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Funding your wetland protection
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Finding a grant or other funding source for your wetland project is a treasure hunt. Just like a treasure hunt, it can be fun and exciting. Here are some ideas for federal funding sources for community wetlands protection and restoration projects.
Land and Water Conservation Fund: In 1964, Congress established the Land and Water Conservation Fund (Public Law 88-578) to provide money for the acquisition of public lands to meet the needs outdoor recreation and open space. Each year $900 million is deposited in the fund, primarily from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas leasing. The LWCF Act directed Congress to allocate the money, through the annual appropriation process, for the purchase of land, waters and wetlands in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other resource lands and to provide matching grant assistance for state and community open space and recreation projects. Each year a list of priority projects is forwarded to Congress for funding. Priority lists originate in each state and are consolidated by both Audubon and the Wilderness Society in Washington, D.C.
North American Waterfowl Management Plan Joint Venture Projects (NAWMP): The US Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with state governments as well as non-governmental partners, administers this program. It was authorized in 1986 between the United States and Canada with the purpose of protecting, restoring, and enhancing wetlands important to waterfowl. Mexico as also signed on. The plan is implemented at the grassroots level by partnerships called Joint Ventures. Wetlands identified under the NAWMP as "areas of major concern" for waterfowl and other bird habitat (for example, migration, nesting and forage areas) are targets for these joint ventures. Each Joint Venture develops a plan with goals and objectives. Financial and technical assistance are available to landowners through the Plan. Also, the Plan supports research on wetland restoration, wetlands status surveys, and wetlands inventories. There are thirteen Joint Ventures, examples include: Gulf Coast Joint Venture, Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Pacific Coast Joint Venture, and Intermountain West Joint Venture.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act: In 1989, recognizing the importance of wetland conservation for migratory birds, Congress passed the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to help support the Joint Ventures. In 1998, Congress authorized $30 million to make grants to private and public organizations and individuals for local wetland habitat conservation and restoration projects. Overall, 700 partners from public and private organizations, including environmental groups, corporations, farmers and ranchers, small businesses, and private citizens have implemented projects that focus on acquisition, restoration and enhancement activities. For more information, send an e-mail to <r9arw_nawwo@mail.fws.gov> or check of <http://www.fws.gov/~r9nawwo/nawcahp.html>.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation also funds local wetland conservation and restoration projects. The Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of natural resources—fish, wildlife, and plants. Its goals include habitat protection, environmental education, habitat and ecosystem rehabilitation and restoration. The Wetlands Campaign works with the Foundation to help secure funding for chapter wetland projects. For more information, check out <http:www.nfwf.org/about.htm>.
Partners for Wildlife Program (PFW): The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USWS) administer this program, also known as the Private Lands Assistance and Restoration Program. The program offers technical and cost-share assistance to landowners who wish to restore wildlife habitat, including degraded or converted wetlands. The landowner works directly with USFWS to prepare a Habitat Restoration Proposal.
EPA Programs: The Environmental Protection Agency awards grants for environmental education. The Environmental Education Grants Program was established under Section 6 of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990. The goal of the program is to support environmental education projects that enhance the public’s awareness, knowledge, and skills to make informed responsible decisions that affect environmental quality. Since 1992, Congress has appropriated $13 million for this program and funded about 1,500 projects.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: Wildlife habitat has been integrated into several conservation programs authorized in the last three farm acts. A variety of incentives afford landowners many opportunities to improve habitat for wildlife. Here’s a summary of these programs.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was authorized in 1985 to pay farmers rental payments for ten years to restore grass or trees on highly erodible croplands. In 1989 and 1997 wetlands were allowed to be restored through the CRP. The average payment is $39 per acre per year. Of the 30 million acres enrolled as of June 1998, 1,379,690 acres are restored wetlands, at a ratio of 6 upland acres to every acre of restored wetland. The maximum acreage allowed is 36.4 million acres. There will be another general sign-up in October 1998, but acres will be reserved for the CREP and Buffer initiative, see below. $1.7 billion per year are reserved for the CRP through the year 2006.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) The CREP allows any state to target a specific region of special environmental significance, combining CRP with state funds to maximize protection of the land. Each state must submit a plan to USDA’s Farm Services Agency for approval. Plans for Maryland, Minnesota, and Illinois have been accepted. Maryland is protecting a stretch of the Chesapeake Bay. The other two protect the Minnesota River and Illinois River watersheds. The States of Washington and Oregon are working on protection of salmon habitat. Each targets 100,000 acres. Additional acres are contingent on success of the first 100,000 acres. The Federal-state cost share payments are: Maryland: $150 million/$25 million; Minnesota: $163 million/$60 million; Illinois: $202 million/$48 million. Some three million acres of the CRP are anticipated to be approved for the CREP.
Conservation Reserve Program Buffer Initiative was authorized in 1996 to protect waterways with CRP funds. At any time during the year, landowners may sign-up to install conservation buffers (filterstrips, contour grass strips, grassed waterways, field windbreaks, shelterbelts, etc.) on cropland. In addition, ranchers may sign-up to install riparian buffers of trees or shrubs on marginal pastureland. The land must be along or around perennial streams, seasonal streams, sinkholes, or other permanent bodies of water, including wetlands. Land is enrolled in 10-15 year contracts. Payment is the average rental rate for comparable land in the CRP plus a 20 percent incentive for a riparian buffer. Other bonuses may be available from states, counties or non-profit groups. Some 2-4 million acres of the CRP is anticipated to be enrolled in this continuous sign-up. Funding is through the emergency supplemental appropriations following a presidential declaration of a disaster.
Emergency Watershed Protection Program. The 1996 farm act authorized purchase of floodplain easements to help prevent future losses due to natural disasters under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. Areas eligible for floodplain easement purchase include non-urban lowlands, which are predominately cropland (including orchards and vineyards), grazing land, hay land, or forest land, adjoining the channel of a river, stream, watercourse, lake or ocean, that have been subject to repeated damage associated with flooding. Options are: (1) land retired completely from production and returned to a natural state; (2) production of agricultural commodities are restricted, but grazing is allowed; (3) agricultural production allowed, but federal disaster payments are forgone.
The Emergency Wetland Reserve Program (EWRP) was created as a result of the 1993 floods along the upper Mississippi River. Landowners of flood-damaged cropland can get permanent easements if the cost of levee restoration and cropland renovation exceeded the value of the land. In 1993 and 1995 and 1996, 89,470 acres were restored, half of them in Iowa. Funds are made available in emergency supplemental appropriations.
Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) was established in 1996 to pay for up to 75 percent of the costs of certain practices such as grassed waterways, filterstrips, manure management facilities, capping abandoned wells, and wildlife habitat enhancement. $200 million is authorized for each year through 2001.
The Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) was authorized in 1990 to pay farmers the land value plus wetland restoration and easement costs. One hundred percent of the land value and easement costs are paid for permanent easements. Seventy-five percent of the land value and easements costs for 30-year easements. For cost-share ten year agreements, seventy-five percent of the restoration costs are paid. By September 30, 1998 about 663,832 acres will be restored, largely in permanent easements. Through FY 98, $601,665,000 was made available to the program.
Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) was established in 1996 to help landowners develop upland and wetland habitat and threatened and endangered species habitat. Landowners agree to implement a wildlife habitat development plan, and NRCS agrees to provide cost-share assistance for the practices. The agreements are for five to ten years. Twenty-four million dollars was provided to fifty states plus Puerto Rico and the Pacific Basin during FY 1998.
For foundations that fund wetlands conservation projects, check out the Foundation Center website.
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