Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP)
Forecasted
Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) supports conservation groups, Tribes, and public bodies in restoring and protecting Maine’s natural resources to compensate for unavoidable environmental impacts.
Funder: Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2027 (Letter of Intent)
Funding Amounts: No minimum or maximum award amount; no match required
Summary: Competitive grants support restoration, enhancement, preservation, and creation of Maine natural resources to compensate for unavoidable environmental impacts.
Key Information: Projects must address natural resource compensation needs within Maine’s funded biophysical regions.
Description
The Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) funds projects that restore and protect high-priority aquatic resources throughout Maine, including wetlands, streams, and wildlife habitat. It is a cooperative program of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, administered by The Nature Conservancy in Maine.
Funding comes from fees paid through Maine’s In Lieu Fee Compensation Program for unavoidable impacts to protected natural resources. These fees are allocated to the biophysical regions where impacts occurred. MNRCP uses the funds to restore, enhance, preserve, or create similar resources and maintain their ecological benefits. Its goal is to maximize the ecological benefits of compensatory mitigation, with preference for projects matching impacted resources and benefiting statewide conservation priorities.
