EPA Awards $2.4M to Mid-Atlantic States to Support Wetlands Programs

EPA Awards $2.4M to Mid-Atlantic States to Support Wetlands Programs

Grants fund projects that target water pollution

August 8, 2024

Awarded every two years, WPDGs are used to build and refine comprehensive wetland programs, with priority givento funding projects that address monitoring and assessment, voluntary restoration and protection, regulatory approaches, or wetland-specific water quality standards.

"Wetlands are central to the well-being of our mid-Atlantic states. To protect wetlands is to improve the health and economic viability of communities," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. "The Biden-Harris Administration has deployed historic resources to safeguard our rivers, wetlands, and lakes, and these grants are just another example of our commitment to water quality and to our state partners and local organizations who are doing work on the ground."

The District of Columbia's Department of Energy and Environment (DCDOEE) received $127,575 for their project "Improving Wetland Restoration and Protection in DC Through Enhanced Mapping, Outreach, And Regulatory Guidance." The initiative consists of three main objectives: 1) enhance wetland mapping and monitoring, 2) build wetland program outreach and education capacity, and 3) publish a wetland and stream regulatory guidance document. The outputs of the project will include a public website with updated interactive mapping.

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) received two grants. One $439,207 grant has been awarded to support MDE's "Enhanced Environmental Screening, Review, and Protection of High Quality Nontidal Wetland and Waters" project. These funds will enable MDE to improve regulatory project review and public access to data resources, environmental justice, and climate change information. The second grant award of $449,295 will support a separate project entitled "Tidal Living Shorelines and Shore Erosions Control Water Quality Improvement Models, Hazard Reduction, and Design Guidance." This project will focus on development of tools to: (1) improve shore erosion control practices with a focus on living shorelines, (2) identify disadvantaged or vulnerable communities in relation to wetland and water resources, (3) predict effects of climate change on water resources and their benefits to disadvantaged or vulnerable communities, and (4) test products in selected communities. The outputs of the project will include updated design guidance for living shorelines, a modeling tool, a benefits calculator, and educational materials for the public.

The University of Delaware (UD) received $319,382 for their project "Is Climate Change and Road Salt Salinization Undermining Nitrogen Removal by Freshwater Urban/Suburban Wetlands?" With this funding, UD will investigate how the coupled effects of extreme climate events and road salt salinization may be undermining the ability of urban and suburban freshwater wetlands to filter and remove nitrogen from runoff. The outputs of the project will include assessment criteria and guidance on how road salts affect the nitrogen filtering ability of wetlands, and related training, tools, and education materials.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) received $525,147 for their project "Enhancing Wetland Management in Virginia: Tools and Community Engagement." The purpose of this project is to facilitate coordination across all levels of government, educate the public, and provide protection for high-value aquatic resources. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) will receive a sub-award through this project funding. The outputs of the project will include an interactive web map displaying living shoreline projects, wetland stressor checklist, new data layers in the WetCATmapping tool, and staff training.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) received $224,491 for their project "Resilient Wetlands: Science to Enhance Understanding and Support Decision Making." This project will develop strategies to improve VIMS' understanding and strengthen the sustainability of Virginia's coastal wetlands to climate change impacts and human decision making. The outputs of the project will include an updated Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), living shoreline monitoring data dashboard, conference presentations of results, literature review on wetland loss associated with dam removal, and new data layers incorporated into WetCAT.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) received $314,903 for their project "Building Increased Capacity for Wetland Conservation in West Virginia." The purpose of this project is to build the capacity of the WVDEP wetland program through planning, monitoring, support for new regulations, and training. The outputs of the project will include an updated state Wetland Program Plan, establishment of wetland baseline conditions, a regulatory rollout of a new wetland functional assessment, training videos for field techniques, and wetland condition maps.

Wetland Program Development Grants

WPDGs provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct projects that promote the coordination and acceleration of research and training relating to the protection and restoration of wetlands, including the prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are typically announced in the spring every two years. State and Tribal wetland programs, state universities, and other state organizations are eligible to submit applications. Grants are competitive and funded under the authority of Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act with a required 25% sharing non-federal contribution.

Enhancing State and Tribal Programs (ESTP) Initiative

The Enhancing State and Tribal Programs (ESTP) Initiative is built upon a framework of four core elements that are the foundation of a state or tribal wetlands management and protection plan. The Core Elements Framework (CEF) were designed to help states and tribes develop Wetland Program Plans (WPP).