GCJV NAWCA FY 2019 Standard Grant Projects
What is NAWCA?
NAWCA grants increase bird populations and wetland habitat, while supporting local economies and American traditions such as hunting, fishing, bird watching, family farming, and cattle ranching. Wetlands protected by NAWCA provide valuable benefits such as flood control, reducing coastal erosion, improving water and air quality, and recharging ground water.
In the past two decades, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act has funded over 3,000 projects totaling $1.83 billion in grants. More than 6,350 partners have contributed another $3.75 billion in matching funds to affect 30 million acres of habitat.
ABOUT THE GRANTS PROGRAM
The NAWCA program provides matching grants to wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There is a Standard and a Small Grants Program. Both are competitive grants programs and require that grant requests be matched by partner contributions at no less than a 1-to-1 ratio.
Click on the tabs above to check out approved NAWCA Standard Grant projects from FY 2019.
Bayou L'Ours Marsh Terracing II
Bayou L'Ours Marsh
Tracts
Project Name: BAYOU L'OURS MARSH TERRACING II
Location (County): LA-JEFFERSON, LA-LAFOURCHE, LA-VERMILION
Grantee Organization: DUCKS UNLIMITED
Project Officer: Cassidy Lejeune
Grantee Email: clejeune@ducks.org
Project Country: US
Partner Name: COASTAL PROTECTION & RESTORATION AUTHORITY OF LOUISIANA, DUCKS UNLIMITED, LAFOURCHE PARISH GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE CONTRIBUTOR(S)
Date approved: 06/19/2019
Grant Award Amount: $1,000,000.00
Proposed Match Amount: $2,256,575.00
Project Description: The project is located within the Barataria and Teche/Vermilion Basins of coastal Louisiana, which have extremely high wetland loss rates according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1932, the Barataria Basin has lost approximately 17% of its wetlands and the Teche/Vermilion Basin has lost 15%. The average rate of loss for Barataria is approximately 5,200-7,100 acres per year and Tech/Vermilion is approximately 650-900 acres per year. The project will preserve wetlands through restoration and enhancement of coastal marshes and a bird-nesting island within these basins. In total, 2,311 acres will be enhanced on private and public lands in coastal Louisiana with benefits to priority migratory birds. The project features of these three tracts will increase foraging, resting, and nesting opportunities for a variety of waterfowl, wading birds, seabirds, shorebirds, and other wetland-dependent birds that regularly use coastal habitats in south Louisiana. Post-construction habitat conditions will include shallow water ponds, algal beds, SAV beds, seasonal mudflats, three types of emergent marsh (intermediate, brackish, and salt), and non-tidal barrier island habitat. The restoration and enhancement work will improve habitat conditions within the project areas through the construction of marsh, protection of wetlands, improvements to water quality, increase in plant diversity and abundance, control of salinity levels, and creation of breeding habitat for colonial seabirds.
Coastal Prairie Strategic Habitat Initiative
Coastal Prairies Strategic Habitat
Tracts
Project Name: COASTAL PRAIRIE STRATEGIC HABITAT INITIATIVE
Location (County): TX-BRAZORIA, TX-CALHOUN, TX-CHAMBERS, TX-COLORADO, TX-FORT BEND, TX-GALVESTON, TX-HARRISON, TX-JACKSON, TX-JEFFERSON, TX-LAVACA, TX-LIBERTY, TX-MATAGORDA, TX-VICTORIA, TX-WALLER, TX-WHARTON
Grantee Organization: KATY PRAIRIE CONSERVANCY
Project Officer: Mary Anne Piacentini
Grantee Email: maryanne@katyprairie.org
Project Country: US
Partner Name: KATY PRAIRIE CONSERVANCY,TEXAS LAND TRUST COUNCIL,TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT,TEXAS R.I.C.E.,PRIVATE CONTRIBUTOR(S)
Date approved: 09/05/2018
Grant Award Amount: $1,000,000.00
Proposed Match Amount: $2,066,106.00
Project Description: The Katy Prairie Conservancy ( KPC ) and Texas Rice Industry Coalition for the Environment ( TEXAS R.I.C.E. ) will continue their successful partnership to acquire and restore land for migratory waterfowl and grassland species that inhabit both coastal and inland areas of the Texas Gulf Coast. This project includes 450 acres of palustrine emergent wetland establishment, and protection of 450 acres of land on the Katy Prairie through conservation easements acquired by KPC. Conservation easements will include 151 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands, which are decreasing wetland habitat types, and 299 acres of upland agricultural land, which provides foraging habitat for migratory waterfowl. Additionally, 5,332 acres of mixed agricultural, wetland, prairie, riverine, riparian, and Columbia Bottomland habitat has been protected through the donation of a conservation easement to KPC on a ranch in Matagorda County. Species that will benefit include northern pintail, mottled duck, mallard and lesser scaup.
