The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering National Wetland Program Development Grants to advance and refine state, tribal, and local wetland programs.

Awards made under this announcement will support EPA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2011-2015 Strategic Plan, Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters; Objective 2.2: Protect and Restore Watersheds and Aquatic Ecosystems. Information on the FY 2011 – 2015 EPA Strategic Plan is available at http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.

Eligible applicants under this announcement are non-profit, non-governmental organizations, interstate agencies, and intertribal consortia which are capable of undertaking activities that advance wetland programs are eligible to apply under this announcement.1 Non-profit private universities and colleges and non-profit institutions of higher education are considered non-profit organizations and are eligible under this announcement. Individual states, tribes, local governments, and for-profit organizations are noteligible to apply under this announcement. Non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. Interstate agencies must meet the requirements of 40 CFR 35.504. Intertribal consortia must meet the requirements of 40 CFR 35.504. Non-profit organizations may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the definition of a non-profit organization in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Cost Circular 2 CFR Part 230 (non-profit organizations).

All projects submitted for National Priority Area 1 under this announcement must be nationwide in scope or involve and/or otherwise benefit at least one state/tribe in at least two or more EPA Regions (a map of EPA Regions can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/where.htm). All projects submitted for National Priority Area 2 under this announcement must involve and/or otherwise benefit at least one tribe in at least two or more EPA Regions and must propose to conduct training workshops in at least two EPA Regions. As discussed in Section I.C of this announcement, the statutory authority for the awards funded under this announcement is section 104(b)(3) of the CWA. Implementation projects are not eligible under this announcement.

The total amount of expected federal funding available under this announcement is approximately $1,000,000 ($500,000 expected from FY 2012 and $500,000 expected from FY 2013), depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of proposals received, and other applicable considerations. EPA will fund a maximum of 75 percent of the total project cost (see Section III.B for information on the minimum non-federal 25 percent cost share/match requirement).

EPA anticipates that a total of $850,000 in federal funding will be available under National Priority Area 1: Core Elements Framework. It is anticipated that approximately three to six awards will be incrementally funded under National Priority Area 1. The federal portion of the awards for projects selected under National Priority Area 1 will range from $75,000 to $300,000, depending on the amount requested and the overall size and scope of the projects. EPA anticipates that one cooperative agreement will be incrementally funded under National Priority Area 2: Tribal Monitoring and Assessment Training Workshops. The federal portion of the award for the project selected under National Priority Area 2 is approximately $150,000, depending on the amount requested and the overall size and scope of the project. It is anticipated that awards under this announcement will have one to four year project periods under National Priority Area 1 and a two year project period under National Priority Area 2.