Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (United States)

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) delivers conservation solutions so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world. NRCS provides leadership and funding to ensure that all programs and services are made accessible to all customers, fairly and equitably, with emphasis on reaching historically underserved farmers and ranchers and Native American tribal governments and organizations. NRCS is committed to advancing equity, justice, and equal opportunity to ensure equitable access to programs and services available on private agricultural and forest lands.

Purchasing credits from a wetland mitigation bank provides a legal mechanism for agricultural producers to maintain their eligibility for USDA program benefits if they convert agricultural wetlands. A producer may offset the loss of wetland acres and functions resulting from conversion activity by restoring, enhancing, or creating wetland functions and values on a different site. Through a mitigation bank, producers can purchase offsetting wetland credits generated from previously drained (prior to 1985) wetlands that have been restored and approved for wetland mitigation.

NRCS is committed to the success of all of the nation’s producers, businesses, and partners. Some of their nation’s producers belong to communities which have been or are marginalized in ways that have reduced their ability to farm and ranch successfully – despite the vital role that they have played in securing a healthy agricultural economy for the country and protecting, enhancing, and sustaining the valuable natural resources. NRCS encourages proposal submissions from entities that represent, are partnered with, or are composed entirely of producers belonging to such communities.

Priorities

• WMBP supports establishing and developing wetland mitigation banks to create credits for USDA program participants. WMBP awardees work with the NRCS to develop a mitigation banking instrument that provides details for developing, establishing, and operating a mitigation banking program. Mitigation banking instruments are developed with technical oversight from national and state NRCS staff and are subject to NRCS approval. Awardees must ensure the following wetland types receive priority for mitigation under the NRCS WMBP (note that the wetland designation labels are used by NRCS for implementing the wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985):
  • Farmed Wetland (FW)
  • Farmed Wetland Pasture (FWP)
  • Wetland (W) less than 5 acres in size that is predominantly bordered by land that has been cropped 8 of the past 10 years when the wetland is designated as degraded according to a functional assessment tool approved by NRCS.
  • Converted Wetland (CW) that, prior to conversion, qualified under one of the types above, as determined by NRCS staff.
• Proposed projects must be performed in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).
• This is a program covered by the Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, water and wastewater infrastructure, and other covered investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Funding Information

• The Federal funding agency expects to award approximately $7 million through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.
• The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $100,000 and the estimated funding ceiling is $1 million.
• Projects may be between 1 and 4 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of February 2025.

Eligible Funding

• WMBP funding can be used to develop and establish a wetland mitigation bank only for use by agricultural producers. Agricultural wetlands that have previously been converted or manipulated are ideal candidates for mitigation bank development under this program. Eligible entities must operate and manage all aspects of the wetland mitigation bank with technical oversight by NRCS.
• Federal funds awarded under this program may be used for:
  • developing the mitigation banking instrument;
  • identifying suitable mitigation sites and performing functional assessments to determine the available credits and a credit release schedule;
  • conducting market research and contracting for mitigation activities;
  • performing land surveys, permitting, and title searches;
  • designing and formulating mitigation plans;
  • restoring, enhancing, or creating wetland mitigation bank sites in accordance with NRCS conservation practice standards;
  • tracking and managing wetland mitigation data;
  • funding direct administrative costs associated with implementing the project; and
  • funding the indirect costs of the awardee.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants and applications must meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline to be considered for award. Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing program statute. Neither foreign entities nor individuals are eligible to apply for this opportunity.
• Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following entity types:
  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education
  • Small businesses
  • Special district governments
  • State governments

For more information, visit Grants.gov.