Financial and Technical Assistance
How can we fund a river restoration/protection project in our community?

The River Alliance assists interested citizens, citizen groups, local officials and others in finding the financial and technical support necessary to restore or protect their beloved river. The following resources have been compiled to help point you in the right direction. These listings should not be considered comprehensive and we strongly encourage you to independently research past removals and additional sources of funding. The removal of a dam often results from a combination of private, local, state, and/or federal funds and efforts.

To learn more about how dam removals have been funded in the past in Wisconsin CLICK HERE.

The list below summarizes helpful programs and links of public agencies and private organizations that provide financial and/or technical assistance. For more information regarding the following programs, such as eligibility and cost share requirements, download this pdf. INSERT LINK PDF: H:\RAW\Documents\Small Dam\webpage development\Complete Funding Source Info

Public Sources

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Program: County Conservation Aids
Purpose: To improve fish and wildlife management and fishing and hunting facilities.
Application Deadline: October 1st
Link: http://midwest.fws.gov/Partners/wisconsin.html

Program: Local Water Quality Management Planning Aids
Purpose: To develop and implement area wide water quality management planning activities
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/lwqag.html

Program: Nonpoint Pollution Abatement Program; Priority Watershed and Priority Lake Projects
Purpose: To fund long-term projects to limit or end sources of polluted runoff in designated priority watersheds and lakes.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/nps/watershed.htm

Program: Nonpoint Pollution Abatement Program; Targeted Runoff Management (TRM) Grants
Purpose: To fund short-term projects to limit or end sources of polluted runoff.
Application Deadline: April 15th
Link: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/nps/grants/npsprogram.html#trm

Program: Recreational Trails in Wisconsin
Purpose: To develop and maintain recreational trails for both motorized and non-motorized trails in Wisconsin.
Application Deadline: May 1st
Link: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/trails/council/

Program: River Protection Grants - Planning Grants
Purpose: To help river management organizations form and to increase their capacity to protect rivers.
Application Deadline: May 1st
Link: Regional Environmental Grant Specialist: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/rivers/index.htm; Guidelines and application: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/cfa/EF/forms/riverspub.pdf

Program: River Protection Grants - Management Grants
Purpose: To implement river protection and restoration projects.
Application Deadline: May 1st
Link: Regional Environmental Grant Specialist: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/rivers/index.htm; Guidelines and application: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/cfa/EF/forms/riverspub.pdf

Program: Stewardship Grants
Purpose: To expand opportunities for outdoor recreation, protect and restore wildlife habitat, preserve natural areas.
Application Deadline: February 21st
Link: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/cfa/lr/stewardship/stewardship.html

Program: Urban Forestry Assistance Grants
Purpose: To improve a community’s capacity to manage its trees.
Application Deadline: October 1st
Link: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/UF/grants/

Wisconsin Department of Commerce

Program: Community Development Block Grant Public Facilities for Economic Development
Purpose: To help underwrite the cost of municipal infrastructure necessary for business development that retains or creates employment opportunities.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/CD/cd-bcf-cdbg-pfed.html

United States Army Corp of Engineers

Program: Planning Assistance to States (Section 22) Program
Purpose: To develop plans for the development, utilization, and conservation of water and related land resources.
Application Deadline: October 1st
Link: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/Tables/usace.html

Program: Support for Others Program
Purpose: To provide technical support for projects including those related to environmental protection and restoration.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.usace.army.mil/who.html

Program: Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration (Section 206) Program
Purpose: To plan design and construct aquatic ecosystem restoration and protection projects.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/index.cfm?chn_id=1970

Program: Beneficial Use of Dredged Material
Purpose: To protect, restore and enhance using aquatic habitat using dredged material from federal navigation projects.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/index.cfm?chn_id=1970

United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service

Program: Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA)
Purpose: To plan and implement conservation systems to reduce erosion and upstream flooding; conserve and improve soil and water quality, wetlands, pasture, and woodlands.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cta/index.html

Program: Emergency Watershed Protection Program
Purpose: To restore watershed conditions after a natural disaster, such as a flood, hurricane, or tornado, has occurred.
Application Deadline: Soon after disaster
Link: www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/index.html

Program: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Purpose: To conserve soil, water, and related natural resources.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/

Program: Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Program
Purpose: To accelerate the conservation natural resources, improve the level of economic activity, and enhance the environmental and standard of living in RC&D areas.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/rcd/

Program: Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program
Purpose: To solve natural resource and related economic problems on a watershed basis; to protect watersheds from damage; to conserve water and land resources.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/watershed/index.html

Program: Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)
Purpose: To restore wetlands that were previously drained for agricultural production or that are degraded.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/

Program: Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
Purpose: To develop habitat for fish and wildlife on private lands.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/

United States Environmental Protection Agency

Program: Great Lakes Program
Purpose: To protect the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.
Application Deadline: March 31st
Link: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2003guid/index.html

United State Department of Fish and Wildlife

Program: Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
Purpose: To restore habitat; to demonstrate technology for restoration; to help the public understand conservation.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://midwest.fws.gov/Partners/wisconsin.html

Program: National Fish Passage Program
Purpose: To restore natural flows and fish migration by removing or by-passing barriers.
Application Deadline: September
Link: http://fisheries.fws.gov/FWSMA/FishPassage/FPPrgs/R3/Region3.htm

Program: Private Stewardship Grants
Purpose: To provide assistance to landowners who undertake voluntary actions to benefit imperiled species.
Application Deadline: January 15th
Link: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?ContentID=2426

