State, Tribal and Local Initiatives

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• State/Tribal Wetland Program General Information
• Financial Assistance
• State/Tribal Regulatory Program
• State/Tribal Watershed Planning
• Local Initiatives
• State, Tribal, and Local Partners

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States and Tribes play a critical role in the protection and management of our Nation's wetlands. Most States and many Tribes have increased their roles in wetlands protection and management by adopting any of a number of wetlands programs or tools. Components of comprehensive wetlands programs which various States and Tribes have adopted include:

• assuming the federal Clean Water Act Section 404 permit program or obtaining State Program General Permits from the Corps of Engineers
• undertaking comprehensive State Wetland Conservation Plans which identify strengths and needs in a state's program, and often develop the framework for a state's wetlands program
• developing narrative wetland water quality standards
• applying the Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification program
• adopting non-regulatory programs such as watershed/wetlands planning initiatives, taxation programs, acquisition programs, and others
• incorporating wetlands considerations into other state water programs.

State/Tribal Wetland Program General Information

• Enhanced State and Tribal Program (ESTP) Initiative

  The goal of the Enhancing State and Tribal Programs (ESTP) Initiative is to enhance EPA’s delivery of technical and financial support for state and tribal wetlands programs, with the goal of accelerating program development.
  Enhancing State and Tribal Wetland Programs Initiative | PDF Version (5 pp, 102K)

• State and Tribal Wetland Program Plans
  

  Wetland Program Plans (WPPs) are voluntary plans developed and implemented by state agencies and tribes which articulate what these entities want to accomplish with their wetland programs over time. WPPs describe overall program goals along with broad-based actions and more specific activities that will help achieve the goals. Please go to EPA's Wetland Program Page to peruse EPA-approved Wetland Program Plans.

• Analysis of Core Components of State Wetland Programs

  The Environmental Law Institute, with grant funding from the EPA, has conducted a multi-phased study designed to describe and analyze seven components of state wetland programs: state laws, regulations, and programs; monitoring and assessment; restoration programs and activities; water quality standards; public-private partnerships; coordination among state and federal agencies; and education and outreach activities. Each phase of the study examines a cross-section of states representing various approaches to wetland protection and regulation, as well as geographic diversity.

  Phase I report : Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington

  Phase II report : Florida, Hawaii, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin

  Phase III report : Alabama, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming

  Phase IV report : Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi,Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Tennessee

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Financial Assistance

• State/Tribal/Local Wetlands Grant Program

  Since 1990, this Federal grants program has supported State, Tribal, and local efforts to protect wetlands by providing funds to enhance existing programs or develop new programs.

  Wetland Grants Database - The Wetland Grant Database (WGD) houses grant data for Wetland Program Development Grants (created by EPA in 1990 under the Clean Water Act Section 104(b)(3) authority), as well as for a three-year demonstration pilot program (the "Pilot Grants"), for which a portion of the national grant appropriation could be used for program implementation. The WGD also houses grant Case Study narratives, and Model Products created by the grant program.

  The data entered into the WGD allows EPA to track grant-funded activities, prospective grantees to learn from what past grantees have accomplished, and the public to read about grant-funded activities.

  Wetland Program Development Grants - Funding History

  Wetland Program Development Grant Highlights

  Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDG) Guidelines - specifics on eligibility, requirements, and priorities for the Wetlands Program Development Grants. [US EPA Headquarters and Regional Offices]

  Wetland Program Development Grant (WPDG) Case Studies This document highlights successful use of WPDGs in building one or more elements of a wetlands protection program and serves as an example to others who are striving to develop comprehensive programs.

  Wetland Program Development Grants: Building State and Tribal Capacity to Protect Wetlands (PDF)  (2 pp, 3.1MB) - This brochure highlights just a few examples of the progress being made by states and tribes through the use of the Wetland Program Development Grant funds.

  
  
• 5 Star Restoration Program
• State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Wetlands
• Other Wetland Grant Information
• Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection
• Sustainable Financing for State and Tribal Wetland Programs 

  Many state and tribal wetland programs today are not able to meet all of their program goals because of insufficient or inconsistent funding. This is true both for small, emerging programs and larger, well-established programs.

