Community Forestry Grant Program is sponsored by Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Provides reimbursable grants for planting trees on publicly owned lands to enhance urban and community forests.

Grants & Funding | Department of Natural Resources Land & Wildlife Conservation Water & Fishing Conservation Following is a list of the programs the DNR administers with a brief description of each. The link will take you to a separate page with more detailed information.

Land & Wildlife Conservation Bluffland Protection Revolving Loan Fund Organizations meeting the definition of conservation organization are eligible to receive loans from the fund for the purchase of Bluffland properties adjacent to state-owned public lands. Community Forestry Grant Program The Community Forestry Grant Program provides reimbursable grants to be used to purchase and plant trees suitable to Iowa.

These grant funds are available to state and local governments entities, schools and volunteer organizations, and service organizations involved with local urban and community forest services, to plant trees on publicly owned lands owned by state, county or local governments and located within the State of Iowa (DNR lands are not eligible).

Qualifying public planting lands include, but are not limited to, street right-of-ways, parks, school grounds, courthouse lawns, public buildings, fairgrounds, cemeteries, libraries and trails. Wildlife Habitat With Local Entities Grant Program (Wildlife Habitat Grant) This grant is open to county conservation boards for the acquisition of land and/or development for wildlife habitat purposes.

The program will cost share up to 75% of costs. Grant recipients will not be permitted to provide public use facilities at their own expense for activities such as camping, picnicking and snowmobiling on areas acquired with WHSF funds. Other than hunting, only those activities such as fishing, hiking, nature study, cross-country skiing, etc. will be permitted.

Wildlife Diversity (non-game) Program Grants The wildlife diversity program offers three grants programs to encourage research, habitat management and environment education that supports non-game wildlife in Iowa. These grants all have the objective of helping to fulfill the goals of Iowa's Wildlife Action Plan . REAP City Parks and Open Spaces Grant Program REAP provides money to cites through competitive grants.

Three city size categories have been established to assure grants are distributed to all sizes of cities. Grants are 100%. Eligible projects include park land expansion and multi-purpose recreation development.

Athletic fields, ball fields, tennis courts, golf course and other organized sport facilities as well as swimming pools and playground equipment are not eligible for funding. REAP Conservation Education Program The Conservation Education Program (CEP) is a key provision of the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Act of 1989.

A five-member board implements the CEP and annually they allocate approximately $350,000 in grants for conservation education in Iowa. REAP County Conservation Grant Program 100% grants are available to counties for land easements or acquisitions, capital improvements, stabilization and protection of resources, repair and upgrading of facilities, environmental education and equipment.

Counties must dedicate at least 22¢ per $1,000 of assessed value of taxable property in the county to be eligible for grants. State Fish & Game Protection Fund The State Fish and Game Protection Fund (commonly known as the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, “FWTF”) is a dedicated trust fund established by state law in 1937 and enshrined into Iowa’s Constitution in 1996. The FWTF operates on a highly successful user-pay, public-benefit model.

Its core financial structure relies almost entirely on fees paid by those who directly utilize Iowa's fish and wildlife resources—hunters, anglers, and trappers—through the purchase of licenses. This revenue, along with federal funds generated by excise taxes on outdoor sporting equipment, is constitutionally protected and can only be used for the promotion, management, research, and protection of Iowa’s natural resources.

While funded by a specific user group, the FWTF pays significant dividends to all Iowans. The three managing bureaus (Wildlife, Fisheries, and Law Enforcement) ensure the health and abundance of Iowa’s natural heritage, which underpins substantial economic activity. Simply, the fees paid by sportsmen and women support the conservation infrastructure that benefits the state’s economy, environment, and Iowans’ quality of life.

By December 15 of each year in which a license fee evaluation is completed, the department must submit a written report to the commission and the general assembly. This report must include “the evaluation and recommendations for changes, if any.

” 2025 State Fish & Game Protection Fund Report All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV/OHV) Grant Program The State of Iowa administers a grant program for the acquisition and development of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) trails. This program is funded from the vehicle registration fees.

Fees are placed into an account and can be used for the development of riding areas, trail maintenance, equipment purchases, operation and maintenance of sites and equipment, insurance, and land acquisition. Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) The LWCF Grant Program is a federal grant program that provides funds to incorporated cities and county conservation boards in the form of 50% reimbursement grants. Grants require a 50% match.

