprehensive watershed management plan developed under Minn. Stat. 103B.801 Counties in the seven-county metropolitan area are eligible if they have adopted a county groundwater plan under Minn Stat. 103B.255 or county comprehensive plan that has been approved by the Metropolitan Council under Minn. Stat. Chapter 473. For more information, visit BWSR.

This grant provides funding to municipalities for projects that promote waste reduction, recycling, and the safe collection of household hazardous waste to enhance environmental sustainability.

Coastal Resilience Grant (CRG) Program Guidelines A. Purpose The CRG funding opportunity supports projects that: Build capacity, Advance planning, and Develop designs to increase coastal resilience, including community and/or habitat resilience, in one or more of New Hampshire’s Coastal Zone communities. Coastal Zone communities include: Dover, Durham, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Madbury, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Rollinsford, Rye, Seabrook, and Stratham. B. Eligible Applicants and Project Categories Eligible Applicants: Coastal municipalities, Quasi-governmental organizations, Non-governmental organizations, Academic institutions, and State agencies. Preference given to lead applicant organizations with no prior CRG awards. Preferred Project Approaches: Minimize negative impacts to environmental resources. Focus on coalition-building, cultural heritage preservation, environmental justice, inclusive access, and protecting/restoring natural coastal resources. Collaboratively-develop goals, purpose, work plan, products, and outcomes. Achieve fair distribution of benefits and burdens, prioritizing those with the highest need. Eligible Project Categories: Building Capacity Projects: Increase community resilience through network building, knowledge enhancement, and resource access. Planning Projects: Develop strategic plans, assessments, or regulations to guide resilience efforts. Design Projects: Develop designs for site-specific resources/assets to increase resilience. C. Funding, Match Commitment, and Project Timeframe Funding: Total anticipated federal grant funding: ~$100,000. Request between $9,000 and $30,000 in federal grant funds per project. Federal funds cannot cover final engineering designs, permitting, construction costs, or equipment purchases exceeding $5,000. Match Commitment: Non-federal match commitment: 4:1 federal grant funds to non-federal match (cash or in-kind services). Justification for reduced or no match commitment may be provided. Project Timeframe: Duration: 12 to 18 months. Expected project start: November 2024 to January 2025. Expected project end: December 2025 to June 2026. For more details and to access the application, visit the NHDES Coastal Program website.

The State of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry announces the 2024 ATV Trail Maintenance Grant Program, designed to support ATV clubs in maintaining and improving ATV trails across the state. The grant offers a tiered funding system based on trail mileage, ranging from $7,000 for trails up to 10 miles, to $12,000 for trails over 70 miles. Eligible expenses include construction, maintenance, labor (up to $15 an hour if paid), and landowner relations efforts, with an additional $500 available for qualified landowner relations expenses. Clubs must be registered non-profit corporations in good standing and meet several requirements, including obtaining necessary permits and providing proof of landowner permission. Applications must be submitted by July 1, 2024, with grants payable on a reimbursement basis. Grant renewed every year.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is accepting applications for the 2024 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant round from March 12 to May 7, 2024. Approximately $1.9 million in RTP funding is available. The RTP, funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is a federal 80-20 matching reimbursement program aimed at building and rehabilitating trails and trail-related facilities across non-motorized, diversified, and motorized trail categories. In 2024, the program is open for applications for both new trail construction and improvements to existing trails, following a competitive application process overseen by the RTP and the Virginia Recreational Trails Program Advisory Committee. Eligible applicants include city, county, town, tribal, or other government entities, as well as registered nonprofit groups partnered with a government body.

