Massachusetts Coastal Resilience Grants
Info session: Thursday, March 16, 11:00 a.m.
These grants provide funding to reduce risks associated with coastal storms, flooding, erosion, and sea level rise through innovative and transferable local projects. Learn more. Contact Patricia Bowie to register for the info session and / or to receive an email when the RFR is posted.
Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund (MPPF) Grants
Application deadline: Friday, March 17
Administered by the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), the MPPF is a state-funded 50% matching grant reimbursement program to support the preservation of properties, landscapes, and sites listed in the State Register of Historic Places. Applicants must be a municipality or nonprofit organization. Learn more and apply.
Forest Legacy Program Funding
Info session: Tuesday, March 21, 2 p.m.
During this call the Forest Service will share the latest plans for implementation of the $700 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding for the Forest Legacy Program and seek partner feedback to inform the planning process. Register.
EPA Grants Available for Wetlands Protection
Application deadline: Monday, March 27
National Wetland Program Development Grants help recipients increase the quantity and quality of wetlands in the United States by conserving and restoring wetland acreage and improving wetland conditions. Eligible projects include those that develop or refine state, tribal, territory, or local government wetland programs as a whole, or individual components of those programs. Applications must address the National Priority Area listed in the announcement. Learn more.
U.S. Forest Service Community Forest & Open Space Conservation Program
Application deadline: Friday, March 31
These grants help recipients establish community forests through the fee acquisition of private forest land from a willing seller. Interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit applications to the State Forester. Tribal applicants must submit applications to the appropriate Tribal government officials. Learn more. For questions about the application process, or to discuss a potential project, contact Neal Bungard.
Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grants
Application deadline: Friday, March 31
For Massachusetts local government units interested in replacing an undersized, perched, and/or degraded culvert located in an area of high ecological value. Funding is to encourage applicants to replace aging culverts with better designed crossings that meet improved structural and environmental design standards and flood resiliency criteria. Learn more.
Stewardship Assistance and Restoration on APRs (SARA) Grants
Application deadline: Friday, April 7, 2:00 p.m.
SARA grants provide funding to help address stewardship issues and restore active commercial farming on APR (Agricultural Preservation Restriction) land. Up to $35,000 is available on a cost reimbursement basis with a 15% match of total project costs required by the farm participant. Learn more.
National Coastal Resilience Fund Grants
Application deadline: Wednesday, April 12
These grants provide funding to create and restore natural systems to increase protection for communities from current and future coastal hazards, and improve habitats for fish and wildlife species. Learn more.
Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program
Application deadline: Friday, April 14
These grants provide financial assistance to help recipients build collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, academia, etc.) to develop solutions to environmental or public health issue(s) at the community level. Non-profit organizations are eligible. Learn more.
Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program
Application deadline: Friday, April 14
These grants provide funding at the state, local, territorial, and tribal level to support government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. Learn more.
Landscape Partnership Grants
Application deadline: Monday, April 17, 3:00 p.m.
These grants provide financial assistance to protect large blocks of conservation lands that promote ecological integrity and connectivity, and promote local farm and forest economies. Funding for park or playground development is also available to towns of less than 7,000 residents. Applications must be submitted jointly by partners representing a minimum of two eligible categories of applicant and must achieve protection for the minimum contiguous acreage identified in the bid document. Note the FY23 grant program includes a change to the minimum contiguous acreage required of eligible projects; minimum acreage ranges from 100-500 acres, depending upon the County in which the project is located. Learn more.
America the Beautiful Challenge Grants
Pre-proposal deadline: Thursday, April 20
These grants support landscape-level proposals that address conservation and public access needs such as cumulative benefits to fish and wildlife; enhanced carbon sequestration and storage; benefits to and engagement with underserved communities; and protection of ecosystems through resilience-focused and nature-based solutions. Learn more.
Construction Loans for Dam and Seawall Repair or Removal
Application deadline: Friday, April 28
This program provides loans for projects that repair or remove dams, levees, seawalls, and other forms of inland and coastal flood control. Projects that maximize restoration of natural systems are encouraged. Projects that minimize or eliminate the use of hard infrastructure are eligible for a zero-percent interest rate. Learn more.
MVP 2.0 Pilot Program
This program will provide communities with guaranteed upfront funding to: include a more diverse array of community members in climate resilience planning and action; receive virtual training on climate resilience best practices, equity, and environmental justice; reset priorities in their current MVP plans based on this new knowledge and engagement; and receive technical assistance and guaranteed funding to develop and implement an action project. Any community that has gone through the original MVP planning process is eligible to apply. Applications are expected to be released in April 2023. To discuss interest in the program, contact your MVP Regional Coordinator.
LAND and PARC Grant Programs
In-person info session: Thursday, May 4, 11:00 a.m., MassWildlife Headquarters, Westborough
Remote info session: Tuesday, May 9, 2:00 p.m.
Application deadline: Thursday, July 13
The LAND grant program is for municipal conservation commissions looking to protect conservation land. The PARC grant program is for municipalities looking to acquire parkland, renovate an existing park, and develop a new park. Contact Vanessa Farny to register for either LAND info session. Contact Melissa Cryan to register for either PARC info session. Learn more.
Conservation Assistance for Small Communities Grants
Application deadline: Friday, May 5
These grants provide funding for towns with 7,000 people or fewer for the preparation of real property appraisals, Open Space & Recreation Plans (OSRPs), and other planning in support of land conservation and recreation. Learn more and apply.
Conservation Partnership Grants
Application deadline: Monday, July 17
These grants are for 501(c)(3) organizations looking for assistance in acquiring land in fee or a conservation restriction, as well as assistance with due diligence costs associated with gifts. Learn more. Contact Melissa Cryan with questions.