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Funding opportunityNeeds funded
Structure/type
Application window
DescriptionLink
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Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)Traditional riparian plantingLandowner incentive programRollingProvides assistance to producers to implement voluntary conservation practices. One practice supported by EQIP is restoring riparian forest buffers. Approximately 75% of the anticipated cost of the buffer is paid to the landowner for implementation. There is a contract between the landowner and the USDA to complete the work. Upon satisfactory completion of the buffer the landowner is paid a set rate per acre. Voluntary conservation practices list: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/?cid=nrcs143_026849
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/vt/programs/financial/eqip/#:~:text=Through%20EQIP%2C%20NRCS%20provides%20agricultural,all%20while%20improving%20agricultural%20operations.
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Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)Traditional riparian plantingLandowner incentive programRollingProvides assistance to agricultural producers to improve water quality in partnership with Vermont Agency of Agriculture. The landowner is compensated with an upfront incentive payment and annual rental payments for 15 years. FSA pays 90% of the implementation costs, and usually Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) pays the remaining 10%. Where needed, FSA and PFW will cover the costs of fencing, stream crossing, and watering infrastructure for grazing livestock.
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/crep
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Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)Maintenance/stewardship
Demonstration sites
Site prep
Invasives management
Support for landowners who don't fit standard models
Monitoring
Traditional riparian planting
General/flexible
GrantTypically RFPs for the classic RCPP program are released in the summerThrough RCPP, USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) funds projects that address a variety of critical resource concerns across the nation. The RCPP program brings together partners and producers to find innovative ways to tackle issues like protecting soil health, mitigating water quality/quantity concerns, and protecting wildlife habitat. Partners develop projects that deliver solutions to natural resource challenges with technical and financial help from NRCS.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/vt/programs/farmbill/rcpp/
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Payments for Ecosystem ServicesN/AThis is a pilot program to pay farmers for soil health ecosystem services; doesn't currently fund anything related to riparian forest restoration, though depending on the results of the pilot program and decisions of the working group, this may be a possible future direction. Would be good to watch this space.
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/pes#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20this%20Working,reduce%20agricultural%20runoff%20to%20waters.
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DEC Water Quality "Formula Grants"Maintenance/stewardship
Demonstration sites
Site prep

Support for landowners who don't fit standard models
Project development
Traditional riparian planting
General/flexible
GrantTBDNew Act 76 source of funding. Funds will be distributed using a formula based on non-regulatory phosphorus reduction target and cost/unit phosphorus reduced. These grants will fund non-regulatory clean water projects that would reduce phosphorus, such as floodplain or wetland restroation, rain gardens, riparian buffer plantings, and natural lakeshore stabilization projects. Would fund inspection, verification, operation, and maintenance grants as well if you got a formula grant.
Coming soon; this grant program is coming but does not yet exist, but you can find more info here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S-VZeoRkbU
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DEC Water Quality "Enhancement Grants"Traditional riparian planting
General/flexible
Project development
GrantTBDNew Act 76 source of funding. Will fund non-regulatory clean water projects statewide, including floodplain or wetland restroation, rain gardens, riparian buffer plantings, and natural lakeshore stabilization projects. Charged to protect high-quality water, restore degraded or stressed streams, etc. How this will differ from formula grants is still being determined, and there may be many more things added to the list of eligible types of projects.
Coming soon; this grant program is coming but does not yet exist, but you can find more info here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S-VZeoRkbU
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Lake Champlain Basin Program grantsStrategic woody additions
Outreach materials
Demonstration sites
Site prep
Invasives management
"Lawn to forest" plantings
Project development
Monitoring
Traditional riparian planting
General/flexible
GrantVariousThe LCBP offers annual grant opportunities that can cover a wide range of aspects of riparian forest restoration work. This includes funding for organizational capacity development, funding for assessment, project development, and implementation work, education/outreach, and monitoring/research. Please see the LCBP website for current grant opportunities. Annual grant opportunities are usually released in late summer.
