North American Wetlands Conservation Act

Purpose

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) of 1989 provides matching grants to private or public organizations or to individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

History

The Act was passed, in part, to support activities under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, an international agreement that provides a strategy for the long-term protection of wetlands and associated uplands needed by waterfowl and other migratory birds in North America. In December 2002, Congress reauthorized appropriations for the Act through Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, reflecting its and the public's support of the Act's goals. Congress increased the appropriation authorization to $55 million in 2003, with $5 million appropriation increases to occur annually until FY 2007, when the appropriation cap will be $75 million.

Funding

Congressional appropriations for FY 2003 have yet to be determined. Additional funding comes from moneys received from fines, penalties, and forfeitures under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and from interest accrued on the fund established under the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937. Amendments to the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 directed a portion of the moneys collected from Federal fuel excise taxes on small gasoline engines be allocated for use under the Act for coastal ecosystem projects. The total estimated funding for FY 2002 is $79,659,000.

Accomplishments

To view a table of accomplishments, follow this link.

Standard Grants Program

From 1991 through September 2002 more than 1,000 partners have been involved in 949 Standard Grant Act-supported projects. Canadian and U.S. partners focus on protecting, restoring, and/or enhancing critical habitat. Projects must support long-term wetlands acquisition, restoration, and/or enhancement and partners must minimally match the grant request at a 1-to-1 ratio. Mexican partners may develop training and management programs and conduct studies on sustainable use as well.

More than $512 million has been invested through the Act; total partner contributions have amounted to nearly $1.5 billion. Approximately 16.3 million acres of wetlands and associated uplands have been affected across the continent.

Small Grants Program

Small Grants support the same kinds of activities as Standard Grants but usually involve fewer project dollars. In FY 2002, $2 million was allocated for projects. Except that grant requests may not exceed $50,000 and that funding priority is given to projects that have a grantee or partners that have not participated in an Act-supported project before, criteria for funding a project are the same as for Standard Grants.

From 1996, when the program began, to March 2002, 160 projects, involving more than 500 partners, have been funded. Partners added more than $50 million to more than $6.5 million in grants to conserve some 63,750 acres of habitats in the United States.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service