The Maine Tourism Development & Management Grant is designed to foster tourism development, education, and management projects in Maine that aim to enhance collaboration among key destination organizations, create sustainable growth within the tourism sector, and provide qualified technical and consulting assistance. The grant supports projects that align with the Maine Office of Tourism's Destination Management Plan and prioritize sustainable and inclusive tourism. Applications are accepted annually, with grants ranging from $15,000 to $40,000. Eligible projects include tourism product development, stewardship planning, visitor education programs, strategic planning related to tourism, and the creation of educational or interpretive signage to improve the visitor experience. A 25% cash match is required to ensure regional and community support for the projects. Ineligible uses of funding include marketing campaigns, special events, for-profit organizations, administrative costs, and construction projects. The grant emphasizes the importance of advancing off-season tourism, promoting the value of tourism, and developing inclusive travel opportunities. Deadline – Letter of Intent – 2pm, April 19, 2024 Application Deadline: 2pm, May 24th, 2024

This funding is available to local governments and non-profit organizations for small-scale water, sewer, and flood control projects, with costs ranging from $30,000 to $500,000.

ADVS is the state agency responsible for the 600,000 service members, Veterans, and family members that call Arizona home. To that end, ADVS collaborates with public and private stakeholders to implement initiatives that positively influence the lives of Arizona’s military, Veteran, and family population.  ADVS is supporting the ongoing statewide collective impact efforts and implementation of three (3) Veteran initiatives focused on ending Veteran homelessness, assisting with Veteran employment barriers, and providing a pathway to providing Veterans with a higher level of care. ADVS is committed to the implementation of these Veteran Initiatives, which includes providing programs and services focusing on a community-based Veteran Homeless Action Plan to meet the needs of Veterans and their families through outreach, housing services, employment barriers, connection to VA community resources, and facilitating Veterans transition into a higher level of care.   AZ Action Plan to End Homeless Veterans Introduction: ADVS provides critical, statewide coordination and technical assistance to services and organizations serving Veterans. This includes activities such as the Arizona Veteran StandDowns, outreach events that support homeless and at-risk military Veterans in Coconino, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai and Yuma Counties. This solicitation looks to expand the reach and capacity of Arizona Department of Veterans' Services to serve Arizona Veterans. AZHC is a statewide organization and have served Veterans and their families for many years. Project Objectives: Host the Maricopa County StandDown, the largest serving StandDown in the nation. The event serves over 2,000 homeless and at-risk Veterans each year.  Provide leadership, coordination, technical assistance, and bridge funding  throughout the year. Foster collaborations with new partners to serve  Veterans in need. Seek to prioritize the Maricopa County StandDown efforts towards  Veterans who  are street-living homeless without jeopardizing the accuracy of the      data of  Veterans' housing status. Provide financial assistance to Veterans in need in the form of bridge housing or mitigation assistance throughout the year in Maricopa County. Provide financial and technical assistance to the 11 StandDowns throughout the state. Collect accurate information of how many Veterans are experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Outreach to other communities currently hosting or considering hosting   StandDown or at-risk Veteran resource events. Develop relationships and provide assistance to foster future collaborations under the Arizona Veteran StandDown Alliance. Provide After-Action reports for each event, shared with the Arizona Department  of Veterans' Services, and accessible to the community on our website. Veteran Toolkit  Introduction: ADVS with the help of the Arizona Coalition for Military Families has launched the  roadmap to Veterans Employment. This strategy outlines various initiatives to assist Veterans with obtaining employment. As often is the case, the veteran has been unemployed or under employed, and may not have the funds to buy the required protective  equipment, tools, or supplies needed for work. Project Objectives: The purpose of this section is to outline the scope of work of the grantee and   deliverables due to ADVS. Grantee will receive referrals from employment service providers (DVOP, LVER, Community workforce development services etc.) and provide identified          veteran recipients with an intervention that enables gainful employment. Grantee will ensure that the intervention occurs within 48 hours of a regular workweek. All monetary interventions must be receipted and submitted monthly for ADVS reporting. Financial assistance may not be given directly to the veteran; equipment, tools, and supplies must be acquired for them. Veteran must sign and acknowledge they have received assistance, to include any items purchased for obtaining gainful employment. Hero’s Pathway to Hope The Arizona Department of Veterans' Services (ADVS) is the State agency responsible for the 600,000-service member, veterans and family members that call Arizona home. The ADVS mission is to be the catalyst in response to the evolving needs if Arizona’s veterans and their families. To that end, ADVS partners with public and private stakeholders and community partners to implement initiative that positively impact the lives of Arizona's military, veteran and family population. The State of Arizona is seeing increasingly high numbers of homeless veterans who cannot be housed due to a combination of financial difficulties and high acuity needs. Project Objectives: Lead a multi-agency team of public and private partners to ensure programmatic goals are met tee will be responsible for facilitating communication through email and virtual  meetings throughout the duration of the Pilot. Grantee will give a complete overview of Pilot during the briefing process where the Veteran will sign and Inter-Agency ROI, Acknowledgment of Program      Guidelines and data collection. During briefing process Grantee will provide clear and concise information that the Veteran in entering into a voluntary Pilot Program, which includes the possibility of denial of applications and termination of funding within the three (3) month bridge of placement. Collect pilot data to inform program needs beyond the pilot. Provide Promise to Pay letter to be sent to Placement Facility, Veteran and assigned VA Social Worker. Notice of Funds ending letter will be sent to Facility and Partnering Agencies; notifying Facility of thirty (30) day end of funds date. Grantee will provide a report of monthly expenses for each Veteran participating in the Pilot and a report of data findings within ninety (90) days of conclusion of the  Pilot. Financial Notes: The State of Arizona is seeing increasingly high numbers of homeless veterans who cannot be housed due to a combination of financial difficulties and high acuity needs. Provide financial assistance to Veterans in need in the form of bridge housing or mitigation assistance throughout the year in Maricopa County. Provide financial and technical assistance to the 11 StandDowns throughout the state. Collect accurate information on how many Veterans are experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Advocate for additional financial resources at the federal, state, and local levels to support housing and homelessness services, including advocating for the restoration of the state housing trust fund. Financial assistance may not be given directly to the veteran; equipment, tools, and supplies must be acquired for them.

