Opportunity Information: Apply for CWG 09
Apply for CWG 09
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.614 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 15, 2008 and posted on Feb 15, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 27, 2008. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $19,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- 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, Indiana, 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help coastal states protect, restore, and manage coastal wetlands for long-term conservation. The program is built around the idea that coastal wetlands are not just environmentally important, but also practical assets: they reduce flooding impacts, improve and maintain water quality, and provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Because healthy coastal ecosystems also support major economic activity such as commercial fishing and tourism, the program treats wetland conservation as both an ecological and economic investment.
Funding supports two main types of projects. First, states can use grant funds to acquire real property interests in coastal lands or waters from willing sellers or partners, including either full ownership (fee title) or partial interests such as conservation easements. The goal in these acquisition projects is long-term protection of functioning wetland ecosystems and the surrounding lands that help keep them intact. Second, the program funds on-the-ground conservation work focused on restoration, enhancement, or long-term management of coastal wetlands ecosystems. This can include restoring natural wetland hydrology by plugging drainage ditches, breaking tile drainage systems, installing water control structures, constructing dikes, or re-establishing historic connections between wetlands and waterways. Other eligible restoration actions include planting native vegetation and removing invasive or exotic plants and animals that displace native species, disrupt habitat structure, or change ecosystem function.
Projects are competitively ranked using criteria laid out in federal regulation, specifically Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 84.32. Applicants are also directed to review an accompanying Attachment A (referenced in the announcement) that clarifies certain ranking criteria and addresses common questions about how the 50 CFR Part 84 requirements are applied in practice. In other words, selection is not ad hoc; it is guided by established regulatory standards and published evaluation factors.
Eligibility is limited to coastal states and U.S. territories, and the applicant must be an agency (or agencies) designated by the Governor of the coastal state. In most cases, the designated entity is a state natural resources agency or a fish and wildlife agency. Eligible coastal states include Great Lakes states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin); Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coastal states (with Louisiana excluded in the Gulf listing provided in the notice); and U.S. territories including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A key administrative point is that the program includes a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning recipients must provide non-federal match consistent with program rules.
For this specific funding cycle (Funding Opportunity Number CWG 09), the estimated total funding available was $19,000,000, with an expected 30 awards. Individual awards could be as large as $1,000,000, and the listing indicates an award floor of $0, which typically signals flexibility in award sizing depending on project scope and competitiveness. The opportunity falls under CFDA 15.614 (Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Program). The posting date and creation date were February 15, 2008, with a closing date of June 27, 2008, and an archive date of July 27, 2008.
Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement or navigating the opportunity were directed to program contacts at the Fish and Wildlife Service: Christy Kuczak (Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program) at christykuczak@fws.gov, 703-358-1748, and Chris Darnell (Fisheries and Habitat Restoration) at chrisdarnell@fws.gov, 703-358-2236.
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program (CWG 09) - FAQs
1) What is the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program?
It is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that helps eligible coastal states and U.S. territories protect, restore, and manage coastal wetlands for long-term conservation.
2) Why does this program fund coastal wetlands conservation?
The program treats coastal wetlands as both ecological and practical assets. According to the opportunity description, healthy wetlands can reduce flooding impacts, improve and maintain water quality, and provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. The program also frames wetland conservation as an economic investment because coastal ecosystems support activity such as commercial fishing and tourism.
3) What types of projects can be funded?
Funding supports two main project types:
- Acquisition projects: acquiring real property interests in coastal lands or waters from willing sellers or partners, including fee title (full ownership) or partial interests such as conservation easements, to provide long-term protection of functioning wetland ecosystems and surrounding lands that help keep them intact.
- Restoration, enhancement, or management projects: on-the-ground conservation work focused on restoring, enhancing, or managing coastal wetlands ecosystems over the long term.
4) What does "acquiring real property interests" mean under this program?
Based on the announcement, acquisition can include either full ownership (fee title) or partial interests such as conservation easements, obtained from willing sellers or partners, with the intent of long-term protection.
5) What are examples of eligible restoration or enhancement activities?
The opportunity includes examples such as restoring natural wetland hydrology and other habitat work, including:
- Plugging drainage ditches
- Breaking tile drainage systems
- Installing water control structures
- Constructing dikes
- Re-establishing historic connections between wetlands and waterways
- Planting native vegetation
- Removing invasive or exotic plants and animals that displace native species, disrupt habitat structure, or change ecosystem function
6) How are projects selected or ranked?
Projects are competitively ranked using criteria established in federal regulation: Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 84.32. The announcement also directs applicants to review an Attachment A that clarifies certain ranking criteria and addresses common questions about how the 50 CFR Part 84 requirements are applied.
7) Is selection based on published standards or case-by-case judgment?
The opportunity indicates selection is guided by established regulatory standards and published evaluation factors (50 CFR Part 84.32), rather than being ad hoc.
8) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to coastal states and U.S. territories. The applicant must be an agency (or agencies) designated by the Governor of the coastal state. The announcement notes that, in most cases, the designated entity is a state natural resources agency or a fish and wildlife agency.
9) Which states and territories are included as eligible coastal jurisdictions in the notice?
The notice includes:
- Great Lakes states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
- Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coastal states: included as eligible categories in the notice, with Louisiana excluded in the Gulf listing provided.
- U.S. territories: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
10) Does the program require matching funds or cost sharing?
Yes. The program includes a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning recipients must provide non-federal match consistent with program rules.
11) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this cycle?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is CWG 09.
12) How much funding was available in this funding cycle?
The estimated total funding available for this cycle was $19,000,000.
13) How many awards were expected?
The listing indicated an expected 30 awards.
14) What was the maximum award amount?
Individual awards could be as large as $1,000,000.
15) What does an "award floor" of $0 mean?
The opportunity lists an award floor of $0. As presented in the listing, this typically signals flexibility in award size depending on the project scope and competitiveness.
16) What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The opportunity falls under CFDA 15.614 (Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Program).
17) When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The posting date and creation date were February 15, 2008. The closing date was June 27, 2008. The archive date was July 27, 2008.
18) Who can applicants contact for help or questions about the opportunity?
The announcement directed applicants to program contacts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
- Christy Kuczak (Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program): christykuczak@fws.gov, 703-358-1748
- Chris Darnell (Fisheries and Habitat Restoration): chrisdarnell@fws.gov, 703-358-2236
19) Where are the ranking criteria defined?
The ranking criteria are laid out in federal regulation at 50 CFR Part 84.32, and the announcement references an Attachment A that clarifies certain criteria and addresses common questions about applying the 50 CFR Part 84 requirements.
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