Wetland Program and Wetland Program Development Grants

Increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands, streams, and other waters through regulatory and non-regulatory approaches.

On this page:

• About the Program
• Types of Assistance
• How This Program Helps Build Resilience
• Connections to Other EPA, Federal, or Non-Governmental Efforts

About the Program

Wetlands create climate resilience by protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters, protecting against storm surges, and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods. The EPA’s wetland program has a primary goal of increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands, streams, and other waters through regulatory and non-regulatory approaches. The EPA’s wetland program is responsible for co-implementing the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 program with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, implementing the CWA Section 401 certification program, promoting the use of wetland science and tools across the EPA’s programs and 10 regional offices, and helping to build the capacity of Tribal and state governments to develop effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.

The Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) assist Tribal, state, , local government agencies, and interstate/intertribal entities in developing programs to protect, manage and restore wetlands. The WPDG program strives to support Tribes’ and states’ wetland priorities and activities most relevant to their Tribal or state jurisdiction by funding the development of voluntary Wetland Program Plans (WPPs).

Types of Assistance

The EPA’s wetland program provides financial, technical, and outreach and education assistance to help states and tribes create and implement WPPs and wetlands programs to protect wetlands and, by extension, the role they play in building climate resilience.

Financial Assistance

WPDGs fund many types of Tribal and state projects including wetlands research, education, training, technology transfer, and demonstration projects but is mainly focused on building sustainable Tribal and state wetland programs. Many Tribes and states have utilized WPDGs to develop a Tribal or state WPP.

• Regional WPDGs eligible applicants include Tribes, states, local governments, interstate associations, and intertribal consortia.
• National-level WPDGs eligible applicants include eligibility for nonprofits, interstate associations, and intertribal consortia.
• Tribal set-aside WPDGs eligible applicants include tribes and intertribal consortia.

Technical Assistance

• The EPA provides technical assistance and outreach on wetland permitting requirements to implement the CWA Section 404 program, which requires a permit before dredged or fill material may be discharged into waters of the United States. These permits are issued by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or by a state or Tribe that has been approved by EPA to administer the CWA Section 404 program.
• WPDGs assist Tribes and states with wetland demonstration projects and wetland mapping, including tools for assessing quality, function, and ecosystem services of the wide range of types of wetlands found in their jurisdictions. These data and assessment tools are meant to enhance Tribal/state wetland programs, guide Tribal/state wetland conservation priorities, and augment regulatory decision-making processes.

Convening Assistance

• The WPDG funds WPPs that are used to increase interaction and partnerships across Tribal and state agencies with missions that impact wetland quality and quantity. WPPs are meant to engage stakeholders and various interests in sharing successful restoration and protection strategies, barriers to success, assessment protocols, and other information.

Outreach and Education Assistance

• The EPA’s website and other outreach efforts help to maintain regular communication with a broad array of agencies and organizations involved in wetland protection and restoration, as well as the general public. In addition, many states and tribes conduct outreach and education on monitoring and assessment for wetlands, Tribal and state wetland regulatory programs, voluntary wetland restoration and protection (e.g., green infrastructure, land trusts, agricultural programs), and water quality standards for wetlands. Tribes and states develop and provide technical training and information sharing on aquatic resources with other state agencies, local decision-makers, and the general public.

How This Program Helps Build Resilience

Wetlands are important features in the landscape that provide numerous beneficial services, including protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters, protecting against storm surges, and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods. The program broadly contributes to protecting the wetlands and the functions they provide, including those that support community resilience by providing wetland monitoring and mapping information, best available science-based assessment tools, direct connections to dredge and fill wetland permitting programs, and long-standing wetland conservation and protection strategies.

Connections to Other EPA, Federal, or Non-Governmental Efforts

In addition to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the EPA’s Wetlands Program regularly collaborates with state and Tribal nations on wetland issues and through many partnerships with leading organizations such as the National Association of Wetland Managers, the Environmental Law Institute, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Udall Foundation.

The integration of Tribal and state wetland program activities into state and local hazard mitigation plans (HMPs) can help advance hazard mitigation actions, as well as pre- and post-natural-disaster plans and assessments. EPA-funded WPPs provide the framework for Tribal and state wetland programs to connect to numerous aspects of HMPs. For example, many WPPs outline various partners roles for monitoring and assessing wetlands and how these data can be included in coastal wetland protection priorities as part of Tribal and state efforts to address storm surges.

Other WPPs include wetland restoration priorities that identify wetlands that are critical for flood abatement or wetland conservation strategies that can help maintain quality drinking water supplies.