Coastal Texas III
A Long-billed Dowitcher wades in the Formosa-Tejano Wetlands. Photo: Joe Lamberti.
Tracts
Tracts
Project Name: COASTAL TEXAS III
Location (County): TX-ARANSAS, TX-AUSTIN, TX-BEE, TX-BRAZORIA, TX-BROOKS, TX-CALHOUN, TX-CAMERON, TX-CHAMBERS, TX-COLORADO, TX-FORT BEND, TX-GALVESTON, TX-GOLIAD, TX-HARRIS, TX-HIDALGO, TX-JACKSON, TX-JEFFERSON, TX-KENEDY, TX-KLEBERG, TX-LAVACA, TX-LIBERTY, TX-MATAGORDA, TX-NUECES, TX-ORANGE, TX-REFUGIO, TX-SAN PATRICIO, TX-STARR, TX-VICTORIA, TX-WALLER, TX-WHARTON, TX-WILLACY
Grantee Organization: DUCKS UNLIMITED
Project Officer: Todd Merendino
Grantee Email: tmerendino@ducks.org
Project Country: US
Partner Name: DUCKS UNLIMITED,NATIONAL FISH & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION (NFWF),RED BLUFF PRAIRIE HUNTING CLUB,TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
Date approved: 09/05/2018
Grant Award Amount: $989,790.00
Proposed Match Amount: $1,980,008.00
Project Description: This project will restore and enhance 2,730 acres of decreasing coastal wetland types and other critical habitats in the Texas portion of the Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV). Proposed activities for Tract 1 will use grant and match funding to restore and enhance 2,207 acres of privately owned wetlands, and will continue a 25-year partnership of landowners, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations committed to the long-term support of wetlands conservation on the Texas Gulf Coast through the Texas Prairie Wetlands Project. Project sites on Tract 1 will include moist-soil units and seasonally flooded rice fields that will provide important migration, wintering, and breeding habitat for numerous species of waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and landbirds. These sites will be managed under agreements with private landowners, and will include projects across the three initiative areas within the Texas portion of the GCJV (Chenier Plain Initiative Area, Texas Mid-Coast Initiative Area, and Laguna Madre Initiative Area). The project also includes enhancement activities on 264 acres of palustrine wetlands and critical nesting islands adjacent to estuarine marsh.
Deep Lake Unit Marsh Enhancement
Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: Karen Westphal, Audubon Louisiana
Tracts
Project Name: DEEP LAKE UNIT MARSH ENHANCEMENT
Location (County): LA-VERMILION
Congressional District: LA-VERMILION-3
Grantee Organization: DUCKS UNLIMITED
Project Officer: Cassidy Lejeune
Grantee Email:clejeune@ducks.org
Project Country:US
Partner Name:AVERY ISLAND, INC,DUCKS UNLIMITED,NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY,RANDY MOERTLE & ASSOCIATES, INC,VERMILION PARISH POLICE JURY
Date approved: 09/05/2018
Grant Award Amount: $1,000,000.00
Proposed Match Amount: $2,201,000.00
Project Description This project will restore 4,760 acres of coastal wetlands in two areas of the Louisiana Chenier Plain Initiative Area (CPIA). Both project areas are part of the Rainey Conservation Alliance (RCA), a collaboration of landowners that manage their property (185,000 acres) as one continuous landscape. The project will enhance and protect 2,900 acres of intermediate and brackish marsh, which will create a fully functional water management unit and allow for active management of interior marshes to improve habitat conditions for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent birds. Additionally, the project will ensure management capabilities for desirable plant communities, aid in effective management of salinity levels, regulate tidal exchange, reduce wave-action and erosion, and greatly facilitate drainage during high water events. The match tract is 1,860 acres of intermediate and brackish marsh along Freshwater Bayou, north of the grant tract. It will be protected by a bank stabilization project, which will protect interior marsh from wave action and erosion to the benefit of waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife species.
