Vermont Watershed Grants

Vermonters have an opportunity to protect and restore watersheds through the Vermont Watershed Grants Program. Half of the proceeds derived from the sale of the Vermont Conservation License Plate go towards funding the Vermont Watershed Grants Program.

The Program is co-administered by DEC and the Department of Fish and Wildlife; and it distributes grant dollars for noteworthy local and regional water-related projects within Vermont. The other half of proceeds derived from the Conservation License Plate go towards helping the Vermont Non-Game and Natural Heritage Program.

If you’re interested, you can join their new mailing list to receive future announcements about the Watershed Grants Program. When you sign up to register, simply select “Watershed Grant Program announcements.”

Grant funds are available for water-related projects that:

• Protect or restore fish and wildlife habitats
• Protect or restore water quality, and shorelines;
• Reduce phosphorus loading and/or sedimentation as part of DEC’s Clean Water Initiative objectives;
• Enhance recreational use and enjoyment;
• Identify and protect historic and cultural resources;
• Educate people about watershed resources; or
• Monitor fish and wildlife populations and/or water quality.

Who May Apply

Municipalities, local or regional governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and citizen groups are eligible to receive Watershed Grants for work on public or private lands. Individuals and state and federal agencies are not eligible to receive funds directly, but may be partners of a project.

• 1998-2006 List of Funded Watershed Grant Projects
• 2007-2012 List of Funded Watershed Grant Projects

Funding Categories

Watershed Grant:

Awards made up to $10,000, depending on project category type. Category types and the maximum grant amount for each project category type are as follows:

– Education and outreach – up to $5,000
– Planning, assessment, inventory, monitoring – up to $3,500
– On-the-ground implementation – up to $10,000

Watershed Grants Program dollars are intended for complete projects or for discreet, identifiable portions of larger projects.

Application Information

Grant awards are made on an annual cycle, with applications due in the fall of the year and funding decisions made the following mid-winter.

The 2017 Project Year grant application deadline is December 2, 2016. Persons interested in applying should consult and use the 2017 project year forms shown below.

• Vermont Watershed Grants Application Guide (2017 project year)
• Watershed Grant Application (2017 project year)
• Watershed Grant Application (2017 project year) – Word version
• Standard State Insurance Requirements for Grantees
• Conservation License Plate logo

A copy of the Grant Application Guide and the Grant Application may also be requested by contacting the Watershed Management Division.

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