Wetlands Protection and/or Restoration Grant
Protection and/or Restoration of Wetlands and Habitats in Great Salt Lake’s Surrounding Ecosystem to Benefit the Hydrology of Great Salt Lake.
The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands are excited to announce up to $3 million in funding available for projects that protect and/or restore the wetlands and habitats anywhere within Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem to benefit the lake’s hydrology. The submission period is open from July 23 until October 24, 2025. Please see the details below to apply.
Additionally, the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and the US Bureau of Reclamation, is implementing the Great Salt Lake Water Delivery Program. The program is designed to promote the sustainability of the Great Salt Lake and is funded through a $50 million grant provided by the US Bureau of Reclamation. This funding is available for three project categories:
Voluntary Water Transactions
System Conservation Projects
Ecosystem and Habitat Projects
Please visit this link if interested in applying to one of these project categories: https://greatsaltlake.utah.gov/great-salt-lake-water-delivery-program
Background
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) and the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (the Trust) are excited to announce that up to $3 million in grant funding is available to eligible organizations with projects that will protect and/or restore wetlands and habitats in Great Salt Lake’s surrounding ecosystems to benefit the hydrology of Great Salt Lake.
Of the available funding, $1 million will be provided through the Trust in its third year of consecutive funding. The additional $2 million will be funded through FFSL.
The application period will open July 23, 2025 and will close at 11:59 p.m. MDT on October 24, 2025.
Eligible Entities
Entities eligible to apply for this Protection and/or Restoration of Wetlands funding include:
Public/Governmental - State of Utah agencies, Tribal governments, local governments (e.g., municipal, county, or other political subdivisions of the state) or federal agencies.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – Non-profit organizations registered as Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Private landowners, private entities, or institutions of higher education (whether governmental or private) – Only eligible if working in partnership with a public/governmental entity or a non-governmental organization (i.e., category 1 or 2 above), and if the public/governmental entity or non-governmental organization serves as the Lead Project Applicant (“Lead Applicant”).
Projects may have multiple partners, but one entity must take on the responsibility of the Lead Applicant.
Process & Timelines
The application period begins with the release of the request for applications and concludes with notification of the awards for successful projects. A description of key milestones in the application period is provided below.
Review Process for Funding Applications
July 23, 2025: Public release of the Protection and/or Restoration of Wetlands funding request for applications.
October 24, 2025: Application closing date.
Mid-December to Mid-January: End of evaluation period and notification of successful Lead Applicant(s).
The application period begins with the release of the request for applications and concludes with notification of the awards for successful projects. A description of key milestones in the application period is provided below.
The Trust awarded project performance period will last for 2 years from the date of executed agreement with the awardee. The FFSL funded project performance period will also last two years from July 1, 2026, until June 30, 2028. Recipients awarded money from FFSL will work closely with FFSL to ensure funding is spent and invoiced on FFSL-specific timelines. Jointly awarded projects must comply with these same project timelines. In cases where an award is funded through FFSL and the Trust, FFSL, the Trust, and the award recipient will coordinate to ensure the period of performance and invoicing schedule guidelines are followed.
Applications that meet all eligibility requirements (found in General Information) and Required Criteria will undergo a detailed review by a Technical Review Committee (TRC) comprised of Utah natural resource experts. The TRC will score each application against the Required Criteria and the TRC will make funding recommendations for GSLWET’s Trust Council. The Trust Council will consider these recommendations, approve projects that receive funding from GSLWET’s funding pool, and make recommendations to FFSL on projects to receive funding from FFSL. FFSL will retain the authority to make any final decision concerning project awards to be funded by FFSL. Successful Lead Applicant(s) will be notified at the conclusion of the evaluation process. Incomplete applications will not undergo a detailed review.
Process for Application Submission
To receive an application, budget template, and conflict of interest form, email gslwet@audubon.org. Once completed, submit your applications via email to gslwet@audubon.org. If your application package is too large for email, please send a link to a shared folder (Box.com or similar) to allow the reviewers access and download materials.
More Information
Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.
A list of the Technical Review Committee Members can be found here.
Background
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands (“FFSL”) has direct management jurisdiction over lands below the Great Salt Lake meander line. FFSL recognizes the importance of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, including resource values and uses outside of the meander line that affects or are affected by actions on sovereign lands. Accordingly, FFSL considers it imperative that the management of Great Salt Lake includes coordination with all partners above and below the meander line. During the 2024 Legislative General Session, FFSL received $5 million to be spent on the protection and/or enhancement of wetlands for the benefit of Great Salt Lake.
The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (“GSLWET” or the “Trust”) was established in January 2023 pursuant to the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Program (Utah Code Title 65, Chapter 16 (the “Act”) with $40 million in Utah State funding. The primary purpose of the Trust is to enhance water quantity and water quality for Great Salt Lake and its wetlands, as well as protect and restore wetlands habitats to benefit the hydrology of Great Salt Lake. The Trust is co-managed by National Audubon Society’s Saline Lakes Program (Audubon) and The Nature Conservancy in Utah (TNC), with oversight from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. A nine-member statutorily defined Trust Advisory Council advises on matters related to the mission and objectives of GSLWET, plays an important role in helping set the strategic direction of the Trust, and approves major Project proposals.
The Act provides that no less than 25% (or $10 million) of the funding will be used “to protect and restore wetlands and habitats in the Great Salt Lake’s surrounding ecosystem to benefit the hydrology of the Great Salt Lake.”
Additional Questions? Email us at GSLWET@audubon.org