Grants for County governments - Environment

County conservation grants provide financial assistance to enhance county/tribal fish and wildlife programs. This Fish and Wildlife Management Grant Program was created to assist counties in the improvement of the fish and wildlife resources. The fund was established by the Wisconsin Legislature in 1965 as an alternative to bounty payments on coyote, foxes and bobcats. Every year since the bounty program was canceled, a state allocation equal to the average annual bounty payment has been earmarked as matching money for a growing list of county-sponsored fish and wildlife habitat projects. After the state budget is approved, funds are allocated to each county in proportion to the ratio of the size of each county to the total area of the state.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and tribal governments in California to implement projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution and improve water quality in local watersheds.

In 2007, the Wisconsin Legislature made changes to the Knowles Nelson Stewardship program (s. 23.0953, Wis. Stats.) allowing counties with lands entered under the County Forest Program (s. 28.11, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR]) to compete for land acquisition funding under Stewardship. Grant applications are evaluated jointly by a ranking panel consisting of staff from DNR Forestry and the Wisconsin County Forests Association (WCFA) and selected for funding based on ranking criteria and priorities set forth in s. NR 51.960, Wis. Adm. Code [exit DNR]. Eligible Projects Fee simple acquisition of lands that meet the requirements for entry into County Forest as stipulated in s. 28.11(4), Wis. Stats. The following must be true for a parcel to be eligible for grant funding. The county must have land entered into county forest law pursuant to s. 28.11 Stats. The county must enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DNR for land acquisition through Stewardship fund. The property must be free of restrictions or covenants preventing the property from being managed for the purposes set forth in s. 28.11(1) Stats. The property cannot have been purchased more than one year prior to the date DNR receives the grant application. The current use of the property must be something other than a licensed game farm, fur farm, deer farm, shooting preserve, forest nursery or experimental station. The property must be free of commercial or industrial uses inconsistent with the purposes of the county forest law under s. 28.11(1), Stats. The property must be free of perpetual easements for uses inconsistent with the purposes of the county forest law set forth in s. 28.11(1), Stats. The county must have a real estate offer to purchase or a letter of intent signed by the seller for the parcel to be acquired.

This funding opportunity supports Maryland-based public and nonprofit organizations in their efforts to engage communities and implement projects that protect and restore local natural resources, particularly in the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) is offering the Community Tree Planting Program, funded by the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) through the 2008 State Legislature. This grant program is administered by the Division of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. The core mission of this grant is to increase the tree resource base in cities and towns across Tennessee, focusing on the functional benefits of urban trees rather than solely on beautification. The primary beneficiaries of this program are communities and local units of government, non-profit organizations, and elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions within Tennessee. The impact goal is to enhance the state's urban tree resources to provide direct cost-saving benefits to communities. These benefits include energy savings through shading, storm water mitigation, rain interception, and improved air quality through filtration and absorption. The program's priorities and focuses are explicitly not beautification but rather the practical, environmental services that trees provide. It emphasizes that trees are "work horses for communities." Recommended goals and objectives for applicants include statements about urban trees providing cooler temperatures, cleaner air, reduced flooding and erosion, improved human health, and food and shelter for wildlife. Expected outcomes and measurable results revolve around the increase in the tree resource base and the subsequent realization of the aforementioned environmental and economic benefits. While specific metrics are not detailed in the provided text, the focus on quantifiable benefits like energy savings and storm water mitigation implies an expectation of measurable improvements in these areas. The grant contracts will run from December 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025, suggesting that the initial outcomes will be assessed within this timeframe. Eligible applicants can apply for grants ranging from $500 to $20,000, which further indicates a focus on smaller, community-level projects with clear, achievable objectives.

The 2025 Sea Scallop Research Set Aside Program is a grant that awards scallop quota to successful applicants for conducting research to enhance knowledge about the scallop fishery resource and contribute to scallop management decisions, with funding generated from the sale of the awarded quota.

This funding supports institutions in developing training programs for predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers in biomedical and clinical fields, with a focus on enhancing diversity and preparing trainees for successful research careers.

Introduction EEM projects must contribute to mitigation of the environmental effects of transportation facilities. The California Natural Resources Agency (Agency) prescribes procedures and criteria to evaluate grant project proposals and submits a list of projects recommended for funding to the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The CTC awards grants to projects from Agency’s list. Related Transportation Facility EEM projects must mitigate, either directly or indirectly, the environmental impacts of a) the modification of an existing Transportation Facility or b) the construction of a new Transportation Facility (hereafter Related Transportation Facility or RTF). The EEM project can be the required mitigation for the RTF or enhancement to mitigation required for the RTF. Statewide Project Goals Agency grant programs assist state and local entities to develop more sustainable communities, increase adaptability to climate change using nature-based strategies, and protect biodiversity in compliance with Executive Order N-82-20, the Pathways to 30 x 30 California, and the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy. Projects that demonstrate the following multiple benefits will be more competitive: • Improved air and/or water quality. • Reduced consumption of natural resources and energy. • Increased reliability of local water supplies. • Increased adaptability to climate change. • Increased protection and restoration of biodiversity Eligible Projects Examples The list below isn't comprehensive, but provides examples of project elements that meet statutory conditions. Urban Forestry: • Planting of trees and plants along urban streets and medians. • Greening existing public lands and structures, including school campuses and urban parks. • Greening vacant lots and abandoned sites. • Restoration of urban creeks. Resource Lands: • Removal of invasive and restoration of natural plant species. • Enhancement or restoration of natural areas such as inland wetlands, forests, oak woodlands, mountain meadows, creeks, and streams with riparian or riverine fish or wildlife habitat, wildlife corridors and fish passages, coastal estuaries, grazing land and grasslands. • Acquisitions in fee title or through conservation easements to safeguard regional water supplies, protect riparian and wildlife habitats, conserve agricultural lands for secure wildlife migration corridors, and provide public access for compatible wildlife/nature-oriented recreation by the wider community. • Acquisitions to preserve in perpetuity Resource Lands for agricultural uses, open space, wetlands, biodiversity, etc. Mitigation Projects Beyond the Scope of the Lead Agency: Project examples listed under Urban Forestry and Resource Lands categories may be eligible for the Mitigation Projects Beyond the Scope of the Lead Agency category, if the mitigation or enhancement measures for the RTF were infeasible or beyond the jurisdiction and/or authority of the Lead Agency for the RTF. Project Criteria Questions Applicants must choose only one project category and respond to all questions in the selected category. If a question doesn't apply to the project, indicate Not Applicable with a brief explanation.