Freshwater Bayou II
Brown Peicans on Rabbit Island. Photo: Todd Baker, LDWF
Tracts
Project Name: FRESHWATER BAYOU II
Location (County): LA-CAMERON, LA-VERMILION
Congressional District: LA-CAMERON-3, LA-VERMILION-3
Grantee Organization: DUCKS UNLIMITED
Project Officer: Cassidy Lejeune
Grantee Email: clejeune@ducks.org
Project Country: US
Partner Name: COASTAL PROTECTION & RESTORATION AUTHORITY OF LOUISIANADUCKS UNLIMITED, PRIVATE CONTRIBUTOR(S), VERMILION CORPORATION
Date approved: 06/19/2019
Grant Award Amount: $1,000,000.00
Proposed Match Amount: $2,232,000.00
Project Description This project will repair embankments along the Freshwater Bayou Navigation Channel. Geotextile fabric will be used beneath embankment material to ensure hydrologic integrity. Turf reinforced matting, rock riprap, and marsh vegetation plantings will be used to prevent erosion. The project will enhance the hydrologic integrity of the tract and complement other efforts to stabilize the shoreline and prevent erosion of the adjacent marsh. Improved hydrologic integrity and reduced erosion will enhance habitat quality for a variety of wildlife and fish species. Louisiana's coastal wetlands are critical natural resources and the economic driver of the region. Coastal wetlands protect infrastructure from hurricanes, storm surge, support valuable industries including petroleum extraction and commercial fisheries, sustain Louisiana's culture and recreational activities, provide nursery grounds for fish and shellfish, and provide breeding, migration, and wintering habitat for millions of waterfowl and other bird species. However, Louisiana also has the highest coastal wetland loss rate of any state in the U.S., between 25 to 35 square miles a year. Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost over 1.2 million acres of coastal wetlands and is expected to lose an additional 1.4 million acres over the next 50 years.
Live Oak Farm
Live Oak Farm. Photo: Courtesy of Live Oak Farm
Tracts
Project Name: LIVE OAK FARM
Location (County): LA-CAMERON, LA-CATAHOULA, LA-VERMILION
Grantee Organization: LAND TRUST FOR LOUISIANA
Project Officer: Cindy Brown
Grantee Email: Cindy.Brown@landtrustforlouisiana.org
Project Country: US
Partner Name: CEMBELL INDUSTRIES, COASTAL PROTECTION & RESTORATION AUTHORITY OF LOUISIANA, LAND TRUST FOR LOUISIANA, THE CONSERVATION FUND
Date approved: 06/19/2019
Grant Award Amount: $698,900.00
Proposed Match Amount: $1,397,800.00
Project Description This project will to secure wetlands habitat in perpetuity for migratory birds and other wetland species through easement acquisition on a farm in Coastal Louisiana. Permanent agricultural and conservation easements over the farm's wetlands and rice fields will prevent conversion of land to industrial development or subdivision for recreation, while ensuring that the producers continue managing the farm in support of agricultural and wildlife purposes. Louisiana's 2017 Coastal Master Plan states that Vermilion Parish faces increased wetland loss over the next 50 years under the medium environmental scenario. With no further coastal protection or restoration actions, the parish could lose an additional 186 square miles, or 17%, of the parish land area.
Phil's Cut Marsh Enhancement
Tricolored Heron (Eggreta tricolor)
Tracts
Project Name: PHIL'S CUT MARSH ENHANCEMENT
Location (County): LA-JEFFERSON, LA-LAFOURCHE, LA-TERREBONNE
Grantee Organization: DUCKS UNLIMITED
Project Officer: Cassidy Lejeune
Grantee Email: clejeune@ducks.org
Project Country: US
Partner Name: COASTAL PROTECTION & RESTORATION AUTHORITY OF LOUISIANA, DUCKS UNLIMITED, LIVING SHORELINES SOLUTIONS, INC, LOUISIANA LAND & EXPLORATION, TIERRA FOUNDATION, LLC
Date approved: 09/05/2018
Grant Award Amount: $878,259.00
Proposed Match Amount: $1,756,519.00
Project Description In total, 2,865 acres will be enhanced on private and public lands in coastal Louisiana with benefits to priority migratory birds within National Priority Wetlands Areas of North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Partners in Flight, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, and North American Waterbird Conservation Plan. The project features of the four tracts will increase foraging, resting, and nesting opportunities for waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, and other migratory birds that regularly use coastal habitats in south Louisiana. Habitat conditions within these tracts are quite diverse and cater to the needs of a wide variety of bird species.
Sabine Ranch - McFaddin NWR II
Sabine Ranch
Tracts
Project Name: SABINE RANCH - MCFADDIN NWR II
Location (County): TX-JEFFERSON
Congressional District: TX-JEFFERSON-14
Grantee Organization: U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE
Project Officer: Tim Cooper
Grantee Email: tim_cooper@fws.gov
Project Country: US
Partner Name: NATIONAL FISH & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION (NFWF), TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION, THE KELSEY FOUNDATION, THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, WNH INVESTMENTS, LLC
Date approved: 09/05/2018
Grant Award Amount: $1,000,000.00
Proposed Match Amount: $4,201,000.00
Project Description This project will acquire 2,102 acres of coastal palustrine freshwater wetlands and coastal prairie from The Conservation Fund, to be protected as part of the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge on the upper Texas coast. This acquisition is contained within the larger 12,376-acre tract known as Sabine Ranch, purchased in September 2016 by TCF to eliminate the imminent fragmentation and development threat to the property.
