The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources $109,551 under the National Dam Safety Program (CFDA 97.041) on September 19, 2025, with a completion date of September 18, 2027. This Project Grant funds state dam safety assistance activities designed to support the establishment and maintenance of an effective state dam safety program. The award enables Wisconsin to enhance dam safety capacity, protect human life and property, and ensure compliance with state dam safety standards through programmatic support and administrative oversight at the state level.
As a state agency with extensive experience administering federal environmental and natural resource grants, WDNR will deliver dam safety program activities that strengthen Wisconsin's regulatory framework and oversight mechanisms. The two-year funding period aligns with FEMA's typical state assistance grant structure, which generally ranges from $50,000 to $150,000 and focuses on capacity-building rather than capital construction projects. This award is part of FEMA's broader National Dam Safety Program, which funds both state assistance grants and rehabilitation of high-hazard potential dams across the nation.