National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants

Grant priorities include projects that:

• support the goals of the National Wetlands Priority Conservation Plan
• provide long-term conservation
• conserve maritime forest on coastal barrier islands
• benefit threatened and endangered species
• encourage public-private partnerships
• complement other conservation projects.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.

All projects must ensure long‐term conservation (at least 20 years) of coastal wetland resources. Eligible applicants include States adjacent to the Great Lakes, among others. Tribes, local governments, conservation organizations, and private landowners are encouraged to work with state agencies to develop a project and submit an application.

For more information about the eligibility requirements for this funding opportunity, please contact the program officers using the “Contact Information” section below.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s matching requirements.

States provide 50% of the project cost or 25% if the state has a land conservation program. Match can be provided by the state or partners and may include the value of previously conserved land and in-kind contributions.

For more information about matching requirements, please reference the Notice of Funding Opportunity here.

Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.

The NCWCG Program provides eligible State agencies with grants for projects that protect and restore valuable coastal wetland resources. Eligible costs include:

• Acquisition of a real property interest (e.g., conservation easement or fee title) in coastal lands or waters (coastal wetlands ecosystems) from willing sellers or partners for long‐term conservation
• Restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands ecosystems
• A combination of acquisition, restoration, enhancement, and management.

Ineligible Costs include:

• Projects that are not eligible for NCWCG Program funding include:1. Projects to create wetlands where wetlands did not previously exist are ineligible
• Projects to acquire and/or restore upper portions of watersheds where benefits to the coastal wetlands ecosystem are not significant and direct.

For more information on eligible and ineligible costs, please click here.

Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s project timeline.

The period of performance for this funding opportunity appears to be flexible but typically within 12 months.

Please click the Notice of Funding Opportunity here for details, and reference the “Contact Information” section below to get in touch with program officers.

Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.

Grant application packages must be submitted in GrantSolutions.gov or Grants.gov no later than Friday, July 18, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The grant opportunity can be found here.

Tribes, local governments, conservation organizations, and private landowners are encouraged to work with state agencies to develop a project and submit an application.

We strongly encourage you to email a draft of your application to your WSFR Regional Office and/or Coastal Program contact (see “Contact Information” section below) at least four weeks prior to the due date (i.e., by May 24, 2024) for pre-deadline review.

For technical questions regarding the grant application, please contact:
Nick Popoff

Midwest Region 3 (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin) may contact the regional grant contacts by completing the online messaging forms linked below for:
Mandy Kamps, USWS Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Office of Conservation Investment

Jessico Collier, USWS Great Lakes Coastal Restoration and Partnerships Coordinator, Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office Coastal Program
Phone: (920) 866-1728

Elizabeth Berg, USWS Coastal Program Biologist, Midwest Region Headquarters Ecological Services Coastal Program
Phone: (612) 713-5138

Christie Deloria-Sheffield, USWS Great Lakes Coastal Program Coordinator, Midwest Region Headquarters Coastal Program