Environment Grants

This grant provides fruit trees, planting support, and educational resources to U.S.-based nonprofits, schools, and government entities committed to enhancing community health and environmental sustainability through orchard projects.

This grant provides funding and resources to organizations seeking to establish or enhance recycling programs, focusing on waste diversion and recycling education.

The Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize is a grant opportunity for creative individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses to address challenges in the lithium-ion battery recycling supply chain. The goal of this phased prize competition is to develop and demonstrate processes that can capture 90% of all discarded or spent lithium-ion batteries in the United States for recovery of key materials. The continuation of the prize will award a total of $7.4 million in cash prizes and voucher support over the next 3 years. This includes a new competition track for new competitors and previous participants, as well as additional support for Phase III winning teams. Breakthrough, a new public contest, aims to incentivize innovative solutions from battery industry entrepreneurs that align with the prize goal. Up to $2.4 million in cash prizes and voucher funding will be awarded to up to 10 winners. Winners will also have the opportunity to advance to Phase IV of the competition. Qualified lithium-ion battery recyclers and second-life testing organizations are also being sought as Evaluation Entities for Phase IV. More information about becoming an Evaluation Entity can be found on the American-Made website.

This program provides funding and product donations to nonprofit organizations and government entities for projects that enhance and maintain off-road trail systems, promote safe riding practices, and protect natural resources in the U.S. and Canada.

This program provides funding to Alaska Native entities for the assessment and cleanup of contaminated lands conveyed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, addressing environmental injustices and promoting community health and well-being.

The Equitable and Affordable Solutions to Electrification (EAS-E) Home Electrification Prize offers up to $2.4 million in prizes for innovative solutions that advance the electrification retrofits of residential homes across all building types and geographies. The goal is to make electrification more affordable and accessible in existing U.S. homes, with a focus on equitable solutions for all homeowners, including those in low-income and under-resourced communities. The prize supports design solutions, tools, and technology innovations that enable the switch to electric products and reduce carbon emissions. Low-power electrification solutions are strongly encouraged. The competition consists of two phases: Phase 1 focuses on presenting proposed solutions and up to five winners receive a $5,000 cash prize and a $75,000 voucher to work with DOE national laboratories. Phase 2 involves finalizing teams, demonstrating functional prototype solutions, and up to three winners receive prizes, with a top prize of $1 million. The competition is open to individuals, private entities, nonfederal government entities, and academic institutions. For more information, refer to the official rules document.

This program provides federal funding to Georgia for the construction and maintenance of sewage disposal facilities for recreational boaters, promoting cleaner waterways and responsible boating practices.

Local units of government (LUGs) are eligible applications for four Stewardship grant programs and two related federal programs administered by DNR. Applications must be received or postmarked by 11:59 pm on May 1 to be considered. Per s. 990.001(4)(c), Wis. Stats., if any grant application deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or State Holiday, the deadline is moved to the next State working day.

The RTP provides grant funding for land acquisition for trails, trail maintenance, trail construction, trail rehabilitation and for trail head support facilities. The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a federal funded, state administered grant program. RTP provides grant funding for land acquisition for trails, trails maintenance and restoration/rehabilitation, trail construction, and trail head support facilities. All grant projects must be on publicly owned land.

The Wisconsin Assessment Monies (WAM) program provides funding to address brownfields sites where contamination impedes economic redevelopment. Administered by the DNR's Remediation and Redevelopment Program, it offers contractor services awards for Phase I and Phase II assessments and community-managed subgrants. Eligible applicants include local governments, tribes, and private entities. Properties must meet the federal definition of a brownfield. Ineligible sites include those with responsible party contamination, on the National Priorities List, or subject to certain regulatory orders. Application involves demonstrating eligibility, completing required forms, and submitting materials to Gena Larson. If awarded, the DNR provides support throughout the assessment project. Contact Gena Larson for more information.

