Grants / Department of the Interior / Fish and Wildlife Service

F26AS00005_FY 2026_National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program_Notice of Funding Opportunity

Closed Closed July 18, 2025 Opportunity F26AS00005 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Fish and Wildlife Service notices from 2025.

• Award ceiling$1.0 million
• Award floor$50,000
• Total funding$20.0 million
• Cost sharingRequired
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to state and local governments.

• State governments

Eligible RecipientsParticipation is limited to State and Territory agencies designated as eligible by the Governor. The eligible agency is usually a natural resource or fish and wildlife agency. If you are uncertain of your eligibility, please contact your Regional Office of Conservation Investment. For contact information, see Basic Information in this announcement above. Eligible States and Territories are those bordering the Great Lakes, and those bordering the Atlantic, Gulf (except Louisiana), and Pacific coasts. Louisiana is not eligible because it receives separate funding through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 3955 (b)(1)). The complete list of eligible States and Territories is: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawai’i, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Eligible ActivitiesEligible and ineligible activities are described in 50 CFR 84.20. Activities to create wetlands where they did not previously exist are ineligible (50 CFR 84.20(b)(3)). For each project site, evidence verifying the current or historic presence of a wetland is required. This may include information from the Service’s National Wetlands Inventory, earlier Geographic Information System data, or historic information. Activities to acquire and/or restore upper portions of watersheds where benefits to the coastal wetland ecosystem are not significant and direct are also ineligible (50 CFR 84.20(b)(8)). A proposal must include sufficient information demonstrating that targeted lands or waters meet the definition of a coastal wetland ecosystem (50 CFR 84.11).In accepting Federal funds, you must comply with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies. If your application is selected for an award, you must provide evidence of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and other applicable Federal laws or regulations.

More grants for state and local governments.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration awards averaged $808,523; this notice allows up to $1.0 million per award.
• Most of the program's money (100% over five years) went to state and local governments.
• The notice requires cost sharing or matching funds, so you must contribute part of the project cost.

What the grant funds

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program supports the long‐term conservation of coastal wetland ecosystems for the benefit of coastal communities, fish and wildlife and their habitats, and the recreating public. The Program provides eligible State and Territory agencies with cost sharing awards for projects that protect and restore valuable coastal wetland resources. Projects may include acquisition of a real property interest in a coastal wetland ecosystem and the restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands. Coastal wetlands are valued because they protect against flooding, help maintain water quality, and provide habitats for fish and wildlife. Coastal environments are also important economically, generating billions of dollars annually through recreational and commercial fishing, boating, and tourism. The Program is co-administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Coastal Program and the Office of Conservation Investment. For more information, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants Home Page.

Category: Natural Resources.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.