https://www.lcbp.org/about-us/grants-rfps/
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Vermont Fish & Wildlife/DEC Watershed GrantsOutreach materials
Site prep
Invasives management
Monitoring
Traditional riparian planting
GrantTypically RFPs are released late winter/early springProjects must be watershed related and can include monitoring, education, conservation, recreation, or historic enhancement. A watershed is a river, stream, lake, pond, or wetland along with the surrounding land and water that drains into it.
https://vtfishandwildlife.com/get-involved/apply-for-a-grant/watershed-grant
https://dec.vermont.gov/water-investment/cwi/grants/co-opportunities#Watershed
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Congressional Directed SpendingGeneral/flexibleGrantSporadicFrom time to time, senators will request that people submit suggestions for projects that those senators should try to get funding for through congressional spending. It can be a lot of work to put together these proposals, but can be a huge windfall if the funding is allocated.
Search for "Congressionally Directed Spending Requests" on VT Senator websites
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UMATR Wild & Scenic River Community GrantsGeneral/flexibleGrantAnnual; closed for 2022The Wild & Scenic River Community grants are intended to advance or support projects that protect and enhance the quality and enjoyment of the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Wild and Scenic Rivers and their outstanding resources. Grant awards will typically range between $1,000 and $5,000. This funding is available primarily in the Orleans County towns of Westfield, Troy/North Troy (but also Lowell and Jay and other areas where tribs affect the W&S river reaches), and in the Franklin County towns of Richford, Berkshire, Montgomery, and Enosburgh/Enosburg Falls. 
https://www.umatrwildandscenic.org/grants
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UMATR Town Infrastructure GrantsGeneral/flexibleGrantAnnual; closed for 2022Grant awards of up to $5,000 will be made to municipalities for roadway and infrastructure improvements that will benefit our rivers as well as the communities they flow through. Successful projects will address the protection and enhancement of the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Wild and Scenic Rivers and their outstanding resources, with a specific emphasis on water quality. This funding is available primarily in the Orleans County towns of Westfield, Troy/North Troy (but also Lowell and Jay and other areas where tribs affect the W&S river reaches), and in the Franklin County towns of Richford, Berkshire, Montgomery, and Enosburgh/Enosburg Falls. 
https://www.umatrwildandscenic.org/grants
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Vermont Community Foundation - Nonprofit Capacity Building grantCapacity building/staffingGrantRollingGrants will be no more than $5,000 each and will support the cost of consultants for the activities below. These grants are meant to supplement other funding. Activities funded: Strategic planning initiatives to clarify mission, goals, and performance measures; Financial sustainability planning, including diversification of revenue streams, and enhanced fundraising and development skills, plans, or activities; Merger planning and implementation; Diversity, equity, and inclusion policy development and implementation; and Board and staff training intended to provide a focused learning opportunity that builds organizational capacity.
https://vermontcf.org/our-impact/programs-and-funds/nonprofit-capacity-building/
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NFWF New England Forests & Rivers FundMaintenance/stewardship
Strategic woody additions
Demonstration sites
Site prep
Invasives management
"Lawn to forest" plantings
Support for landowners who don't fit standard models
Monitoring
Traditional riparian planting
General/flexible
GrantIn 2022, RFPs were released in the springThe New England Forests and Rivers Fund is dedicated to restoring and sustaining healthy forests and rivers that provide habitat for diverse native bird and freshwater fish populations in New England. The program annually awards competitive grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 each. This year, there is a special sub-set of funding specifically for riparian forest buffers.
https://www.nfwf.org/programs/new-england-forests-and-rivers-fund
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NFWF Long Island Futures FundStrategic woody additions
Project development
Monitoring
Traditional riparian planting
General/flexible
GrantIn 2022, RFPs were released in late winter/early springThe National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Long Island Sound Futures Fund supports projects to fully restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Funding priorities for this program include:
Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds: Improving water quality by delivering projects that reduce combined sewer overflows, stormwater runoff and nonpoint source nutrient loading into the Long Island Sound. Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife: Restoring coastal habitats to maintain resiliency and function, and foster diverse, balanced, and abundant populations of fish, birds and wildlife. Sustainable and Resilient Communities: Increasing knowledge and engagement of the public in the protection and restoration of Long Island Sound. Sound Science and Inclusive Management: Managing Long Island Sound using sound science that is inclusive, adaptive, innovative, and accountable.
