Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources

Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources, a child entity of the State of Wisconsin, operates as a federal grant recipient across environmental conservation, natural resource management, and public recreation, with 1,509 prime federal grants totaling $1.8 million in potential value against $4.38 billion in obligated dollars across 44 federal customer agencies. The agency does not hold federal prime contracts; its federal funding footprint is exclusively grant-based, concentrated in environmental protection, forestry, wildlife restoration, water quality management, and outdoor recreation infrastructure.

WDNR's customer concentration is substantial. The Environmental Protection Agency holds 274 awards (18% of the portfolio), the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 holds 265 awards, and EPA Region 5 holds 200 awards, together accounting for 67% of all awards by count. By dollar magnitude, the Department of Agriculture Forest Service R9-Eastern Region anchors the portfolio with 103 awards valued at $472 thousand combined potential, followed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (8 awards, $299 thousand) and USDA NRCS Central Region (9 awards, $185 thousand). The agency's award concentration pattern shows heavy reliance on Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior channels, reflecting its core missions in state water quality, air quality, superfund oversight, wildlife management, and fisheries restoration.

WDNR's recent award activity is substantial and ongoing. In the past five years, the agency received between 93 and 106 awards annually, with 123 awards reaching ultimate completion within the next 24 months, representing significant recompete opportunity for federal contractors supporting the agency's grant administration and implementation work. Typical award structures include formula grants for state revolving fund capitalization (Clean Water SRF, Drinking Water SRF), cooperative agreements for Superfund core support and brownfields remediation, and project grants for forest health, wildlife restoration, invasive species management, and outdoor recreation infrastructure. Recent named awards exemplify this scope: a $51.47 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund capitalization grant (CFDA 66.458, July 1, 2025); a $4.37 million Cooperative Forestry Assistance award (CFDA 10.664, August 28, 2025) for forest management and protection; a $3.0 million Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund award (CFDA 66.818, July 1, 2025); and a $718 thousand Wildlife Restoration formula grant (CFDA 15.611, October 20, 2025) for dike repair and habitat infrastructure at Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area.

WDNR subcontracts minimally (11 sub-awards, 1% of portfolio); most work is executed directly by the agency. Where subcontracting occurs, it reflects specialized technical partnerships—Michigan Technological University on remote-sensing woodland vernal pool conservation, Michigan Natural Features Inventory on northern forests resiliency monitoring, and Ducks Unlimited on wetland acquisition tract management. The agency frequently issues subawards to county governments, municipal entities, universities, and nonprofits as part of pass-through grant administration under water quality planning (EPA 66.454), nonpoint source implementation (EPA 66.460), and state wildlife grants (CFDA 15.634) mechanisms.

The agency's federal grant portfolio encompasses explicit environmental and natural resource delivery: forest inventory and stewardship (CFDA 10.664), wildfire response and prescribed fire implementation (CFDA 10.698), brownfield site assessment and remediation (CFDA 66.817, 66.809), Superfund remedial action support (cooperative agreements with EPA), state wildlife grants for species of greatest conservation need (CFDA 15.634), sport fish and wildlife restoration under Pittman-Robertson funding (CFDA 15.611, 15.605), Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects (CFDA 66.469), drinking water and emerging contaminants response (CFDA 66.442, 66.468), beach monitoring and notification (CFDA 66.472), aquatic invasive species control (CFDA 15.608), and outdoor recreation infrastructure through Land and Water Conservation Fund grants (CFDA 15.916). The agency administers state revolving funds for water quality (Clean Water SRF, CFDA 66.458) and drinking water (CFDA 66.468), functioning as the financing mechanism for municipal water infrastructure across Wisconsin. Performance locations span statewide (on over 1.8 million acres of public land) with administrative oversight from Madison.