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Financial Resources For Watersheds :: Water Quality Grants, Cost Shares, & Loans

Grant/Loan Website	Activities	Match Required	Eligibility
General Projects
NonPoint Source Section 319 (Incremental) - USEPA/NCDENR	Development or implementation of TMDL or Watershed Restoration Plan	40% of Total Award	State and Local Governments Intra and Inter - State Agencies, Nonprofit's, Educational Institutions
Clean Water Management Trust Fund - NCDENR	Protect and/or restore surface water, add to riparian buffers	Varies	State Agencies, Local Governments, Nonprofit's
Planning Grant 205j - USEPA/NCDENR	Water quality management and planning	Optional Match	Regional Councils of Governments
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation	Improve, restore, protect water quality, ensure access to all waters		501(c) 3 Organizations
State Revolving Fund - USEPA/NCDENR	Projects associated with estuary and NonPoint Source Programs	NA	Local Governments
Cooperative Water Program - USGS	Jointly funds water resources projects	Varies	Non-Federal Agencies
NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) - NCDENR	Conduct watershed assessment, planning, and restoration implementation. EEP offers many benefits to landowners interested in protecting and restoring wetlands, streams and riparian areas on their property, and may pay up to 100 percent of the costs of restoration.	NA	Public and Private Entities
Conservation Community Cost Share Program - NCDENR-DSWC	Funds non-agricultural management measures	Up to 75% Cost Share	Citizens
Water Resources Development Project Grants – NCDENR-DWR	Funds general and recreational navigation, water management, stream restoration, beach protection, land acquisition and facility development for water based recreation, and aquatic weed control.	Cost share varies depending on project type	Local government
Agriculture
Conservation Reserve Program - USDA - NRCS	Convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover	Cost Sharing	Farmers, Ranchers
Environmental Quality Incentives Program - USDA - NRCS	Technical and financial assistance to install or implement structural and/or management practices on eligible agricultural land	Up to 75% Cost Share	Farmers, Ranchers
Conservation Reserve Enhancement - NCDENR - DSWC	Seeks to protect land along water sources that is in agricultural production	Cost Share 75% - 100%	Landowners of agricultural land in Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Chowan River Basins and Jordan Lake watershed
Agriculture Cost Share Program - NCDENR - DSWC	Funds agricultural management measures	10-25%	Farmers
Farm Bill Programs (other)	Funds agricultural management and grassland, wetlands and wildlife preserve programs	Varies	Farmers, Ranchers
Coastal
Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative NACo, NOAA	County-led or supported projects - wetland, riparian, costal habitat restoration	1:1	NACo Coastal Member Counties
Restoration
Army Corps of Engineers - Section 206 Aquatic Restoration Grants	Aquatic ecosystem restoration and protection projects	35%	Non-federal public agencies
North Carolina State Parks - Parks and Recreation Trust Fund	-65% State park land acquisition and capital improvements -30% Local government park and recreation purposes -5% Beach access	1:1 for local governments	State and local governments
Wastewater Infrastructure
NC Clean Water State Revolving Fund - USEPA - NCDENR	Congress provides states with grant funds to establish revolving load pro grams to assist funding of wastewater treatment facilities and estuary and nonpoint programs.	NA	Local Government
Rural Center - Clean Water Partners Infrastructure Program	Planning, Design, and Construction for water and wastewater infrastructure	Varies	Local Government in rural counties including water/sewer districts and authorities
Wetlands
Wetland Protection Development Grant USEPC	-Develop comprehensive monitoring and assessment programs. -Improve compensatory mitigation effectiveness -Refurbish wetland, aquatic resources, protection	25%	States, tribes, local gov'ts interstate association, non governmental organizations, (NGOs), intertribal consortia, nonprofit's
Wildlife
Partners for Fish and Wildlife - USFWC	-Technical and financial assistance to landowners to restore and enhance fish and wildlife habitats on their property. -Projects must benefits migratory birds, T & E species, anadromous, or migratory fish.	30% - 60%	Private Landowners, businesses, NGOs, nonprofit's, schools
Private Steward Grants Program - USFW	Conservation efforts that benefit federally listed proposed, candidate, or other at-risk species	10%	Individuals, groups in local, private, volunteer conservation efforts that benefit fed listed, proposed or candidate species

USEPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency

NCDENR – North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources

USGS – United States Geological Survey

EEP –Ecosystem Enhancement Program

USFWS – United States Fish and Wildlife Service

DSW – Division of Soil and Water

USDA –NRCS – United States Department of Agriculture –Natural Resources Conservation Service

NACo – National Association of Counties

NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

USFWS – United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Some examples of more general financial resource tools:

1. Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection (http://cfpub.epa.gov/fedfund/). This searchable database will generate a list of numerous grants and/or loans that meet certain criteria.

2. A State and Local Government Guide to Environmental Program Funding Alternatives (http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/MMGI/funding.html). This website does not list specific financial resources, but answer questions such as What are grants, bonds, taxes, etc.???

3. Capacity Building Resources – Funding (http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/capacity/funding.htm). This website offers grant writing assistance as well as lists of public and private funding programs.

4. A Guidebook of Financial Tools (http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/guidebook/guidebooktp.htm)

Last Updated January 29, 2009