https://www.nfwf.org/programs/long-island-sound-futures-fund
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NFWF Conservation Partners ProgramSite prep
Fencing
Traditional riparian planting
GrantIn 2022, RFPs were released in March and JuneThe Conservation Partners Program provides vital grant funding to support organizations that provide staff and technical assistance to private landowners in order to maximize the benefits of Farm Bill programs on working lands.
https://www.nfwf.org/programs/conservation-partners-program?activeTab=tab-1
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PUR ProjetGeneral/flexibleSolicit funding?NAPUR Projet has funded riparian forest restoration projects in this Lake Champlain basin and Vermont. Though they do not appear to have a formal grant process, partners may be successful in soliciting funding from them proactively; WUV typically manages this relationship (although PUR Projet has also given funding to other initiatives, including the WFP)
https://www.purprojet.com/
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Trees for StreamsSite prep
Invasives management
Traditional riparian planting
GrantNA - funding available through VACD to conservation districtsFunding available to conservation districts. Trees for Streams is managed by the State Natural Resources Conservation Council (NRCC) and Vermont Association of Conservation Districts (VACD), with projects funded by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and PUR Projet.
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Partners for Fish & Wildlife ProgramSite prep
Invasives management
Traditional riparian planting
ProgramNAThe Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides financial and technical assistance to design and implement riparian habitat restoration projects in Vermont. USFWS staff work with local partners to conduct site assessments and design restoration plans.
https://www.fws.gov/office/lake-champlain-fish-and-wildlife-conservation
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Mitigation Enhancement Fund (NH)General/flexibleGrantThe most recent application deadline was January 2022The Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund supports restoration, protection, and enhancement of the river, wetlands, and shore lands within the Connecticut River watershed upstream of the confluence of the White River and the Connecticut River at White River Junction, VT and West Lebanon, NH. Only 501c3s are eligible.
https://www.nhcf.org/how-can-we-help-you/apply-for-a-grant/upper-connecticut-river-mitigation-and-enhancement-fund/
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350 VTFree treesProgramNA350 VT has their "Rewild Vermont" program that is seeking to plant thousands of trees across the state. The website states that if you have a site that needs reforesting, you should contact them. If you have a project and are looking for trees (and perhaps also labor?) it might be worth reaching out. Note that this funding is restricted to trees you can "walk under," so no shrubs.
https://350vermont.org/rewild-vermont/
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Vermont Forests, Parks, & Recreation Urban & Community ForestryMaintenance/stewardship
Outreach materials
Project development
Traditional riparian planting
Free trees
GrantRFP released in the fall, typically due in JanuaryCommunities Caring for Canopy grants act as seed funding to help communities care for their publicly managed trees and forests by taking the necessary actions to develop and sustain a community-wide tree program. These grants allow for multiple program components (e.g. tree planting, tree maintenance, planning, public outreach, staff and tree warden training) to be merged into one grant application for ease and flexibility.
https://vtcommunityforestry.org/programs/financial-assistance/2022-communities-caring-canopy-grants
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USFS Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) grantsMaintenance/stewardship
Monitoring
Traditional riparian planting
Project development
Invasives management
Strategic woody additions
Demonstration sites
Site prep
GrantThe 2022-2023 RFP will open 8/10The State and Private Forestry; Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) competitive grant program funds collaborative, science-based restoration of priority rural forest landscapes, leverages public and private resources, and supports; State Forest Action Plans. Program outcomes include: Improve fish and wildlife habitat; improve water quality and watershed function; mitigate invasive plants, insect infestation, and disease; reduce wildfire risk; improve forest ecosystem health; and measure ecological and economic benefits.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r9/workingtogether/grants/?cid=FSEPRD898818
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WISPrNot sure this program still runs; Alison is looking into it
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