Grants and Funding Opportunities

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support. Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or more of the following: wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat restoration; wildlife conservation, community tree canopy enhancement, wildlife habitat, urban agriculture and community gardens, wildlife and water quality monitoring and green infrastructure best management practices for managing run-off.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation expects that applicants will represent a mixture of urban and rural communities and that more than half of projects awarded will engage underserved communities. Grants for this program are available nationwide, but additional funding is available in the Seattle area, as well as Lewis and Thurston counties in Washington. Awards range from $30,000 to $60,000.

• Apply

The EPA has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity: EPA-R10-WD-TWG-2025-01 for entities interested in conducting planning, coordination, and monitoring activities in transboundary watersheds with existing or proposed mines in the Province of British Columbia that impact (or could impact) U.S. waters. Under this announcement, EPA will have three separate applicant tracks for eligible applicants to choose from.

• Track One is for development of transboundary watershed programs that address potential impacts from existing or proposed mining activities in B.C. in the Kootenai watershed in the state and/or Tribal territories within Idaho and Montana.
• Track Two is for development of transboundary watershed programs that address potential impacts from existing or proposed mining activities in B.C. in transboundary watersheds in the state of and/or Tribal territories within Washington.
• Track Three is for development of transboundary watershed programs that address potential impacts from existing or proposed mining activities in B.C. in transboundary watersheds in the state of and/or Tribal territories within Alaska.

The funds for this action are authorized under Public Law 118 HR 4366 which will be issued from the Office of International and Tribal Affairs. Through PL-118 HR 4366, Congress specifically directs EPA to “continue and expand its work coordinating with Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies to monitor and reduce transboundary mining pollution in the Kootenai watershed and other U.S.- British Columbia transboundary watersheds”.

Eligible Applicants: State, Tribal, and local government entities

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R10-WD-TWG-2025-01

Assistance Listing Number: 66.436

Total Available Funds: $1,800,000

Minimum Application Amount: $50,000

Maximum Application Amount: $600,000

Project Length: 1 to 6 years

Number of Awards Anticipated: 2 to 3 Awards per Track. Up to 10 Awards Total

The EPA will host a virtual informational webinar for prospective applicants on December 3^rd from 10:00-11:30 AM Pacific. EPA staff will provide an overview of the NOFO and answer frequently asked questions. The webinar will be recorded and made available upon request.

All applicationsmust be received by electronic submission through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern on January 17, 2025.

More information, including how to join the webinar, can be found on our website at Transboundary Watershed Grant Program I EPA.

Please help us get the word out by sharing this announcement with your networks!

Transboundary Watershed Program

Environmental Protection Agency

Point of Contact: Tyler Chatriand. Email: chatriand.tyler@epa.gov

This funding opportunity will help accelerate biodiversity conservation, fueled with NASA information about the Earth as a system. The NASA Earth Science Division seeks proposals for projects that apply Earth observations to improve or develop decision-making activities in ecological conservation and management. Any area of ecological conservation is welcome (e.g., invasive species, protected area management, fisheries or wildlife management, habitat restoration, ecosystem services, rewilding, biodiversity protection). The awards will support feasibility activities to support new collaboration and engagement, and decisional activities to help scale efforts that show promise.

Notices of intent may be submitted by February 14, 2025. Applications are due by March 14. See page 16 of the solicitation for information on funding amounts and project periods.

• Apply

On January 13, NASA will host an informational webinar: Register

EPA’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox (CRAFT) contains resources to help EPA’s funding applicants and recipients make climate-informed investments. CRAFT includes overviews of EPA funding programs where climate resilience considerations might be incorporated, climate risk tools and resources to evaluate and consider climate change risks, and communication materials to facilitate meaningful discussions about adaptation, resilience and environmental justice.  

• A presentation about the toolbox is attached. 

Funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Program will support federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and Tribal organizations in implementing fish passage work and building Tribal organizational capacity.  NOAA will accept proposals between $300,000 and $6 million. Funds can be used to implement removals of dams and other in-stream barriers. Selected projects will assist in sustaining fisheries and contributing to the recovery of endangered species.

• Apply

NOAA will host a webinar on December 12 to discuss this funding opportunity for Tribes.

• Register for the webinar.        

EPA has released the GAP Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for work beginning on or after October 1, 2025. The NOFA is comprised of the national notice and the Region 10 supplement. Submit proposals by email to your EPA Tribal Coordinator.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Community Power Accelerator connects community-benefiting solar projects and developers (including community-based organizations) with philanthropists, lenders, and investors to drive a more equitable clean energy transition. The Accelerator offers five free services to connect developers and projects with capital providers, training opportunities, technical assistance, a credit-ready checklist, and the DOE Community Power Accelerator Prize.

The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. The Partnership’s Puget Sound Recovery Acceleration Funding Tool (PS RAFT) collects information about national, state, and regional funding opportunities. 

Developed in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and community allies, this program is a direct response to the need for equitable, community-centered transportation solutions. Applicants must serve overburdened communities, vulnerable populations, and people disproportionately impacted by transportation inequities, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Grant funds must be used for low-carbon transportation improvements that benefit environmental justice communities in Washington State.

• Apply

This outreach of interest from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) aims to cultivate relationships and connect with potential partners. USFS is interested in USDA Forest Service is interested in potential partnerships to help collect, map, develop, monitor, and restore native plants on national forest lands. Your submission signals an opportunity for USDA Forest Service to explore with you your ideas/projects/programs and federal funding opportunities. USFS is also interested in engaging and educating community members, youth, veterans, tribes, students, underserved communities, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs. Both partners would benefit through the sharing of knowledge, input to revegetation programs and priorities on national forest lands, and hands-on knowledge identifying, handling, and processing native plant materials, and/or monitoring and documenting native plant revegetation success.

• Apply

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations, to 1) conduct clean energy planning; (2) comprehensively assess the feasibility and viability of deploying clean energy technology; or, (3) conduct clean energy design and development activities.

• Apply

DOE will host a webinar on October 24 to discuss this funding opportunity.

• Register