Recreational boating facility projects. Past projects have included ramps and service docks to gain access to the water, purchase of aquatic weed harvesting equipment, navigation aids and dredging waterway channels. These grants may be used by counties, towns, cities, villages, tribes, sanitary districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts and qualified lake associations for recreational boating facility projects. FOR GRANT REQUESTS IN EXCESS OF $250,000: Applications for RBF grants exceeding $250,000 are encouraged to be submitted to your regional DNR grants specialists in time for the June 1st, or September 1st, application deadlines. These larger grant requests take extra processing time and therefore are highly recommended for earlier evaluation, in the first two quarters of the fiscal year. Contact your regional DNR grants specialist as soon as possible, if you have a larger project and you are planning to apply for a RBF grant. DNR grants specialists can help with scheduling and grant processing.

Environmental Cleanup & Brownfields Redevelopment. The RR Program accepts applications for traditional petroleum grants and loans year-round. There is no application deadline. We recommend that anyone interested in applying for funding first discuss your project with DNR staff. Please contact Gena Larson to discuss your project. In order to be eligible for funding, a site must meet the following criteria. The site must meet the federal definition of an eligible brownfield, which is "real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." The site or costs must be ineligible for the Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award (PECFA) reimbursement. The grant or loan recipient must not have contributed to contamination, and there are no persons responsible for the contamination that are both subject to an environmental enforcement action and able to pay for the cleanup. There must be no federal enforcement action under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), obligation under the federal Oil Pollution Act (OPA), or use of federal leaking underground storage tank (LUST) funds at the site. The DNR can help make this determination.

The Ready for Reuse program will only be funding sites that are READY to begin cleanup activities, and have enough secured funding to finish the cleanup. The RR Program accepts applications for traditional hazardous substance grants and loans year-round. There is no application deadline. We recommend that anyone interested in applying for funding first discuss your project with DNR staff. Please contact Gena Larson to discuss your project. Loan and grant funds can be used for eligible costs incurred during the grant or loan agreement period for cleanup of contamination from hazardous substances or hazardous substances commingled with petroleum.

The Wisconsin Forest Landowner Grant Program (WFLGP) WFLGP program [PDF] is a cost share program offered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It is designed to assist woodland owners in protecting and enhancing their woodlands. This program reimburses woodland owners up to 50% of the cost of eligible practices. Grant amounts are based on the type of project and number of acres to be completed.

The goal of the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) is to help private landowners create and manage habitat for species that are rare or declining. The program provides management advice, assistance with management plans and cost share funding to individuals and organizations on private lands — with a focus on the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. The LIP is a cost-share program, and the DNR can reimburse a landowner for up to 75% of the cost for the on-the-ground practices that are involved in the management of the project

The surface water grant program provides cost sharing grants for surface water protection and restoration. Funding is available for education, ecological assessments, planning, implementation, and aquatic invasive species prevention and control. With many different projects eligible for grant funding, you can support surface water management at any stage: from organization capacity development to project implementation.

Equitable Energy Future Grant Program (Notice of Funding Opportunity 3054-2638): The Equitable Energy Future Grant Program, administered by the Commerce And Econ Opp agency, aims to provide seed funding and pre-development funding opportunities to eligible contractors for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in historically disadvantaged communities. The program is designed to remove barriers caused by lack of capital and promote project, community, and business development. The anticipated number of awards is 40, with an estimated total program funding of $25,500,000. The award range is between $250,000 and $1,000,000. The source of funding is the state government of Illinois. There are no cost-sharing or matching requirements, but indirect costs are not allowed. The application period is from November 16, 2023, to June 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM. Technical assistance sessions are offered on November 30, 2023 at 12:00 PM and registration can be done through a provided link. Applicants must be pre-qualified entities registered in the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal. For more information on eligibility criteria and application requirements, please visit the grant application link provided in the description above.

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.

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.

The DNR and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) offer cost share funding grants to governmental units working with owners and operators of livestock operations to meet pollution control requirements imposed by the DNR. ELIGIBLE PROJECTS Eligible projects are those designed to implement best management practices (BMPs) for improving water quality impaired by pollution discharges at an animal feeding operation satisfying the conditions of the NOD or NOI. INELIGIBLE PROJECTS Ineligible projects are those that address previously in-compliance facilities, were included in a previous offer of cost-sharing, cover routine maintenance and operation of BMPs, or cover a significant expansion of the livestock operation.