5 Star Wetland and Urban Waters Restoration Grants

On this page:

What is the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program?
Past Recipients of Five Star Grants
Applying for a Five Star Grant
Grant Writing Resources
Technical Resources for Grant Writers and Recipients
Contacts

What is the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program?

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program brings together students, conservation corps, other youth groups, citizen groups, corporations, landowners and government agencies to provide environmental education and training through projects that restore wetlands and streams. The program provides challenge grants, technical support and opportunities for information exchange to enable community-based restoration projects. Funding levels are modest, from $10,000 to $40,000, with $20,000 as the average amount awarded per project. However, when combined with the contributions of partners, projects that make a meaningful contribution to communities become possible. At the completion of Five Star projects, each partnership will have experience and a demonstrated record of accomplishment, and will be well-positioned to take on other projects. Aggregating over time and space, these grassroots efforts will make a significant contribution to our environmental landscape and to the understanding of the importance of healthy wetlands and streams in our communities.

For more information on the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program, see the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation webpage and the Fact Sheet for the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program.

For more information on the 2024 grant recipients, see the 2024 Grant Slate for the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program.

Past Recipients of Five Star Grants

To date, over 300 projects have been funded through the Five Star Program.

Applying for a Five Star Grant

Many of the following links exit the site

Steps for Implementing a Restoration Program. The Permaculture Project.

Five Star Grants. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Finding Corporate/Facility Partners. Wildlife Habitat Council.

Finding Local Government Partners. National Association of Counties.

Related links: Wetland Program Development Grants. EPA.

Grant Writing Resources

The biggest challenge faced by Five Star and Urban Waters applicants is to develop a comprehensive grant proposal that is complete and reflects the goals of the grant program. Here are some resources to help with the project planning and application processes as you assemble your grant application package.

Five Star Grant Writing Webinar. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Environmental Finance Centers. EPA.
Resource Center. Society for Ecological Restoration.

Technical Resources for Grant Writers and Recipients

Wetlands

An Introduction and User's Guide to Wetland Restoration, Creation and Enhancement (pdf) (8.9 MB)
Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring: An Introduction and Resource Guide (pdf) (1 MB)
Voluntary Restoration and Protection. National Association of Wetland Managers.

Rivers, Streams and Lakes

Adopt-A -Buffer Toolkit: Monitoring and Maintaining Restoration Projects - Rutgers University Libraries.
Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Habitat Conservation.

Contacts

Program Coordinators

Carrie Clingan (Carrie.Clingan@nfwf.org)
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 900
Washington, DC 20036
202-857-0166

Rebecca Culler (Rculler@wildlifehc.org)
Wildlife Habitat Council
8737 Colesville Rd., Suite 800
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-588-8994

Leslie C. Montgomery (lcmontgo@southernco.com)
Southern Company
600 N. 18th Street / 14N-8195
P.O. Box 2641
Birmingham, AL 35291-8195
205-257-5187

Myra Price (price.myra@epa.gov)
USEPA Wetlands Division
Room 7410G (4502 T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202-566-1225

Catalog of Federal Funding for Watershed Protection