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Program: Community-Based Restoration Program Partnership
Purpose: To provide restoration expertise and comprehensive restoration planning and implementation for coastal and marine habitats facing chronic problems.
Application Deadline: April 15th
Link: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/

Private Sources:

Organization: American Conservation Association
Purpose: To advance knowledge and understanding of conservation; to preserve the beauty of the landscape; and to educate the public in the proper use of such areas.
Application Deadline: March
Link: www.synergos.org/globalphilanthropy/organizations/aca.htm

Organization: Ben & Jerry’s
Purpose: To support grassroots organizations which facilitate progressive social change by addressing the underlying conditions of societal and environmental problems.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: www.benjerry.com/foundation/

Organization: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation- Bring Back the Natives
Purpose: Supports on-the-ground habitat restoration projects that benefit native aquatic species in their historic range.
Application Deadline: July and December
Link: http://www.nfwf.org/programs/unified_rfp_2003.htm

Organization: Compton Foundation
Purpose: To address concerns in the fields of Peace & World Order, Population, and the Environment.
Application Deadline: February 15th, September 15th
Link: www.comptonfoundation.org/priorities.html

Organization: Cudahy Fund
Purpose: The principle areas of interest are social service, youth, and education with some giving for the arts, public interest and environmental issues.
Application Deadline: January 5th, April 5th, July 5th, October 5th
Link: www.cudahyfund.org/

Organization: Ellinger
Purpose: Funds some environmental-related projects, send them a detailed letter including the amount requested.
Application Deadline: May 1st and October 1st
Contact: William T. Gaus - Pres. Albert J. & Flora H. Ellinger Foundation Inc. 1000 N. Water St., 13th Fl. Milwaukee, WI 53202; (414) 287-7177, Fax: (414) 287-7025

Organization: FishAmerica Foundation
Purpose: FishAmerica provides funding to enhance fish populations and water quality and advance applied fisheries research to increase the opportunity for sport fishing.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: http://asafishing.org/index.cfm

Organization: Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat
Purpose: To empower citizens to take action at the community level to protect and restore aquatic habitats throughout the Great Lakes Basin.
Application Deadline: March 31st, September 30th
Link: www.glhabitat.org/

Organization: Ittleson Foundation
Purpose: The Ittleson Foundation supports innovative pilot, model and demonstration projects that will help move individuals, communities, and organizations from environmental awareness to environmental activism by changing attitudes and behaviors.
Application Deadline: April 1st for Spring; September 1st for Fall
Link: www.ittlesonfoundation.org/

Organization: Joyce Foundation
Purpose: The Foundation supports the development, testing, and implementation of policy-based, prevention-oriented solutions to environmental challenges.
Application Deadline: August 14th, December 10th
Link: http://www.joycefdn.org/index.html

Organization: McKnight Foundation
Purpose: Maintain and where necessary restore a healthy, sustainable environment in the Mississippi River Basin.
Application Deadline: November 15, February 15, May 15, August 15
Link: www.mcknight.org/environment/

Organization: Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Purpose: The Greater Milwaukee Foundation helps people establish permanent charitable funds that serve people throughout Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties and beyond.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: www.greatermilwaukeefoundation.org/

Organization: Patagonia, Inc.
Purpose: They are most interested in making grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of problems and that approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. Funding focuses on organizations that build a strong base of citizen support.
Application Deadline: April 30th and August 31st
Link: http://www.patagonia.com/enviro/enviro_grants.shtml

Organization: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Purpose: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation supports the conservation of native fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats by attracting diverse investments to conservation and encouraging locally supported stewardship on private and public lands.
Application Deadline: Project Pre-Proposal- June 1st; Project Full Proposal- July 15th
Link: http://www.nfwf.org/programs/programs.htm

Organization: River Network
Purpose: To support the growth and sustainability of local watershed partnerships.
Application Deadline: Mid-July
Link: www.rivernetwork.org/howwecanhelp/howwag.cfm

Organization: Town Creek Foundation, Inc
Purpose: The Foundation supports programs that engage citizens in challenging the unsustainable use of natural resources and in protecting biological diversity.
Application Deadline: January 15th, May 15th, and September 15th
Link: www.towncreekfdn.org/tcfsite/tprotect.html

Organization: Trout Unlimited Embrace-A-Stream Program
Purpose: Embrace-A-Stream (EAS) is TU’s flagship grant program for hands-on fishery resource, research and education work by our chapters and councils.
Application Deadline: December
Link: http://www.tu.org/conservation/eas.asp

Organization: Turner Foundation
Purpose: To defend biodiversity by protecting habitats.
Application Deadline: Invitation only in 2004.
Link: http://www.turnerfoundation.org/

Organization: Wildlife Forever
Purpose: Grants from Wildlife Forever are targeted for research management, acquisition, and educational purposes.
Application Deadline: January 1st and July 1st
Link: www.wildlifeforever.org/grants.html

Organization: Great Lakes Protection Fund
Purpose: Supports projects that enhance the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Applicants should propose projects that will return the greatest ecosystem benefits.
Application Deadline: Continual
Link: www.glpf.org

Organization: Great Lakes Coastal Management Program
Purpose: To protect and enhance access to the Great Lakes and their coasts.
Application Deadline: November 8th
Link: http://www.doa.state.wi.us/pagesubtext_detail.asp?linksubcatid=249

If you have any suggestions of additional programs we should include on this site or any other comments or questions, please contact us at wisrivers@wisconsinrivers.org or 608-257-2424. Thanks and good luck in your efforts to restore and protect your local river.