Watershed protection & restoration grants

Puget Sound is one of 28 estuaries of national significance as designated by the National Estuary Program (NEP). Under this program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) receives federal funding to support local efforts to protect and restore Puget Sound. These funds are used for financial assistance to state, local, and tribal governments for their efforts to implement the Puget Sound Action Agenda.

In January 2011, EPA selected the Washington departments of Ecology and Commerce to receive a grant for watershed protection and restoration. This established a six-year grant program under which the state agencies receive annual allotments from EPA and pass through a large part of the funding as sub awards to other entities such as local governments.

Our primary goal is to protect and restore ecosystem processes, structures, and functions, within a watershed context. This program has received a total of approximately $23.9 million.

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Funding cycle

Amount of funding available: Not applicable
Funding allocated:
Grant award limit: Not applicable
Amount of matching funds required: Not applicable

Applications are not being accepted at this time.

Funding is available for the following entities:

In January 2011, EPA selected the Washington departments of Ecology and Commerce to receive a grant for watershed protection and restoration.This established a six-year grant program under which the state agencies receive annual allotments from EPA and pass through a large part of the funding as sub awards to other entities such as local governments.

With this funding, Ecology and Commerce are coordinating a six-year implementation strategy to protect and restore watersheds that drain into Puget Sound. This strategy is based on working in partnership with local and tribal governments and other regional entities to implement practical solutions that advance the priorities of the Puget Sound Action Agenda toward achieving the ecosystem recovery targets set by the Puget Sound Partnership.

We are funding projects across three main areas:

Improving land use
Improving stormwater management
Strategies for riparian and floodplain protection and restoration.

Learn more about the projects that received awards under this NEP grant

More information about this funding program

Original 2015 Funding Guidelines

2018 Funding Program Guidelines Addendum
Ecology issued an addendum to the 2015 solicitation for grants under the NEP Watershed Protection and Restoration Grant Program.The grant opportunity outlined in the original 2015 solicitation was a multi-phased approach to investing in the development of reach-scale strategies and implementation of protection and associated restoration projects for riparian zones in agricultural landscapes of the Puget Sound basin.

In our 2015 funding guidelines, we stated that “Ecology may choose to increase select awards for high quality reach-scale implementation plans and acquisition opportunities.” The 2018 addendum to the grant guidelines describes our process for allocating additional implementation funds under this solicitation.

Contact information

Heather Bush
Project Lead
heather.bush@ecy.wa.gov
425-649-4451

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