Wetland Mitigation Banking Program Fiscal Year (FY) 2026
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- USDA-NRCS-NHQ-WMBP-NOFO0001458
- Agency
-
National Resources Conservation Service
Department of Agriculture
- Applications due
- Award size
- $100,000 to $1,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Categories
-
- Agriculture
- Environment
- Natural Resources
- Eligible applicants
-
- County Governments
- For Profit Organizations
- Small Businesses
- Special District Governments
- State Governments
- Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- City/Township Governments
- Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is soliciting applications for $3 million in competitive grants to develop and establish wetland mitigation banks for agricultural producers subject to wetland conservation compliance under the Food Security Act of 1985, with applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on September 8, 2026.
Eligible applicants include county governments, for-profit organizations, small businesses, special district governments, state governments, non-501(c)(3) nonprofits, private and public higher education institutions, city and township governments, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations not federally recognized, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. A 20 percent non-federal cost share is required. NRCS expects to make approximately seven awards ranging from $100,000 to $1 million each. Projects will start in December 2026 with proposed durations between one and four years.
Mitigation banks must serve exclusively agricultural producers and support the development of banking instruments with NRCS technical oversight, identification of suitable mitigation sites, functional assessments, restoration design, and availability of credits within 24 months. Allowable expenses include banking instrument development, land surveys, permitting, wetland restoration, and administrative costs. Merit review criteria assess geographic scope and project goals (30 points), project management capability and track record (30 points), and bank development and operational soundness (40 points). Priority consideration is given to projects in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin based on significant numbers of individual wetlands and conservation compliance requests in those states.
Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. NRCS is conducting a pre-application webinar on July 30, 2026 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The Assistance Listing number is 10.933.
Synopsis
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
NRCS is announcing the availability of $3 million in WMBP grant funds for the development and establishment of mitigation banks and banking opportunities solely for agricultural producers with wetlands subject to the wetland conservation compliance provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as amended). WMBP is a competitive grants program accepting proposals from eligible entities as identified in Section B.1. Priority will be given to banks in states with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests. Based on NRCS data, these states are Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
A webinar for WMBP applicants is scheduled for July 30, 2026 at 3 pm Eastern Time. Information on how to participate in the Microsoft Teams webinar can be obtained through the following link:
https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/4685b4dd-a1ce-4ad6-81e3-d4318799cb11@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697
Update #1 ·
NRCS is announcing the availability of $3 million in WMBP grant funds for the development and establishment of mitigation banks and banking opportunities solely for agricultural producers with wetlands subject to the wetland conservation compliance provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as amended). WMBP is a competitive grants program accepting proposals from eligible entities as identified in Section B.1. Priority will be given to banks in states with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests. Based on NRCS data, these states are Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
A webinar for WMBP applicants is scheduled for July 30, 2026 at 3 pm Eastern Time. Information on how to participate in the Microsoft Teams webinar can be obtained through the following link:
https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/4685b4dd-a1ce-4ad6-81e3-d4318799cb11@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| current_and_pending_support_table_20230404-1.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Grants.gov Application Guide.pdf | ||
| USDA-NRCS-NHQ-WMBP-NOFO0001458_Final.pdf |
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