EPA Announces Wetland Program Grant Recipients in Region 8
DENVER – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced nearly $3 million in grant funding for 11 projects to help study, protect, manage, and restore valuable wetlands across America’s mountains and plains region.
Wetlands produce resources, support commercial industries and recreational activities, protect water quality through pollution control and provide flood protection. This year’s EPA Wetland Program Development Grant funding will help state, Tribal, and local partners in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming develop or enhance their wetland protection programs. These programs aim to inform and improve the health and management of wetlands in the region.
“By prioritizing wetlands, EPA is also prioritizing clean water and supporting the economic and recreational vitality of the region,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western. “EPA knows our state, local, and Tribal partners are best suited to manage the wetlands in their own backyards, and these Wetland Program Develop Grants allow them to do just that.”
The 2026 EPA Region 8 Wetland Program Development Grant recipients are:
Colorado State University – Colorado Natural Heritage Program: $434,249
Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes: $157,843
Montana Department of Environmental Quality: $250,000
North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality: $262,500
South Dakota Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources: $303,305
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Indian Reservation: $321,417
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians: at least $149,514
University of Montana – O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West: $231,693
University of Wyoming: $269,444
Utah Geological Survey: $235,888
Utah State University: $345,044
In addition to the nearly $3 million in federal awards to Region 8 recipients this year, the awardees bring over $1 million in matching funds, totaling $4,253,834 in project costs across the region for 2026.
EPA Wetland Program Development Grants are typically awarded biannually to states, Tribes, territories, local governments, and academic institutions to help increase the quantity and quality of wetlands in the U.S. This EPA funding supports activities that are part of recipients’ current wetland program plans or helps recipients develop wetland programs for the first time. More information about the grants is available on the EPA website.