This grant provides funding for community organizations and local governments to engage in environmental outreach, education, and restoration projects aimed at improving water quality and ecological health in the Jones Falls watershed of Maryland.

Funding and Duration: Grant amounts for the conventional program range from $100,000 to $500,000. The maximum grant duration is two (2) years, eight (8) months, and grant funds cannot be expended before November 1, 2025, or after June 30, 2028.   Projects submitted through the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations (Additional Assistance) Program will range from $100,000 to $250,000. Program requirements and submission deadlines differ for Additional Assistance Program applicants. Please reference the 2025 Request for Concept Proposals - Additional Assistance Program or email grants@cdfa.ca.gov for more information.   CDFA reserves the right to offer an award amount different than the amount requested.    

This grant focuses on renovating existing trailered boat launches to improve public recreational boating access. Administered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands, the grant aims to support the development and maintenance of facilities that provide primary recreational boating access to the general public. Projects must undergo a pre-approval site inspection to confirm eligibility. Available funding for trailered launch renovation projects is up to $75,000.

This funding opportunity is designed to support research initiatives that enhance the understanding and management of Atlantic bluefin tuna populations, particularly through collaboration with international partners involved in their conservation.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to farmer-led organizations and partnerships focused on improving water quality and environmental resilience in the Gulf of Mexico watershed through innovative agricultural practices.

This funding opportunity supports promising predoctoral students in health-related fields to receive personalized research training and mentorship, helping them develop into independent research scientists.

This program provides funding to local government agencies and organizations in Colorado to upgrade or replace pump-out stations for recreational motorboats, helping to protect water quality and aquatic wildlife.

The San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program (Recovery Program) was established in 1991 to allow water development to continue within the Basin while still complying with the Endangered Species Act and protecting the endangered Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. The Recovery Program consists of partners who are committed to the recovery of the listed fishes under the Endangered Species Act and includes water users, conservation groups, state, federal and tribal agencies. For further information on the Recovery Program, see https://coloradoriverrecovery.org/sj/. The San Juan River is partially regulated by Navajo Dam. There are several tributaries that flow into the San Juan River between the dam and Lake Powell, but substantial diversions occur from these tributaries limiting the contribution to the flow regime. Operation of Navajo Dam began in 1962 and has resulted in altered flow into the San Juan River with a tendency towards reduced spring flows in some years and supplemented flows in other seasons. Because frequency and magnitudes of flows are important triggers for various life cycle stages of endangered species, the Recovery Program developed flow recommendations to guide releases from Navajo Dam. The flow recommendations are designed to meet the conditions required to develop and maintain habitat for Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker and provide the necessary hydrologic conditions for the various life stages of endangered and other native fishes. The habitat monitoring that is part of this project will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of flow recommendations and management actions on habitat. Since 1992, aerial imagery has been collected along the San Juan River between the confluence of the Animas River (River Mile (RM) 180) and the inflow of Lake Powell (the interface between the San Juan River and Lake Powell) to as far downriver as Neskahi Canyon (RM -30). A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) flight was conducted in 2013. The imagery is used within the Recovery Program to track changes in channel morphology and habitat. Specifically, the number and area of low velocity habitat (backwaters, Notice of Funding Opportunity No. R24AS00327 2 embayments), total wetted area (wetted habitat and wetted channels of the river), and island complexes (used as a surrogate for habitat complexity) are quantified (Table 1). This extensive data set allows for tracking changes in habitat and assessing the effectiveness of management actions, implemented flows, and intra- and inter-annual variability in flows. The last analysis was conducted in 2022.

This grant provides funding for public agencies, tribes, and non-profit organizations in California to acquire land essential for conservation efforts under Natural Community Conservation Plans and Habitat Conservation Plans.

This funding opportunity supports programs that engage underserved communities, enhance behavioral health services, promote environmental stewardship, and provide significant benefits to AmeriCorps members, particularly focusing on youth, veterans, and public health initiatives.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local governments, conservation districts, non-profits, and organized private entities in Colorado for the management and eradication of noxious weeds.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community organizations, individuals, and groups focused on developing innovative clean energy projects or enhancing their capacity to serve priority populations in Massachusetts.