← Back to Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap
Partnering
Implementing NBS projects requires numerous types of expertise and input from many different perspectives and sources of knowledge (see the Community Engagement and Indigenous Knowledges sections). Because of the diversity of expertise required and the varied stakeholders invested, these projects often benefit from and are only possible through partnerships. Partnerships may form between federal, state, and local government entities; nonprofits; tribes; community organizations; the private sector; philanthropic organizations; academia; and other institutions. Partnerships can also bring together often-needed diverse expertise—for example, ecologists, natural resource managers, engineers, planners, and others.
Departmental and Supplemental Federal Funding Opportunities
There are numerous federal funding sources that can support nature-based solutions. Table A.1 is a sample of these available federal funding sources and is not meant to be comprehensive. Not every funding source will be applicable for every type of NBS project; however, these programs are a good place to begin when looking for project funding. While the majority of the programs listed in Table A.1 are not DOI funding sources, DOI project teams and/ or their partners could apply for these funds to support NBS projects.
Table A.1 Departmental and supplemental federal funding programs that support NBS projects
Federal Funding Programs |
Types of NBS Projects Supported |
|---|---|
| DOI US Bureau of Reclaimation (USBR) WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program | Funding to help groups to develop a new or sustain an existing watershed group, complete watershed restoration planning activities, carry out watershed data collection efforts, and design watershed management projects |
| DOI USBR WaterSMART Environmental Water Resource Projects | Funding for water resources management projects that have an ecological benefit and nexus, including water conservation projects with a dedicated instream or ecological benefit, ecosystem restoration, and other watershed health projects |
| DOI Bureau of Indian Affairs Annual Tribal Climate Resilience Awards | Tribal NBS projects eligible for planning and implementation awards |
| DOI USBR WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program | Funding for large-scale aquatic ecosystem restoration projects that are collaboratively developed, have widespread regional benefits, and result in the improvement of the health of fisheries, wildlife, and aquatic habitat, including through the removal or modification of barriers to fish passage |
| DOI National Park Service Land and Water Conservation Fund State-side Funding | Conservation of important habitats that also provide public outdoor recreation access |
| DOI Office of Insular Affairs Coral Reef and Natural Resources Initiative | The Coral Reef and Natural Resources Initiative provides grant funding for management and protection of coral reefs and to combat invasive species in the insular areas, contributing to the health of coral reef ecosystems and other natural resources for long-term economic and social benefit |
| DOI USFWS Coastal Program | Conservation and restoration to enhance wildlife habitat and build coastal ecosystem resilience |
| DOI USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System Resiliency | Conservation and NBS projects to promote coastal resilience and climate adaptation, address invasive species threats, and provide for additional data collection needed to support successful natural resource resilience |
| Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program | NBS projects that contribute to flood prevention and disaster mitigation |
| FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities | NBS projects that contribute to hazard mitigation |
| FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program | NBS projects that contribute to flood prevention and disaster mitigation |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) America The Beautiful Challenge | Conservation and restoration projects to enhance watershed restoration, resilience, equitable access to nature, workforce development, and habitat connectivity |
| NFWF National Coastal Resilience Fund | NBS to protect coastal communities and enhance fish and wildlife habitats |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Community-Based Restoration Program | Restoration of coastal habitats that provide ecosystem and human benefits |
| US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Urban and Community Forestry Program | Conservation, restoration, and enhancement of urban forests |
| USDA Agricultural Conservation Easement Program | Support for landowners, land trusts, and other entities to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or working lands |
| USDA Healthy Forests Reserve Program | Support for landowners to restore, enhance, and protect forestland resources on private and tribal lands. |
| USDA Landscape Conservation Initiatives | Support for agricultural producers who implement environmentally beneficial actions |
| USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program; Watershed Rehabilitation Program; Regional Conservation Partnership Program) | Applications of NBS on working lands to provide flood reduction, water quality benefits, and biodiversity benefits |
| USDA Working Lands for Wildlife | Technical and financial assistance to participants who voluntarily make improvements to their working lands to support wildlife |
| US Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program | Conservation and restoration projects that support military missions and communities surrounding military installations, especially those that enhance resilience to climate change |
| US Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program | NBS projects in urban areas that contribute to flood prevention |
| US Department of Transportation PROTECT Formula Program | NBS that provide protection to transportation infrastructure from climate threats |
| US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities | Green infrastructure projects in urban areas that help reduce flooding and provide water quality benefits |
| EPA Clean Water Act Nonpoint Source Grant | NBS projects that help reduce pollution |
| EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund | NBS projects that provide water quality benefits |
| EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative | NBS projects that provide ecological and social benefits in the Great Lakes region |
| EPA Greening America’s Communities Program | Green infrastructure projects in urban areas that help reduce flooding |
| EPA Superfund Redevelopment Program | NBS projects that support flood prevention and pollution abatement from superfund sites |
| EPA Urban Waters Small Grants Program | Green infrastructure projects in urban areas that help reduce flooding, provide water quality benefits, and contribute to pollution abatement |
More information on funding opportunities is available at the EPA Green Infrastructure Funding Opportunities page, or the National Wildlife Federation’s Nature-Based Solutions Funding Database.