Assistance ceilings have been established by population. Eligible projects include acquisition and/or development of land for outdoor recreation. Renovation of existing facilities is also eligible.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

ORLP is a nationally competitive program targeting grant assistance to help economically disadvantaged urban communities with no, or almost no, access to publicly available, close-by, outdoor recreation, acquire and/or develop land to create, or substantially renovate, public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces.

Matching grants (1:1) are available to help acquire and/or develop public land for all manner of outdoor recreation activities. Snowmobile Trail Grant Program Effective September 5, 2017, administration of the snowmobile grant program has been assigned to the Iowa State Snowmobile Association through a cooperative contract with the DNR.

State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) The 2023-2028 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (3. 95 MB) . pdf titled Outdoor Recreation in Iowa, is now available and produced in an interactive StoryMap format that allows you to drill down to your community or region in maps and data that accompany the state’s priorities for outdoor recreation.

With each priority, there are recommendations on how communities, counties and other recreation providers can help move Iowa towards realizing these outcomes. Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Priorities: Enhance the Quality of Life of Iowans Through the Availability and Diversity of Natural Resources, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Opportunities The Right Opportunities. The Right Place.

Done the Right Way Solid Waste Alternatives Program (SWAP) SWAP works to reduce the amount of solid waste generated and landfilled in Iowa. Through a competitive process, financial assistance is available for a variety of projects, including source reduction, recycling and education. The program provides financial assistance in the form of forgivable loans, zero interest loans, and 3 percent interest loans.

A 50 percent cost share is required through cash match. Projects are selected through a competitive process. Emphasis for selected projects is placed on tonnage avoided or reduced, sustainability and ability to replicate.

Derelict Building Program This program was established to provide Iowa communities with a population of 5,000 and under financial assistance to address the environmental and safety hazards posed by a derelict structure. The Program’s main focus is landfill diversion through the recycling and reuse of building materials and the elimination of hazards both inside and out posed by these empty structures.

Water & Fishing Conservation Fish Habitat Promotion for County Conservation Boards This program is a 90% cost share grant open to all county conservation boards for the development of fish habitat or acquisition of land to be used for fish habitat development purposes.

Examples of eligible project activities are placement of fish habitats in ponds, lakes, pits and streams; armoring of lakes; construction of aeration systems; dredging; construction of ponds and lakes; repair of dams and outlets; manipulation of fish populations and aquatic vegetation. Project sites must be under the physical control of the applicant, either by fee title, lease, management agreement or easement.

Iowa Water Trails Mini Grants Provides money to water trail developers (county conservation boards, cities, non-profits) to support projects to establish water trails. Water trails enhance recreational experiences for all water recreation enthusiasts. Efforts often involve canoeists and kayakers.

Low-head Dam Public Hazard Program The Low-Head Dam Public Hazard Program is intended to reduce accidents at dams. Cost-share funds are available to all owners of dams on navigable streams through cost-sharing at a minimum of 50 percent cost to the project sponsor to mitigate hazards at low-head dams through warning signage, portage trail construction, and modifications to or removals of low-head dams.

Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund (aka Sustainable Funding) In November 2010, the people of Iowa chose to amend Iowa’s Constitution and create the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. This passage activated Senate File 2310 (SF2310) into law on January 1, 2011, which provides the framework for the distribution, use, and accountability of the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund.

Upon enactment, SF2310 was finalized into Iowa Code Chapter 461. As mandated by Code, annual reports relating to the Trust Fund are submitted to the General Assembly. Iowa State Revolving Fund (SRF) is a one-stop shop for the information you need to use SRF financing for your water quality or drinking water project.

The SRF is jointly operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Finance Authority. Water Recreation Access Cost-Share Program The IDNR has a cost-sharing grant program called "Water Recreation Access Cost-Share Program" that is available for constructing or improving boat access facilities to Iowa's lakes and streams.

Projects can include boat launching ramps, loading/off-loading docks and other structures to enhance use by the public. Watershed Improvement Grants (Section 319) The DNR offers Iowa groups looking to improve our state's streams, rivers and lakes the opportunity to apply for grants. These grants allow groups, such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other organizations, to create watershed projects.

Watershed projects help individual Iowans make changes on the land in order to improve the quality of water entering our rivers, streams and lakes.