The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program
Since 1990, when Congress passed the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been working with coastal States to acquire, restore, manage, or enhance coastal wetlands through a matching grants program. To date:
- $32 million in grant monies have been awarded to 23 coastal States and 1 U.S. Territory
- 40,000 acres of coastal wetlands have, or will be, acquired, protected, or restored
Why Protect Coastal Wetlands?
Coastal wetlands are valuable resources. They protect against flooding, help maintain water quality, and provide habitat to wildlife. Coastal environments are important economically, generating billions of dollars annually through such industries as tourism and commercial fisheries.
Why are Coastal Wetlands in Trouble?
Thousands of acres of coastal wetlands have already been lost, and additional acres have been degraded by pollution. The concentration of the U.S. population along coastal areas is a continuing source of development pressure. Threats to coastal resources include residential and commercial development, agricultural and urban run-off, shoreline modification, municipal waste disposal, oil spills, and over-harvesting of resources.
What Is the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program?
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program was established by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (Breaux Act) of 1990. Under the program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides matching grants for acquisition, restoration, management, or enhancement of coastal wetlands. About $6 million in grants are awarded annually through a nationwide competitive process. Funding for the program comes from excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels.
Who Can Apply for Grants?
States which border the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Great Lakes are eligible. The one exception is the State of Louisiana, which has its own coastal wetlands program under the Act (see insert). Also eligible are the Trust Territories and Commonwealths of the United States.
How Does Cost-Sharing Work?
States provide 50% of the total costs of the project. However, if the State has established and maintains a special fund for the purpose of acquiring coastal wetlands, other natural areas or open spaces, the Federal share can be increased to 75%. Trust territories are not required to share the costs of projects.
Louisiana's Coastal Wetland Program
Louisiana's unique wetland resources have been seriously depleted and degraded. Recognizing this, the Act has special provisions for the State of Louisiana. It calls for the development of both Restoration and Conservation Plans specifically for Louisiana's wetlands. When Louisiana's Conservation Plan is approved by the Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the State's cost share for wetland projects drops from 25% to 15%.
Federal grants awarded under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program generally range between $100,000 and $500,000.
How Are Projects Selected?
The Service's role has been to review, rank, and select projects based on their national importance and assist State resource agencies in the planning and application process. Due to limited funding and considerable demand, projects need to be selected competitively. The Act itself calls for projects to be given priority if they are:
- Consistent with the criteria and considerations outlined in the National Wetlands Priority Conservation Plan;
- Located in States with dedicated funding for programs to acquire coastal wetlands, natural areas, and open spaces; and
- Located in maritime forests on coastal barrier islands.
Additional ranking factors that have been developed by the Service include giving credit to projects that benefit endangered species, encourage cooperative efforts, and benefit other ongoing projects.
What's Being Accomplished?
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is an effective approach to assisting States acquire, restore, manage, and enhance their coastal wetland resources. The program's emphasis on encouraging partnerships, supporting watershed planning, and leveraging ongoing projects ensures that the use of limited funds results in maximum benefits. Three examples of funded projects illustrate its accomplishments.
The lasting results of the program will be the protection and restoration of thousands of acres of coastal wetland ecosystems nationwide. Wildlife and resource-based industries, like tourism and commercial fisheries, will directly benefit.
Examples of funded projects:
Escondido Creek, California. In 1992, the State of California received a grant to acquire a key 43-acre tract of land along Escondido Creek. This riparian habitat and brackish and freshwater marsh is located upstream from the San Elijo Lagoon and is one of the few free-flowing streams remaining in southern California. This area is a pocket of high species diversity, including several endangered species.Cana Wetlands, Wisconsin. The State of Wisconsin received a coastal grant in 1994 to help acquire 220 acres of wetlands--Wisconsin's largest remaining tract of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline. The Cana Wetlands are important habitat for migratory and resident birds, and virtually the only spawning habitat for whitefish in Lake Michigan. The endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly and the threatened dwarf lake iris are members of this wetland community.
Cape May, New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has used its 1995 grant to acquire 153 acres of coastal wetlands beachfront, dunes, and maritime forest on Cape May. This acquisition is a critical link to adjacent wildlife areas that are part of a world-renowned stopover for Neotropical migratory songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds.
More Information at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service