North American Wetlands Conservation Act
NAWCA U.S. Standard grants are competitive, matching grants that support public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the U.S. that involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds.
ATTENTION: U.S. Standard Grant Cycle Change
The North American Wetlands Conservation Council has approved changes to the U.S. Standard Grant application cycles starting in fiscal year 2026 (FY26). This change will better align with the timing of Federal fund availability – ideally reducing the time from application to award issuance. Due to this change, the “old match” rule will receive a one-time extension for FY26 applications, allowing matching contributions from up to 3 years prior to the application. Review the U.S. Grant Administration Standards for more information about match requirements.
Application cycle due dates for FY26:
Cycle 1 (2026-1): July 10, 2025
Cycle 2 (2026-2): February 26, 2026 (tentatively)
For more information, visit the NAWCA website.
Learn more about NAWCA grants including how to apply and application deadlines, at their respective websites.
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – Great Lakes Watershed Habitat and Species Restoration Initiative
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) accelerates efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world – the Great Lakes – by providing additional resources to help achieve the most critical long-term goals for this important ecosystem. The current GLRI Action Plan outlines this strategy from 2025-2029.
Funding is distributed by the Environmental Protection Agency to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in order to facilitate implementation of GLRI objectives. Projects undertaken by the FWS through GLRI are addressing a wide variety of issues associated with Great Lakes ecosystem health through both research and on-the-ground implementation.
FWS GLRI funds are distributed to the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes JV through the Great Lakes Watershed Habitat and Species Restoration Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to protect and restore migratory bird habitat within Great Lakes watersheds through a competitive, partnership-based grants program.