Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust
Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust supports Wisconsin wetland mitigation projects, funding restoration, establishment, enhancement, and preservation to replace wetland area and ecological functions lost to impacts.
Funder: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Due Dates: October 31, 2026 (Quarter 4) | January 31, 2027 (Quarter 1) | April 30, 2027 (Quarter 2) | July 31, 2027 (Quarter 3)
Funding Amounts: $1,600,000 in project funds available for the Southwestern Lake Michigan service area in the current RFP
Summary: Funds Wisconsin wetland mitigation projects using fees from credits sold to offset authorized wetland impacts.
Key Information: Proposed sites must be in a service area with available funding and protected as mitigation sites in perpetuity.
Description
The Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust is a statewide in-lieu fee mitigation program sponsored and administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Permittees and exempt project proponents can purchase credits to offset unavoidable wetland impacts. The trust uses credit fees for projects that restore, establish, enhance, or preserve wetlands in the same service area where the impacts occurred.
The program seeks to replace lost wetland area and ecological functions through a watershed approach. It operates across 12 Wisconsin service areas and selects projects through requests for proposals or DNR site searches. The Standard Subprogram supports projects on Wisconsin land; the State Lands Grant Subprogram is an option for eligible nonprofits proposing projects entirely on DNR-owned or eased land.