This program provides funding to county conservation boards in Iowa to improve and enhance fish habitats in local water bodies, promoting better fishing opportunities and water quality.

PLEASE READ: This program is NOT for flooding damage. This program is only available for infrastructure that was damaged from fires or fire suppression activities that occurred on or after July 1, 2020. For questions regarding post-wildfire flooding damage, please contact your local County Emergency Management office. PLEASE READ: Private landowners are only eligible to receive financial assistance if they work through an eligible applicant: Eligible applicants include Governmental organizations (including state, county, and local), 501(c) non-profit organizations, and Indian Tribes. The State of Arizona through the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) invites proposals from Arizona public and private landowners for emergency repairs for infrastructure damaged by fires or fire suppression activities occurring July 1, 2020 and after. The Post-Wildfire Infrastructure Assistance Program goal is to assist in infrastructure repairs to physical systems, operational structures and facilities needed for the use of urban, rural, agricultural, cultural and natural resources.  Financial Notes: The Arizona Post-Wildfire Infrastructure Assistance Program has allocated $10,000,000 to support infrastructure recovery efforts to mitigate the impact of Arizona wildfires.  Awards will be limited to those applicants most significantly impacted, on a first-come-first-served basis, and DFFM shall prioritize distributions of financial assistance to private landowners. Applicants will be those whose needs were not met by other funding sources (insurance, federal agencies, etc.) and only after all other sources of payment, including any insurance and other reimbursements, have been deducted or the landowner provides information to DFFM that the landowner does not qualify for other reimbursement.  Awards will be limited to a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $500,000 per award. Some projects may be offered only partial funding depending on the severity of demonstrated need and funding availability at the time of the request. 

This program provides funding to public school districts and area career and technical schools for necessary improvements to their facilities.