  The purpose of EPA's sustainable finance project is to help state and tribal wetlands programs develop a stable and appropriate financing model to better meet their goals. This website provides information to help states and tribes think about how to go about financing their wetland programs, including an introductory webinar on financing wetland programs held on October 15, 2008.

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State/Tribal Regulatory Program

• State Programmatic General Permits (SPGP)
• Increasing State, Tribal, and Regional Roles in Wetlands Protection
• State Programmatic General Permits are authorized under Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1344(e)).
• State/Tribal Assumption of Section 404 Program
• Overview of Section 404 Assumption - explains how States and Tribes can take a more active role in administering the Section 404 program.
• Text of State Program Regulations, 40 CFR 233 (PDF) (42 pp, 98K) - specifies the procedures and criteria used by EPA in assessing State assumption of section 404 programs.
• Links to approved program MOAs
• Michigan: MOA with EPA (1983) (9 pp, 245K, About PDF), MOA with EPA Update (2011) (7 pp, 308K, About PDF), MOA with Army Corps of Engineers (7 pp, 2,157K, About PDF)
• New Jersey: MOA with EPA (10 pp, 2230K, About PDF), MOA with Army Corps of Engineers (5 pp, 765K, About PDF), Endangered Species Act MOA with EPA and USFWS (10 pp, 2,262K, About PDF)
• Text of Tribal Assumption Regulations (PDF) (7 pp, 18K) - (40 CFR, Part 233, Subpart G) regulations that specify the procedures and criteria used by EPA in assessing Tribal assumption of section 404 programs.
• Call for Nominations:  On March 16, 2015, the EPA published a notice inviting nominations of qualified candidates to serve on a federal advisory subcommittee under the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) to provide advice and recommendations on how the EPA can best clarify assumable waters for dredge and fill permit programs pursuant to the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404(g). This section pertains to state and tribal assumption of the CWA section 404 program. This subcommittee will be known as the "Assumable Waters" subcommittee under NACEPT. For information on how to nominate candidates please see the Federal Register Notice (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-16/pdf/2015-05925.pdf or http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-16/html/2015-05925.htm). Nominations must be emailed or postmarked no later than May 15,2015.

 

• State/Tribal Water Quality Standards
  
  
  • 401 Certification

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State/Tribal Watershed Planning

• State Wetlands Conservation Plans (SWCP) - A State Wetlands Conservation Plan or Strategy (SWCP) gives States a framework to protect, restore and create wetlands. It identifies gaps in wetlands protection programs and opportunities to make programs work better.

  • SWCP Overview
  • Why Develop a SWCP?
  
  
• Tribal Wetland Program Highlights - (EPA843-R-99-002). Eleven case studies are presented which highlight the experiences of tribal organizations and feature varying components of Tribal programs, including tools and strategies currently employed to protect and restore wetlands and watersheds.
• Increasing Flexibility in Alaska
  • Alaska Wetlands Initiative Summary
  • Alaska Wetlands Initiative (PDF) (46 pp, 382K) - 1994 package of recommendations responding to the needs of Alaskans that reflect the unique circumstances in that state.

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Local Initiatives

• Increasing Local Roles in Wetlands Protection
• Tools for Local Wetland Efforts
• Guidance on Developing Local Wetlands Projects - This document outlines brief case studies of three local wetland programs: King County (Seattle), Washington; Dade County (Miami), Florida; and Monroe County (Pocono Mountains), Pennsylvania. It identifies types of wetlands protection programs, the methods of implementation, successes and failures, and recommendations to local governments.
• Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) - is a "first-stop shop" providing environmental management, planning, and regulatory information for local government elected and appointed officials, managers and staff.
• Wetlands & the Forestry Community - The Environmental Protection Agency spearheaded the resolution of a long-standing silvicultural issue affecting forested wetlands in the Southeast, by adopting an innovative partnership approach, developed in coordination with forestry industry, environmental community, and State and Federal representatives.
• Wetlands & the Golf Community - Starting in 1995, the EPA Wetlands Division joined an existing initiative to find common ground between the golf industry and the environmental community, and to advance golf course environmental responsibility.

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State, Tribal, and Local Partners

Links to Web sites outside the U.S. EPA Web site are for the convenience of the user. The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector Web site, product, or service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at this location. These links are being provided consistent with the intended purpose of the EPA Web site.

State

Tribal

Tribal American Indian Environmental Office Tribal Contacts

Local

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