Federal grant programs / Department of the Interior

Coastal (15.630)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$72.8 million
• Grant awards366
• Typical award$70,000
• Awarded in FY 2025$31.3 million
• Size rank905 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreements (discretionary grants)

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $10.8 million in fiscal 2021 to $31.3 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 905th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 70% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 36 states and territories.

What the program funds

To provide technical and financial assistance to partners to implement voluntary coastal habitat protection, restoration, and improvement projects that benefit federal trust species, including species listed as threatened or endangered, migratory birds, interjurisdictional fish, and certain marine mammals. Coastal habitats include, coastal wetlands, estuaries, watersheds, and shorelines, and near shore habitats like seagrass beds and coral reefs. Our conservation investments benefit coastal-dependent species, coastal communities and their economies, and provide recreational communities.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

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

Federal, State, interstate and intrastate agencies; local and tribal governments; public nonprofit institutes and organizations (such as conservation organizations, watershed councils, land trusts, schools and institutions of higher learning); U.S. territories and possessions; private landowners including individuals and businesses.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Funds are used for habitat assessments, planning, and coastal habitat protection and restoration on public or private lands. The Coastal Program is geographically limited to 24 high priority areas. These are: Gulf of Maine, Southern New England/New York Bight, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Albemarle/Pamlico Sound, Coastal South Carolina, Northeast Florida, South Florida/Everglades, Tampa Bay, Florida Panhandle, the Caribbean, Gulf of America, Texas Coast (Northern), Texas Coast (Southern), Great Lakes (Northern), Great Lakes (Southern), San Diego Bay, San Francisco Bay, Humboldt Bay, Central California Coast, Oregon Coast, Puget Sound, Alaska (South East), Alaska (South Central), and the Pacific Islands. Funds may not support compensatory mitigation, or real property acquisition. Funds may not support compensatory mitigation, real property acquisition, or program administrative costs.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range is $5,000 to $50,000.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: In Washington, the Coastal Program worked with local utility and conservation partners and other stakeholders to replace a falling culvert with a channel-spanning bridge on Clear Creek. The project restored natural stream functions and connectivity and enhanced more than 0.5 miles of riparian and stream habitat. The project advanced Coastal Program and Service conservation goals and supports Pacific salmon recovery in Puget Sound. In addition to financial assistance, the Coastal Program conducted habitat surveys, supported community outreach, and helped expedite construction to minimize impacts to neighboring homeowners.Fiscal Year2026: The Coastal Program has not yet selected projects. The program anticipates selecting projects that benefit federal trust species, including species listed as threatened or endangered, migratory birds, interjurisdictional fish, and certain marine mammals. The program makes technical and financial assistance investments on a rolling basis during the fiscal year. Examples of potential projects include conserving habitat for coastal dependent species, improving habitat connectivity at a landscape scale, and building resilient ecosystems that provide community as well as ecological benefits.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Nonprofits received 76% of the money, state and local governments 16% and colleges and universities 5.9%.

By state

19 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.