The Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) awards competitive grants to projects that restore and protect high priority aquatic resources throughout Maine. MNRCP is administered by The Nature Conservancy on behalf of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since its launch in 2008, MNRCP has awarded over $26 million to non-profit groups, municipalities and public agencies to help restore, enhance or preserve wetlands and other important habitats at over 160 project sites across the state. To view the latest MNRCP Annual Report, click here.
MNRCP was created to manage the allocation of funds collected through Maine’s In Lieu Fee Compensation Program. This voluntary program provides flexibility for regulators as well as for businesses, agencies, and others that are meeting regulatory permit requirements to choose a fee in lieu of more time-intensive traditional mitigation options. These so-called In Lieu Fees are collected by the Maine DEP and then transferred to the Natural Resource Conservation Fund administered by The Nature Conservancy.
Funds are awarded through an annual competitive grants process. Proposals are solicited each year and evaluated by a Review Committee, convened by the Maine DEP, and made up of public and nonprofit entities. Proposals are reviewed and scored using a defined set of Review Criteria, which was recently updated in May of 2023. Final award decisions are made in November or December of each year by the Interagency Review Team (Approval Committee) comprised of state and federal agencies. The Nature Conservancy administers the process but does not decide which proposals receive funding. To view a list of our committee members, click here.
NOTE: The 2023 funding round is now open! Letters of Intent are due by 5:00pm on June 28, 2023. During this year's funding round, MNRCP strongly encourages applications that include restoration or enhancement of aquatic resources. These projects are likely to score and rank higher than "preservation only" projects. Applications for "preservation only" projects may still be accepted if they include specific resources that are difficult or impossible to restore (i.e., vernal pools, IWWH, marsh migration sites) or if they exhibit exceptional site characteristics. Please contact Bryan Emerson (bryan.emerson@tnc.org or 207-607-4821) if you have any questions about potential projects for this year's funding round.
If you wish to receive the Request for Letters of Intent for future funding rounds and have not received mailings in the past, please contact maineresources@tnc.org.
The Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) awards competitive grants to projects that restore and protect high priority aquatic resources throughout Maine. MNRCP is administered by The Nature Conservancy on behalf of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since its launch in 2008, MNRCP has awarded over $26 million to non-profit groups, municipalities and public agencies to help restore, enhance or preserve wetlands and other important habitats at over 160 project sites across the state. To view the latest MNRCP Annual Report, click here.
MNRCP was created to manage the allocation of funds collected through Maine’s In Lieu Fee Compensation Program. This voluntary program provides flexibility for regulators as well as for businesses, agencies, and others that are meeting regulatory permit requirements to choose a fee in lieu of more time-intensive traditional mitigation options. These so-called In Lieu Fees are collected by the Maine DEP and then transferred to the Natural Resource Conservation Fund administered by The Nature Conservancy.
Funds are awarded through an annual competitive grants process. Proposals are solicited each year and evaluated by a Review Committee, convened by the Maine DEP, and made up of public and nonprofit entities. Proposals are reviewed and scored using a defined set of Review Criteria, which was recently updated in May of 2023. Final award decisions are made in November or December of each year by the Interagency Review Team (Approval Committee) comprised of state and federal agencies. The Nature Conservancy administers the process but does not decide which proposals receive funding. To view a list of our committee members, click here.
NOTE: The 2023 funding round is now open! Letters of Intent are due by 5:00pm on June 28, 2023. During this year's funding round, MNRCP strongly encourages applications that include restoration or enhancement of aquatic resources. These projects are likely to score and rank higher than "preservation only" projects. Applications for "preservation only" projects may still be accepted if they include specific resources that are difficult or impossible to restore (i.e., vernal pools, IWWH, marsh migration sites) or if they exhibit exceptional site characteristics. Please contact Bryan Emerson (bryan.emerson@tnc.org or 207-607-4821) if you have any questions about potential projects for this year's funding round.
If you wish to receive the Request for Letters of Intent for future funding rounds and have not received mailings in the past, please contact maineresources@tnc.org.
Ready to apply? Read a step-by-step guide to the grants process and apply for funding here.
For more information about MNRCP, please visit the Maine In-Lieu Fee Program Instrument, hosted by US Army Corps of Engineers, New England District.