Texas Bays, Wetlands and Prairies
Texas Prairie Wetland Project project. Photo: Taylor Abshier/Ducks Unlimited
Tracts
Project Name: TEXAS BAYS WETLANDS & PRAIRIES
Location (County): TX-ARANSAS, TX-AUSTIN, TX-BEE, TX-BRAZORIA, TX-BROOKS, TX-CALHOUN, TX-CAMERON, TX-CHAMBERS, TX-COLORADO, TX-FORT BEND, TX-GALVESTON, TX-GOLIAD, TX-HARRIS, TX-HIDALGO, TX-JACKSON, TX-JEFFERSON, TX-KENEDY, TX-KLEBERG, TX-LAVACA, TX-LIBERTY, TX-MATAGORDA, TX-NUECES, TX-ORANGE, TX-REFUGIO, TX-SAN PATRICIO, TX-STARR, TX-VICTORIA, TX-WALLER, TX-WHARTON, TX-WILLACY
Grantee Organization: DUCKS UNLIMITED
Project Officer: Todd Merendino
Grantee Email: tmerendino@ducks.org
Project Country: US
Partner Name: AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS DUCKS UNLIMITED, TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
Date approved: 06/19/2019
Grant Award Amount: $1,000,000.00
Proposed Match Amount: $2,000,255.00
Project Description The project will partially compensate for the region's continued loss of fresh and intermediate vegetated marsh, wet prairie habitat, and riparian habitat, and provide semi-permanent and seasonal wetland habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife by collectively enhancing 2,422 acres of wetlands, including 1,851 acres of decreasing wetland types; Estuarine Intertidal Emergent and Palustrine Emergent wetlands. Specific habitats types in Tract 1 project sites will be located within the agricultural landscape of the Texas Coast and will include Palustrine wetland habitats with shallow flooded conditions, such as managed moist-soil and emergent wetlands, and rice fields (harvested and idle). Tract 2 in Redfish Bay is dominated by submerged aquatic vegetation (seagrasses) that are protected by remnant islands. Habitat types in Tract 3 include intertidal emergent marsh and mudflats, high marsh, and subtidal ditches. Tract 4 habitats include two freshwater ponds that provide semi-permanently and permanently flooded habitat. Project activities will enhance habitats for 11 priority waterfowl species and 12 additional waterfowl species common to the Texas Coast. Project sites provide crucial year-round habitat, including suitable nesting habitat, for resident Mottled Ducks, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Fulvous Whistling Ducks.
Texas Beaches to Bays
Roseate Spoonbills at Drum Bay. Photo: Jim Olive
Tracts
Project Name: TEXAS BEACHES TO BAYS
Location (County): TX-BRAZORIA, TX-CALHOUN
Congressional District: TX-BRAZORIA-14, TX-CALHOUN-27
Grantee Organization: GALVESTON BAY FOUNDATION
Project Officer: Mike Lange
strong>Grantee Email: michaellouislange@gmail.com
Project Country: US
Partner Name: ADVANCED ECOLOGY, LTD, NATIONAL FISH & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION (NFWF), NATURAL RESOURCES DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TRUSTEE COUNCIL (NRDATC), PRIVATE CONTRIBUTOR(S), TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION, THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND
Date approved: 09/05/2018
Grant Award Amount: $1,000,000.00
Proposed Match Amount: $2,009,000.00
Project Description The project will permanently protect 5,369 acres of coastal habitat, representing a mix of coastal prairie, coastal barrier island, coastal marsh, uplands, shallow freshwater depressions, and beach/dune habitat located in three separate tracts in Brazoria and Calhoun counties in the Texas Mid-Coast. The application includes significant match activities in the form of a fee-title acquisition of Powderhorn II consisting of 5,058 acres of coastal wetlands and uplands representing a portion of the historic Powderhorn Ranch. Galveston Bay Foundation will purchase two tracts in Brazoria County (Folletts Island Conservation Initiative) through fee title acquisition and transfer those tracts to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for permanent protection and management. Deemed a nationally significant coastal barrier ecosystem, Follets Island is situated within the Gulf Prairies and Marshes ecological region and borders the Christmas Bay Coastal Preserve and Drum Bay, which are part of the Galveston Bay Ecosystem, and part of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program. Tract 1 is adjacent to the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and is located within the Columbia Bottomlands project area established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve important wetlands through partnership conservation efforts.
