Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration (15.614)
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration (Assistance Listing 15.614) is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $93.8 million in 116 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $808,523 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.0 million. Half of the 116 awards fell between $716,900 and $1.0 million, and they ranged from $90,000 to $1.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$93.8 million
- Grant awards116
- Typical award$1.0 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$22.1 million
- Size rank834 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants (discretionary)
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $25.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $22.1 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 834th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 96% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 19 states and territories.
What the program funds
To provide competitive matching grants to coastal States for coastal wetlands conservation projects. The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (Section 305, Title III, Public Law 101-646 U.S.C. 3954) established the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program to acquire, restore, and enhance wetlands in coastal States.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Eligible applicants include any agency or agencies designated by the Governor of a coastal State. It is usually a State natural resource or fish and wildlife agency. Eligible coastal States are States bordering the Great Lakes (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin); States bordering the Atlantic, Gulf (except Louisiana), and Pacific coasts (Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington); and American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funds are available to coastal States for acquisition of real property interests in coastal lands or waters, and for restoration, enhancement or management of coastal wetlands ecosystems.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. States with a dedicated fund for land conservation are required to provide a minimum cost share equal to 25 percent of the total project costs, including requested program funds and eligible match. All other States are required to provide a 50 percent cost share. We waive the first $200,000 of match for the following insular areas: American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Range: $125,000 - $1,000,000; Average: $575,000
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Topsail Beach Partnership The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, in partnership with the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust and others, is awarded $1 million to acquire 147.5 acres of maritime forest and coastal wetland on the south end of Topsail Island, a coastal barrier island in Pender County, North Carolina. The tract includes pristine beach, dune, salt flats, maritime shrub and estuarine wetlands that provide habitat for several federally listed species including seabeach amaranth, red knots, piping plovers, green sea turtles and loggerhead sea turtles. Eastern Shore Saltmarsh Conservation Initiative The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited and Wildlife Foundation of Virginia,?is awarded $1 million?to acquire and improve 621.4 acres of coastal wetlands and buffering uplands in Accomack County, Virginia, on the Delmarva Peninsula. This project will expand a?wildlife management area?for coastal fish and wildlife, facilitate inland marsh migration, enhance coastal resiliency, expand wildlife-related recreation opportunities and improve habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. This project will also benefit Virginia’s recreational and commercial fishing and shellfishing industries.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration (15.614) awarded $93.8 million across 116 grant awards, an average of $808,523 per award.
Who usually wins
Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 116 | $93.8 million | 100% |
By state
14 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 32 | $28.2 million |
| California | 19 | $14.9 million |
| South Carolina | 12 | $12.0 million |
| Texas | 7 | $7.0 million |
| North Carolina | 5 | $4.1 million |
| Hawaii | 8 | $4.1 million |
| Florida | 5 | $3.8 million |
| Maine | 5 | $3.2 million |
| Georgia | 3 | $3.0 million |
| Virginia | 3 | $3.0 million |
| Massachusetts | 3 | $3.0 million |
| Alaska | 3 | $2.3 million |
| Maryland | 2 | $2.0 million |
| New Jersey | 2 | $1.0 million |
| Alabama | 2 | $970,081 |
| Delaware | 1 | $879,135 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | $623,023 |
| Oregon | 1 | $452,097 |
| Connecticut | 1 | $341,500 |