Surface water grants can help with preservations
More than $6 million will be awarded to local groups to protect and improve surface water. Lake groups, river groups, local governments, non-profit organizations and producer-led groups are encouraged to apply for a grant.
Interested organizations should submit a pre-application by Sept. 15, to ensure they are eligible to compete for a grant in November.
The DNR’s Surface Water Grants Program leverages money from the water resources account of the state conservation fund, to help local communities accelerate water protection and restoration efforts across Wisconsin. The funding can be used to support a wide range of locally driven projects that invest in watersheds and surface water bodies.
Activities eligible for funding include organizational capacity building; educational programs on surface water; data collection and ecological assessments; lake and river management planning; water quality improvement; projects that restore aquatic habitat; aquatic invasive species prevention and control; and conservation easements and land acquisition.
Wisconsin Legislature 2023 Wisconsin Act 5, amended lake and river protection grant statutes to explicitly designate producer-led groups, or a legal entity acting on their behalf, as eligible applicants to receive surface water grants.
A producer-led group is a group of five farmers and a collaborator (UW-Extension, DNR, county or non-profit conservation organization), who have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). If the group is not incorporated, the collaborator may serve as the applicant/fiscal sponsor.
Individuals are not eligible for grants (with few exceptions), but may partner with an organization that is willing to sponsor a project.
The amount of funding available varies by project. For example, education projects are eligible for up to $5,000 in state support, while comprehensive planning grants are available for up to $25,000 and larger management plan implementation grants can provide up to $200,000, per project.
Grants operate on a reimbursement basis and require matching funds from 25-33 percent of the project cost.
Pre-application forms can be found under the “applying” tab at dnr.wisconsin.gov. Email the form to DNRSurfaceWaterGrants@ Wisconsin.gov.
